Culture
Culture
Philosopher Plato once said, “musical training is a more potent instrument than any other, because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul.”
For one GM engineer, that couldn’t be more true.
His name is Jigar Kapadia. Jigar, which means “heart” in Sanskrit, is a native of Mumbai, India. From an early age, Kapadia had a love of music and entertaining. He also had a passion for technology and engineering. This fusion of art and science led Kapadia on an educational journey across continents to study music and engineering, ultimately securing a position at GM in 2016 as an audio engineer.
Inspired by music and the entertainment industry as a child, Kapadia learned to sing and play several musical instruments. He recorded his first soundtrack at age 10. Kapadia knew that creating music was his passion.
After earning a Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering from Swami Vivekananda Institute of Technology in Mumbai, Kapadia moved to New York City in 2008 to study music at the prestigious New York University. He earned a Master of Music Technology in 2010. While there, he spent time in several music studios learning and creating different sounds.
Now 35, Kapadia already has an enriched career. He currently leads vehicle sound development at GM, crafting interior and exterior chimes, audible alerts and more for future vehicles. He is also a classically trained musician; a nationally-known composer and singer in India; has produced sound for a variety of projects in film, radio, television, music and computer games; has performed at about 700 live shows; and has worked with several nationally-known music artists in the United States.
Kapadia, who became a U.S. citizen last year, is also a trained fitness and yoga teacher who focuses on well-being using sound and frequencies to trigger hormones and glands in the body.
“When creating sounds for our new vehicles, I try to keep the psychology of music in mind,” explained Kapadia. “My years of research in psychoacoustics – the scientific study of how humans perceive various sounds – is an element for inner well-being and healing that I consider when developing new sounds.”
Kapadia’s main tool to help craft and choreograph future vehicle chimes and alerts is GM’s new state-of-the-art 14x10-foot sound recording studio, which recently opened inside the Noise and Vibration Building at the Milford Proving Ground in Milford, Michigan. It resembles a mini music studio containing a host of sound recording and editing equipment, including several sound-muffling wall panels, microphones, sophisticated headsets, monitors and computers, a high-end synthesizer, and special lighting and audio software for sound design and production.
The new music studio complements GM’s commitment to its overall vehicle audio experience. Future vehicle sounds, including new interior chimes, pedestrian protection alerts, and selectable and customizable sounds are currently being developed and evaluated.
“The customer is at the center of everything I do, and my attitude is TGIM (Thank God it’s Monday), not TGIF,” explained Kapadia. “I can’t wait for Monday to start crafting sounds in GM’s new recording studio. It’s critical to merge the technical aspects of sound development with the creative, artistic side.”
Visit the engineering jobs page to learn more about careers available at GM.