
Rohit John Chhetri
Music is the best thing that has ever happened in my life. I was introduced to music by my father. He is a music lover, plays different musical instruments but not professionally. Since my childhood I had musical instruments like guitar, tabla and harmonium at home.
At the time, my dad was a school teacher, so after his tiring day at school, he used to sometimes play his favourite Hindi and Nepali songs on the harmonium. I used to sit by his side listening to him, sometimes singing along with him the songs I knew. It was in 1998 or 1999 that I did my first stage show. It was School Talent competition, organized by Lovely Angles School. My Dad asked me to take part in Art and Painting because I used to paint and sketch then. But I said I want to sing. He was pretty staggered and he asked me ‘Can you sing?’ ‘Which song do you want to sing?’ I said yes, I can, I want to sing ‘Jindagi ko k bharosha’ By Madhyana. Actually, I really liked the video and the moves they make while singing that song. So, that was my first step towards enlightening me in this wonderful journey of music.
Since my childhood I wanted to take music lessons but due to some circumstances I couldn’t. But I never stopped playing and learning music. My dad and I, we used to jam as we did before. Sometimes we used to jam even during my exams. When I was in grade 5 I got a scholarship at Do Re Mi music school which I undertook for 3 months before I had to stop. And then in grade 8, I started Eastern classical lessons with Prabhu Raj Dhakal, but unfortunately I couldn’t continue. So, after my SLC, I started working and college began. That was the time when I stopped music for a while. But in 2011 I joined Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory (KJC) as a admin staff and started working there was when I saw musicians and their dedication to music and realized, this is what I want to do. I want to play and sing and learn. So, after a few months, I left the work at KJC and started taking guitar lessons and also vocal lessons at KJC with Natalia Calderon and Oliva James. And Also Piano lessons with Marcus Dengate.
Now, I’m studying Bachelors in Eastern Classical and Folk Music at Ratna Rajya Campus. The reason I’m in the music field is that no matter how hard life is, I can always find a way to be happy and gain that satisfaction through music. As I have grown old with music, it has taught me lot of things in life. And I want to teach the things I know about music to others too, about how music can change someone’s life.