Violinist Sunita Bhuyan tells us how music can help develop skills for the office
Artists, just like art itself, don’t know any borders. Music has a way of transporting us and in a way, the people who play the instruments often act like an instrument in that journey. Violinist Sunita Bhuyan is just that. She started her musical career as a child and it has been an affair of a lifetime. She has performed in Delhi, Mumbai, New York, and London to name a few places. But, what sets Bhuyan apart in her art is how she brings her music together with her knowledge as a trained HR professional. She uses music therapy as a way to help both working folks and kids alike.
Talking about art, she told us, “I feel living life in a certain way itself is art. The art of relationships keeps us going, the art of partnerships create high-performing teams, and then cooking is the most significant form of artistic engagement for us humans. Anything that's woven together with thought and a passionate intent is art. And of course, music is one of the purest and most creative forms of it.”
In a conversation with The Jurni, the acclaimed violinist tells us about her unique journey, how the lockdowns changed her practice, and the global perception of artists. Read the full conversation as part of our series, ‘Makers of a New Era’.
Can you please tell us about your career as a violinist to date (or what inspired you to become a professional violinist)?
Though I was trained in violin from my childhood, I actually ventured into music full time later in life. I worked as a Human Resources professional first. I was trained in classical music since I was eight, under the guidance of my mother and her guru Pt. V.G. Jog. I also have a Masters degree in music from Prayag Sangeet Samiti in Hindustani Classical. Alongside, I did an MBA in Human Resource Management, because my guru was clear that we must focus on academics along with music. He emphasised that a thinking mind is very important for an artist – he was very progressive that way.
Music was a gift I received from my mother – it just came naturally to me. I could play just by the ear. When I joined my guru after training with my mother, he said I was already prepared as she had taught me the right technique. So, I began performing on stages across the world. I went to London, New York, Mumbai, and so many other places. During this time, I learnt to emote on stage by understanding the audience’s pulse, and before long, winning the audience became my main mission.
I also had a single, clear agenda. I didn’t want to be typecast as a concert violinist. Twenty years back, the violin was restricted in its reach as it was believed to be mainly a classical instrument, and not an instrument with immense versatility. I wanted to break that myth and make the violin a medium of communication.
What types of organisations/events had you been invited to?
With a specialisation in Human Resources, I began to train young corporate professionals, who were very qualified but lacked the skills they needed to manage teams. I’ve done this for years – travelled around the globe picking up the best practices in this field and teaching them to clients in industries like the Information Technology Enabled Services, financial services, oil and gas, pharma, etc. I have also been associated with Institutions like CEDEP in France, Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai, India Institute of Management in Shillong as well as many conferences across the world.
As a wellbeing practitioner I formulated and implemented health and wellness programs through standard and alternative platforms with a focus on yoga, meditation, arts, and music to empower, engage, and enrich. Gradually, I developed into a specialist using music as a tool for structured HR and leadership interventions.
As the chief mentor at Atos Prayas Foundation, it’s been an intense experience to spread the message of holistic learning and development to young children of underprivileged communities across India.
That is how I represent these two aspects of my life – music and human resources.
I have recently also started a new initiative which focuses on music and mental health, which I feel is the need of the hour.
How has the pandemic changed your way of performing?
I have always been a live and stage performer. I was not really interested in the digital medium. In fact, I was certain that I wanted to keep travelling to different parts of the world as long as people wanted to experience my music. Hence, the lockdown and pandemic was a hard-hitting shock. From a physical artist, I had to evolve into a digital artist. From simple Facebook lives to very sophisticated multi-platform virtual events, I have done more than 120 events in the last two years for audiences across the world that have ranged from fundraisers to my HR training workshops, and world summits to diplomatic events and concerts.
It has been said by artists that during the pandemic they have produced some of their most creative work, due to being in lockdown and perhaps the range of human emotions we have felt collectively during this time. How has it been for you? Has it changed the way you approach your music?
The music and content remained the same, as being spontaneous and creative on the live format was the main excitement for me, which again is the DNA of Indian music.
But yes, virtual media gives us the liberty of multi-dimensional offerings. For instance, one of my major fundraisers in 2021 was for marginalised children, where I could use a live demonstration of music, painting, and dance to express hope, health, and humanity. I could invite speakers and experts from all over the world to support me with their recorded speeches.
Even when my husband was recovering from a major surgery, I could stream a few events and workshops from the hotel conference room asI carried my small home studio setup to Delhi from Mumbai. I also streamed a Women's Day event from my brother's office in Guwahati in March last year.
So the pandemic has given me amazing flexibility of production, but it can be a huge challenge to emote in front of a camera or a device. The toughest part was to program my mind before an event and imagine that I am in front of a live audience.
Are you currently giving live performances or are you performing virtually?
It's mainly been virtual. Though I have been travelling in-between the surges in India, but that’s mostly to Assam, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad. Not yet internationally. Sadly, all my international tours in 2020 and 2021 were cancelled.
It's very challenging to do our rehearsals and sound checks with masks, but then we adapt, and that's our resilience.
Stress is something we face in our daily lives. How do you think music specifically would help reduce stress for our readers? What specific things can they do to alleviate stress using music?
Music scientifically impacts the mind and body, and creates feel-good hormones. Hence, it can be used as a recuperative therapy for many diseases. Again, different types of music during different times of the day have different impacts on our metabolism.
What do the Arts mean to you? Or what do you think is most misunderstood in your line of work?
Art is very closely connected to life for me. It's a way of creatively expressing ourselves and responding to our environment.
I feel living life in a certain way itself is art. The art of relationships keeps us going, the art of partnerships create high-performing teams, and then cooking is the most significant form of artistic engagement for us humans. Anything that's woven together with thought and a passionate intent is art. And of course, music is one of the purest, most creative, and accessible forms of it.
What is misunderstood very often is the fact that artists do this for their livelihood. As much as we have some very practical art seekers, there are others who always try to equate the need to project art as a "feel good" exercise only. They want to pay for all their material needs and other aesthetic experiences but often hesitate to offer anything to artists.
Then again, in India especially, art is not a key agenda. Hence, thousands of artists have been languishing since the pandemic.
What are you most excited about this year/or next?
Last year, it was shows like the Amazon concert that streamed live across 5 countries, the Healing Notes event for Hinduja Foundation, and each and every physical show that was so precious in between the surges! This year, I am looking at a few new collaborations in my HR work as well as in the space of music and mental health. I am looking forward to making an album with my son who is a pianist and my upcoming US tour (fingers crossed).
Quick Fire Round!
Coffee or tea?
Tea of course – from the tea estates of Assam to the cutting chai of Mumbai. Love them both!
Most favourite city in the world?
Mumbai and London
Favourite time of the year?
Christmas
Favourite travel/culture book?
Culture magazine - The Jurni.
Your most prized possession?
My family
Place you most want to visit in the world?
Guwahati