We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nita Chawla. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nita below.

Hi Nita, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

One of the most meaningful projects that I’ve worked on is my song “The Way”. I wrote this song in 2013 actually after a conversation with my sister and her friend (both of whom are writers/playwrights). Her friend asked me if I had ever written about something personal, something that tells my story. I had written about heartbreak many times, but I questioned how deep those songs were and how much of my story they actually told.

Later that summer, I had a conversation with my sister who just had an energy healing with our mutual coach/healer. (who is also psychic). I know this sounds a bit woo woo (but also for anyone who knows me, you’re not surprised lol). As she shared the session with me, it was so powerful, and I felt the healing as well since we share the same lineage.

The very next day I was messing around on my keyboard with some of the beats and I started writing “The Way”…a song which references the challenges my ancestors went through, their expectations of us in this life and also my desire as a first generation American to to fulfill the dreams they couldn’t as I honored their sacrifices, strength and struggles. I was crying while writing it, so I knew something powerful was coming through.

There were many failed attempts to record the song in 2016 and 2017, but I finally found the right producers in late 2017 while I was living in L.A (Max Gualtieri and Sophocles). They understood the feeling of the song and in my heart, I just knew it was right.

I attempted to make the music video for it that year in L.A. and even had a casting call for it! I didn’t want to be in the video…I just wanted other people to tell my story. But it fell apart and I gave up on it. In the spring of 2018, my friend asked me why I didn’t just go to Ellis Island, hop on a ferry and shoot a simple music video? I liked the idea and she connected me to a videographer in New Jersey. There were so many challenges, but somehow it just kept working out! I shot the video in one day, partially at a warehouse in Patterson, NJ and partially in Brooklyn facing the NYC skyline. When we got drone shots of the statue of liberty, I finally realized why that video had to be shot in New York- the statue of liberty is the symbol of immigration in the U.S! This imagery is so powerful because it pays homage to the immigrants who took a chance on this country, including my parents and relatives who moved so far from home to start a new life in a foreign land.

It was tough to come up with a visual for the video and I had such a small budget and as my makeup artist (Jennifer Mullins) called it, a “skeleton crew”! But we made something meaningful and I’m still really proud of that song and video. Also while I’m not the best actress, the producer (Ebb Friday) pushed me to show a bit more emotion, so the end of the video got a little teary-eyed, but I’m glad that i went there. While I thought i’d never be able to complete the project, I did finally get there and am proud of how it turned out :)

Nita, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’ve been immersed in music for as long as I can remember! We used to sit on the living room floor as a family with mics set up, and my Dad would accompany us on tabla or harmonium while we sang songs in English and Hindi. Then one time I figured out the demo song by ear on our cheap casio keyboard and my mom enrolled me in piano lessons when I was 7 or 8. I was writing instrumental songs by 11 and picked up guitar in middle school, but it wasn’t until I had some real-life experience that I started writing songs with lyrics around 17. After those first couple of songs I fell in love with songwriting and knew that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life!

So now I’m a songwriter and music teacher living (and performing) In Austin, TX. I think what’s unique about me as a musician is that I’m not just writing and performing songs to look cool on stage. I feel like an old soul and I’ve had to do an immense amount of healing in my adult life. Don’t get me wrong, I have a very loving family, but I feel like there were patterns and negative aspects that got passed down (not just from my family, but my lineage) that I’ve needed to heal and transmute. So as a musician, I’m not just on stage to look cool or for fame and fortune (because believe me, none of that is happening haha). I really do believe I have muses who are handing me songs that heal me first, and then I perform those songs for others and hopefully provide healing to others as well. I’ve written songs about heartbreak, but at the core, I want my music to be healing and uplifting and\ a contrast to the typical sad heartbreak songs or in the club/party/sex songs on the radio. Music is powerful and hypnotic, so why hypnotize ourselves to only these lower vibrations? Music is a powerful tool for uplifting ourselves and each other, so I’m focused on writing and releasing music in that vein now.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I think the best thing other can do to support artists and a thriving creative ecosystem is to support local artists! I think there’s a misperception that local or indie artists are not as good because they’re not famous or on the radio. But the system is massively corrupted and manipulated. This is not to say that the artists on the radio are not immensely talented, because they definitely are! But a lot of these artists are told how to dress and what to sing and sign some crazy contracts, I even like and listen to a lot of popular artists, but I’ve also met and come across some extremely talented musicians while playing or attending shows around the country and world as well. Even just attending a show, giving a small tip, a like or comment on Instagram or a follow on Spotify helps massively! This industry is pretty tough, so just a bit of support goes a long way. And of course choose to support whoever you genuinely like and enjoy of course. You never know how your support helps an indie artist bloom, and you will be the recipient of something beautiful too, so it’s a win-win!

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think some non-creatives might think that I do this for attention, likes or the pursuit of fame. While I do share and ask for likes and support, it’s not for the attention, but for the ability to afford to have time to create more and to bring these creations into a solid form (aka a produced song or video). But at the heart of it, I write songs for my own healing and self-expression. I share because I feel that maybe others could benefit from this too and/or relate to my experiences. I hope my music brings healing and a feeling of being seen to others like me who have struggled with depression, anxiety, trauma, repression etc. I actually feel like I’d rather hide in the shadows and not be seen honestly, but something inside of me pushes me to keep writing and keep going, so I feel like there’s a greater purpose.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.iamnitamusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamnitamusic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamnitamusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/nitamusic
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4pWrSmhE7NyJSfRWJulgno?si=hx8kOiQoTx6YAvTULbhB9Q

Image Credits

Photos in the coral: Lei Phillips

Photos in/near the water: Shay Sia