Singer Ananya Hariharan remembers when she first found out about the annual Victorian State School Spectacular (VSSS), via a Facebook ad her dad saw one day.
“He said I should audition for the show, but I wasn’t too keen because I was really scared. But then he told me that I could get my hair and makeup done and that’s what actually [made] me [try it],” she says.
At just 9 years old, Ananya Hariharan managed to score a coveted Principal Vocalist spot, and ever since, she’s been coming back every year, and not just for the hair and makeup.
“It’s such a positive place. The people you meet here are so sweet and so kind, and you get to work with professionals,” Hariharan says.
Now 16 years old, she’s gearing up for this year’s VSSS “Splash”, which is inspired by all things aquatic. As a Principal Vocalist, she will sing seven songs, including a rendition of Enya’s Orinoco Flow with the Victorian College of the Deaf Signing Choir, and the closing number, “Celebration”.
“[Celebration] really brings everyone together as a family at the end of the show, and it just tells you that you can be whoever you want to be and you can be proud of who you are, no matter what or where you come from,” Hariharan says.
Hariharan came to singing aged six after her classroom teacher heard her singing songs from Disney’s Frozen in class and told her to take lessons.
Initially trained in Indian classical music, she is a fan of R&B and Soul music and loves telling stories about finding strength and self-determination when she sings.
“I think for me, growing up in Australia, I feel like I’m not very attached to my culture, which has been hard for me sometimes. I like being able to tell a story that it’s okay to not be 100% attached to who you are sometimes and to be confused,” Hariharan says.
While still in school, she has performed at the Australian Open, Australian Tennis Awards, and at Camp 4 Cancer Charity concerts, and next year will be part of Benny Gregg’s showcase ‘Futuration’.
Rehearsing for seven months before their performance at John Cain Arena, Hariharan says balancing her Year 11 coursework with weekend rehearsals has been challenging.
“It’s really made me an organised person. It can be hard at times, but there is no place I’d like to spend my weekends more,” she says. “I’ve made it work because [school and VCSS] both mean a lot to me.”
Hariharan is grateful for her family and friends supporting her throughout the process.
“My mum is one of the reasons I do this every day. I just really want to make my parents proud,” she says. “They never tell me what to do or how to do things, they just let me figure things out and go with the flow. They support everything I do anything that I want or need.”
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A Mount Waverley Secondary College student, Hariharan is studying both VET and VCE Music, and hopes to pursue music overseas when she leaves school.
“I do really hope to go to America post Year 12. I want to audition for shows and get experience there,” says Ananya Hariharan.
“I have lots of hopes and dreams… maybe owning a music business of some sort, that would be really, really amazing. And of course, I’d love to continue performing, sharing my talent with people and performing for people to make them really happy.”
Read more: Nethra Raman on The Voice: ‘Music is about telling stories’
