Award-winning musician Ricky Kej on composing for a greener planet

A monthly series by WWF-India that highlights niche and unconventional green careers through the stories of well-known personalities from the field of environment and conservation

All my life, two pillars — a musician and an environmentalist — have dictated every decision I have ever made. I grew up in a home surrounded by wooded areas, with a brook flowing through the property. I lived within Nature. Lizards, insects, snakes, frogs and rodents often entered our home. While adults told me to spray or kill them, my constant question was: if we are supposed to kill them the minute we see them, then why do they exist? They obviously have a purpose. Today, we recognise that every creature, no matter how insignificant it may seem, is vital to the ecosystem. This balance is what keeps us alive.

Inseparable duo

Music grew alongside this early awareness of Nature and soon became inseparable from it. My father had a huge music collection including choral music from across Africa, folk traditions from Vietnam, Celtic music, and classical compositions from China, Japan and Latin America. While my friends played video games, my music system was the centre of my universe. My ears were always more important than my eyes.

We also had instruments at home: a guitar, a small piano and a keyboard. I tried to express myself and create my own music, reflecting my moods and emotions. For most of human history, music and Nature have been inseparable. Indigenous traditions across the world still sing primarily about nature. By Class 2-3, I knew I wanted to do music for the rest of my life.

When I declared in Grade 12 that I wanted to be a professional musician, my father, a third-generation doctor, was furious. After much drama, we reached a compromise: I would complete a dental surgery degree and he would never question my choices. I fulfilled my side of the bargain, handed him the degree, and told him dentistry was noble but not for me.

Connected with Nature

Today, music is my 24-hour occupation. Concert days are intense: travel, sound check, rehearsal, performance and the adrenaline that keeps me awake long after the show ends. I have no typical routine. Nature remains my greatest inspiration. I interpret the sound of birds through a bamboo flute, the wind through sitar strings, and the emotions of being in Nature through orchestral arrangements. I stay informed about scientific consensus on climate change, pollution, deforestation and wildlife loss and, when an issue moves me deeply, I respond the way I know best: by creating music about it.

One of my most rewarding projects was My Earth Songs, created with Lonnie Park and Dominic D’Cruz. Launched in 2018, it teaches sustainability to children from Classes 1 to 8 through songs about sharing, plastic pollution, carbon footprints and wildlife. The project has reached over 10 million textbooks across India and beyond. Teachers and parents write to say campuses have become plastic-free, children insist on public transport, and food waste has reduced.

To students, I would say music has no clear path. But that also means you can create your own. Stand firm, keep working, and build your own opportunities.