Aashray Harishankar is a composer, audio engineer, creative director, and keyboardist with musical foundations in Carnatic (South Indian classical) keyboard, media scoring, and electronic music production. With a BA in Music & Technology from Stevens Institute of Technology, and an MFA in Music Performance & Composition at California Institute of the Arts, Aashray has focused his pursuits in the art of sonic exploration and innovation in immersive audiovisual experiences. He has established himself as a pioneer of such technology as the ROLI Seaboard (a keyless keyboard), and has collaborated on a wide variety of works in film, television, animation, dance, music, and art installation. Spurred by his diverse background in the arts and technology, Aashray envisions future projects that will bring together artists and scientists alike to tackle solutions to real-world problems through a combination of creative and technical thinking. His newest project, “Ashrama”, is an immersive installation piece that explores the idea of refuge and the basic need of all humans to be sheltered and cared for. It explores refuge as it exists in our environment, in people, nature, things, ideas, music, dance, technology, etc. The project explores both the physical and mental need for comfort and shelter from the chaos of the world around us, and aims to open our eyes, ears, hearts, minds, and bodies to the lives of others, to their struggles and refuges. “Ashrama” eventually intends to deliver tangible change to those who are without refuge, whether physical or mental. It aims to not only bring awareness but to support those who are literally or emotionally unhoused, to give them a refuge to re-balance and revitalize their life energy.