The Goodnight, Sunrise Math Guru- VaneSSa Vakharia’s P3

VaneSSa is the founder and director of The Math Guru, a cool boutique math & science tutoring studio in Toronto, Canada. She is also the author of Math Hacks, a new book that makes math fun, stress-free and relatable for young kids and parents. She has her Bachelor of Commerce, Teaching Degree, and Masters of Math Education. She specializes in teenage engagement in math education, with a focus on reinventing media representations of what it means to be smart while simultaneously destroying stereotypes which tell women they need to choose between beauty and brains. Her #goals are to be Lady-Gaga-famous and to totally change math culture so that STEM is as cool and accessible as a Taylor Swift song.

VaneSSa is also a founding member of Goodnight, Sunrise, a rock n roll band where she plays the keytar and belts lead vocals. Eight years ago, she co-founded the band with David Kochberg who plays guitar and is also on vocals. Goodnight, Sunrise is an indie-rock-and-roll-super-fun-dance-party band from Toronto, Canada. They started 8 years ago. VaneSSa performs and manages the band with David, and they do all of their own show booking PR and recordings. “It’s really exciting, and a lot of work.”

VaneSSa failed Grade 11 Math, twice, which she said is one of the best things that could have happened. “I think I was actually really good at Math when I was younger, but as I got older I really started identifying as an artsy person.” She referred to the dichotomy that society creates sometimes between learners who are artistically inclined and those who are mathematical. “I really wanted to be a famous rock star and marry Keanu Reeves... so when I wasn't doing well in Math, no one really thought it was weird.” Being written off as the more creative type, her failure in the subject was attributed to her other inclinations. Her parents encouraged her to keep pursuing her learning, so she went to an alternative school in Toronto called Sola (now closed) that changed her life. When she tried to explain to her Math teacher that she wasn’t a “math person”, that teacher not only redirected her but actually taught her. She got a 99% in Grade 12 Math and has remained close friends with her teacher who helped turn things around for her. She even helped her edit the book, Math Hacks, that she just had published. “That realization in Math class is the only reason I pursued music because I had actually been kicked out of vocal class and the Kiwanis festival…” VaneSSa was starting to believe that she wasn't a “music” person, either. The Math experience awakened her sense of efficacy and her resilience allowed her to persevere and chase her dreams.

VaneSSa empowers the people that she works with through education and music. Through her guest appearance on The Personal Playlist Podcast, VaneSSa was empowered to bring 3 songs to tell her story, and she selected three original songs from her band- a first for the P3. Of all the songs that they have written and produced over the last 8 years, vaneSSa chose these songs because they were an audio journal of how far they’ve come as a band. Reflection is key in seeing anyone and anything progress, “Listening to our music, I can hear the growth…it’s a really cool imprint on your past, present, and future.” Each song that she chose reflects her own empowerment and her hopes to empower the lives of others through her music and work.

VaneSSa’s nostalgic song is a cover of a classic winter song. VaneSSa, being obsessed with Christmas, wanted to cover a Christmas song. David, being Jewish, had no particular inclination to do so. VaneSSa convinced him that it was less about the holiday and more about finding light in the cold and darkness of winter. David finally agreed, and vaneSSa was elated that they settled on this song that is “...all about the magic of winter...romantic nostalgia...being with someone you love when it’s cold outside...the snow falling.” It’s originally a Gordon Lightfoot song, but the one that she knew from growing up was the cover by Sarah McLaughlin. Here is Song for a Winter’s Night performed by Goodnight, Sunrise in a “magic, twinkly way”:

VaneSSa’s identity song is an important song for her. “This is the first song where we feel we captured the essence of our band.” The message of the song is about that through the highs and lows of life, there are moments that we have to remember to live in the moment and embrace the present. They had already recorded 2 albums and some EP’s, but this song, released in 2017, helped them make their mark. It was the song they submitted to Q107 in a competition to become the opening act for Jon Bon Jovi at the Air Canada Centre/Scotiabank Arena on May 12, 2018, and they won. “It was literally the craziest thing ever.” It turns out that whenever Jon Bon Jovi tours, he finds a local opening band and gives them a break, like the one he got when he was younger. This is the song that got them there; Remember Now by Goodnight, Sunrise:

VaneSSa’s pick-me-up song is her band’s newest release. “It’s very exciting because it’s new but, also, I love this song because...it has a really strong vibe...it’s all about consent and respect and...not ever having the right to think you can feel good at the expense of others.” Trying to incorporate more dancey elements, this is a step in that direction. “If you see us live, we are such a powerhouse...we have confetti and glow sticks...and it’s really hard to capture that on a a recording.” VaneSSa thinks they’ve done it with Feel Good:

Not surprisingly, VaneSSa was feeling good about her P3 and about what’s on her horizon. “We are super pumped; this is going to be our biggest summer yet.” Goodnight, Sunrise is planning a huge tour, and there are a lot of shows planned across Ontario. Stay tuned to their social media pages to follow them and find out more. You can find her band at www.goodnightsunrise.com or on instagram @gnsrband. You can find vaneSSa at @themathguru on Twitter and Instagram and www.themathguru.ca. She has also just opened their pop-up study lounge for exam season. It’s a coworking space for kids - the first of its kind. You can check that out on instagram at @XAMstudylounge. Math Hacks was published through Scholastic, catering to kids and their parents. It includes tips like how to study for math, how to beat test anxiety and much more. You can find it at Indigo and Amazon. VaneSSa ended her time on the show with some great advice such as, “You can’t win the lottery if you don’t buy a ticket.”