World Music Day: Stewart School, Cuttack, Ventures To Revive Musical Heritage
Stewart School, Cuttack organised a ‘Musical Extravaganza’ where the students displayed their prowess in music on Monday. The students were seen singing in choir, solo and playing the instruments of their interest on which they have been practising since May this year. The school has collaborated with Synergy Institute of Music, Delhi, to impart music education to the students.
In 1908, Trinity College of Music, London, recognised Stewart School as the music centre in Cuttack. Unfortunately, owing to the lack of desired attitude and aptitude, with gradual passage of time, it descended into a mode of dormancy.
After decades, the school management, knowing that it’s the need of the hour, wisely decided to revive this alliance to groom the students for an all round personality development and that’s how the collaboration between Synergy Institute of Music and Stewart School, Cuttack came into existence to impart music lessons to the students and to harness their hidden talents and help them explore their innate skills.
Synergy Institute of Music offers varied courses from Trinity College of London and Wirth Music Academy, Austria.
‘Musical Extravaganza’ offers a platform to students with the right aptitude to showcase their talents which otherwise would have remained untapped, thus providing a great opportunity for a holistic development to meet the myriad challenges that they might come across in the future.
The school faculty was very enthusiastic about the various performances that the students put up. They were seen cheering with all their hearts for the students and they were ensuring that everything works out smoothly.
Rohan Solomon, a global chart-topping artist and audio engineer is the mind behind Synergy Audio Institute. “When we explained our course to the Principal of Stewart School, he showed a lot of interest because there is nothing of this sort happening in Cuttack or Bhubaneswar. We got along really well with the authorities,” said Rohan, talking about how all of it started.
“We have been working since May to prepare for today’s ‘Musical Extravaganza’. We observed the students who already have some musical talent so that we could hone their skills and put together a performance which encourages other children who are new to the field,” he added.
Upon asking what kind of preparations they have been doing since this began, Rohan answered, “We have been setting up a room here, installing instruments like drums, guitars, keyboards, bass and some ukuleles. We encourage the children to come and play around the instruments, see what interests them and if they want to learn any of them, they can start.”
A team of teachers, skilled in music, hired by Synergy Music Institute is working with the faculty of Stewart School in great coordination.
“They have been doing a great job since May. They have gotten all of their instruments and are making efforts to draw the interest of the students. They have been rehearsing with the students for today’s event. So far, they have been doing all of this for free. The enrollment begins from now but they are charging a very nominal fee,” said Martina Das, a teacher of Stewart School.
Talking to My City Links, Brinda, a student of 10th grade said, “It’s something new. Nothing of this sort has happened in our school before this. It is very interesting. The faculty that they have is great, and are really talented people.”
“We believe that it is not always about money. It is more about spreading the joy of music to the children here, where nothing of this sort has happened before. This has been happening in cities like Delhi and Mumbai, but we aim to bring it to places where it doesn’t exist,” said Rohan about charging nominal rates.
“We believe that music will enhance the personality of children and will enhance the city, the state, eventually manifesting into a powerful resource for the whole country,” he added.
Rohan and his partner, Mohit, wish to expand this initiative slowly and steadily in other schools of Cuttack as well.
