Janina Gavankar and drum corps for Holi

Happy Holi! Two years ago,  I wrote "Maybe I'll redo My three favorite Israeli actresses for Purim and write another post for my favorite Indian or Indian-American actresses as well on Holi. I have a year to think about it." I deferred the idea last year, but noted "That doesn't mean I have given up on the idea for Holi...I might still do it if Inside Edition doesn't make a video for the Hindu holiday this year. Who knows? It could happen." Since Inside Edition still hasn't gotten around to making a video about Holi, I'm featuring one Indian-American actress today who shares my love for drum corps, Janina Gavankar. Watch and listen to her describe her passion for the activity and how she almost marched in Janina Gavankar Interview from Drum Corps International.

Janina Gavankar, star of the TV show True Blood, is a drum corps fan! Dan Potter got the chance to talk to her down on the field during semifinals.

When Gavankar said "Don't be surprised if some of the faces on this field are in her next music video," she wasn't kidding. She followed through in DON'T LOOK DOWN - #JustAddDrumCorps Edition by Janina Gavankar.

Actress and musician, Janina Gavankar, reimagines Martin Garrix's EDM single "Don't Look Down" featuring Usher. By returning to her roots, her vision and arrangement included 50 members of The Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps to turn this song on its head.

I may have heard of Gavankar before, but this video finally brought her to my attention. I've been a fan of hers ever since.

Gavankar had a serious message in addition to the music and entertainment, which she explained in DON'T LOOK DOWN - behind the scenes.

Behind the scenes of Janina Gavankar's reimagining of "Don't Look Down", the #JustAddDrumCorps edition.

She said much of this in the description to the music video itself.

Why’d she do this?
“I’ve been in love with drum corps since I was 13 years old. The level of musicianship, precision, the passion grabbed me and engrained a work ethic in my brain.I’ve been wanting to get back to my roots.”
“Drum Corps International groups are atop the scholastic performing arts pyramid. Faster, higher, louder... standard-setting for marching arts around the world.” More than 8,000 students will audition for less than 3,500 available positions in top-tier DCI ensembles. It’s the best of the best in scholastic marching music.
American arts education funding is in trouble. Support is being taken from programs, robbing students of opportunities to develop important life skills, which pay dividends forever.
”Having an arts education makes you better at whatever you’re going to be. It doesn’t mean you have to end up an artist. I’ve ended up in a completely different field than what I trained in, growing up. But, I am so much stronger, every day, because I have a platform based on an arts education.”

I couldn't say it better myself, so I'm glad to quote her.

I have much more to write about Gavankar and her entertainment career, but I'll save it for a future post. After all, I'm an environmentalist. Not only do I recycle my ideas, I conserve my resources.