By the time IU alumnus Nitish Kulkarni was in high school, he knew that no university would offer a clear path to his desired career in music production and organology. He began pursuing a business degree, but in his third semester he realized that his creative energy was tapped out. He was no longer composing.

“Ultimately I had to make a choice—stick with the ‘safe and practical’ route in business knowing full well that my artistic talent was going to waste, or pursue my true passion in a field that is much less predictable? I ended up choosing to chase after the thing I was meant to do—write music.”

Nitish pursued his passion through the College’s Individualized Major Program, where he took courses in audiology, psychology, composition, acoustics, and more. He wanted to understand everything about musical instruments and sound, from how recording artists create and produce music to how listeners process and consume music.

An internship at Bloomington-based rock paper scissors, a music and technology public relations firm, led to Nitish getting his own recording contract. He creates new age music using instruments and sounds from around the world.

Nitish graduated from IU in 2015 with his B.A. in Organology and Music Production. He’s currently in Valencia, Spain, getting a master’s in Music Production, Technology, and Innovation at Berklee College of Music.