Couple who mentors children in music reality shows opens school in Shillong

Shubho and Sucheta Bhattacharjee at their Versova home PicsPradeep DhivarIn 2011 when Shubho Shekhar Bhattacharjee and wife Sucheta started mentoring kids from Mumbai in Hindustani classical music little did they know that six years down the line they would be doing the same in Tura a picturesque hilly village 323 km from Shillong Frankly we hadnt even heard of this place until then laughs Shubho 44 when we meet them at their Versova home For the last one year the couple has been living out of the suitcase mdash shuttling between Mumbai and Meghalaya mdash and for good reasonRunning to the hills In December 2016 the Bhattacharjees launched the Centre of Excellence in Indian and Western Music CEIWM in Tura and Shillong an academy that provides music education free of cost to young talent in the northeast Although both were born in Assam they made Mumbai their home 15 years ago While Shubho works as a filmmaker I have always been involved in music I also enjoy teaching so it made sense to devote all my energies in training budding talent here says Sucheta 43 who has auditioned kids from all over India for music reality shows such as Voice of India Sa Re Ga Ma Lil Champs and Chhote UstaadA class in progress at the centre in ShillongWhen I was in Guwahati for an audition in 2004 I remember being stunned by the level of singing among the kids there The surprising part was that theyd had no training Most were selftaught she recalls But it was only when they met Mukul Sangma the Chief Minister of Meghalaya at an event in 2015 that the idea of CEIWM was born He told us that while the state has a minefield of music talent there is no organised setup for learning Indian classical music The children either learn from local neighbourhood teachers or YouTube He floated the idea of an institution says ShubhoThe two centres were then built in association with the state Arts and Culture Department which has trained 150 children through its flagship oneyear Musical Star Development Programme In a years time students have been trained by maestros Pt Mani Prasad of the Kirana Gharana renowned American jazz saxophonist George Brooks awardwinning music producer and executive director of San Francisco Youth Theatre Emily Klion Susmit Sen cofounder of Indian Ocean guitarist and founder of Boomarang Booma Boomie Hangsing and renowned Indian Classical musician Pt Ramesh Jule We have both resident teachers and visiting faculty but it wasnt easy convincing them to make it here Most people perceive the north east as a volatile unsafe place So we had to counsel them and get them to live there for 15 days at least in order to assuage their fears explains Sucheta who claims to have made at least two trips in a month to Meghalaya in the last one yearInserting classical into rock While Shillong is wellknown as the rock capital of India rich in various styles of music ranging from soft rock and roll pop grunge deep and heavy metal Indian classical music has little or no presence in the hilly state This in fact became one of their major concerns when they decided to launch the institute We were wondering if people would sign up for it says Sucheta To their surprise over 300 people landed at the auditions the first time they were held in December 2016 Music is in their veins Its no exaggeration when I say that every household either has a bunch of vinyl records or a cassette of classic rock ranging from AcDc to Guns N Roses to Pink Floyd Girls lean more towards rock and look down upon guys who cant play a musical instrument laughs ShubhoIt was evident then that there was no replacing rock in young minds So we decided that while introducing them to Indian classical music we would also include western music and broaden their base Why restrict it to rock alone he adds The curriculum therefore includes a mix of Sufi Indian classical rock jazz and blues Apart from their artistic training the curriculum also includes diction stage presence and personality development Most children there cant converse in Hindi although they can sing in Hindi thanks to Bollywood Hence language was a barrier But we had local assistance so the kids were quick to pick the language We also had to ensure that the accent doesnt seep into their singing says SuchetaClasses normally begin after 3 pm when children return from school Unlike Mumbai theres no concept of a night life there Kids normally head straight to our institute and train till 730 pm go home eat dinner and sleep he says This he says ensures they spend their time productively Shubho admits that their aim was also to steer youngsters away from substance abuse and channelise their energies into a productive activity Since the venture is being funded by the state they want the kids here to gain from it But we need students who are serious about it so theres a rigorous audition process that includes understanding their interest in music and whether they want to pursue it as a profession he says Whats also interesting is the institutes emphasis on producing original compositions Covers are banned This they say has only encouraged students to create new content A new GaroSufi composition created by one of the students is an example We plan to release this as part of the music album by the end of this month We have even shot a video with the students he saysThe Bhattacharjees who are still getting acclimatised to Shillongs winter chill have shut the institute for winter Classes will resume from January 15 In the meanwhile the duo chose to head to another set of mountains in Kashmir for a holiday While we were there we realised how similar it is to the northeast Theres a great culture of folk music immense talent but no opportunity for skill development Hopefully our next destination will be the Valley says ShubhoCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news current affairs from Mumbai local news crime news and breaking headlines hereDownload the new midday Android and iOS apps to get updates on all the latest and trending stories on the go