Questions We Carry
Ten tracks made with children, elders and musicians across the world. Every song began as a real question and a real answer.
For Your Grammy Consideration - Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording
Why we made this
Created and produced by mother, musician-educator Ramya Shankar, her sons, and her students, Questions We Carry: Intergenerational Conversations in the Swing of Life grew from a personal idea into a community conversation.
We are in a unique time where seven generations can be alive at the same time. Yet in a world more connected than ever, we are often losing the ability to truly listen and make one another feel heard.
the need is urgent
According to the CDC's 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 4 in 10 U.S. high school students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.
children carry questions about
What will I regret?
Am I on the right path?
What if I choose wrong?
What does success really mean?
This album brings children and adults into an honest conversation. Children ask. Adults respond through lived experience, mistakes, memories, uncertainty, and hope.
"Because knowledge can be searched, but wisdom has to be lived - and shared across generations."
Through spoken voices and original music, Questions We Carry reminds us that every generation has something to teach and something to learn. Our hope is simple: no one should feel they have to carry their questions alone.
Because it takes a village.
Will you be part of our village?a unique time
"We are in a unique time where seven generations are alive - seven lifetimes of stories, experiences, mistakes, discoveries, and dreams."
These songs were made from questions passed between some of those generations.
Tracks
Tap any track to play. It keeps going through the rest of the album, looping back to the start.
A story is best told from the beginning
Immerse yourself in the full narrative arc on YouTube Music. Savour the transitions and the space between the notes as they were intended.
Listen to the full albumOr browse individual tracks below
- 01
Kash Bhat
- 02
Identity, belonging, becoming
Ananyaa Gopalpur, Nethra Nandakumar, Kash Bhat (Sax), Michael Romanowski, Prasant Radhakrishnan, Geetha Shankar, Ragavan Manian (Flute)
- 03
Choices, ethics, uncertainty
Sanjana Arul, Deshna Dwarak, Aditi Subbaraman, Ahana Subbaraman, Amogha Narayanan, Sameer Gupta, Rajiv Bhat, Madame Gandhi
- 04
Choices, ethics, uncertainty
Kash Bhat, Trevor Vaughan, Jaya Khare, Richard Dudley, Rajiv Bhat, Kavitha Jayaraman, Ragavan Manian (Flute)
- 05
Regret, loss, healing
Anika Jayaram, Vedanth Bhat (Bass), Avni Krishna, Tanishq Ekambaram, Akhil Ekambaram, Bobby Beebob, Devan Ekambaram, Siyer
- 06
Regret, loss, healing
Aadhya Battu, Deshna Dwarak, Niyati Hari, Vivek Agrawal, Jennifer Reason
- 07
Curiosity, human innovation
Rishi Kaushik, Shrey Pradeep, Nihira Tagarathi, Prasant Radhakrishnan, Vivek Agrawal, Sameer Gupta, Ramya Shankar
- 08
Meaning, time, impermanence
Siyona Vakkaleri, Trevor Vaughan, Antara Karthik, Richard Dudley, Ramya Shankar
- 09
Meaning, time, impermanence
Eliot Hochberg, Samika Arul, P Aaron Deepak, P Ryan Deepak, Jahnavi Harrison, Siyer
- 10
“What do you want adults to know about what it's like to be a kid during this time in the world?”
Niyati Hari, Atreya Subr, Krithi Subr, Jennifer Reason
Album credits
Contributors - Children
Gahyeon GimAlbum Art
Samika Arul
Sanjana Arul
Aadhya Battu
Kash Bhat
Vedanth Bhat
P Aaron Deepak
P Ryan Deepak
Deshna Dwarak
Tanishq Ekambaram
Akhil Ekambaram
Ananyaa Gopalpur- Amogha Narayanan
Niyati Hari
Eliot Hochberg
Anika Jayaram
Jaya Khare
Antara Karthik
Avni Krishna
Rishi Kaushik
Nethra Nandakumar
Shrey Pradeep
Aditi Subbaraman
Ahana Subbaraman
Atreya Subr
Krithi Subr
Nihira Tagarathi
Siyona Vakkaleri
Trevor Vaughan
Contributors - Adults
P.A DeepakMultiple Grammy Winning Engineer
Vivek AgrawalBollywood R&B Singer and Music Tech Entrepreneur
Bobby BeebobAward Winning Producer / Grammy Mentor
Rajiv BhatPhysicist, Serial Entrepreneur
Richard DudleyAward Winning Music Educator/Producer
Madame GandhiMusician / Producer Activist
Sameer GuptaDrummer / Arts Curator
Jahnavi HarrisonGrammy Nominated Kirtan Singer
SiyerSinger / Motivational Speaker
Kavitha JayaramanMusician
Devan EkambaramAward Winning Musician
Ragavan ManianSongwriter / Educator, Flute
Jennifer ReasonMusician and SF Chapter Governor of the Recording Academy
Prasant RadhakrishnanSaxophonist
Michael RomanowskiMultiple Grammy Winning Engineer
Ramya ShankarVocalist / Music Educator / Grammy Mentor
Geetha ShankarPresidential Awardee, Special Educator
Created by
Ramya Shankar Kash Bhat
Mixed & Mastered by
P.A Deepak
Album Art
Gahyeon Gim