I'm so sorry for not posting for 3 weeks. I wish I had a better excuse but, I just haven't been feeling my best for a while now. Don't worry I'll do a whole post about it soon. Anyway, this piece is one that I am very excited about. I had an absolute blast doing this and it was so easy to write.
Honestly, Dean is one of the sweetest people I've come across. His genuineness and kindness flows from the words coming out of his mouth to the music he makes. He is truly an inspiration to all young people out there and especially upcoming artists. So, I honestly suggest that you go check him out. I'll mention his socials at the end. I hope enjoy reading this as much as I had writing it!
“When I completed my MSc in Petroleum Technology in 2015, the oil market crashed rendering me jobless for 6 months. At that point, MTV Unplugged with Pritam Da happened to me and I started touring with him, and that is how my journey began”. From a very young age Dean began trying his hand at music. It was no doubt that music flowed through his veins because his grandfather was a violinist. Growing up he would listen to his sister sing and try to imitate her, so it’s no surprise that he is flourishing in the industry today among some of his peers and other upcoming artists. After touring with Pritam Da, Dean sang for Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy in ‘Ghayaal 2’ and ‘Mirzya’, which he says was a nerve-wracking and overwhelming but overall great experience. In school, Dean participated in a lot of school musicals, he was also influenced by his sister's taste in music and so music became a very important part of his life. In his opinion he feels that school going children are exposed to songs like ‘Swalla by Jason Derulo’ and ‘Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran’ which are not really kid-friendly, which is why in the school where he teaches currently he encourages his students to listen to music along the lines of jazz and the blues that according to him is what music is really about. Dean believes that if we incorporate some good music and the parents have a little more control over what their children listen to, that the experience these children have with music could get a lot better for them. When I asked Dean to pick a few people that impacted his life in a significant way he said that a lot of people that he came across from the time that he got out of college till now have influenced his life in some way or another but, the three most significant of them all were his grandmother who always took care of him, his mother who always encouraged him and his sister who was his role model. Dean feels like the lack of acceptance towards pursuing careers in the arts stems from ‘awareness’. He also revealed that up until a year ago his mother was looking for a job for him on the rigs, until he sat her down and explained to her that music is a full time job. Although any career in the arts however fulfilling is an unstable one, Dean uses his platform as an influencer to encourage aspiring artists to stay true to themselves and follow their dreams. To quote Dean, “ Your music is your most honest art and your most prized possession, so take care of it”. Although unexpectedly eliminated in the second week of ‘The Stage Season 2’, Dean explains that it was a roller coaster ride full of adrenaline and that he came out with a lot of close friends. When I asked Dean if there was any animosity between the contestants, he said that they realized that they had to be there for each other in this cut-throat industry. He feels like the Indian Music Scene isn’t at it’s best and has major room for improvement and needs more genuine and realistic musicians. Dean says that since his time on The Stage, he has become a better musician and has learnt the true value of hard work, dedication and planning. One of his latest endeavors is the six men acapella group called ‘Instru.men’. I asked Dean what inspired him to start this group to which he said, “I was telling Sharvi (Sharvi Yadav – Winner of The Stage Season 2) about how I love harmonies and singing in choirs or groups and she turned around and told me ‘Well you’re good at it so why not start one?’ and that’s how Instru.men was born”. Currently they have a few corporate gigs in the works for next month, one of them being for the ‘World Wild Life Fund’ at the NCPA. When Dean’s not making music, he’s probably binge watching shows like ‘Brooklyn 99’, eating some yummy food or going on long drives. If his life had to be turned into an autobiography, I asked Dean what he would title it, to which he said, “Ask me that question in ten years, right now I’m still working on it’. In today’s competitive world, people are more focused of getting to the top, even if it means tearing other people down, which is why I asked Dean where he gets the motivation to do what he does everyday and he explained to me that in this industry you have to either motivate yourself or feed off the positive energy of the artists you surround yourself with and the rest will automatically fall in line. “Time and space are modes by which we think and not conditions in which we live. – Albert Einstein”, is a quote that Dean has always believed in. Dean Sequeira is one of the most pleasant and inspiring artists in India and I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us.
Xoxo Erica
Instagram: @dean_sequeira