There is a movement.

Written By Maitreyi Muralidharan

Tomorrow will be the start of Windwood Music Festival. And it's been a longgg month for Tong and I, but this whole time, for a while now actually, I've been struck a thought. Bear with me.

There is a movement. It’s hard to name, but you can feel it. A movement from the bottom up, not top down. A movement by individuals, for individuals, for lands and waters and mountains and all in between. Coming from a place of love — deep love and care.

Us musicians, everything that we do comes from a place of deep love. We feel deeply so that we may give honestly, from a place of empathy and vulnerability. That mindset is what we have to offer, the mindset that permeates our art, that permeates our being.

We want to be a part of that movement, because it is so important and because it is so in line with what we already do as artists. Outside of the most basic reason that the soul wants to—NEEDS to— create, to communicate and share and feel a sense of community, what we do is important because that mindset of love and vulnerability is such a basic part of what it takes to truly be a musician. Diligence, work ethic, patience, perseverance, these are the admirable qualities and traits that are focused on, and indeed they are beyond importance. But that love, the vulnerability, the chaotic need to reach people and touch them and say “you’re not alone, I’m here too,” that need for kindness and the threads that tie a community together, that’s what is needed to be a musician. To be human in fact. It’s the things that make us the best versions of ourselves.

There is a movement. And musicians shouldn’t fool themselves into thinking there’s no place for us in it. After all, we’re in a practice room so much, a small window that can be a refuge from a world of strife. But we have as much to give in this movement as anyone. Connect with your land. Your people. Strangers. Anything that needs healing, anything that gives you healing. You are capable and needed just as you are. Your spirit, that same spirit you pour into your music. Pour it into threads that link people and land in acts of radical kindness, chaotic and reckless love. Pour it into places and people that need their voices emboldened. Pour it into yourself when you need rest. This movement, the energy that it embodies, needs more of you.

Maitreyi Muralidharan

Critically recognized as “an accomplished violin soloist,” (CVNC) Maitreyi Muralidharan is an east coast based musician and an avid orchestral and chamber performer. They hold a Bachelor's Degree from the Peabody Institute of Music under the tutelage of Herbert Greenberg, a Master’s Degree and Professional Arts Certificate from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts under the tutelage of Kevin Lawrence, and an Artist Diploma from McGill University under the tutelage of Violaine Melancon. Maitreyi was raised in North Carolina where they fostered a love for sharing music in group settings, whether in ensembles or as a teacher. They have also served as concertmaster of the Peabody Symphony Orchestra, Peabody Chamber Orchestra, UNCSA Symphony Orchestra, and was a member of the UNCSA Chrysalis Chamber Music Institute for two years. They have attended summer music festivals in Colorado, New York, Canada, North Carolina, Vermont, and Germany, and have performed as a chamber musician on international stages. As a musician who has dealt with severe injury, Maitreyi has had to find their own paths in the field of classical and contemporary music, and in that process, has grown a deep appreciation and love for connecting with the unconventional. They aim to share this idea of connection with all walks of life—the idea that being a musician is far more than what is understood or seen, and that one of the greatest joys is fostering a sense of community that can happen any time music is made. Outside of being an orchestral and chamber musician, Maitreyi enjoys working with and advising new music ensembles, assisting violinists with injuries to find creative and sustainable playing practices, and farming.

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