Mustafa Bhagat is a Musician of New York.

As a sitar player and student of Indian classical music, the work Mustafa gets to do is varied, from composing and recording for films and commercial spots to playing smaller alt venues as part of his ambient duo. A filmmaker and film editor, he also works on a TV show and just finished serving as music supervisor on a feature film. Outside of work, he enjoys hiking and being outside with his kids. Always in awe of the fierce NYC music scene, he will never forget the time he attended a noise show under the Brooklyn Bridge in the ‘90s.

“It gets to be a little overwhelming because there are so many venues to play and so many bands, so how do you make your project stand out? I wish that all gigs were required to pay out fairly. It would be great if it was a system in the clubs and music venues that guaranteed a certain wage. That would be amazing, to not have to work for a beer and a sandwich. You have to love it, and I’m here to say that all musicians do love it, but they often have to have two, three, or four gigs going at the same time, or a day job and a music career.” #MusiciansofNY

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#MusiciansofNY tells the stories of the working union musicians of New York, with posts about a new musician every Wednesday! Find more Musicians of New York stories here.