Alumni Spotlight: Karan Viegas ’19 on His Musical Journey & New Jazz Single, “Moot”

by Lesley Perez, International House

A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of catching up with I-House Alum Karan Viegas ’19, a Bombay-born artist & producer currently based in Brooklyn, and learned about his newest musical release, “Moot,” described as a “Funky New Jazz Single” by Rolling Stone India. We were thrilled to learn that Karan partnered with Oskar Stenmark, another I-House Alum, for the track, and that the new single’s music video also features more I-House Alums! A UI product manager by trade, Karan began playing music at the age of five and now knows how to play the piano, drums, and guitar. Below you can discover more about Karan’s musical journey and his message for musicians at I-House.

How long have you been creating music?
I began releasing music as a solo artist about a year ago, but I’ve been playing music all my life. I started getting classical piano lessons from my grandmother at the age of 5, and at around 18, I taught myself the drums, guitar and started to explore composition and production.

What/who inspired you to create music?

A couple of years ago, I came to terms with the fact that I have a lot of musical ideas, visions, and stories that I want to explore and share with people, and if I didn’t, I’d probably implode. Thematically, I draw inspiration from the fantasy hidden in our everyday lives and socio-political commentary.

Any advice you would like to give to current musicians at I-House?

The musicians I’ve met at I-House are all trailblazers in their own right, so I feel a little out of place giving them advice! That said, be brave, stick to your vision, and make friends at I-House!

Thank you so much for catching up with us, Karan!