In one of the rooms at musician Shivani Patel's Napean Sea Road home stands a glossy, black Feurich piano. Despite its intimidating presence, the Austrian handcrafted instrument is voiced to not overpower the small room. Instead, the sounds are so warm and mellow that when Shivani invites us to tinkle with the ivories, we readily given in.

Starting young

In the last six years, several young, aspiring musicians — some with zero experience — have started their journey with this entry-level piano at 88 - The Piano Academy that Shivani runs with her brother, Vivek. The classes are held at their spacious, sea-facing home. On weekdays, the sounds come alive post 3 pm, when the children return from school and troop in for music lessons. "We have kids as young as three, to whom we gently introduce the instrument," says Shivani, 30, who moved to Mumbai from Dubai in 2012.