#ShareChatInsider — Srijan Saket — Humming In Hall 3 to Crooning In A Studio

It was a jubilant scene in Hall 3 — the hostel block 3 of IIT Kanpur. The block has again won the ‘Galaxy’, the fiercely fought annual inter hostel cultural festival. Though they are used to winning this year after year, every win is special. For Srijan, it was extra special because, in his five years on the campus, Hall 3 came victorious every time. As a singer, he had played a part in it.

“I grew up in a musical family. Don’t get me wrong. Nobody in my family was trained singers or played instruments. But there was always music at home. Every evening, we come together as a family and connect over music”, says Srijan Saket. That’s where the first seeds of music were ingrained in him.

While growing up, he was mostly mimicking the singers. “Since there was no formal training, I had no idea whether I was doing it the right way. But one thing I was sure about was my love for music”, he says.

At school, stage fear was his constant companion. And for the same reason, he didn’t get on the stage to sing till he was in his eight grade. “I didn’t have the confidence to sing in public,” he says. When he was in eighth, the school was sending students for an intra-school competition in Delhi. “The golden chance to go to Delhi was all I was inclined to. It was Delhi that got me on the stage. Also, it was a group song and people won’t single you out if anything went wrong”, he says with a laugh.

Besides his dad and brother, college played the biggest part in shaping his music appetite. “I found like-minded people. Through them, I learned the technicalities and nuances of music. It was an eye-opener for me” he says.

“Being around them also shaped my character. From being a shy, stage fearing boy at school, I gained the confidence to go on stage and sing a song”, he says about the positive influence the group had on him.

“You also learn from experience”, he says. “One particular memory is with the Institute Music club. I first performed with the Institute Music club during my second year and my performance was a disaster. I finished the song and ran to my hostel room” he says with a laugh. He went back there in his fifth year and made up for it.

One of the most surreal moments for him was when he recorded a song inside a studio. “I could feel the goosebumps. It was a song for a short film. The production is still underway and will be released soon”, he adds. Besides, he has been collaborating with his cousin, a musician based in Mumbai, to produce cover songs.

“Like every music dreamer, I want to create original music. And I hope I’ll do it one day” he says.

Srijan joined ShareChat in 2017.