Some people know me as Elton, the name I inherited from my dad, and I’ve been Shyam (“shee-yahm”) since my parents began studying Indian culture many years ago.

My quest for fulfillment through sound, words, and spirituality has taken me all over the world, from a commune in Tennessee and a boarding school near the Taj Mahal to the New York offices of Rolling Stone. I’m a Grammy-nominated bassist with a ton of live performance experience, and I’ve written about some of my favorite musicians since the turn of the century. I was born to be an accompanist for childbirth and the dying.

Currently based in Los Angeles, I perform, teach, compose, study, and spend most of my time creating immersive and richly textured sonic environments for theater, film, and animation.

Occasionally, critics take notice and colleagues ask about my process.