It is no secret that Baruch College is home to various, multifaceted and talented individuals, one of them being Viktor Vardanyan, also known as Vrdnyn. He is an aspiring producer, engineer and full-time student at Baruch.

Viktor, a senior pursuing a degree in entrepreneurship, first fell in love with music as a child. His parents blasted all kinds of tunes in his childhood home in Armenia, including many greats such as Michael Jackson, Barry White, and Stevie Wonder. He grew accustomed to what he calls “quality music” and many of those influences are prevalent in the beats he makes today.

I was beyond thrilled to sit down with Viktor and get to know more about his background, journey, and any advice he’d have for aspiring artists like himself.

Ma-Nogoy Faye: Who have been your strongest musical influences?

Vrdnyn: I absolutely love Kaytranada, Disclosure, Tyler the Creator and most recently this band named Jamiroquai. I think that my diverse music taste and background has helped me take the songs and sounds that I love and make them my own.

Who is an artist you would love to work with?

Kaytranada is a top choice as well as Disclosure. A while back, Disclosure would actually have twitch streams where they would listen to fans’ music and they were able to listen to a sample I sent in, and give me feedback. This was an amazing experience because I got to hear feedback from a duo that I greatly admire. I would also reiterate Tyler the Creator, Kendrick Lamar, and Anderson .Paak.

What are your proudest accomplishments thus far?

I think the biggest thing has been getting to hear my music playing at a venue to hundreds of people. I think on paper, my biggest accomplishment would be my collaboration with Riovaz called “I Feel Fantastic”, but there is nothing that makes me more proud than knowing that people are listening to music that I made in my bedroom.

What are some of the biggest obstacles you’ve faced as an artist?

I think there’s been a bunch of obstacles that I’ve faced. I think just like many artists, that inner voice of insecurity and doubt is a blessing and a curse. Being afraid to do things differently or as an artist, hoping that a certain track doesn’t sound bad. I think even successful artists go through those insecurities, but it’s what makes them great and what ultimately makes them an artist.

What’s been the biggest surprise so far in your journey as an artist?

I think weirdly enough it is how many artists I’ve met at Baruch so far. Traditionally, you would think that a business school wouldn’t have that many, but many of the jargon and contractual musical stuff I’ve learned were from music classes and other Baruch students. It’s just great to see that creativity thrives everywhere, even at a traditional business school.

What is some advice you’d have to aspiring artists, especially those in your position that may have to balance taking classes among other things?

I’d say the biggest thing is time management. It’s a challenge that’s for sure because I love music but education is also something that is very important to me. You have to be organized and disciplined, and try to beat the procrastination as much as possible.

Click here to keep up with the latest Vrdnyn releases, beats and more!