A bright cheerful smile on the face of a child and somehow it gets you to forget your worries. Be the reason for that smile and they say it changes your life. Watch blind children playing the keyboards, drums and guitar with so much ease and enthusiasm and watch children with special needs dance to a foot tapping rhythm. It will be one of the few special moments you have experienced in your life. It certainly was mine.
Welcome to the wonderful little world of ‘Music for Change’ and meet Ashish Jason Palanna and Arjun John D’Souza. While one is a musician and the other a music enthusiast, both of them started out as childhood friends and went on to become co-founders of this fun filled group.
Founders of Music For Change Trust – Ashish Palanna (L) and Arjun D’souza
Music for change is a non-governmental organization that teaches music and dance to the less privileged children in Mangalore. What began as a small attempt to introduce music to a small group of blind children has today progressed to spread the magic of music to several children in various schools.
Speaking to News Karnataka, one of the co-founders of the trust, Arjun said, “Music has always been an art that only a few privileged people can obtain. Instruments and teachers cost quite a bit and everyone can’t afford to build their interests. Hence we started the trust to provide quality music and dance classes without expecting any remuneration. We started with a blind school in Mangalore and then expanded to a few special schools and government schools for the less fortunate. Music has made us happy, now it’s our turn to do the same for others”. Dance was later included in the curriculum on a request made by one of the schools. Punith Kumar, owner of Frictions Dance Academy based in Mangalore and also a trustee of Music for Change, sends dance teachers to these schools.
In a very true sense, these young musicians of Mangalore have made their attempt to give back to the society that has given them so much. Extending the privilege of music to the underprivileged is what they believe in doing and their journey has certainly not been an easy one.
“We had no money to buy instruments and pay the teachers who would be sent to these schools to teach. We had to struggle for a while to see our dream become a reality. God certainly watched over us because when we decided to raise funds through a music concert in Mangalore, we received amazing response and people didn’t hold back in giving us how much ever they could. Lot of volunteers and friends helped us put up the whole show. It was a blessed moment”, said Ashish Palanna while speaking about the initial phase of the NGO, adding that for him, music has always been about going closer to God and nature and no one should be deprived of that privilege.
Currently, the NGO is teaching music and dance at 4 different schools in Mangalore, two of them being special schools. The administrator of the trust, Leona Aranha, while describing her experience in these schools said, “We love to teach them and be with them because each time they see us, they light up and smile. They call us ‘akka’ and ‘anna’ with so much of love. They keep asking us when we will be coming next. Nothing compares to that feeling”, she said.
The schools that have welcomed these youngsters into their system have kept records of the progress of these classes, and have provided positive feedback at the end of every month, according to the trustees of the NGO. “Music and dance have the ability to strengthen motor skills and keep children active. It helps in their all round development and we have also seen this in the children from the special needs schools we teach in”, said Ashish Palanna while speaking on the purpose of the whole curriculum.
Tiny drops make a mighty ocean, they say. From what I have seen, the attempt of these youngsters is definitely what I would call striking the right chord and changing the world as we know it. Kudos to your effort and we hope to see more underprivileged children benefitting from your passionate work and love for music.
About the Author: With a background in English Literature and a Masters Degree in Mass Communication and Journalism, Disha is currently working as an associate editor at News Karnataka. She has written several features for various publications and also has to her credit the publication of a national level paper on “Media Ethics and Social Responsibility”. A voracious reader, she enjoys writing songs and poetry as well.
