CHENNAI: When passion possesses a soul, there can be no escaping from it. For Vedanth Bharadwaj and Sunil Gargyan, the melody of music was like a siren’s call that they could not resist. Speaking at the 46th edition of Blisscatchers, hosted by life coach and happynesswala Avis Viswanathan, the two musicians shared their pursuit of bliss.
When Vedanth heard Eric Clapton’s Tears in Heaven for the first time while studying at Rishi Valley in Andhra Pradesh, it was a moment of truth for his 16-year-old self. “When I heard Ananth Menon, my roommate at the time, play the guitar, it felt like I had found my instrument and my calling,” said the 38-year-old. “I learned the beginning riff to Tears in Heaven the whole day. Ananth came back and taught the rest of the song.”
The classically trained musician loved the trill of an acoustic guitar, and he began listening to The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, and Neil Diamond.
Similarly, for Sunil, music awoke in the self-proclaimed introvert a sense of self. Following a recording of Vadavekum Yen Kanmani for a performance held by his school when he was in class 3, the budding musician admitted that music gave him a sense of confidence. “My guru, PS Narayanaswamy, did not let me perform for three years, and although I was impatient at the time, I am grateful now for all the time I had practicing my skills,” he said.
Vedanth has degrees in psychology and management, and Sunil holds a degree in commerce. “My father said
‘If you follow Saraswathi, Lakshmi will follow’ Now, I understand its meaning,” said Vedanth
Following their graduation, they plunged head-first into their passion. Despite the fear that perhaps music may not support them financially, Vedanth began composing music and releasing albums while opening up a studio, and Sunil entered the Carnatic community. The night reached a crescendo with an impromptu musical performance, leaving the crowd blissful.