Saujesh Barman

Name: Saujesh Barman

Grade: senior

Hobby: playing the acoustic guitar

Years of experience:

Future college: UT Austin, Georgia Tech

Wingspan: When did you start to have an interest in playing the guitar?

Barman: “I had an interest in playing the guitar since around 3rd grade, when one of my friends in elementary school also played guitar. He kind of inspired me.”

Wingspan: Who would you say is your biggest inspiration in your art?

Barman: “Initially, it was my friend from school who played. Right now, I’d say my teacher himself is a big inspiration and I really respect the way he approaches music and how the guitar should be played.”

Wingspan: What is something not a lot of people know about playing the guitar?

Barman: “Specifically, when you’re dealing with the classical guitar, which I haven’t picked up in over two years, it has a lot of flavor and there’s a lot going on. It’s really more applicable to modern-day pop music. It has a lot more in common with classical music than you would initially think.”

Wingspan: Will you continue pursuing this in the future?

Barman: “Maybe not as a major, but I think I will continue pursuing this possibly as a minor. Or maybe just something that I continue in my freetime, jamming out with friends or learning a few songs here and there. I definitely don’t plan to quit this ever.”

Wingspan: What is the hardest thing about playing guitar?

Barman: “Initially it was getting your left-hand fingers adjusted to the fretboard, which is where you place your fingers on the strings. It can hurt a lot because most guitars have metal strings, on an acoustic guitar the strings are metal. I almost gave up in the first month but my parents kept me going. Right now, the hardest thing I’d say is when you have a piece, you can’t just play it, you have to decorate it and put your own interpretation into it. You have to think about dynamics and articulation and things like that.”

Wingspan: What is one of your favorite songs to play? 

Barman: “Spanish Romance. It’s a beautiful piece and it has a lot of dynamics and articulation in it. It sounds really pretty.”

Wingspan: What would you say to other students who are interested in music?

Barman: “Just make sure you’re really connected with the music you’re trying to play. It shows up when you’re performing. If you feel the music at a deeper level it definitely shows and your audience can feel it. It elevates your performance. Make sure to read in to the mind of the composer, why he or she did things or placed chords the way they did. Make sure to look into all of those things and feel them as well.”