Children singing inside the bus-cum-music hall. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
It is not uncommon to hear classical tunes from inside a yellow bus parked in the leafy lanes of Nepean Sea Road. Step inside and what you see is a brightly lit classroom with colorful posters. These students are children from the slums of Shimla Nagar in Nepean Sea Road. Operating twice a week, The Sound Space on Wheels is a bus that travels through the slums of Mumbai to teach Indian classical music to children living there. This unique venture by Mumbai-based sisters Kamakshi and Vishala Khurana strives to bring some creative and fun moments into the lives of underprivileged children. Both sisters have degrees in psychology and Visharad (considered equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in music) in Hindustani music.
The Khurana sisters do not remember any specific time in their childhood when they received music lessons. It was a part of everything he did. From learning the table to helping her mother in the kitchen – there was a rhythm to everything. Learning music from her father and other gurus, Kamakshi also tried her hand at creating interesting learning modules to teach music to children and keep them engaged. “Expecting three-four year old children to sit and learn music will not work. This is not the future of arts education. Unless, of course, they’re passionate about it. But how do you get them to the point where they learn and also have fun? So I created a curriculum that included not only music but also other things like storytelling,” says Kamakshi.
Music on Wheels Bus | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A few years later, Vishala joined in and the sisters launched The Sound Space, a company that creates and runs exclusive music workshops and training sessions in some of the most high-end schools of Mumbai. But it was the pandemic that gave birth to the idea of The Sound Space on Wheels. “During Covid, we had online classes for our regular students from schools and homes. Some even sent their children in cars with their nannies. It got me thinking – what are kids who can’t afford to enroll in classes, do with their time? They are mostly getting involved in things they don’t want to do. So we thought why not give them 45 minutes of fun a week. “A safe place to come and take away good feelings for the whole week,” says Kamakshi. So the sisters approached Eicher Motors for a bus that they could take around Mumbai and teach music to the children. After months of presentations and discussions the auto major came out with the bus with renovated interiors. The venture launched with crowdfunding in 2023.
A class is going on. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The Sound Space on Wheels bus is no ordinary bus. Devoid of any seats, the carpeted interior is furnished with guitars, ukuleles, djembe, tabla and other percussion instruments and decorated with colorful posters. As the clock strikes 5 in the evening, a bunch of children aged between 6-14 years come to the bus and take their places inside the bus. The 45-minute class is conducted by the ‘didis’ (music teachers recruited by Kamakshi and Vishala) using songs and props. The session ends with listening to some calming music.
Kamakshi says that Sound Space on Wheels is not just a music program. “The intention is not to create singing stars. It is a class where they learn language skills, cognitive and social-emotional skills, cultures of different countries, concentration etc. These are things they will never learn in school. And all they have to do is come out of their homes and board the bus.” When the sisters spot talent, they select them for special training and become a part of the accompanying concerts. Currently, the bus goes to Malabar Hill, Nepean Sea Road and slums in Worli.
Kamakshi and Vishala Khurana during a demonstration. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
funding crisis
While Eicher is ready to start the second bus, the girls are stalling due to lack of funds. In the past, business houses like Piramal and Zerodha have funded the classes which cover recurring costs like fuel, salaries for teachers and drivers, parking charges and repairs and maintenance. “The children of South Bombay are very inspired by this project. Students of the Cathedral and John Connon School in Fort organized a concert and raised funds. One of our music students organized a bake sale and donated the money to us. Some people also volunteer to teach. So this is a community project,” says Vishala.
Finding the right kind of teachers is another difficult task. “There are many music teachers but we are looking for teachers who are willing to work with us to raise awareness among children through music. It’s time that teachers get paid well so that they have a reason to do a good job. “We are very firm with our teachers about how they talk to children, their tone and body language.”
The pair are also currently looking for sponsors for the children’s meals, giving them more reasons to come to class.
published – September 30, 2024 05:28 PM IST
