It would seem that I have lived many lives in the span of just this one, each one an odyssey! Like many children growing up in India, I aspired to study engineering at one of India's premier technology institutions. Being an engineer seemed to be the most satisfying achievement possible then and I went on to pursue higher studies in the US.

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I soon realized that I did not truly want to pursue a PhD in Radiology. Instead, the world of finance beckoned. I went on to do quantitative research and structuring at leading investment banks, first in New York and then in London. I eventually returned for a few years to India, where I decided to quit my left-brained, analytical occupation to learn classical music full-time, under the tutelage and mentorship of Vidushi Neela Bhagwat. I returned to the US, with a newfound passion for sharing my art form with others.

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How this happened and where these choices led me is a theme that I am writing about as a series of articles. Each of these is annotated by my musical memory, and is accompanied by a composition or two where appropriate. My philosophy now is to live in the moment, and in thought, word and deed, to offer good vibrations to my community, local and global. Centering my life around music makes this odyssey extremely fulfilling!

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Lakshmi is a graduate of IIT Bombay and the University of Southern California. She has worked at Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan. She is a proud mother to two beautiful girls and calls the Bay Area home.