Our partner Music Basti, a Delhi-based non-profit working for children from marginalized and underserved communities and schools, has completed another year of successful operations with their annual ReSound concert that was held in the Garden of Five Senses on Sunday, 26th February 2017.
The concert represents a year-long effort of Music Basti’s teachers and staff members who work with at-risk children in schools around Delhi, nurturing in them the essential life skills of creativity, leadership and confidence through fun-filled music classes.
This year’s concert had eight schools participating, and twelve original song compositions – which were composed by the children themselves. The atmosphere was quite electric as children performed on a big stage accompanied by their musician teachers playing on professional music instruments.
The theme of the concert was ‘Peace’ and each song reflected the virtues of peace, friendship and dreams of a better future. “All through the year children are learning and progressing. But this annual concert is the one big thing they all look forward to – an opportunity to perform live in front of a large audience. It gives a tremendous boost to their confidence,” says Faith Gonsalves of Music Basti.
Music Basti partners with existing community organisations or schools to run weekly music classes for children and adolescents. The classes are fun, engaging and designed to nurture leadership, creativity, self-confidence and teamwork.
Music Basti’s work has many admirers already, with musicians like Ehsaan Noorani and Vishal Dadlani pledging their support and donating musical instruments to this cause. However, in terms of funding it’s still a long way to go to be able to take the program to more children.
“There is obviously a huge need to reach out to more and more children who do not have access to quality education. And our method has proven results – children not only benefit with music skills, they also especially enhance critical skills in the areas of confidence, collaboration and team work and creativity,” says Gonsalves.
