Americam Idol: Anoop Desai is going grad school for music

Anoop Desai who is 22 years old and rejected from TV talent show "American Idol" said on Thursday he was leaving behind his graduate school studies to pursue a career in the music industry.he was returning to college in North Carolina, where he was doing a post-graduate course in folklore before auditioning for the show, Desai told reporters.

"I am definitely going to pursue a music career. Singing is what I am the happiest doing. It's what I do the best," the political science and American studies graduate said in a telephone conference call.

"I want to go the pop and R&B round...I am looking forward to making that album," he said, adding he was a fan of American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo.

Desai, nicknamed "Noop Dogg" by fans, has drawn a huge army of fans in India -- where "American Idol" is broadcast -- as well as in the United States.

His computer software designer father was born in India and his biochemist mother, who is also of Indian descent, was born in South Africa.