It could have been the need to put to life the music that bounced about in his head or the intense desire to break out of the mundane that resulted in his maiden album Flying High, but for Arun it was a longstanding dream that took three years of painstaking effort to bring to fruition. It all started more than a decade ago with the title song Flying High composed in 1999, in a little village outside Vizag where Arun was working with an NGO. In the years that followed, amidst juggling career and family, various tunes came forth and other songs got composed. Arun's music is essentially Indian rock. He was influenced by various Indian and western artists in his youth. Music has always been a core part of his life. However, he first experienced the thrill of performing on stage as lead guitarist at IIT Kharagpur. Coming from distinguished institutes like IIM and IIT has helped him make music rather than inhibit it, as it has made his life richer, putting in his path colourful experiences that now serve to inspire his songs. "Music making," he says, "can be a challenging blend of creativity, intuition, collaboration and sheer hard work." His first album Flying High celebrates life as he has known it, bringing forth all that he has experienced. The album is about life, "love making only fleeting appearances," as he puts it. The central theme is something that everyone can relate to. Indian middle class lives have been so mired in work and commute that most of us have forgotten to enjoy ourselves. The eight songs on the album are all about the various facets of life. If 9 to 5 (Ji Le Zara) calls upon you not to forget your dreams, Flying High tells you to buck convention and be free, while Angel echoes the longing for a caring spirit. The music evokes Indian emotions in a western country and rock style. Think Mohit Chauhan meets Bob Dylan! "Juggling the multiple roles of producer, composer, vocalist and rhythm guitarist on the album has been exhilarating and excruciating by turns. Getting the best out of your collaborators is integral to music making," says Arun when describing the process of making the album.