Pulling up Logic Pro on his computer, sophomore Sriram Upadhyayula hesitated for a moment before sharing his first song to his cousin, Gunn High School junior Bharat Meduri. Doubt and uncertainty regarding his cousin’s reaction weighed heavily on his mind. Remembering the countless hours he spent fine–tuning his mix and mastering the sound to perfection, Upadhyayula felt a renewed sense of courage, suppressing his anxiety before turning his computer screen to Meduri. Melodic music soon filled the room from Upadhyayula’s first composition.
Since Upadhyayula first shared his passion for music with his family and friends, they have offered immense support and guidance. Upadhyayula shares a close bond with Meduri, and they often send each other music and collaborate together. Over the past summer, they created and released a song called “Baby”, an artfully crafted rap song with creative beats and sounds.
“Music brought us together and helped us bond,” Meduri said. “We always make beats and songs together, and it’s a lot of fun.”
Upadhyayula’s musical interest first began with classical music, following in the footsteps of his grandmother, a professional classical instrument player and singer. Learning how to sing and Indian classical string instruments, such as the veena and sitar, from his grandmother formed Upadhyayula’s musical foundation and sparked his love for music. As he grew older, Upadhyayula began to play the piano and guitar, moving toward the genres of rap, pop and R&B. Now, the large variety of genres in his compositions and music taste allows him to explore the versatility of music, helping him fully appreciate the uniqueness of each genre in the process.
“I really like versatile artists, and I aspire to be like them,” Upadhyayula said. “For example, there is Tory Lanez: he can rap and sing.”
Throughout his journey as a musician, Upadhyayula has also been heavily influenced by his friends, family and piano teacher. Given his family’s musical background, their feedback and perspectives have been especially helpful in his growth as a composer.
“Whenever I make a song, my parents are always the first people to listen to it,” Upadhyayula said. “My cousins and I used to have competitions for who could make the best beat. We never actually judged each other for what we made. It was an opportunity to share our passion.”
In addition to the support from his family members, Upadhyayula’s music has also been well received by his friends. One of his recently released songs, “Ain’t Stressin’,” was especially popular among his peers. The collaboration between Upadhyayula and sophomore Daniel Jung, his friend from Cupertino High School, fuses melodic beats with rap to form a unique hip-hop song.
“One thing I admire about Sriram is his versatility,” sophomore Sushanth Nayak said. “Not only does he produce the accompaniment track, but he also uses his own voice to sing and rap.”
Nearing his fifth year of music production, Upadhyayula has become a mentor to his younger brother and friends, who are also passionate about music. The positive reception of his music from his peers gave him the confidence to post his songs online, and he continues to do so, with each new release.
“The biggest thing I regret in the earlier stages of music production is not actually posting my music,” Upadhyayula said. “Forget what people are going to say — just release it and whatever happens, happens.”
