Career summary

Listen to Niran Dasika on Spotify

Niran Dasika completed his Bachelor of Music and a Diploma of Languages (Japanese) at Monash University in 2015. After graduating, Niran moved to Japan where he successfully pursued his career in jazz as a trumpeter. Across Australia and Japan, he has performed and recorded albums for Blue Note Records, Sony Music, Diskunion Records and more.

In 2017, Niran was awarded second place at the National Jazz Awards. In 2019, he was awarded the APRA AMCOS Professional Development Award and named as the Jazz Bell Awards’ Young Australia Jazz Artist of the Year. Niran has performed at venues and festivals across the globe including the Tokyo Jazz Festival and the Melbourne International Jazz Festival. In February 2020, he recorded his latest album Kiri from ABC Jazz.

Career pathway

2019 – Awarded APRA AMCOS Professional Development Award and named as the Jazz Bell Awards’ Young Australia Jazz Artist of the Year
2019 – Masters of Performing Arts at WAAPA (Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts)
2018 – Performed at the Tokyo Jazz Festival, Melbourne International Jazz Festival, the Wangaratta Jazz Festival and the Perth International Jazz Festival
2017 – Awarded 2^nd Place at the National Jazz Awards
2017 – Performed at the Tokyo Jazz Festival
2016 – Travelled to Tokyo, Japan and released a number of albums
2015 – Bachelor of Music, Monash University

What did you career look like after leaving Monash?

After I graduated, I moved to Japan. I had been studying Japanese for so long and listening to Japanese jazz from the 1970s and ‘80s, and it seemed like a fun place to live. I worked as a performer and session musician whilst I was based in Tokyo from 2016-2017, recording on several albums including Kemeno’s Metamoru City (Sony Music Artists Inc), Epistroph’s Monk’s Playhouse compilation (Blue Note Records), Shun Ishiwaka’s Songbook II (YounhS’toneRecords) and more.

In 2017, I performed at the Tokyo Jazz Festival with the Paul Grabowsky Quintet. Paul was one of my tutors during my time at Monash. That same year I also recorded my most recent album Suzaku with my Tokyo-based quarter. I released this album in March 2018 whilst doing a tour across Japan.

In 2018, I also performed at the Tokyo Jazz Festival, the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, the Wangaratta Jazz Festival and the Perth International Jazz Festival, as well as touring with the Shun Ishiwaka Trio. I continued to work with Paul Grabowsky in his Gravity Project.

I am now in the middle of writing my master’s thesis at WAAPA in Perth.

Why did you choose to study a Bachelor of Music at Monash?

The teachers were one of the main reasons I wanted to study at Monash. I thought about who I wanted to learn from and have individual trumpet lessons with. At the time, Paul Williamson was the main trumpet teacher in the jazz stream and I really liked what he was doing. The mentoring I received during my time as Monash has shaped my career.

I also wanted to continue to study Japanese. I was very fortunate that Monash had a great music program and one of the best languages departments. The ability to study Japanese at university was one of the reasons I came to Monash to play jazz.

How did the Bachelor of Music contribute to your success?

Although I definitely credit the Bachelor of Music for everything I know about music and jazz, one of the other most important things I got out of my degree was the connections. The reason to complete a top-level course like the Bachelor of Music at Monash is that it is where you will meet truly great student musicians. It is very valuable to be in the same classrooms, talking about music, and exchanging records and tips with the elite of the Melbourne music student community.

Everyone’s collective passion and dedication rubs off on each other and you end up in a community where everyone is pushing each other in a supportive manner to be the best musicians possible.

What were the most rewarding parts of completing a Bachelor of Music?

In the music field, your career begins within the course. In many ways it is hard to distinguish between being a student and being a professional. Your classmates become your colleagues and mentors, and the teachers become your professional peers.

One of the most rewarding aspects of my course was getting to play in the Monash Art Ensemble, which was run by Paul Grabowsky. We did a project called Nyilipidgi, where we worked in collaboration with David Yipininy Wilfred and his brother Daniel Ngukurr Boy Wilfred. It meant a lot to me because I had been listening to the music of Paul Grabowsky and I was very keen to be a part of what they were doing. I would call this a career highlight, even though it was back when I was a student. I have continued to work with Paul after graduating.

Many bands I played with as a student also kept going well after the course finished. I released my debut album Manticore in my final year of studying with some of my peers, which was a testament to my close relationships and to the work that I had put into my degree. I was trying to put everything I learnt into practise.

What are some of the most rewarding aspects of your career now?

I'm grateful to now be in a position of some influence. When I am teaching, and more often than not when I am the senior musician in a band line-up, I have come to appreciate the opportunity to do what I can to be a positive and encouraging presence.

Student musicians are always putting down their own work. I try to do what I can to boost their confidence and self-esteem because I don't believe you need to have a low opinion of yourself to continue to work hard and improve. I think it's possible to be proud of what you're doing and also push yourself to be a better musician.

To find out more about Niran, go to: http://nirandasika.bandcamp.com/

Written by Arts Journalism intern, Georgie Kibel, 2020