Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

THE 2011 META CHARITY – THE CJ-MAA MUSIC SCHOOL

As you know, music is something that is close to my heart, and 3 years ago we came across this children’s orchestra in India that blew us away.

Get the latest Flash Player to see this player.

Ma Chetan Jyoti, who originally set up the music school, was one of my teachers. She taught me kirtans (Indian chanting), which is something I practise still today. Ma was someone who was devoted to helping people in her local community and she was especially moved to help the children whom she felt deserved the opportunity to better themselves and have some skills that may enable them to move out of poverty.

Music was always at the heart of what Ma did: she loved to sing kirtans and was beloved in Rishikesh for doing just that. Her musician friend, Shivananda (whom those of you who regularly read Meta Spirit will know I wrote about in the last update) was a classically taught musician whose talents meant that he was able to play and teach Indian classical music in any one of the numbers of instruments he played. (He plays violin, tabla, sitar, guitar, mandolin, santoor and teaches Indian classical singing too!)

Together they hatched the plan to set up the CJ-Maa Music School. The idea was to set up not only the school but also a children’s orchestra for Rishikesh. Any child from 7-18 from the local community was invited to come and learn an instrument or learn how to sing. The belief was that if they learnt an instrument or sang, and passed a proper exam graded classical music course, they could go on and earn a living as a musician and support their families, or at the very least, have far more confidence in themselves and their abilities, so they could find work and pursue education.

It was a bold plan and 3 years ago, just a year or so into the school, Di and I visited Shivananda in Rishikesh, and we experienced first hand these young children and their love of music.

We had gone to pay respects to Ma, who had sadly died earlier in the year. Ma was a big influence on both of us, and it was a visit that was tinged with sadness. Whilst there, Shivananda had asked us if we would come and listen to the children’s orchestra one day, as they wanted us to come hear them play… we of course were delighted to, and so one hot July afternoon we went to Ma’s house (where the music school was based at that time) and climbed the stairs to the roof terrace.

The scene that greeted us was very moving. Around 40 or so kids were sitting around Shivananda who was leading the orchestra. There were big kids and very little kids some only 6 or 7 we’d guess. There weren’t anywhere enough instruments to go around so many of the children had nothing to play but sang their little hearts out when they knew some of the words of the ragas (Indian classical songs) they were singing. We were given seats of honour right in front of the children. They were turning around staring at these two strange foreigners watching them! What we did not know at the time was that actually they had been preparing for this concert for us for some time, and so the performance was just for us!

Oh, if you could have seen the looks of concentration on those children’s faces! They soooo wanted to get it right for us. And get it right they did, they sang their little hearts out and played their instruments (sharing them in some cases half way through songs!) to the best of their abilities. They looked to us with eager little expectant faces… Did we like what they had played? Had they pleased us? Well… almost as soon as they started we were both very moved. We struggled back the tears as they sang and played for us – and gave rapturous applause as they finished their recital. We were quickly surrounded by this angelic little faces, beaming grins across their faces, as they took turns to say ‘Hello, how are you?’ in their best English accents!

That evening we talked with Shivananda as he fed a number of the children about how the orchestra/music school worked. He told us that any child from the age of 6/7 was welcome to come and learn there. He proudly told us that he had over 40 children who came every day, before school and afterwards, for their lessons. Those that came in the evening had a hot meal provided for them too, and while we were there we got to know a few of the children and their stories stirred our conscience.

There were nowhere near enough instruments to go around. So a lot of the children may only have a small amount of time each day on their instrument of choice, if they got to play it at all! The instruments that were there were generally old and donated by local musicians, and so they were not of a very high quality, and often needed repairing and re-stringing just to get them playable again.

We revisited India this year and we went back to see how the music school was progressing. I’d often thought of that day on the roof at Ma’s house and of the children we’d seen that day. Where were they now? And how was the orchestra doing?

We found that in the intervening years the music school had been struggling to survive. After Ma’s death her house was fought over by different claimants, which left the music school without a place to call home. Eventually Shivananda found a nearby school that was prepared to rent them a space (outside on their terrace) where they could practice. No longer could they afford to do morning and evening lessons, now it was only once a day in the evening after the school had finished for the day.

There are more children than ever at the school, some 50 or more now. They range in age from 7-20 and some of the older pupils now assist Shivananda in teaching the younger kids. They are continually playing in local temples and ashrams to try and raise enough money to survive. While we were there, we got to see a concert they gave at a local ashram, (the photo with them all in their white concert outfits!) and they were brilliant.

Sadly, the continued existence of the orchestra is dependent on the donations of others. Shivananda does not earn anything for his tireless work. (He teaches them, gives them lifts to and fro from the school, feeds them, mentors the kids, and is a father-like figure to many of them – he does this every single day!). He loves those children and he loves teaching them and helping them to believe in themselves. He’s a real gentle, warm heart-led man.

Whilst talking to Shivananda about the financial realities of keeping the music school and kids orchestra going, what we realised is that we are talking very small amounts to us westerners, whereas in India, to Shivananda and the music school, they are massive amounts that are difficult to continually raise.

They still have very few instruments – nowhere near enough for the children that come there. The instruments are old and battered. Most are in a bad state of repair and are constantly in need of money-draining maintenance and repair. They play on the terrace of a nearby school in that has a roof but not much else!

Just finding the money each month to re-string instruments and pay the rent for the little outside space they get at the school is a struggle sometimes and, as Shivananda says, one day they might not make it!

So we had a very bright idea! We thought why don’t we make the CJ-Maa Music School our charity for 2011? We already donate 5% of our net fees from all the work that we do in organisations to a charity of the organisation’s choice, so why couldn’t we add the music school to the list of possible recipients?

Also we felt that a lot of you, the people we know and love might just like the idea of making a real difference to these children’s lives.

If you’d seen the look on these kids faces when we arrived back this year, the smiles and frowns of concentration as they tried their very best to play their instruments for us, then you’d be happy to contribute a few pounds to help the upkeep of this really worthwhile cause. I’ve put a list of what are the daily running costs of the school below.

THE RUNNING COSTS OF THE CJ-MAA MUSIC SCHOOL

These are the costs of the everyday things that the music school needs to survive…

EXAM COSTS (to put 1 child through their classical music grade exams for 1 year) – 250 rupees – £4

RENT – 1500 rupees a month – £22

STRINGS – 1000 rupees a month – £15

TABLA (Indian drum) skins – 500 rupees each – £7

VIOLIN – 3000 Rupees – £45

GUITAR – 4000 Rupees – £55

SITAR – 8000 Rupees – £120

HARMONIUM – 8000 Rupees – £120

If you feel moved to donate perhaps a violin or sitar? Or perhaps moved to pay the orchestra’s rent for a few months? Then why not do it?

What we promise is that it will be going to something that we think is really making a difference to these Indian children’s lives.

So get in touch and we’ll make sure that your money gets to them direct. And we’ll even send you a photo of the instrument you’ve bought with the child that you have bought it for… so you can see first hand what your money has done!

If you’d like to find out more and see more photos/videos of the children check their website – www.cj-maa-music-school.org

This was a dear friend’s legacy, to help these children find purpose in what was for most of them a very difficult and deprived life, and hopefully get themselves out of the poverty they were born into.

We believe that it is something that deserves the opportunity to not only survive but also grow and thrive!

So if you’d like to help, just drop us a line… and we’ll do what we can to keep the CJ-Maa-Music School open!

Thanks so much

Sending you all my love,

Jo xxx