Taking Mozart to narrow lanes of Mumbai

Musicians with the Symphony Orchestra of India play in an oldage homeMedicine heals the body music heals the soul whoever uttered these wise words to see them play out live is what matters And thats exactly what seems to be happening thanks to a new initiative launched this month by the National Institute of Performing Arts titled summerwithSOI As part of the initiative Symphony Orchestra Of India SOI musicians for the first time are going to hospitals daycare centres for disadvantaged children and oldage homes to give the ill and the old a taste of live western classical musicAnurakti Rawat from Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh loves playing the harmonium and listening to Arijit Singh numbers But for the last one year the 10yearolds musical inclinations have had to take a backseat due to chemotherapy sessions at Dr Mhaskar Hospital in Lower Parel where she is undergoing treatment for bone cancer Ive lost touch with the harmonium because I havent played it a very long time she tells us over the phoneHowever last week all her memories of playing the handpumped organ came flooding back when SOI musicians Prabhat Kishore violin Marion Fernandes violin Bianca Mendonca cello and Aditya Sagar percussion entered the Bal Mandir ward childrens day care on the ground floor with their instruments in towI had never heard this kind of music before but I thoroughly enjoyed it The best part was when they taught me to play a few notes on the tambourine she gushesRawat wasnt alone For all the 40 people present in the room right from patients suffering from cancer to their relatives who have been living at the centre the intimate sitdown musical concert was their first brush with western classical musicSymphony Orchestra of India musicians enthral children at Mumbai Central daycare centre of Mumbai Mobile CrechesReaching outTalking about the initiative NCPA chairman and SOI founder Khushroo N Suntook says Ive always felt that we need to go to places wherein people dont have access to music This is our way of bringing temporary respite to their humdrum livesTill now it was a norm for Suntook and the resident conductors to collaborate with NGOs which would hold workshops with the institute and bring children over for rehearsals to the Nariman Point venue But now he says the idea is to take music to them through their outreach programmeIts an international phenomenon that people are involved in especially in South America For instance in Venezuela theres the El Sistema that was set up by musician Joseacute Antonio Abreu as a social programme to bring disadvantaged youths off the streets and provide them with musical training in order to uplift their lives says Suntook whose next step is to take the initiative to villages across the countryElderly at St Anthonys Home For The Aged listen to the musicians in rapt attentionTo the grass rootsThe first programme was held at the Mumbai Mobile Creches MMC in Mumbai Central with an aim to provide safe and happy childhoods to the young ones of migrant construction workers While the cregraveches are for those aged below five the preschool and primary programmes are for those aged between six and 14 The classes usually take place on construction sites in finished or unoccupied rooms that the builder assigns themWhile in the past we had tied up with a band called Song Bound which would teach singing to the kids this was the first time that the children were exposed to a fullblown orchestra says Vrushali Naik a TISS alumni and programme coordinator responsible for strengthening MMCs relationship with existing and potential buildersThe hourlong session had over 40 kids in attendance all aged above three For the musicians it was about keeping the children enthralled with a genre that they were unfamiliar with It was important for us to choose the songs with care so that they didnt get bored I admit I was terribly nervous says Mendonca who has been with SOI for a yearAnurakti Rawat a 10yearold cancer patient at Dr Mhaskar Hospital in Lower ParelStriking a chordThey got rolling with a piece called Eine kleine Nachtmusik by Mozart which is one of his bestknown ones Its not heavy classical but serves as a befitting introduction to western classical music so that they dont get overwhelmed says MendoncaThe team also incorporated tango and exhorted the kids to tap and clap along The 26yearold says they weaved in educational elements of music as a career and handed them the instruments guiding them about their correct usage It was edutainment because we wanted children to know that music can be made into a career she says And since no music in Mumbai is complete without a dose of Bollywood the band played some filmy numbers too A lot of it was impromptu because we had to go according to the mood of the childrenNaik says the most astonishing part was that the children were able to identify retro Hindi songs of Kishore Kumar and Mohammed Rafi much to the surprise of the teachers and the musiciansAt St Anthonys Home For The Aged in Bandras Chapel Road it was more music and less interaction at the session Every orchestra had to be altered keeping the audience in mind Here they wanted more of music and less of chatter So we played classics Fiddler on the Roof and the Entertainer a 1902 classic piano rag written by Scott Joplin she saysAfter the session Mendoca says many mistyeyed inmates came up to her to thank the team for bringing back memories They told me that their children and grandchildren would play the violin so it was an emotional moment for them she addsDemand and supplyArti Wakil founder of Wishing Well Foundation which helps to connect resources and donors with needs of NGOs was instrumental in launching the initiative with organisations The idea was to reach out to smaller NGOs that may not have the resources to arrange such events Here the NCPA took care of all the logistics says Wakil who started Wishing Well in 2005The organisation has been associated with the NCPA for several years right from organising NCPAsponsored Christmas parties for underprivileged kids to taking the children for play screenings at the venueWakil admits about being nervous on how the orchestra would pan out at the organisations I was particularly jittery about the cancer hospital because the patients are from smaller towns and have no idea about western classical music Moreover they are already exhausted from chemotherapy she says but adds that the response was heartwarming We didnt realise how 60 minutes flew by she smiles