Baal Vikas – Changing Children's Lives with a Focus on Music, Art & Dance

As a child, the first time I held a guitar was at the age of 13. The ‘barre’ chords were too difficult to hold, as you can imagine. I almost gave up because of that...

But it felt cool to be able to play simpler and open chords even if there was little or no encouragement otherwise. There was more criticism rather than anything else for even daring to try…

It is also the reason why I feel closest to the children at the Baal Vikas who might play irregular beats on a tabla, a few discordant notes on the piano or even hold a violin in the manner that a professional violinist performs and might not actually progress to playing one as they grow older.

It’s still music to our ears at the Aamod Centre of Liberal Arts…

These activities are also what take place during the Baal Vikas – a program offered at the Aamod Centre of Liberal Arts.

Yes, it’s a clear effort to introduce our children to art, music and dance be it Indian or Western in nature.

For example, our piano teacher taught the kids last week a song aptly titled ‘The Kaeru Song’ where they not only learn how to sing it on different scales but also imitate the movements of a frog.

As for our violin teacher, he shows them the rudiments of holding a violin while playing different notes for them to get used to the sounds of violin. He also gets them to sing a few familiar children’s songs on the keyboards.

Of course, not all of them will turn out to be professional musician, dancers or artists but what they will learn is to appreciate the finer things in Life that influence who we are and what we do for the better.

And the earlier the better it is…

I can’t think of another place where this concept of getting children to get the feel of an instrument in a group situation.

Even if it does exist, the professional musicians that spend time with these children below the age of 6 years every week on Wednesday from 3 to 5 pm aren’t easily replaced. And that’s putting it mildly…

But how does this benefit my children, you might ask?

Studies have shown that children who are introduced to some art form or the other, whether they consider taking it up as a profession or not in the future, tend to learn better as it has positive effects on memory retention among a host of other benefits.

(Read this article to learn more about how exposure to music, in either Indian and Western forms, can benefit your child.)

Apart from this, and as we’re noticing with every passing month, there is a strong sense of togetherness among this group of children, and which can only help along the aspect of socialization that a child needs to survive and thrive in today’s world.

Every parent can surely recognize how imperative it is for children to begin to get along with others from an early age…

Yet the biggest benefit of all is the discovery of whether one can truly play music as a professional or not in the real world.  It’s something that they would thank you for the rest of your Life as parents…

So, if you’re curious about attending the Baal Vikas, please follow this link to our Facebook Montessori page for weekly updates.

ACCEL Montessori – A Sanctuary for a Child’s Balanced Growth

Sreela with the Montessori kids

Our children live in challenging times. India is no exception to the rule, really. There is no doubt that, as always, children remain our country’s greatest resource, and without which, the future remains more uncertain than ever.

Our group of Montessori Kids

Therefore, there’s a greater need for us, as adults, to focus on the needs of our children or leave them unequipped for the battles that they will face in their later years.

This is where the ACCEL Montessori at the Aamod Centre of Liberal Arts comes in… in trying to make a difference – one child at a time!

Yes, the underlying philosophy of the ACCEL Montessori is ‘balanced growth’ with a genuine appreciation for aesthetics in all its forms whether art or music. In other words, it is a Montessori education but with a little more than what any other school could possibly have on offer.

Enjoying a day out at the Palm Meadows

Of course, at first glance, the curriculum that the Aamod Centre of Liberal Arts offers does inculcate both knowledge and skill in our children in areas such as language, practical life and math – just what you would find at any Montessori.

Kids enjoying themselves on Children's Day

However, there’s more: considering the fact that our ACCEL Montessori is located within a music and art school. So, it’s only obvious that we would use this aspect to our benefit thus introducing these children to the finer things in Life.

Ananya & Mouli doing a bit of "rangoli"

What we’re talking about is a genuine appreciation for both Indian and Western classical music. This two-pronged approach is something that all of us can truly resonate with, in being Indian. These professional musicians visit their classes on a regular basis and on Wednesdays, thanks to a program called Baal Vikas.

The kids listening to Takafumi Mori on the Piano

As for the overall approach to their balanced learning, the objective is to use the method of discovery where the kids benefit from a prepared Montessori environment but in a self-directed manner up to the age of 6 years.

