Owing to the musical atmosphere at his home, Sanjay got inclined toward learning music at a young age. After completing his formal education in music, he started his own music classes and has been passing his knowledge down to the next generation of musicians ever since.

Sanjay Shukla is the owner of Nad Gunjan Musical Store in Indore. Besides, he also has his own music classes where students receive training in playing various musical instruments like tabla, guitar, keyboard, violin, etc.

Sanjay was born and raised in Ujjain. He shares that since the beginning, the atmosphere at his home had been musical as his father was a musician. There would always be musical gatherings at his home and it inspired him to learn music. He learned music from his father initially. Then, he received his formal training in playing Tabla from his guru. Besides, he has also done a BA in Music(Vocal), MA in Music(Vocal), and an MA in Guitar.

After completing his formal education in music, Sanjay moved to Indore and started his music classes there. He started small from his home and today has more than fifty students regularly learning music from him. Besides, more than a thousand students are associated with him with regard to music, he says.

Sanjay thinks that music is a medium of expression and a lot can be learned from pursuing music. He says that many music trainers give up when they don’t have enough students to train in music. But he never gave in. He started with just one student and with his determination was able to get many more students over time.

Sanjay says that learning music is a slow but continuous process. He says he has learned a lot from his students as well.

To aspiring musicians, Sanjay advises them to listen to any type of music as per their interest, be it Rock, Indian, Western, or Classical first and try to internalize it to learn it better. Besides, he adds that irrespective of whatever musical instrument one wants to learn to play, one must also learn vocal music. Further, he says that young children can learn to play the baby guitar. However, to learn to play the guitar or Tabla, one should have attained the age of eleven at least.

Talking about education and experience, Sanjay says that it’s the teaching methodology that should be changed not the education policy. He says nowadays one may be very much experienced but if they don’t have an educational degree they wouldn’t be able to get employment whereas even if one may not be well experienced but if one has a formal degree one will be able to get a job, which is saddening.

Talking about COVID, Sanjay says that the pandemic hit the fraternity of musicians the most as the musicians who would earn a livelihood by performing daily, have now been forced to take to other odd jobs owing to the pandemic.

When asked about his role models, Sanjay says that the life stories of Narsi Mehta, Mirabai, Maharana Pratap, etc., inspire him the most and he considers them his idols. Besides, his father and his music gurus have also been his role models.