Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joel Adimathra. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Joel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

It was the summer before my senior year of high school. I was thinking about what to major in, and think about what career path I should follow. Somehow, no matter what I was thinking about, it would always lead me back to music. I had a very serious talk with my piano teacher as well as his friend who was also in the creative field. They told me that it could and would be a difficult path to follow, but it would be very rewarding. At the end of the day, I knew I was different from most Indian kids growing up. Most of them had an affinity for math, science, or business; but I had a natural affinity to music and the creative field. I was a great student, but my aptitude for music was much greater than the other academic subjects. I just loved being able to interpret the printed page of music, to communicate ideas of composers from the past. It was as if their thoughts and ideas were alive from the moment I started to play their compositions to the end. It would transport me to another world. The more pieces I learned, the more I wanted to envelope myself in this world. It was tough for my parents to accept, because in a desi household; you were expected to either be a doctor, engineer, lawyer, or some kind of businessman. It was considered shameful to be an artistic person, but my choice of being a musician and a teacher have given me experiences that I would have never gotten had I been like every desi person out there.

Joel , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I started to learn to play the piano at the age of five. At the time, the school I was going to had piano lessons during the school day. I told my dad that I wanted to take piano lessons, so I could skip school. He ended up finding a teacher that would give me lessons after school, so my plan failed. Little did I know, that it would be the best thing in my life. From that time, I’ve been playing the piano for over 28 years.

I’ve had some wonderful teachers from all over the world. They taught me the importance of practicing, technique, discipline, excellence, interpretation, and not only reading the music well, but letting the music read you. It was due to the wonderful teachers I had that I wanted to be a teacher as well. I’ve been teaching for over 15 years, and I try to impart the same things to the students I teach.

As an active musician, I have been able to perform in major productions such as the Star Wars and Game of Thrones: In Concert in Houston. I’ve had the good fortune and privilege of being an RJ for a major desi radio station for two years. I have played for many functions all over the city of Houston and many parts of Texas over the years. I served as worship director for a Methodist church for 12 years, and a Music Minister for a Catholic church for 4 years.

I teach my students how to sing and play all kinds of styles, read music, play by ear. I try to foster a love of exploring different genres of music. I encourage them to go to local concerts and festivals. There’s nothing like experiencing what your city or town has to offer in terms of music in person.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Artists and creatives as a whole are essential to a thriving society. They help inspire people and shape how we think. They answer questions that many people are too afraid to ask themselves. Creatives give people a new perspective on issues, ideas, conflicts, and they help better understand our world. The creative arts help humanity survive. Without music, art, and creativity, humanity would have a hard time moving forward. The greatest scientists, philosophers, authors, medical professionals, designers, architects all come from a creative background.

Music and art stimulates the brain, and helps with creativity and understanding. That’s why it’s essential for children and adults to be exposed to music and art. Creativity as a whole stimulates our expression, communication, problem solving skills as well as critical thinking. In a world where mental health is becoming more important, art and music studies have shown that it lowers anxiety and depression by giving them an outlet to express themselves.

One of the ways society can support artists and creatives is to go local. Support your local museums, libraries, local artists by going to their shows, enjoying concerts and festivals put out by the city, buying their paintings, art work, music, becoming a patron, and volunteering at local art and music organizations.

Also, taking lessons at your local schools would be wonderful. There are so many teachers in all the creative fields that are willing to teach you how to do play an instrument, sing, draw, paint, sculpt. design, pretty much anything and everything in the creative field.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Growing up, I was one of those classical music only kids. It wasn’t until I started teaching young students that I realized that I shouldn’t be so rigid in the music I show to my students. The love of music comes from exploring everything from music that celebrates your culture and ethnic roots to all genres contemporary and classical. When I realized that, the dynamics of my teaching method changed for the better.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: sirjoel89
• Linkedin: Joel Adimathra
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbpF67PQ3OQN4cOcREgrnQA