HYDERABAD : With employability trends becoming harder to set in stone, the new in-demand skills of the workforce are predicted to be 21st-century skills – teamwork, empathy, and communication.
There is a huge body of research pointing to the role music plays in building these skills, and Bindu is working with teachers, students, parents, and partner organisations to make this a reality. Singer-educator Bindu Subramaniam along with her brother musician Ambi Subramaniam talk more on such points. They both handle SaPa in Schools, a music education platform.
Excerpts:
How does this platform help young children?
Ambi: The platform has been built to teach students of all age groups different elements of music in a fun, engaging way. Courses on Carnatic vocal, violin, production, songwriting, and more have been created for different age groups. Specifically for the younger children, we’ve designed games to make it more interactive, widgets that allow them to master musical theory, and more. The idea is to use the virtual medium to give young learners a fun and productive learning experience.
What more can be done to incite the love for art, culture, and music in young children?
Ambi: Every child is inherently creative and artistic. We believe strongly that we can make children fall in love with music by making it fun. Bindu: For parents who want to make music a bigger part of their children’s lives, here’s what I recommend:
Allow it to be relaxed. They will appreciate music more if it isn’t imposed on them, and if they’re allowed to build their focus over time. Introduce new music, a little at a time. Children crave familiarity, and it’s very important to retain their comfort levels by introducing new music slowly. While introducing a new genre, make sure they still get to listen to their favourite song – in fact, when they listen to a song they love over and over again, they’re practising without even realising it. Don’t force one type of music on children. It is understandable that you want your child to subscribe to your musical views, but children will appreciate art more when they’re allowed to explore and develop their own style.
When you talk about systemic change, what change exactly are you talking about?
Bindu: When we talk about systemic change, there are a few principles we stand for: We believe in quality musical training for all children, and not just those from musical families. The majority of our students are first-generation classical music learners, which shows that, at least in the case of the students we work with, classical music isn’t just for those for families that have learnt music. Music is a gateway to developing important life skills. Research that points to the benefits of music education. It helps build skills like empathy, teamwork, and communication. Music can be used to build confidence, respect for cultural diversity, and better emotional health – especially at a time of extended isolation.
— Saima Afreen saima@newindianexpress.com @Sfreen