Meet Aalisha Jaisinghani

We were lucky to catch up with Aalisha Jaisinghani recently and have shared our conversation below.

Aalisha, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?

The experience of “being the only one in the room that looks like me” feels unfortunately and unnecessarily humiliating. Sometimes I had to work twice as hard as certain peers to be taken half as seriously as them.

As an Indian American girl growing up in the early 2000’s, it was uncommon to see representation in the fields I was passionate about, and the few prominent Indian characters onscreen were usually caricatures of mean stereotypes. In music environments, it was common but not easy to be the only South Asian, or only woman, or both. Despite all my confidence in my hard work, I always had the nagging idea in the back of my mind that I was destined to fail, because of the lack of predecessors to show me it was possible for someone like me in this industry. I was also worried about representing my demographics badly, which was a ridiculous pressure to put on myself.

The jazz world in particular is extremely male-dominant, and most women, including myself, concur that it can be very isolating and patronizing. In many arts environments, people are quick to expect highly of a man regardless of if they know anything about his work ethic, yet quick to dismiss a woman’s talents before even giving her the chance to showcase them. There’s an additional level of intensity when you’re not white, and wow, it is very much not fun when you can’t make eye contact with a single person in the room who would wholly understand the discomfort whenever someone says something racist, or sexist, or even just microaggressive.

Even in collaborative accepting environments, it can still be a strange and lonely feeling to be the only one in the room. In my first year of graduate school at NYU for Screen Scoring, I was the only Indian in the entire program — not only out of the graduate students but including the undergrads too. In fact, I was the only South Asian at all, and I don’t think there were any Middle Eastern people either. Though most of my professors and peers were kind, there is an instinctive level of loneliness and defensiveness that comes from not being around a single person that you can innately relate to. But now, a year after graduating with my Master’s degree, it’s been amazing to see a few more South Asians enter the program, and to be able to create a small community between us!

Racism, sexism, and the intersection of both are still rampant, but it’s heartwarming to see that the world is different for women of color pursuing the arts today than it was when I was growing up. I used to aspire to be “the first” in the fields of my passions, but it was only after maturing and watching the population of South Asian Americans in the arts slowly increase, that I realized how much I didn’t actually want to be “the first.” The desire to be “the first” stems from the loneliness of being the only one in the room, and my growth would have likely been faster and more fruitful if I had that community earlier.

It also breeds an unnecessary sense of competition against the sparse others that look like you — as if there’s room for only one. Never ever ever EVER fall into that trap. Those people are your people, and you should always always ALWAYS support each other. Sometimes that community is all you have.

Despite the negatives, this experience did push me to always give everything my absolute all and never get complacent. The only way to succeed in those environments is to never yield to self-doubt. Everyone else’s doubt and pushback can easily seep into your workflow if you let it, but you just have to block out the noise. The more you prove you’re capable of what you want to do, the more you may face even worse pushback; that’s just the reality of it. At some point though, eventually, people will have no choice but to take you seriously, but you have to take yourself seriously first.

While pursuing any dream, if there’s no one before you that looks like you, then you should work to be “the first.” And if someone else becomes “the first,” then be grateful you’re not alone.

I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to build a community that you feel safe and absolutely authentically yourself around. If there is no one in your direct environment you can connect to, then go out of your way, even if it’s inconvenient, to seek community in your passions, outside of the environments where you feel isolated. That community will help keep up morale and remind you that you’re on the right path, and most importantly, that you’re not alone. Community is everything. It always takes a village, and it can be so difficult sometimes, but be patient and keep trying, and you will find that village.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am a film composer, songwriter, singer, performer, producer, and classical & jazz pianist!

