Meet Adwita.
If you ever have the chance to spend a day with Adwita Rajshekar, do it. We promise you that your face will be sore from smiling and your heart will feel like it’s found the source of happiness. When you spend time with a human as delightful as Adwita, only good things can happen.
WHO
SHE IS
Adwita Rajshekar
WHAT
SHE'S TAKEN WITH US
WHY
WE LOVE HER
Her joy is so incredibly contagious.
ADVENTURE RUNS IN THE FAMILY
We have rocked out with Adwita for just over a year and our world is better because of it. At seven years old and just over four feet tall, Adwita has a level of confidence and an ability to communicate that exceeds most adults we know. She takes on life with an insatiable curiosity and a readiness for adventure that’s wonderfully contagious.
Adwita comes by her sense of adventure honestly. Her parents, Mithun and Thejaswini, have always seen life as an adventure to be experienced. They have lived around the world - born in India, moved to Australia and then relocated to Canada - partly because of a change in research funding opportunities and partly for the chance to explore another part of the globe. Mithun is a forensic dentist (yes, his job is as interesting as it sounds) and Thejaswini holds an infectious diseases degree and is always ready to try something new - especially when it comes to food!
Adwita and her family first moved to Edmonton almost three years ago in July of 2019. We still remember the night they had to Uber to Adwita’s music lesson because it was the middle of a deep freeze and their car refused to start. Edmonton winters don’t take it easy on anyone.
A JOY THAT BURSTS
We will never forget Adwita’s first Backbeat performance. It stole our hearts. It was via Zoom during our Year-End Rock Show in June of 2021. Even a COVID lockdown couldn’t get in the way of Adwita sharing her gift of music. She was performing Frozen’s “Let It Go” on ukulele and vocals and she went for it. She didn’t hold back and nothing could hide the joy that music made her feel. We were absolutely entranced.
THE SECRET TO HER CONFIDENCE
We asked Adwita what the secret to her confidence was. But first, we had to come to a shared understanding as to what the definition of confidence is. Adwita provided the perfect one: “to sing with no shy.” We asked what she did to prepare for her inaugural performance. “[My teacher] told me to practice a lot. So I practiced, practiced, practiced…like A LOT…so I got it and then I just [sang] confidently!” The chords became easier the more she practiced. “The C chord is SO EASY!” says Adwita as she demonstrates the detailed finger positioning for us. And right before the show, what was Adwita feeling? “I was so excited!” We asked if there was any nervousness mixed in with the excitement. “Nope!” she replies without a second of hesitation.
A COMPLETE NATURAL
We know that Adwita is a natural performer when we ask about how she felt during and after her performance: “While I was performing, I was just thinking ‘I like this a lot!’ And then, after I was done, I felt so happy.” According to Adwita, the “only one problem” with performing is changing chords. “It’s so hard!” she says, laughing. Adwita has some advice for her fellow performers who might be feeling the pre-performance nerves: “Just practice and practice and don’t be nervous! Because it’s fun!"
"Just practice and practice and don't be nervous! Because it's fun!"
- Adwita
WHAT'S NEXT FOR ADWITA
What’s next for Adwita? “Learning the songs from Madagascar III!” she says. Since starting lessons, she has been committed to learning the entire Frozen soundtrack. Now that she’s been there, done that, she’s moving on to other soundtracks from her favourite movies.
Regardless of what Adwita is learning next, one thing we know for sure: when we see her name on a performance order, we’re going to make sure we’re stage-side. We don’t want to miss a single note of her beautiful gift.