Kids having a great time playing the Tabla

You can be sure that all of us who are involved with the Montessori believe in this concept and how it benefits our kids from an early age. Moreover, through this method, kids will, no doubt, develop a love for learning (as opposed to studying) from a young age.

Kids learning to shop at the ACCEL Market

Finally, another unique aspect of the ACCEL Montessori is our trips to factories, hosting a market so as to begin that process of socialization from a tender age.

A visit to the brick factory in Devannahalli

One of our parents, Ayonam Ray, put it best, in saying, “It has been a wonderful experience watching Rohini blossom. In a matter of six months, she has picked up a lot. I like the judicious mix of Indian and Western Music and the balance in the curriculum, in terms of Indian and Western concepts. Hope to see this continue in the years to come.

So, if this post has made you curious enough about the ACCEL Montessori and how we do things differently, please feel free to visit our Facebook page at this link.

The Limelight Saturday Special & Art Mart This Weekend - A Recap

February 8, 2014 - The Hindustani Classical Concert
Unrehearsed. That word describes the Hindustani Classical Concert where the trio of Iman Das, Nikhil Patwardhan and Partho Mukherjee performed to a rapt audience at Ms. Nithya Reddy's sprawling property - a sanctuary in the making.

It should come as no surprise that this concert was no different from the previous one in terms of the musicianship demonstrated.

Put simply, Iman Das hit every note possible and Nikhil Patwardhan played his heart out in a manner that would make the likes of John McLaughlin and the late Pandit Ravi Shankar proud. And one couldn't help but smile while thinking of the way music truly transcends all boundaries.

There's a good reason why a phrase such as this one was coined in seeing a distinct similarity between Hindustani classical music and its western counterpart, jazz.

Unrehearsed, as I said. As the musicians explained: they hadn't played this 'raag' before, and were improvising throughout the concert. Yes, a concert that lasted almost two-and-a-half hours and for an audience that barely moved.

And that's putting it lightly since the first part consisted of Iman Das (vocals) and Partho Mukherjee (tabla) doing the 'Raag Saraswati' and a selection of 'Thumris'. During the second half of the program, Nikhil Patwardhan (sitar) and Partho Mukherjee (tabla) truly made our experience all that more richer.

No, I'm not going to use any superlatives or adjectives to describe how it felt being there yet am tempted to use an analogy for both performances.

The notes – how they flowed – first, in a trickle and then, as a babbling brook would. Yet the crescendo only served to remind us of a mighty river destroying all in its wake and leaving innocent bystanders in its awe.

Those final moments was worth the wait as it always has and will especially if you have listened to a few selections of Hindustani classical music in the past.

It was different, indeed.

Yet most of all, it reminded of me of how music, much like Life is so much better, when unrehearsed.

February 9, 2014 - The Third Art Mart
It was a quiet Sunday morning. The third Art Mart was a subdued affair, to be honest. A few people walked in and out amidst the din, thanks to a series of cricket matches being played much to the delight of the locality.

As soon as I stepped in, I met Suchira Iyer in person – who enthralled (and I mean, enthralled) me with the etymology of the terrarium which, by definition, is a plant that is grown within a glass container.

It's petite but very pretty. In the meanwhile, and as always, a number of tasks were being attended to as Sreela not only ushered in interested students but also held a tea ceremony for a couple who had seen our article in the Bangalore Mirror only a few days ago.

On the other hand, another couple walked in so as to get a recommendation letter from Sreela for their daughter, who had studied art in the very first batch.

Suchira's parents, particularly her father, also spoke of time during Raja Rammana's times while being served some tea and spoke on a number of topics related to nuclear power, atomic energy, Russia, India's track record when it comes to nuclear energy related accidents and so on and so forth.

So, despite the absence of the hustle-bustle from the last Art Mart, we still managed to sell a few cakes, thanks to the Swirls & Sprinkle bakery, and a few terrariums that were probably just as desirable.

Nothing to complain about, really especially since Artea Matters enjoyed some press coverage in the Bangalore Mirror recently.