Wrapping Up Year 5 of Virtual Music Instruction at Shanti Bhavan!

It's hard to believe, but we're thrilled to be wrapping up our fifth successful year of virtual music instruction here at Shanti Bhavan! This approach has allowed us to bring the joy and transformative power of music to even more of our students in rural India, opening up a world of creative expression and skill development that might otherwise be out of reach. We are incredibly grateful for the dedication of our teachers and the enthusiasm of our students who have embraced this unique learning environment.

Here's a glimpse into the inspiring progress our students have made this past semester, as shared by Rahul Jhunjhunwala, one of our dedicated instructors:

Prince
Prince, a student at Shanti Bhavan, has been learning piano with me for a couple of semesters now, and has consistently demonstrated a natural talent and passion for music. His enthusiasm extends beyond the piano, as he enjoys playing various instruments, including the ukulele, guitar, and percussion. This semester, our primary focus was to provide structure to his music training, specifically helping him become more comfortable with reading music and strengthening his rhythm on the piano. To achieve this, we worked through pieces designed to improve his rhythmic precision and boost his confidence in music reading. We used the Faber Piano Level 1 book to guide his progress in these areas. Prince has made significant strides in both reading music and developing his rhythm. His progress is clearly evident when he performed the school song, and his ability to accompany the choir has also improved. He is now much more confident playing the piano and has gained valuable skills for both solo and ensemble performance.

Bhavani and Hashni
Bhavani and Hashni, both beginners with no prior music experience, started learning piano this semester in my VMI Piano class. In just three months, they’ve made remarkable progress, demonstrating strong teamwork, dedication, and consistency. Their commitment to regular practice has made them fluent in sight-reading, and they’ve successfully worked through short piano pieces at the Faber Piano Book Primary level. Now, they’re ready to take on the next challenge: preparing pieces for a concert performance and mastering accompaniment to play alongside the Shanti Direction Choir.

Hridhay
Hridhay is a curious and dedicated student who developed a strong interest in music. He began learning piano in June of last year and built a solid foundation during the previous semester. This semester, we focused more on enhancing his song-playing skills and preparing for performances. Hridhay successfully learned multiple pieces, including "Für Elise" and "The Pink Panther Theme." His dedication and consistency were clearly evident during the Art Share event in March. At one point during the semester, Hridhay felt overwhelmed by the workload and considered quitting. As his mentor, my role was to help him recognize his strengths and guide him in better time management. With his trust and confidence, Hridhay was able to overcome this challenge, improve his skills, and continue his musical journey without giving up.

This semester has been a great journey for me as an educator as well. I have seen my students grow so much and some new students who have shown so much interest and potential learning the instrument. I am looking forward to seeing what next is coming up for me and I would love to contribute to their success.

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The dedication of our teachers and the incredible progress of students like Prince, Bhavani, Hashni, and Hridhay truly highlight the impact of our virtual music instruction program. As we celebrate this five-year milestone, we are filled with gratitude and excitement for the future of music education at Shanti Bhavan. The melodies created virtually are resonating deeply within our community, and we look forward to many more years of harmonious learning and growth.