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Undergraduate Rohit discusses balancing student life and a career in musical production.

By City St George's Press Office (City St George's Press Office), Published

Rohit Sands, a City St George’s, University of London undergraduate student performed at the debut London edition of the SXSW festival earlier in June.

The first-year BSc Economics with Accounting student is a rising musical star, who is carefully balancing his degree and his artistry.

A pianist as well as a producer, he performs under the stage name Inertia and acts as producer for many artists.

Support from City St George’s

Finding a balance between being a producer and a student can be challenging at times, but Rohit says City St George’s is enabling him to pursue his future.

“City St George’s has offered the best of both worlds—a respected programme in economics and accounting, and a central London location where I can stay connected to my career as an artist,” he says.

The University’s Department of Music has high-end recording equipment and instruments.

“When I performed at SXSW London, the University even offered to help me out with equipment for my performance, which made a big difference,” he adds.

Developing his musical practice

Rohit started to learn how to play the piano in Year 8. He didn’t receive any formal training, but that didn’t stop him from developing a passion into songwriting. The effect snowballed, where Rohit continued to develop his skills as a producer.

During the Covid-19 lockdowns, he continued to hone his passion and soon enough was hired to work on a BBC radio play, aged only 16.

His career continued to prosper, and later at age 19, he performed at the BBC’s famous Maida Vale studio. The event was monumental for Rohit.

“It was a massive deal for me. At 19, I am one of the youngest ever artists to perform at Maida Vale,” he says. “I grew up watching legendary artists perform there.”

Another big win for the young producer was his SXSW London performance earlier in June, where he played at the Going South event, invited on by BBC presenter Bobby Friction.

He co-performed the song Saathiya with singer-songwriter Nikitar (who he produces) as well as his own single Cold World.

Nikitar (left), Bobby Friction (Center) and Rohit (Right) are standing together.

Rohit spoke highly about fellow rising musician MFlows:

After my performance I was congratulated by MFlows, who really sees me having a bright future in the industry.

He invited me to a Goldman Sachs event which included a panel talk about art, culture and expression.

Being invited to those kinds of spaces after years of working independently reminded me how far I've come and how far I still want to go.

At this panel, he had the pleasure of meeting Steel Banglez, an East-London based artist who has over 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify.

“I had the privilege to talk about my journey so far and Steel Banglez gave me great advice to help progress my career further. I hope to be in the similar position as him in the years to come,” he adds.

Steel Banglez (left) and Rohit (Right), standing next to each other.

Advice to fellow students

In the pursuit of a balanced work and student life, Rohit shares his thoughts:

Don’t let anyone tell you that you have to choose one or the other.

If you’re passionate about something, you’ll find a way to balance it. It takes discipline and time management, but it's definitely possible.

Surround yourself with the right people, stay focused, and trust your path, even if it doesn’t look traditional.

To find out more about Rohit Sands, visit his Spotify Inertia.

Byline: This article was written by Amandeep Chandan, Communications Assistant in City St George’s Press Office team.

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