The Shankar Mahadevan Academy is transforming the way music
is taught in schools across India through its innovative Grow with Music
Program. The “Grow with Music” program introduces children to the fascinating
world of music and takes them on a musical journey that starts from the basic elements
of music and progresses to the more advanced principles of music. The intent
of this program is not to make a musician out of every child, however it is to
inculcate in them a deep interest in Music and the ability to enjoy and
appreciate music.
In this program, Music is used as an effective tool to
develop other life skills including creativity, leadership, collaboration and
confidence building. It is an activity based program where the students
experience, rather than just memorize concepts of music. These activities are
designed to be fun and engaging for a child, while also giving defined
takeaways from each interaction.
The program also provides sophisticated learning tools that
allow for structured practice and creation even away from class. Parental
involvement is also encouraged and there are activities designed to be carried
out together. This not only allows a musical involvement for the entire family,
but also gives a context for effective interpersonal engagement and creating
joy together.
Music is recognized as one of the most effective catalysts
in holistic brain development, with a lot of published research on its positive
impact on the brain. It is one of the few endeavors that can be a lot of fun,
while still adding immense value to the practitioner. A human’s capacity to
learn is highest as a child. More importantly, the neurological framework that
defines his/ her learning approach is formed as a child. Thus, exposure to such
a holistic music program as a child not only teaches the individual a great
many things about music, but also give an edge over others in terms of
intellectual capabilities, grasping power and emotional balance.
The Grow with Music Program is driven by the belief that
Music is not the privilege of a talented few. It is a skill that every
individual can acquire through a structured learning mechanism. The curriculum
provided is highly structured, progressive and relevant with measurable
outcomes. Music education is made fun and engaging using innovative approaches
to explaining musical concepts.
The Program breaks down Music into its
fundamental blocks – Beats & Patterns, Pitch, Notes & Patterns,
Dynamics, Articulation, Mood & Emotion, Timbre, Form and Texture. A
theoretical understand of these elements is facilitated through dynamic
interactions. Relevant activities are then carried out, allowing an
experiential understanding of the same.
The program incorporates internationally recommended strands
in Music Learning and balances out aspects of Singing, Instruments, Notation
theory & skills, Creation & Composition and Listening & Responding
skills. Musical genres included in the program are Folk traditions from around
the country, Rabindra Sangeet, Popular Western Songs, Regional Songs, World
Music in various languages, Indian Classical & Semi Classical Music and
Fusion of various genres.
The students are also exposed to different instrument
families, and learn to identify different instruments through audio/ visual
inputs. The role of various instruments in a song is also explored. In parallel
to this, evolution & usage of different instruments in various cultures and
time periods are brought to light. Students are encouraged to take up a deeper
exploration of any particular instrument that appeals to them, after having
given them a complete and experiential overview of the different kinds that
exist. Many rare instruments are also presented here, and can be studied for
their academic interests or performance value. Traditional and non-traditional
notation techniques and theory are also dealt with to enable students to read/ write
music and communicate their musical ideas effectively.
Creativity and lateral thinking ability in students is nurtured by using a pedagogical approach that lays emphasis on creating and composing music. Students are exposed to different genres of Music from around the country and the world, hence also introducing them to an international cultural experience that will take them a long way in life.The program stresses on application of all the constituent
elements, by facilitating a student driven creation and composition exercise.
The students explore individual musical ideas and then come together to bring
individual elements in place to create a full-fledged musical piece. This
brings in a complete understanding of individual musical elements and how each
element alters the overall impact of the song.
The program is supported by the Online Music (OM) Book, a
unique technology driven musical tool for student practice. The students can
find all their lesson plans, curriculum and audio/ video recordings of lessons
with lyrics on their unique login page. Individual practice pages are provided
with reference tracks and a recording facility where the student’s practice can
be submitted online and be assessed by the teachers.
Regular reviews and
training by the Academy for the teachers ensures the program stays up to date
and dynamic enough to retain its impact.
The Grow with Music Program offers an insight into various
cultures and genres. Along with the various soft skills the participant imbibes
through the experience, this program gives a strong base in music theory and
practice, which can be cherished throughout life and also taken forward along
more focused paths by those interested.