I have scored dozens of short films, animations, and other screen media projects. Recently, I have worked on many experimental horror and thriller scores, where I often manipulate my own vocals to create otherworldly soundscapes. As a huge fan of suspense, I have loved exploring darker sonic worlds, which diverges from the rest of my musical background. Integrating vocals into many of my compositions adds an extra layer of intensity; there’s nothing as personal and primal as the human voice, which immediately unnerves or moves people subconsciously. You won’t always quickly register them as vocals in the tracks when you hear them, because I physically and digitally contort my voice to create very unique sounds. I absolutely love experimentation. For that very reason, actually, I have also loved working on heartbreaking and sweet dramas, because of the beautiful possibilities that come with vocal painting. And comedies are also so great for experimentation!

I won “Best Music Score” in the MultiDimension Independent Film Festival in May 2023 and received a nomination for “Original Music” at the Watersprite International Festival in February 2024 in Cambridge, UK. My other accolades include my nominations for “Best Music Score” for three different short films within the span of two Organization of Independent Filmmakers (OIF) Orlando festivals, preceded by an FMF YTA Screen Scoring Honorable Mention Award from the Krakow Film Music Festival in May 2022. And I have also been so fortunate to watch many of the 40+ short films I’ve worked on make their rounds through amazing festival circuits, bringing highly deserved success to the filmmaking teams I’m so grateful to have been a part of.

I’m currently working on a handful of short indie films, and absolutely love having my plate full. I actually find that alternating between simultaneous projects heightens my creative abilities when it comes to each individual one, because having diversified responsibilities allows me to avoid a monotonous mindset. I’m so excited about the projects I’ve recently wrapped and am currently working on, and I can’t wait for people to finally see all of these films!

When it comes to my songwriting, I am unable to pinpoint myself within any singular genre. My public discography consists of nearly 40 released songs, including rock, jazz, and, most recently, alt-pop songs, which I often record, mix, and produce myself, usually mastered by mentor and collaborator Jamie Lawrence. Though, with my love for collaboration and learning from others, I am expanding more of my work to incorporate and feature other artists! I love to mesh my many influences rather than follow the unspoken rules of any one genre, which means many of my releases contrast. I’m proud of my lyrical work; I don’t often write lyrics with the hope that they will be universally relatable, and instead focus on making them notably authentic to myself.

In addition to my solo artist career, I have fronted, led, and written songs for multiple rock bands. I frequently perform with my current band, DUCK! around New York City, and we are so excited to record our first EP soon. I absolutely love working with my DUCK! family: Justin Ma, Ethan Saffold, Michael Hernandez, and Alena Kutumian!

Along with DUCK!’s EP, be on the lookout for a solo album from me in the coming months… 🙂

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Three aspects that were most impactful in my journey…

1… Confidence

Firstly, as cheesy as it is, you have to believe in yourself. Confidence really is vital in this field. It’s an unpredictable and seemingly impossible path, and many aspects can contribute to self-doubt. All that will do is slow you down, which in turn will only stress you out further about the timeline of your career. It would be a vicious cycle.

Block out the noise. Always accept criticism with open arms, but also be wary and filter out any pushback that doesn’t offer you room for growth and improvement. Rejection is okay. You may not get the film or the gig. You may write a track that you really love, for a film that you really care about, only for that music to be cut from the scene altogether. But if you really want this life, you can’t take those moments as a sign of incapability or lack of skill. You just weren’t right for the job, or someone else was better… or they just happened to decide they didn’t want music in that scene at all anymore! That doesn’t diminish your work or talent. Hard work will never be for nothing.

Keep going, because no one starts out great. Everyone starts somewhere, and that often means starting notably inexperienced, or even downright bad. For most of my life, I was mainly a performer, so film scoring was a major career pivot. That meant during my initial days in this career, I had a lot to catch up on, especially in my production and mixing. After years of nurturing my weaknesses, I’ve become not only more assured in my work, but also assured in my ability to keep growing. Sometimes, having confidence in yourself means being confident that you have what it takes to improve, to get where you want to be. You don’t have to be “there” yet to feel assured in yourself. There will always be someone better than you in every avenue, which can actually be a really freeing epiphany — you don’t need to compare yourself to others, you just need to focus on your own path.

