Music is said to be therapeutic for all kinds of problems. Read on to find out how students of Blind Peoples Association (BPA) find joy in creating music and sharing it with others. And earning a tidy sum in the bargain.
BPA has a professional orchestra team of 14 visually impaired students who play various instruments and sing and perform at different garba venues during Navratri. They play keyboard, drum set, octra pad, dhol, flute, to mention a few instruments.
Tarak Luhar, principal of the primary school says, “The music teachers accompany the students and whatever money they charge goes to them. The BPA orchestra charges Rs12,000 per night if it’s our sound system and Rs7,000 if it isn’t.”
VN Ratna, one of the music teachers for the students says the most important thing they inculcate in the students is confidence. Music is not the difficult part. The students grasp it well and are dedicated to learn any musical instrument given to them. But while teaching singing I have to make the students practice a bit to learn the lyrics and flow of the song.”
The students don’t just play instruments, they dance as well. It is not just about earning money and becoming self-reliant. It is also about celebrating the festival.
The BPA orchestra plays on invitation at society garbas and this year it’s going to perform at the ISRO colony garba. The students are a confident and enthusiastic bunch despite being physically challenged.
Irfan Saicha (26) who plays keyboard is completely blind. He says, “It is about feeling the music and knowledge of sur and taal. I used to play harmonium since I was four years old. After joining BPA I came to know about the keyboard. It wasn’t very difficult to grasp the technique. I earn about Rs1,100 per night during Navratri.”
Jaydev Vankar (25) is going to play on a drum set. He says, “I can play all rhythm instruments like drum, congo and dhol. I was interested in music since childhood and have been associated with the BPA orchestra for the last seven years.”
Vishal Tailor (17) has partial vision and is a student of class X. He has been playing with the BPA orchestra for the past three years. He says, “I play octra pad. It took me about one year to learn to play well. I earn about Rs500-Rs1000 per night during this festival season.”
Sadhu Devendra (16) is a class VII student with partial vision who has joined the group since one year. “In 2008, when I came to BPA, I first started singing and then gradually learnt to play instruments too. This Navratri, I am going to play trimbali,” he says.
