Meet Upasak Mukherjee | Musician. Tabla Player, Film Scorer, Composer, Music Producer
We had the good fortune of connecting with Upasak Mukherjee and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Upasak, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I was born a musician. Tabla lessons from my Guruji (teacher), Grammy nominated Pt. Subhen Chatterjee started at a very young age for me. Learning the art of playing Indian rhythms has impacted me deeply and is the source of my life’s energy. Even though I was getting really good at the Tabla and was thinking of taking it up as a profession right after my high school, I had to follow the conventions of the society at that age. I studied to become a dentist, as was expected by my parents, but, after completing the course, I took a strong resolution to follow my passion. I picked up the guitar as a new challenge, practiced hard for about one and a half years, and ended up getting accepted into Berklee in my first attempt! The decision to go to Berklee was pretty risky, specially since I was already in a profession where I could have earned big and fast instead of going back to investing towards my education. But, since I have been in Berklee, my life has been all about music and I feel fulfilled by the work I put in here every day! Being surrounded by insanely talented musicians, I am constantly growing and learning from this rich environment. Collaborating with the best of the best musicians in Berklee, and possibly the world, my vision for my future career has expanded exponentially. I am in a place from where I can choose to have a career that is a lot more meaningful and can potentially be more lucrative than working as a dentist, if that even matters. If I had not taken the risk, I would have probably had a faster career, but would have felt stuck in a profession that was not meant for me. Of course, there was a lot of hard work that went into this choice, and I already had my education in Tabla from my Guruji as a strong framework to start off this journey, paired with the support from my parents during this transition. I think taking realistic risks are always worth it if one is willing to work for what they want!
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Currently, I am learning the art of music production in my study abroad semester in Spain. Once I go back to the US, I will be continuing my studies in writing music for films! I am also known for playing Tabla and collaborating with different people from all over the world including Abeer Nehme, Kala Ramnath ji, Patrice Rushen, Rob Lewis, Grammy nominated Berklee Indian Ensemble, etc. As of yet, my personal projects have included musicians from Chile, Singapore, Japan, China, other parts of India. While my performative collaborations include musicians from an even wider community, my personal projects are very unique, since they are only percussion oriented. The compositions do not rely on harmonic and melodic tools and incorporate the rhythmic styles of many different countries. While being heavily reliant on Indian percussive styles. the compositions have used different elements like MIDI drums, beatboxing, cajon, drum set and of course, Tabla. The series is visually very unique as well since I edit the videos using footage from 360 cameras and the call and response among the various players are accompanied by visual changes in the camera frames. This series has received a lot of love and its latest iteration has recently been featured in Berklee’s official YouTube channel, and has been covered by several media outlets over the world! With time, I have also started incorporating melodic and harmonic elements in some of these compositions and am working towards getting this music released into the world!
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Since I am currently doing my study-abroad semester in Valencia, Spain, I highly recommend visiting my temporary home! The food here is delicious and the wine is as sweet as the people! In the coming week, one of the biggest festivals in Spain is going to take place here and this is the perfect time to come to Valencia. The city becomes a hotspot for tourists at that time, and for good reason! People dress up in traditional clothes and fireworks light up the entire city. If that is not enough, Valencia is also the home for paella, a famous Spanish dish and I know the best place to have it! There is a secluded restaurant to the North of the city, where the food is made from fresh ingredients grown in their own farm. One can go there and observe the paella being cooked too! The central market and the area around is also filled with amazing tapas places and historical structures. In short, there is too much to do here and anyone visiting is almost guaranteed to have an amazing time!
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The deeper I dive into the world of music, the more appreciative I am of the environment I am in. Most people I come across in my daily life now, specially Berklee people, inspire me- not just by their musical skills, but also with their kindness and warmth. My friends in Berklee push me forward and take me to uncomfortable musical journeys, and I always end up learning valuable lessons from these collaborations. They also travel with me, explore new places and make my life richer! Of course, my Guruji is the source of all of my music, and he deserves the biggest of shoutouts! Could not have done it without his blessings. My parents have also changed their perspectives and continuously support me in this journey and I really appreciate that. My friends back in India are just a part of my whole personality and I would not have grown up to be the person I am today if they had not gifted me with a magical childhood!
Instagram: https://instagram.com/upashock.wav?igshid=NzAzN2Q1NTE=
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/upasak.mukherjee.1?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@upasakmukherjee8986
Other: Latest Release- https://youtu.be/kSTaivT2L9A
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