2… Perseverance

To steady that confidence, you have to be dedicated and patient. As my good friend Nico told me, “Concrete needs to dry before it can become a sturdy foundation.” Consistency is everything, as well as the realization that you will always have something to improve on. Confidence is a great tool, but it turns into an inflated ego without dedication and patience. You can never expect anything, and you can never become complacent.

You may face hurdles as you run towards your goals, especially if you find yourself comparing your own path to others. Turn your obstacles into motivations. I always love to say that jealousy can be a good thing if it’s processed correctly — if you find yourself jealous of someone else’s success or talent, then, instead of yielding to that negative feeling, dig into WHY you’re jealous, and form a goal from it. If you’re jealous of somebody’s abilities in a certain area, that’s your sign to improve in that area. Turn that subject of jealousy into a subject of inspiration. Take it as an opportunity to learn, and never stop learning. If you really want this life, then you have no choice but to persevere. So persevere.

3… A diversified life

I think this is the most important one — you have to live. You have to diversify your interests and how you choose to spend your days. My high school classical and jazz piano teacher Pedro Hernandez gave me this advice when I worried I wasn’t spending enough time practicing, even when I pushed myself to the point of hurting my hands.

He said a musician can spend their entire life locked in a practice room, but they’ll always be missing a key piece of true artistry, which is absorbing and channeling the world around them in their work. If you don’t get out and live, you won’t understand enough about people and life, which are the reasons that we create art in the first place. You need to experience the world before you can create art from your experiences!

It’s also so important to find other outlets of expression. One obstacle with pursuing music or film as a career is that your passion becomes your work, which can brew resentment and stress, and sometimes chip away at your love for it. You need a break sometimes, and you need to love other things. Those other interests will keep you going in the days that your main passion breaks your heart.

With these three things, I have been able to find a lot of fulfillment in my life. I hope they help you too.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I’m always looking for new collaborators! I love to work with all kinds of creatives, especially filmmakers and fellow musicians.

I love to collaborate with filmmakers who aren’t afraid to push bounds. I’m drawn to darker stories that lend an opportunity to get experimental with the music, and I gravitate towards media that aims to unnerve people. There are universally difficult experiences that are inevitable with human nature and the reality of life, and horror/thriller stories creatively approach these topics. Delving into the worst parts of life and exploring them in screen media art allows for an accessible and compassionate outlet to process difficult topics in life — notably grief. And this applies to both the audience and the creators! We all face the fear head-on this way. I struggle greatly with processing many moments of grief in my life; I unfortunately have mourned too many people and I find myself unable to talk about it. Working on films that explore themes of loss has been an incredibly healing experience for me, giving me an outlet to express that pain, since I very rarely open up to any family or friends about it.

One thing I really seek in filmmakers is how clear their love is for their project. You can tell when someone is merely trying to complete a job, versus when they really truly care about what they’re doing. If you don’t care about your own creation, why should I? So, of course, I really love to work with those who tell personal stories close to their heart, and aren’t afraid to put their vulnerabilities onscreen. This can come to fruition in truly all genres: drama, comedy, romance, horror…

Film scoring was a serendipitous career path for me because I could never choose only one direction in music to pursue, and film lets me do it all – and it helps that I’m completely obsessed with movies. I’m open to working on any kind of project that I love or connect to!

Along with my film scoring career, I’m a songwriter and performer. I’m looking forward to working with talented filmmakers to create music videos and short visuals for my songs. I also love to collaborate with other musicians — I love working with producers and orchestrators who can take my initial vision and put their own spin on it. I’m always looking for different live instrumentalists to feature, and would also love to co-write with other songwriters moving forward. Let me know if you want me to produce your next song!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://AalishaMusic.com
• Instagram: @ aalishajai
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aalisha-jaisinghani-a01026257
• Twitter: @ aalishamusic
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/t4qSYXwka2VTYpwU7

Image Credits

Watersprite International Film Festival Photo Team
Imagine This International Women’s Film Festival Photo Team
Candice Wu
Callie Sharpe
Anu Srikanth
Nico Palomba