Meet Allison Asthana | Flutist & Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Allison Asthana and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Allison, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Working as a self-employed artist is a very natural route for a musician, especially if you do a combination of teaching and performing. I run my flute teaching studio as an independent contractor with several school districts, and freelance as a performer throughout the state. The flexibility of scheduling was a big draw for me as well – I’m able to schedule lessons when they work for me, and accept performance opportunities because I know I’ll be able to move things around when necessary. If I had a typical 9-5, this wouldn’t be as feasible. On the photography side of things, running my own business developed very gradually out of being a musician. Musicians need photos to promote their recitals, websites, and applications, and being a musician friend who is also a photographer means you get lots of work opportunities! I love being a photographer as well as a musician because I get to exercise different parts of my creative brain. Both can be very technical, but also have room for ample creative expression.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As a flutist, I work in a field that has so many amazingly skilled and innovative individuals. I am constantly inspired by the work of my colleagues across the country in creating inclusive and non-traditional performance and teaching spaces. Music is a field that has a long history of formality, but to grow and change with the times necessitates that music also adapts. I am most excited about the work I get to do that pushes those boundaries. For example, I am a member of a flute quartet, Emissary Quartet, that often performs in nontraditional settings such as art galleries, dance studios, and libraries, which allows us to reach audiences that otherwise may not have chosen to come to a concert hall. In my teaching, I have done in-depth study on the Hindustani (North Indian) classical music teaching methods and performance traditions, the inclusion of which has improved my own teaching tenfold, and allowed me to relate to the experiences of many of my students. As a photographer, I try not to pigeonhole myself to only the environments that are comfortable, but say yes to opportunities to learn a new skill. Most recently, I had to overcome my nervousness of indoor flash photography, because as someone who has lots of experience shooting outdoors in natural light, manipulating a light source was intimidating! But now I have a new skill and am that much more marketable for event and studio photography.

Taking risks is so important, because otherwise no progress would be made. On a personal note, experiences that involve risk and new situations are always the most memorable and exciting.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
In Houston, I would definitely spend time at the amazing museums we have! The Museum of Fine Art, Natural Science, and Contemporary Art Museums are all incredible, as well as the entire Menil Collection – especially the Rothko Chapel. While near the Menil, I would grab a glass of wine at Light Years or a tiki drink at the Toasted Coconut. Eating and hanging out in the Montrose area has endless options, but some of my favorites are Blacksmith Coffee, Aladdin for the best hummus, and Handies Douzo for some incredible sushi hand rolls. I would catch a live music performance, maybe of the Houston Symphony at Jones Hall or a smaller band at White Oak Music Hall. The great thing about a city like Houston is that there’s always great music! In my neck of the woods over in Sugar Land, I would recommend Blendin for coffee, Off the Vine Experiences for amazing wine, and Big Ben Tavern for some incredible food (a hidden gem!).

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My inspiration for pursuing my multifaceted artistic dreams is also very multifaceted. I would not have the tools to thrive in so many settings without the training and mentorship I received from my flute professors across the years. Marianne Gedigian, who I studied with at the University of Texas at Austin and is now Professor of Flute at Rice University, has consistently encouraged me to grow in new directions, and to unabashedly pursue a life that involves all of the things I love (while sharply honing my flute skills!). Creating your own career is scary, but so rewarding. My business inspirations have to be my mother- and father-in-law, who are both business owners themselves: Namita and Manish Asthana. In addition to the wealth of practical business knowledge, their tenacity of character shines through in all of their endeavors and is a valuable example to me of what business ownership should look like.

Website: allisonasthana.com & allisonasthanaphoto.com

Instagram: @allison.asthana & @allisonasthanaphotography

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@AllisonJayroe

Image Credits
Nadine Sherman, Michael Incavo, Allison Asthana