Meet Sameer Gupta

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sameer Gupta. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sameer below.

Sameer, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

I found my purpose at a fairly young age. It formed in tandem with me finding my identity as an artistic, collaborative and musical person. Born and raised in the USA, I was acutely aware of the stereotypes that went along with my brown skin and south asian name…’You guys smell like curry!’ ‘Does everyone squat in India?” “You people are so pushy and rude”… and in an effort to deny these stereotypes I embraced very unconventional things. Like jazz music, indie film, creative writing, and more. I also followed my own curiosity about the artists role in creating social change for the better. These topics beckoned to me, and I embraced them as callings that came from within me. Trusting my own heart and what it calls me to do has been pivotal in me finding my purpose.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m a first generation born Indian American here in the US. My parents moved here shortly after they got married and decided to raise their family out here. Both my dad and my brother were both very ambitious and excelled academically, which was a bit harder for me to match. But once I found my calling in music, it really changed everything. I immersed myself in creative practice and developing my skills as a musician and luckily my family supported me going to college for music as well. In college, I really learned about how European music had permeated almost all parts of music education. My own personal interests were drawn towards black American music, particularly jazz music. In an effort to develop my own skills in the way I felt like I needed, I began pursuing an independent study and cultivated relationships with creative musicians outside of the program. This desire and ability to create my own artistic opportunities and creative communities followed me into my professional career, not just in Jazz and improvisational music, but Indian classical music as well. As I continue to develop professionally, I was drawn towards production, Curation, and presenting artists from within the community. This led to more satisfying outcomes, as it felt like I was truly building a community beyond my own personal interests. I am proud to be a founding member of Brooklyn Raga Massive artist community as well as several noteworthy genre bending musical projects.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I think the three areas or skills that have been impactful in my journey:

1) self determination
2) disciplined practice
3) a growth mindset

The best advice I have for folks who are early in their journey trying to develop or improve these skills is to be patient and kind to yourself and to your community. Remember to listen first and listen often. Maintain your own healthy habits throughout your days, it will bring your focus and grounding. Start your day with your disciplined practice, be it excercise, an instrument, meditation, writing…or anything else that centers your mind. Make time and space for that.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

The number one obstacle that I’ve been feeling lately is a shortage of time. As my work continues to expand to other parts of the country and globally, my commute has shifted to being airplanes for five hours or more. I’m trying to not accept all work because I also want to be close to my family and close to my growing kids. The challenge is being thoughtful about my life and work balance, as well as picking work that is fulfilling.

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Image Credits

Kev Allen
Stacy Bucks

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