Senior Ashwin Rao’s high school journey consisted of finding and following his passion. Ashwin wound down the path of performing arts, from his early roots in Indian classical music to his work in Harker’s performing arts groups.

“My sister and my mom have been learning Indian classical music since before I was born,” he said. “I started taking classes when I was five. I added Indian classical violin and Western piano.”

Ashwin did not always know that music would soon become a passion of his.

“[Music] was there, but it was never integral to my life,” he said.

In middle school, Ashwin joined the tech crew of the spring musical, The Boyfriend.

“That experience gave me so many new friends that were like me. [It] drove me to actually be in the musical the following year,” Ashwin said.

His musical influences include both Indian classical music and Western music, which he believes interact harmoniously.

“It’s really cool when I see how the two line up, or how I can use the theory of one to help me do better with the other,” he said.  

As he entered high school, Ashwin was initially unsure of how committed he would become to the performing arts program.

“I was a little bit hesitant,” he said. “I didn’t really realize how big a part in my life [music] was going to be until junior year, and by then it was too late.”

By the end of his sophomore year, he was sold: performing arts had become a part of who he was. He continued on to secure his place in Downbeat, participate in Harker theatre productions and hold the position of Assistant Director of Cantilena. Recently, Ashwin was selected to travel to Minnesota in March with a coveted spot in the National Honor Choir.

“It’s been a very gradual progression of how much time I’ve spent on music. I feel like it didn’t really occur to me that it was such a huge force in my life until the end of sophomore year, or the beginning of junior year,” he said.

Since finding a place of belonging in music, Ashwin hasn’t looked back, only wishing he had found his passion for music sooner.

“What you have been doing in the past should not dictate what you are going to do in the future because that closes a lot of doors that could have led to great places,” Ashwin said.