Embarking on a musical journey post retirement

An inspiring story of Sudhir Agarwal (Khyaal Community Member)

“My name is Sudhir Kumar Agarwal and I am 64 years old. I am from Meerut in UP and currently reside in Ahmedabad. I am a civil engineer, worked in the UP state Bridge corporation for 27 years and thereafter worked for private companies as a consultant. Due to the nature, of my work I had the opportunity to live in multiple locations across India including UP, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Jaipur and Ahmedabad.

In my childhood, I had to face many struggles. I never participated in singing at school. Singing and other art forms were considered to be a distraction from academics during those days. Since I was a good student, I had received a scholarship for college. I completed my engineering degree in 1980. When I was in university, I was encouraged by my seniors to perform at the college events. But I did not participate because I was afraid of the stage. I struggled with my stage fear for many years.

When I was working on a project in Vijaywada, I had a lot of free time. I used it to practice singing and playing harmonica. When I was in Jaipur, I joined the Indian Harmonica Players Group. With them, I learned and refined my harmonica skills. Besides the harmonica, I also played banjo and flute. I never learnt to play these instruments from anyone. It is a gift from God. I just started playing these instruments without any prior knowledge.

I finally faced my stage fear in 2002 when I was encouraged to perform for an office event. I was also applauded by the honoured guests. My love for singing took a leap when I downloaded a singing app and started singing various songs on it. I also started performing at various events in Jaipur. People appreciated me for my singing. When we moved to Ahmedabad, I continued singing and performing in various programmes there as well.

Now, after retirement, I devote all my free time to singing and playing the harmonica. I have joined 3 musical groups and perform regularly with them. I also have a YouTube channel. I always post videos of my performances on YouTube. My dream is to perform in front of a packed house someday.

Besides singing, I also enjoy playing table tennis, carrom, volleyball and bridge (card game). I won a trophy for a bridge tournament. I have won many prizes for carrom at the university level.

My advice to my fellow seniors is to always enjoy life to the fullest.” - Sudhir Agarwal (Khyaal Community Member)