Hitting the Right Notes Between Work and Passion
Living your passion is a path to growth, happiness, and fulfillment. Balancing it with work? Even better. For many, weekdays feel overwhelming, while weekends become a space to recharge. For him, that shift is unmistakable: spreadsheets give way to sheet music, deadlines dissolve into melodies, and identity stretches far beyond a job title.
Meet Manjunatha Padyana Keshava, a Cloud Expert at Niveus Solutions – Part of NTT DATA. He doesn’t chase work-life balance; he’s discovered something greater: work-life harmony. When the code ends, the Carnatic melodies begin, and weekend performances fuel weekday problem-solving.
Where Code Meets Carnatic
This story takes us back to the Padyana family, where music wasn’t extracurricular; it was the curriculum. His father was a Chende artist – that beautiful, thunderous heartbeat of temple festivals just ignites the audience’s fervour. His mother’s voice carried melodies through their home like the weather. It set their household’s rhythm, quietly shaping moments, the way seasons shape time.
By the time Manjunatha was in 7th grade, a violin entered his life, more by destiny than choice!
He trained in the Carnatic style, not just for certificates or credentials, but by following what his heart led him to. The kind of learning measured in muscle memory and moments of clarity in harmonies, not diplomas.
The violin stuck. Through school. Through career changes. Through every corporation he’s worked at.
From Cubicles to Crescendos: The Birth of Codes-N-Chords
Following Niveus Got Talent in 2023, Manjunatha’s conversations with his colleague and members of the HR team led to the possibility of bringing together employees with musical interests.
The proposition was straightforward. Convene the musicians within the organization and explore the potential for collaboration.
What emerged from those initial sessions exceeded expectations.
“There are many talented musicians amongst us,” Manjunatha observes. “Multiple guitarists and keyboardists, cajon players, and talented singers. We discovered we had the equivalent of a full band, even multiple bands’ worth of talent, within our workforce.”
Regular jamming sessions commenced. Musical pieces began to take a definable form. The viability of a proper performance became increasingly apparent.
As a founding member, Codes-N-Chords was established not through formal mandate, but through organic development, a natural convergence of talent that had existed within the organization all along, simply awaiting the opportunity to surface.
When Creativity Hits a High Note
Manjunatha’s experience with workplace musical performances revealed an unexpected pattern that challenges conventional assumptions about creative engagement in professional settings.
“Following performances, there is typically a slump,” he explains. “In the weeks preceding a show, jamming sessions occur with increased frequency, concurrent with ongoing project deadlines and professional responsibilities. Post-performance, a period of burnout tends to follow for several weeks.”
This cyclical pattern has become a defining characteristic of Codes-N-Chords: periods of intensive preparation, followed by recovery, and then gradual reconvening for the next initiative.
However, the long-term impact proves beneficial. “The number of individuals expressing interest in the band consistently increases following each performance,” Manjunatha notes.
The dynamic has also influenced workplace culture in measurable ways. Employees have begun attending jamming sessions as participants, drawn by the opportunity to witness colleagues in a creative capacity. This shift has contributed to a workplace environment that acknowledges the multidimensional nature of its workforce, recognizing employees not merely as functional resources but as individuals with diverse talents and interests.
Teaching, Tuning, and Transformation
Beyond performing and his day job, Manjunatha’s six mentees are teaching him that progress isn’t linear. His role as a violin instructor has shown him that teaching deepens understanding and that patience unlocks levels he never knew existed.
Does this translate to his work at Niveus? He’s not sure yet. Right now, teaching music and mentoring colleagues live in separate universes. But subconsciously, he suspects there’s a link.
After all, patience learned while teaching a child to hold a bow might just translate to guiding a colleague through a complex concept.
Building Legacies in Harmony
The weekend concerts continue, but they’re no longer the whole story.
Manjunatha has expanded his musical footprint. What’s next? Maybe expanded mentorship opportunities. The possibilities multiply with each successful performance, each new musician who decides to bring their instrument to work.
The boy who picked up a violin at ten couldn’t have imagined building this. But the engineer who founded Codes-N-Chords? He’s just getting started.
Because when you stop treating passion and profession as opposing forces, there’s no limit to what you can create.
Collaborating Beyond the Cubicle
Ask Manjunatha about work-life balance, and he’ll smile:
“I’m not chasing work-life balance. I’m pursuing harmony.”
Balance suggests separation; harmony means coexistence. At Niveus, this philosophy isn’t just personal; it’s cultural. Fueling passion is a core value, and the ecosystem fully supports it: colleagues show up with instruments, HR provides space, and leadership encourages experimentation.
Manjunatha balances multiple roles: cloud professional, performer, and violin teacher. For him, music and technology don’t compete; they work in harmony. Work sharpens his logic; music keeps his creativity alive. Through initiatives like Niveus Got Talent and communities such as Codes-N-Chords, employees are encouraged to bring their passions to the workplace and stay inspired beyond their day-to-day work. Manjunatha’s story is proof that career and creativity can genuinely coexist.
