"Your voice is precious and important, and needed. There are great stories out there that deserve your insight, your value." For Amritha Vaz, the path to becoming a screen composer was full of twists and turns. Her musical family’s ties to Bollywood had her immersed early on, but after a severe case of tendonitis cut a potential career as a violinist short, she pursued the academic path, earning degrees in poli-sci,international development, law, and more. She studied Indian classical music in India, did international development work in Sierra Leone, and finally ended up in Vancouver where a chance meeting with Mychael Danna prompted a move to LA to become his assistant. Amritha is now firmly on her own musical journey, blending the rich music of South Asia with electronic and Western classical orchestral sounds. We talk about her enchanting work on the AppleTV+ docuseries Home, and the colorful musical tapestries of Mira, Royal Detective, which she scores for Disney Junior. She also describes navigating being a visible minority in Hollywood, the challenge of finding work-life balance, and why she feels hopeful despite the current state of the world. www.amrithavaz.com