YOUR STORY MATTERS HERE: Jeevan Subramaniam

By Tim Wesley

At age 15, Jeevan Subramaniam hasn’t figured out his life’s work just yet, but he has a pretty good idea about some of his core beliefs.

“When you put in hard work, something good can come from that,” he said.  “I also try to do the best I can to be understanding of other people and to be nice to them.  I learned those things from watching my parents and grandparents.”

Jeevan – whose family has attended Dutilh since 2005 – strives to apply those principles in a variety of settings, whether as a freshman at Seneca Valley High School, an employee at Chick-fil-A, or a budding musician.

Let’s start with his musical exploits.

Jeevan began that journey a few years ago by recording songs on his phone and eventually released – or “dropped,” to use an industry term – his first album on-line in June last year.  Not entirely satisfied with it, he bought more equipment and software, then began working on another album in September.  Titled “Far Frum Perfict,” it’s scheduled to be dropped later this month – he called it a mix of rap, hip-hop and R&B – and it demonstrates not only his own hard work but his ability to collaborate with other artists.

For the uninitiated (read:  most adults), the process provides a fascinating peek into the technological prowess and artistic talents of today’s youth.

Jeevan usually begins by using hardware and software to generate an electronic drum beat.  He might write some lyrics, then reach out to other artists, who may be friends or musicians he connected with on-line, who provide vocals and offer their own lyrics.  From there, it becomes an iterative and collaborative process through which Jeevan adds other instruments, electronic or actual, along with his own vocals.

On any given song, he can wear quite a few hats, including singer, writer, producer and engineer.  The music is then released – oops, dropped – on any number of on-line platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Instagram and YouTube.  Listeners can pay to download the songs and add them to their playlists; a recent single netted Jeevan about $25.

But don’t bother searching for Jeevan on those platforms; if you want to check out his work, look for YB Brown Sugar, his musical alter-ego.

Jeevan explained:  “Rappers tend to use abbreviations, so YB stands for ‘Young Boy.’  Brown Sugar?  I really don’t know where that came from.”

As for the album title – “Far Frum Perfict” – Jeevan said it’s meant to convey the notion that no matter how hard he might work, he’ll never reach perfection and can always improve.  To emphasize that theme, the cover art shows pieces of a puzzle, some of which are misplaced or broken, and it looks “a little mystical,” he said.

You’ll have a chance to listen to Jeevan’s latest creation starting at midnight on March 18.  He’s already released a couple singles from the album and received some advance publicity, so he’s eager for the complete drop.

“I try to downplay it, but it’s pretty cool,” he said.  “That will be a late night for posting messages on-line, and it will be a good feeling to see all the hard work pay off.  It will be a fun week.”

Fun for mom and dad, too.

“What I really like about Jeevan's music is that he can use his gifts of being creative and his art of rhyming,” said his dad, Ramesh.  “I also love that he is producing and mixing now, and others are taking notice to the point where they are reaching out to him.”

 Jeevan said music will always be at least a hobby, but he’s not looking for a career in the field; he plans to attend college after high school and doesn’t have a major in mind yet.  In the meantime, he’ll have plenty of other opportunities to apply his core beliefs of working hard and serving others – especially during the lunch and dinner rush at Chick-fil-A.  But if you see him delivering meals in the drive-through lanes, don’t expect him to stop for a friendly chat.

“The hardest part is keeping up, like on a Saturday afternoon at 12:15,” he said.  “It’s crazy-busy.  You have 10 orders on the board and you’re doing 50 things at once.  It’s stressful, but you’re all doing it together so you’re struggling together, and it feels good when you’re done.  After that lunch rush, you take a deep breath.”

Jeevan enjoys the fast pace and the opportunity to lighten someone else’s load, whether it’s by helping a co-worker to keep up, or by giving a customer something to smile about, such as a free meal.

“If we see someone who seems to be having a rough day, we’re able to suggest to the cashier that maybe they should get a promotional meal,” he said.  “There are always situations where somebody has a crying baby and you can tell they are having a rough day.  We saw somebody stressed out recently because they couldn’t find their wallet.  People are very appreciative when we can lift a little weight off their shoulders.”

Jeevan can also play the role of “weight-lifter” at school and at Dutilh.  When he noticed a classmate was particularly stressed about an upcoming History test, he suggested they study together and both of them benefited from the extra effort.

At Dutilh, he’s helped in the sound booth during worship services and in the kitchen – cooking is another hobby – for Vacation Bible School and Worship in the Park.  When Ramesh was in charge of a couples date night for the Dutilh men’s group, he tapped his son for assistance with the meal.

The Subramaniam family – Ramesh, Renu, Jeevan and his sisters, Jaya (18) and Jasmine (13) – has attended Dutilh since moving to the area from Columbus in 2005.

“I was just a baby when we moved here,” Jeevan said.  “My parents were church hunting, and they just felt connected at Dutilh.”

If you or someone you know in the Dutilh family has an interesting story, send us your ideas! We would love to help tell your story. Email: communications@dutilhumc.org.