Young nightingale

14-year old Aditi Iyer is one talented young girl. Gifted in western classical, opera and English pop this child prodigy has been performing since she was eight years old.

She has collaborated with many talented musicians and senior artists such as Aditya Narayan, BlaaZe, Jimmy Khan and The Big Ears (Walnut Studios), Ankita Sachdev, Vasuda Sharma, Chintoo Bhosle, and Ravi Iyer. Aditi has won AFRC Art for Education award by the AFRC Alumni Association and members of the Peace Gong Kerala Bureau in 2015. She also just released her new song “Miss Messy”.

Upon being asked as to what inspired her to start performing at the age of eight years, she says, “Music is my life and singing my life’s purpose. My mother tells me I started humming when I was barely nine months old and knew every nursery rhyme there ever was by age three, and by four years I was ready to go on stage and perform and in fact I did interrupt a recital in Jakarta when I climbed up the school stage (I was less than 4) and sang a song to a standing ovation. So naturally, when I was seven/eight years old, all I ever wanted and did was to sing and perform before everyone and every chance I received or created I did just that.”

She feels she has a very long musical journey ahead of her and while she loves music and singing and all the encouragement and accolades she receives, she doesn’t let that get into her head as her dream is very big. “I am very grateful for everything and I love to keep improving, be more accomplished and fulfill my destiny of becoming a huge singing star nationally and internationally. The important ingredients for success are complete focus, humility and hard work,” she adds.

“Usually, a western vocalist doesn’t do both genres — Classical/ Opera and Contemporary Pop as they are very different from one another and very tricky too. But I have loved all of them and found my own techniques to amalgamate and do my unique style — ‘popera’. I have always sung Opera / Classical and Pop and now I also do Broadway songs and would love to do musicals and I like rock and blues too. For my supporters who have requested I have done two Hindi songs as well,” she reveals.

Going on to talk about her hobbies, gratitude and love for music she further quotes, “I feel very happy and grateful when I receive amazing accolades and support from everyone. AFRC was a very special recognition for me and it inspired me to give more and do greater things. Getting recognized is wonderful but at the same time it comes with responsibility. So I don’t take things for granted and continue to improve and inch towards excellence.”

 “I love to collaborate with artistes and I am very fortunate that I have had chances to work with senior and talented people from the industry from whom I have learnt many things — how to never give up and to stay focused. I liked the fact that Bollywood singer Aditya Narayan with whom I did one collaboration was very nice and humble with me,” she quotes.

Her new song ‘Miss Messy’ is about being true to oneself. “It’s saying that it’s okay to let loose once in a while and that it isn’t always necessary to be uptight. I believe in this greatly. Everyone must express themselves in the different ways they can.

This is definitely my true passion, and this is all I want to do in life. There is nothing that I plan on doing except for music and singing that’s why I am pursuing it not just as a career but it’s also my whole life,” she expresses on an emotional and passionate note.  

Talking about her hobbies she says, “Along with music, I love to write poetry and songs.

I have written a few original songs and done some composing too.

I am a voracious reader who reads a huge variety of books and I also do some writing. I like watching Netflix/ Amazon Prime and for me listening to music is almost therapeutic as it teaches so many do’s and don’ts about singing.

God willing, I plan on pursuing music and singing in the future. I see myself as an accomplished and a famous singer whose music reaches millions of people around the world.”

Her parents and entire family has been very supportive of her talent and recognising her passion for life at such a young age.