Violinist, composer and producer Behnam Arzaghi (Soundcloud) summarizes the story of his life so far. Then we talk about his perfect pitch: what it is, how it originates, its relevance in tonal languages like Mandarin, and how it in fact hindered him as a musician.

Behnam began playing violin at 6, writing and performing at 12, debuted solo with orchestra at 13, and premiered a violin concerto and had the Austin Symphony perform his works by 17. He's studied music at the Colburn School and the University of Houston, composed for film, played with Austin artists, and teaches music. He also graduated in Computer Science and Physics, teaches yoga, and loves rock climbing.