By Rebecca Le Jeune
With a voice rooted in Blues and Soul, Selene Kalra, an exchange student from the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom, has thrown herself into UCSB Music programs and is making every performance her own .
This past winter, Kalra, 21, has pursued a degree in Environmental Science, and she took to the stage as a vocalist in UCSB’s Women in Jazz Combo, a program dedicated to highlighting the contributions of female musicians to jazz. At home, she studies ecological environmental sciences with management, and actively participates in local bands.
International Student Selena Kalra performing with the band Aldous, in Edinburgh, Scotland in Aug. 20024. Photo by Oli Erstine.
Her journey in the jazz program at UCSB began last fall in the Jazz Lab, an introductory Music Department course designed for students new to jazz performance and small ensemble playing. Kalra is a vocalist. The Lab equipped her with essential jazz theory, improvisation skills, and ensemble etiquette, laying the foundation for her transition into more advanced groups. “It was a lot, but I learned so much so quickly that it was absolutely worth it,” she said.
“The most incredible thing about UCSB is that you have so many opportunities to take courses in different disciplines,” she said. “For me, I ended up signing up for more classes than I could realistically handle at first, but over time, I found my rhythm and improved my time management.”
Her academic experience has been unexpectedly thought-provoking. “My degree is more philosophical than I realized,” Kalra said, noting that the principles of ecology—where everything seeks balance—have influenced her approach to life and music.
“It has helped me relax and flow more calmly through various situations, including performing on stage. It really helps to live in the moment.” She says her interests form two sides of her identity that balance each other out. She had been involved in music at her home university in Edinburgh, but the university there provided much less support for it.
Now performing in the Women in Jazz Combo, Kalra has applied the skills she honed in Jazz Lab to a work in a more advanced ensemble that demands a strong grasp of jazz theory, improvisation, and musical interplay.
She is has performed five pieces with the combo. One is instrumental, and Kalra was singing on the other four. Kalra performed with the 2nd combo at Jazz Combos Perform, at St. Michaels Church, Isla Vista, in February.
She emphasized the importance of communication and adaptability on stage. “You need to know the theory, but when you perform, it has to feel instinctive,” When performing, her focus is on the audience. All the more, she isn’t just performing- stage is where she feels most herself.
Inspired by artists like Nina Simone and Fatoumata Diawara, Selene admires musicians who focus on their audience. “When they take the stage, it’s not about them,” she said. “Their main focus is making sure that the audience feels seen.”
Combos, she says, demand a deeper level of musicianship, requiring students to be well-versed in jazz theory, improvisation, and interactive performance. “You have to really know the theory, understand music, and know how the other instruments work,” she said.
Kalra urges others to get involved in the university’s music programs, advising prospective UCSB students interested in jazz or other genres to explore course offerings online before even arriving on campus, as it helps to have a picture of suits them.
A decent understanding of basic theory helps, such as understanding scales or chord progressions, she says, but UCSB opportunities are not limited to formal coursework.
Selene Kalra is an exchange student from the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom who found her passion in the Jazz program in UCSB’s Music Department
“If you haven’t played in a while or lack a background in jazz, that’s okay,” Kalra said, noting that as long as passion and effort are evident, the coordinators are welcoming and supportive to teach the necessary theory.
“Performing just feels natural to me,” she added, explaining that it’s often easier than a one-on one conversation. “When I get up on stage, I already know that I’m happy because that is my safe space,” Kalra said. “But for an audience to feel electric- that’s my mission. If I can get that feeling, even just a little bit of that fire in someone, then they can take that groove through the next day. That’s why I do it. That’s why I love it so much.”
Rebecca Le Jeune is a third year Political Science student at UC Santa Barbara. She wrote this piece for her Digital Journalism course.