Angad Uday
So about 6 months before SACAC I had come back from UIUC where I was pursuing Civil Engineering. I was at a really low point in my life, but the idea of doing something related to music in life would make me happy. So, when I got to know about audio engineering it sounded like an exciting field. Then I met the people at SACAC it seemed like the right place to pursue it from.
So after the course I got to intern for Gaurav for about 5months where I got a feel for what it's like to deal with clients on a regular basis and just a good rough idea of the studio life.
I've been in Mumbai for two and a half years now. I was initially mainly working with another friend from my batch, where we pitched to labels and producers. Meanwhile I was mixing college Acapella groups from the US and have now started a mixing and editing production company where we recently tied up with people for recording as well.
Have started working on Ads as well since the last few months.
SACAC for sure helped me in this journey of becoming a driven professional. It laid the foundation of getting it done mentality which is one of the, if not the most important thing, in this industry.
In the next few years I see myself growing in the Ad music world while simultaneously improving my mixing credibility. Also, plan to release an EP/album in the next two years.
Eeshan Govil
My life/journey has mostly been pretty dynamic if nothing less be it before SACAC or after. During my graduation years in delhi university, i used to learn piano from the delhi school of music and on the side worked as a freelance promoter with various event organising firms (the reason i got into DU was to be eligible for FTII which was on the cards throughout the graduation period only to find out they don't have a music production program there which was a significant part of what i wanted to learn and eventually hone). Basically, one year at SACAC was the year of my life that i would barely want to change anything about. I am a more evolved and aware human being for sure. The amount of individual attention one gets here is exceptional and probably why the sense of belonging develops through the course of the year. As soon as i got out of the institution, i started to intern under Arsh Sharma at Studio Fuzz as well as slowly started getting into freelance live sound engineering to be busy during the post studio hours. This went on for about 5-6 months before i joined The Piano Man Jazz Club as a live sound engineer. I got to work with artists from all around the world playing different genres of music including countries like argentina, cuba, panama, el salvador, france, iceland, greece, ukraine, zimbabwe, switzerland, japan, US etc. Got to work with instruments i didn't know existed. i got an opportunity to do sound at the Ziro Festival Of Music with 4 bands and got to work with mr. sivamani as a co-live sound engineer. Since then, have done live sound in various music/college/art/folk festivals in different cities like Jaipur, Shillong, Siliguri and of course Delhi to name a few. Apart from live sound, have composed and produced music for a travel documentary which is being presented at various national and international film festivals as we speak, done sound design and background music for 2 short films one of which is for Barrel Select Large Short Films page on youtube. Have mixed several songs for the delhi based band, Shorthand and currently working with a kashmiri band Meezan as a mix engineer on their album. Sacac without a doubt provided me with sufficient knowledge, reassurance and belief to be ready to step into the outside world and try and do well in this not so conventional vocation. Today, each day I strive to become a better sound and music professional as well as a better human being and a huge part of that is the time i spent at SACAC especially the latter. Thank You.
Akshai Biloniya
Talking of my life, yes, it's going smooth. I am evolving day by day. As a human being and music professional both combined. I will take you through my timeline to explain everything & yeah, it will help me in analyzing my past as well.
So, let's go through my life before SACAC.
I used to play the guitar in my room, alone, teach music to kids and played a few gigs.
The year 2014
My professional musical journey started in this year ( at least in my mind I always saw myself as a pro). After spending so much time alone with my guitar for a fairly long time, I joined a local studio, started working as a session musician there. Saw apple desktop for the first time in my life, colourful UI of logic pro and I was like, yeah, I want to do this for real.
My interest in the technical side of music hit me hard and I asked the studio owner if I could join him. And that's it. Very soon I started recording the clients, learnt the basics of recording and got a good command over the software.
2015
Same life. Got one more studio to work with. Did voice-overs, jingles, cover songs, originals and etc. Work was going fine but I was not satisfied with what I was doing. My creative brain wanted some real juice. All the work that I was doing was not giving me scope to get experimental or try something new.
2016
I wanted to break my comfort zone. So I decided to go for FTII entrance exam. By God's grace, I got a call for an interview from FTII. Oh my-my, I was very happy. After all, I got a chance to visit one of the best institutes of filmmaking in our country. unfortunately, I couldn't make it. It made me very sad. It took days to reassemble myself and start where I left off.
But this time I didn't want to go back to my old life, I learnt a lot during my orientation at FTII and realised that I need people who know more than me to grow in life plus I was also missing formal learning of audio. I didn't want to become just a software operator, I wanted to pursue what was in my head and make it possible using less time with maximum efficiency. My creative head wanted to burst out.
This is when I started looking for institutes I can join but only in Delhi because it was not possible for me to sacrifice my work contacts in my hometown. I decided that I will keep travelling from Delhi to Jaipur if needed.
Why I chose SACAC.
Like I said I was looking for a proper learning, true mentors and a healthy environment my soul can feed on. I browsed the internet and landed on SACAC website. I did my own research on the mentors and curriculum etc. and decided to attend the entrance exam. And after meeting you in the cabin I got the true sense of this place. A positive wave hit me hard that I decided to join this place in one instant. The campus was full of energy in this busy city. I took a deep breath in the canteen after meeting you for the first time.
