Shyama (Kaul) Wali has had a great love and weakness for music right from early childhood for coming from a family (Hara Kaul Rama Kaul Bankers) where music was more like food for daily living, so much so that each adult member of the family had his/her own Sitar or harmonium to play with. It was a known fact in Kashmir. This little girl would go in trance after hearing music for sometime and was usually taken away before any big performance. Shyama ji has dedicated good time to devotional songs mostly from the rich inspiring Nectar-Bhajans of Swami Govind Kaul of Wanphow whom she met in Bombay in late 1960s. Here, in almost all the Bhajans she would get inspired of the tunes without any effort and mostly close to Sufiana style which is the love of her life.

As a school girl Shyama in 1940s, at age 12-16, had her regular music lessons at Vishva Bharti High School, Srinagar, under Master Dwarika Nath, and also had special coaching in music from Pt. Jia Lal Vasant at his Music Acadamy, Hazuribagh, Srinagar, to whom she feels indebted with gratitude.