Max Patel, Jayani
On September 11, 2018, Max Patel ’19, otherwise known as “Jayani,” performed his new song, “City,” during school meeting. The beautiful melody earned him a standing ovation among Choate students and faculty.
Patel’s new stage name, Jayani, which roughly translates to “divine energy and victory,” originates from Patel’s family. His paternal grandfather, a first-generation U.S. citizen, grew up in a small town named Garamali in Gujarat, India. According to his grandfather’s stories, the family name Jayani carried great influence and respect from nearby villages. Patel came to learn that this recognition was not due to a financial or political factor but rather an appreciation for the Jayani family’s historical kindness and contributions. “It saddens me deeply that the name and all its positive connotations have almost completely vanished from my relatives’ passports on account of Indian immigration policies with the exception of one uncle,” Patel expressed. “In turn, I’m using Jayani as my artist title to both revive the beautiful name from extinction and also show appreciation and respect for my heritage along the way.”
Patel has been actively thinking about adopting a stage name since attending New York University summer high school. He wanted to take steps to pursue a change in his music. Rather than a stage name, Patel sees Jayani more as a vision and home base for his brand. “On the name, specifically, I think I was debating with myself for a while whether I would choose ‘Jayani’, ‘Scarf-Guy’, ‘Little-Big-Racially-Ambiguous Boy,’ ‘Sour Patch Kid,’ or ‘Bazinga.’ I chose Jayani. Thank god!” Patel exclaimed.
Patel’s passion for music has drawn him towards a form of popular indie music that generally consists of sensory and experience-based lyricism paired with simplistic, new-age production. He practices writing every day and is determined to compose many beautiful, open songs , regardless of the time it takes to do so. He shared, “Music lies at the heart of my mission. It’s a bunch of fun, all of this branding and marketing — finding ways to match online prefaces, visual art, colors, and words with my music and mission to be a holistic producer. However, this is very unimportant to me when compared to my other motives. I want to make music that helps connect people with authentic emotions.”
To some, music is about gaining a commercial aspect, but for Patel, it’s about producing music for his listeners. Patel wants his music to be something to share with his friends that is fun to listen to. He writes in hopes of helping others feel more. Patel is passionate about creating music that has substance and cultivates genuine emotion: the feeling of being understood, appreciated, connected, and, in some cases, excited. “I don’t want to write for me. I write so I can get good enough to write for others,” Patel said.
Patel further explained his philosophy on music; he said, “Music is a whole different layer through which life can be experienced: put it on while taking a shower and you have a memorable shower and memories that played songs remind you of. Put it on while hanging out with friends and create memories. Put it on while thinking through something and feel understood. I want people to feel understood and valuable. Finally, I believe in unconditional love, despite the many opposing views of people in my philosophy class. I believe that we as humans have the potential to focus on the positives in others and feel for them genuine sentiments of appreciation and love without expecting any immediate approval or reciprocation. I want my music to subconsciously feed into the encouragement of the building of a world that upholds such values.”
Patel has a strong passion and deep connection towards Jayani and his new music. He expressed, “Through truth and connection, people can learn to act in the best interest of others alongside themselves, and I think even contributing in a small way toward a world like that would give Jayani a true purpose.”