My experience at SACAC
I live with an experience of a lifetime and learning that going to stay with me forever. Either as a professional or a person, things changed a lot while I was there in SACAC.
Yes, I was working as a producer in a studio earlier but without a vision. I was a software operator who did nothing new but clicked buttons only. I came to SACAC and before creating something new, I learnt to listen properly. My brain began to observe the thought behind a track. And it's very important because I think I can't create anything new (a good one actually) if I can't listen what's good in previously produced soundtracks those hit charts. After all, as a producer, you follow your inspirations, the tracks you listen to most, the genre and the artist you follow. It becomes important that you train yourself enough that you can decipher the various parts of a track those are composition, selection of instruments, voice, mixing. And for that, you need mentors like Chayan, Krishna, Ujjwal, Anindo Bose, Abhishek Mathur and above all Gaurav Chintamani ( To describe this man, I need to send you a separate mail).
All the pieces of my jigsaw puzzles were coming out of their leanings. I got what was missing in me. It improved my production no doubt, but as I said earlier, I started listening crucially. My way of producing music changed in a way that now I could design the whole production in my head like a blueprint. It will take a day or two to properly describe each of my mentors but I will say that today I am able to think and implement what's in my head. My brain never lets me and my client down. All thanks to my mentors at SACAC.
Now, I come from a small city (It was small when I was small). Moving to Delhi, alone, leaving your previous job was quite scary. I am Mount Everest of shyness and introvert personality. I speak less and spent most of the time in my life with people of the same kind. And then I met you. Sitting in your cabin and having a conversation with you was never less than a rollercoaster ride for a person like me. You literally talked about real life issues and insecurities. I was going through a difficult phase at that time, I moved from Jaipur, left my job, surviving on savings. Having a conversation with you always boosted me up. It was needed because all you need are friends in a new city not just a bunch of people you have to produce music with.
If I describe SACAC in one line than I have to say that 'SACAC is more than just an institute, It felt like new home in a strange city. All those workshops from different people from different countries added their bits and shaped my personality. I came out as an improved person of myself in the end. Confident, More productive, More creative, More balanced.
Still, I have a long road to go, but I have come so far where I started from after SACAC. I am working as a freelancer with various studios in my hometown. Finally, I have my own home studio as well. I tried live sound but I found out that it isn't my cup of tea, I will stick to the studio for now.
I have a pretty decent client base now in my city. My this year's biggest achievement is winning 'The Global youth song competition' conducted by Govt. of India for which I wrote the lyrics and sung it also. After winning I performed my song at Vigyan Bhawan during Partners' Forum in front of 1200 people from 90 different countries. It's subjective but receiving a personal invitation from the Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Sh. Jagat Prakash Nadda was not an ordinary feeling for me. For me, 2018 ended quite well. I am open to much more in 2019. I hope I make a name for myself and get some more paid work but no exposure from out of my hometown. Keeping music as my primary occupation, I am putting my interest in some new things as well, that's for my personal interest and extra income both.
Through this mail, I have tried to express myself as much as I can. If I miss anything please let me know. It was an amazing experience at SACAC with my mentors, my batchmates and you as well.
Vaibhav Ahuja
I'm a full time musician and was one even before joining SACAC. After joining SACAC and learning about the very essence of sound, my perception towards music completely changed. Earlier, I was more focused on either the groove, the progression or the melody but now I'm more concerned with the sound design and modulations. I am truly inspired by nature to constantly create new sounds. SACAC has taught me how to express my musical ideas in a better form and the value of time. Working on my DAW has become a second nature and I can immediately make out how to go about a particular song or an idea, be it composing or mixing. After joining SACAC, I'm one step closer to my dream of releasing my own music.
Harsh Vishnoi
Before joining SACAC, I was working as a full time guitar player for 4 different bands in Delhi and wanted to produce my own content as well. Also to setup and establish a studio which could meet the ever-growing demands of the industry and work on projects involving jingles, VOs, background scores and independent music was the primary goal.
Post SACAC, with adequate knowledge and a skillset so powerful and imperative, I’ve managed to open up a Studio and Jampad in Delhi called Freebird Studios with industry standard equipment serving almost every kind of musical service with an attendance of more than 20 clients a month. This has become one of the best professional and creative venture of my life.
Looking back to what I wanted in life before SACAC and what I have today, this institution has helped me thoroughly to gather this vast array of skillset which is useful for every and any musician in this age for bringing their art to life. Apart from focusing on every detail of sound production in its entirety, basic recording tools and the right use of equipment to the perception of one’s final product, SACAC has also helped educating me the ethical and professional music business, dealing with real life scenarios, timelines and artistic production without affecting my inner peace or ideas which lead to the creation of my art form. The faculty at SACAC proves to be one of the best in the country which leaves no stone unturned. Every aspect and concept is dealt properly and teachers are more like your friend, they heal and chill with you. Definitely SACAC has helped me reach where I am today, professionally and creatively.
