By Kylie Richards
New this semester, the Loyola School of Communication brings live performances straight to your home through the music series Lo-Fi Fridays. This series highlights student musicians and takes place on Fridays at 12 p.m. CT on Zoom.
On April 23, 2021, Lo-Fi Friday featured the student artist Viduushi Prasad. Prasad is majoring in Communication Studies, and she is double-minoring in Marketing and International Business. Prasad has been singing since she was six years old, and she just recently began teaching herself accompaniment on the guitar and piano. Prasad showcased a variety of cover songs throughout her set while alternating between playing the guitar and piano.
Beginning on the guitar, Prasad’s first song revealed that her musical talents were not only in English, but also in Hindi. This number, “It’s You” by Ali Gatie, included a mash-up of the English and Hindi languages in the form of a delicate love song. Prasad’s soft, angelic vocals highlighted the emotional lyrics effortlessly. The next song, “Sophia” by Clairo, incorporated a sped up beat on guitar partnered with sweet lyrics that paired aesthetically with Prasad’s light voice.
The third number of the set introduced a slowed down rendition of Maroon Five’s “Memories.” This catchy, well-known song unveiled Prasad’s guitar talents by including more percussive elements in her accompaniment. Throughout the song, she riffed through the high-notes in a seemingly personal manner that highlighted the strength of her voice.
Another popular track in Prasad’s setlist was “Talking to the Moon” by Bruno Mars. This is a deeply emotional song that Prasad was able to address with grace. She connected passionately to the audience through the touching lyrics and music. This number also showed off Prasad’s range through her ability to nail a variety of high and low notes.
After the first four songs in Prasad’s live stream performance, she transitioned to begin accompanying herself on the keyboard. While on the keyboard, she covered “Arcade” by Duncan Laurence and “Someone Like You” by Adele. The piano accompaniment brought a new element to Prasad’s voice and overall concert by incorporating a smooth, flowing sound. Both numbers exemplified the scope of her vocal volume by starting in soft tones and escalating into loud, belting notes.
Prasad finished her set back on the guitar with a final number in the Hindi language. This song beautifully encompassed the entirety of the show by spotlighting the euphonious expressions and sounds in the language. The soft, simple strumming of the guitar brought out the pure uniqueness of Prasad’s lovely tone.
Prasad’s talents encompass a variety of skills. Spanning from her delightful vocals in two languages to her accompaniment on guitar and piano, Prasad is a multifaceted individual.