The Sur Sangam Entertainment annual Family Musical Night went with a bang recently at the Skipton Hall in the South Auckland suburb of Mangere.
It was something out of the ordinary. The skills shown by young children playing Tabla gratified the elderly, with many of them saying that the next generation of musicians had been well nurtured to take charge of the rich cultural heritage of India.
The talent inherent in the young players came through learning and playing at their respective pace. They are now able to perform in public in a relatively short time, without having to go through any rigorous music curriculum.
This is the advantage of the hands-on teaching at Sur Sangam School of Music run by Durga Reddy.
He said learning music from an early age enhances discipline among the young who stay at home. The family ties have kept them away from crime and undesirable activities.
The resounding success in this is the testimony of many parents. They find their children very obedient and well behaved after joining the Musical School.
The evening was filled with items that displayed the high level of performance of the young in Tabla, Harmonium and vocal. It was heartening to note that the young players represented Indian and Pacific cultures.
Sur Sangam runs its classes at four locations, namely, Te Atatu South, Sandringham, Mangere and Otara.
Mr Reddy’s students were from varied categories and schools, with impeccable dedication and commitment.
Their performance was a demonstration of the teaching abilities of their Guru, whose chief objective is to promote India’s fine arts.
Weeks later, this show was capped by the blessings of Tabla Maestro Ustad Fazal Qureshi, when he visited Mr Reddy’s School in Mangere.
The Ustad saw the students perform and blessed them to be successful in life.
“I am delighted to see the interest and skills in Tabla-playing by students at such an early age in a country which is far away from India,” Mr Qureshi said.
Those who missed the performance at Skipton Hall had an opportunity to witness the prowess of Mr Reddy’s students at the Waitakere Indian Association Ghazal night held on November 20 (see separate story in this section).
