Information Technology Services (ITS)
IT@UofT People — Steven Rupchand
Published on: January 16, 2024
The backbone of any successful team is its hard-working people. The University of Toronto’s Information Technology Services (ITS) unit is no exception. It is made up of a diverse range of people with an even greater diversity in their interests and talents.
In this segment, entitled “IT@UofT People,” we will get to know our IT@UofT team across the tri-campus community and find out more about their hidden or not-so-hidden talents and/or pursuits outside of work.
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Department: University of Toronto Scarborough Information and Instructional Technology Services
Title: Product Analyst
How long have you worked at U of T?
I have worked at U of T for just shy of 13 years. I worked at the UTSC IITS Helpdesk for 10.5 years and within the IITS Project Management office for the last 2.5.
What is your secret or not-so-secret talent or hobby outside of work?
I have several hobbies including home renovations, photography, videography, lighting and live sound production. I guess my main hobby is that I’m a keyboardist in the West Indian community.
How and why did you get involved in this hobby?
By about age 18 I discovered that I had the ability to listen to a song and play it back on a keyboard. Some people in the industry refer to this as ear training. I can’t read music notation.
I started playing drums around age 12 but quickly got bored because, as a drummer, you can play drum beats all day long, but you can never really play an entire song by yourself. Meanwhile, my sister was taking piano lessons, so we had a keyboard laying around at home. I would mess around with her keyboard, and that’s when I discovered that I had the ability to listen to a song and play it back.
I began playing publicly with a band around age 21. The crowds that my band plays for can range from 150 people at weddings to a couple thousand at festivals in the summer months. Last summer we played 23 weddings.
Who/what are your inspirations?
Seeing people entertained and happy to hear music is rewarding for me when performing. Music seems to bring people together and this inspires me to continue playing.
Anything else you would like to add?
I think that everyone has a talent, sometimes it just takes a bit of looking to find it.