Not very sure of what lies ahead in life but pushing myself everyday to something new, growing along and learning everyday seems like the best thing.
Saptak Chattopadhyay
Before SACAC I was a Classical Vocalist, with just a little knowledge about what sound is, how its works, its technicalities and the various parameters which makes it better or worse as perceived by a listener. SACAC really gave me a fresh view, a fresh sonic perspective on everything that I heard, sang and created. I was thinking a lot more, trying to explore a lot more, critiquing my work a lot more, and collaborating a lot more. A lot of the untapped potential in me was being used thanks to the methods of pedagogy that the faculty members apply.
They not only help us exploring ourselves and our talents better but also how we can learn from each other in the most effective and efficient way. Taking the best of whatever we hear, and tweaking that to make it our signature.
SACAC has instilled a sense of confidence in me. Everything I do now feels a lot easier in terms of workflow and it feels like I'm more in control of what I'm thinking about and creating.
I am a professional classical vocalist, pop and rock singer, producer and composer now! I am actively composing jingles for companies and NGOs, collaborating with various artists from diverse genres, released my debut album a few months back, have sung for the first film of my career, (please keep it to yourself for now 🙂 )!
Yes, the growth has been quite exponential. Ideas flow a lot more easily inside my head now. And that is a result of both the technical aspects of what we were taught as well as the confidence and command over our creativity that was instilled in us. Growth has been in all areas. Work, personal communication and interaction, how to work ethically yet be clever wherever needed and how to stay happy and not get affected by external factors.
I will very soon be focussing on the commercial/playback/Hindi film industry as a Vocalist first then a composer. Hindustani Classical will always be a key area of work for me and I have now very actively started working for companies and NGOs on jingle and voice over projects!
Raikom Terang
Before SACAC, I was working as the Asst. Store Manager at the Lajpat branch of Furtados Music, along with playing with my band on the side. The job was full-time so it meant that I couldn't find much time for playing/making/recording music. I wanted to do more with my band's music and I had dabbled in recording earlier, so I thought why not quit Furtados, properly learn audio engineering, and set myself up so that I can be in the music business for good. So I quit my job and on recommendation from a few friends and the internet, joined SACAC.
Right now, I got done finishing the initial setup of my small studio here at home in Assam a couple of months back. Since then I've been busy mixing my band's album (which released a couple of weeks back). I've already got a couple of clients here even though I have not even named my studio yet.
Before SACAC, staying in the music business seemed more daunting as I had no clear-cut skills in the industry. Sure, I played some music and had basic recording knowledge but that didnt mean anything. At SACAC, meeting and learning from people in the industry was invaluable. Also, personally, it gave me new-found motivation to continue working in music as I had lost quite a bit of it while working in Furtados.
As for the future, I'm looking forward to growing my studio business. I have plans for a full-fledged audio-visual production house in collaboration with my brother. But that's for somewhere later in the timeline. For now, I'm focused on building a client base here.
Yashvardhan Prasad
Before I joined SACAC I had been studying chemistry and was pursuing to be a scientist. It was in my first year of my master's degree at MSU, Baroda when I decided to take my musical passion and skill set a notch further.
I dropped out the following year, 2013, and went back to Ahmedabad, my hometown, to figure out a way to make this happen. I had been playing the guitar for a few years and owing to my parents' love for music, had been listening to a huge variety from early childhood. Also, I dabbled in poetry.
I realised I have something to say and the best way for me to do that was to make songs and records. But due to the lack of knowledge and skills necessary to produce record, my tracks never sounded that good and wholesome.
As an artist/composer/songwriter, all I wanted was to be weaponised with the tools and skills of this trade, in order to best express myself. That is when I started looking for a music production school and ergo SACAC came into my life.
As of now, I freelance as a music producer, composer and a session guitarist-bassist in Mumbai. Also, I have been teaching music production at Mumbai Music Institute for a few months. When I'm not working for other people, I work on my own music.
Honestly, I don't feel any radical change in my person after SACAC. As far as personal evolvement and professional growth, I have learnt more from just working in the industry than I did at SACAC. That being said, I wouldn't be where I am without SACAC, but as far as growing as an individual and a professional, there is much more one learns out in the field. But school is still very important. And since I have been teaching music for a while now, I can totally vouch for the high quality SACAC brings to the table when compared to other music institutes. Nowhere have I seen education to be so holistic while maintaining a high quality standard at affordable rates.
There is still so much to learn and so much to do. While I work for others to pay the bills, my ultimate goal is to see myself as an independent artist one day. Yet still, I don't want to limit myself to only one field. I love making background score and playing the guitar and composing jingles and writing songs and the list goes on. Having worked with a few directors, I would love to make a film too one day, perhaps write a script or maybe start a production house. Like I said, there is so much to do!
The great thing about the creative industry is that everything is interesting and interconnected as long as you're interested. I have begun to see myself as a creator, whether it be art, business or science.
There more I know about stuff, the more passionate I get.
So it's very hard to say where I see myself going but I'm definitely going! 🙂