How a neurodivergent surgeon became a musician

Doctor Lincoln
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Surgeons and musicians have more things in common than one would expect. For instance, both have to rely on imagination and creativity. “It is not the same heart every day — the challenges are different, the surgeon has to improvise and get creative, just as the musician creates his own repertoire,” says Dr. Lincoln Samuel, a surgeon-turned singer-songwriter from Kochi.

After fixing hearts as a senior specialist in Pediatric Cardiothoracic surgery (he has worked in various hospitals including Aster Medcity, Kochi), Dr. Lincoln decided to follow his own. He launched his debut album Wallflower in 2016 to rave reviews. It was a confirmation of everything he had always believed in. “When I would hear myself play the guitar and sing alone in a dorm room in my younger days, I knew I could make a profession out of music,” he says. Cut to 20 years later he is busy doing multiple gigs across the country and collaborating with musicians across the globe. His first international collaboration was as music producer on Scottish Indian artist Nushka’s single ‘Adipoli’.

Doctor Lincoln
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

He adopted the stage name Doctor Lincoln and found a space for himself in the indie music scene; his 2023 album Will See You Now was deeply personal, where he spoke of his innermost emotions and his journey as a musician. “All I wanted was to be able to express myself musically and get the world to notice my work,” he says. Dr. Lincoln writes and composes his own songs, in addition to playing the guitar and singing. His genre is alternative rock meets new wave revival.

In 2018, he was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome (a term that is not widely used today) and that marked a defining moment in his personal and professional life. He realised why music had always seemed therapeutic to him. He decided to quit his medical profession and pursue music full time. Dr Lincoln also began to actively engage with awareness campaigns on neurodivergence. “I have a form of high functioning autism and I am still in therapy for my challenges, but what about people with low-functioning and non-verbal autism? I wanted to be their voice.”

Doctor Lincoln
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

People with autism have atypical neurological wiring that makes them overwhelmed and music has been scientifically proven to have a calming effect on them, he adds. Dr. Lincoln has been vocal about the inclusion of neurodivergent people in the music industry. “We need to keep educating people on creating a more inclusive space for everyone.”

His personal journey, though punctuated with episodes of confusion, has been rewarding, he says. He still remembers the first professional gig he performed. “It was at the 24th edition of the legendary Independence Rock music festival in 2009. I was playing bass guitar for a Thiruvananthapuram-based band Crimson Wood helmed by actor Sreenath Bhasi. It was a big stage. I was afraid of crowds, lights and I felt I would choke and spasm. But I was able to play and I came off the stage feeling happy. Twenty seconds into the performance, I was able to get into the groove. It was just like cardiac surgery. It was just till I made the first incision and then it flowed,” Dr. Lincoln says.

This is what he wants for neurodivergent individuals. To find a space where they can evolve into triumphant versions of themselves.

Music had always been a part of Dr. Lincoln’s life. Through his medical education and even while doing his post graduate studies in Surgery and Cardiothoracic Surgery, he devoted all his free time to music. He was also part of the now-defunct experimental band Once Chosen.

He is currently working on a song with journalist and songwriter Ronnie Kuriakose on Commander Abhilash Tomy, the first Indian to complete a solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the world under sail in 2013. Lincoln is also collaborating with actor Vinay Forrt on a single. “It will have contemporary Fort Kochi-based folksy lyrics melded with electronica,” he adds. His own sophomore Malayalam single Oru Punk follow up to 2023’s Neeye, that explores the international ‘punk’ musical subculture in Malayalam, is set to release in 2025.

Most people underestimate the kind of work musicians put in, says Dr. Lincoln. “It is an extremely nuanced field. You need to build your musical vocabulary. You need to listen to others and learn from people around you. Music is not as effortless as it seems. It demands continued commitment and one day, it will reward you. I am constantly working on myself to become a better musician.”