Children, especially those between the ages of 7 to 16 (approx.) go through many transitions. To promote adjustment and growth they require the ability to create freely and explore their curiosity. This is best fostered in an atmosphere of experiential learning.

Children-at-risk

Children who are considered “street-children” and former street-children have limited exposure to music and experience music with many limitations. Most street-children are illiterate and/or drop outs, with no housing or any formal education, orphaned and without guidance; they inhabit a physically, mentally and socially unsafe environment. Their family, society and education have abandoned them.

Children-at-risk, particularly those who live and work on the streets face a series of problems that are interconnected, including a physically unsafe environment to live in, being illiterate or drop outs, exposure to crime and sexual abuse, being orphans, runaways or abandoned by their families, living in detention centers, child labour, trafficking and being part of families where parents are incapable of caring for them adequately.

Over and above the provision of housing, clothing and food, existing institutionalized development programmes for street-children often do not have the capacity to integrate life-skills development and socio-cultural awareness. These are essential to their education to develop self-identity, confidence, healthy attitudes and values orientation, and integral to cope with issues in their personal lives and make impacting change to social structures they are immersed in.

Music Basti: The music learning experience

Music Basti is usually the first experience of the child with a form of structured music learning. Through singing, playing instruments, creating, moving, guided listening, and other experiential involvement, an atmosphere is created for young children to discover and develop their musical abilities.

The creative process motivates children to share, analyze, and evaluate their own work, and the work of others. Emphasis is on the process of how children arrive at the product or performance as a result of instruction, rather than solely on the end result.

The educational process advances access to information and knowledge, learning of skills through demonstration and practice, and healthy attitudinal changes that encourage self- worth.

Music Basti’s commitment to the protection of children is based on the tenets of child centered learning, interaction and sharing, encouragement, flexibility, commitment to a long term vision, progress and process oriented with a focus on comprehensive documentation of activities and programs. (Download the complete Child Protection Policy Here)

At present, Music Basti activities have four focus areas:

1. Music Education Workshop Series and Content Development
2. Special Workshops and Concerts
3. The Song Project
4. Learn- an- Instrument Project

Content development and integration of values

Music is used to reinforce and help students learn mathematics skills such as counting and grouping, emerging literacy skills such as sound/symbol correspondence, and the writing process. Students are encouraged to model character traits such as cooperation, respect, responsibility, kindness, integrity, courage, perseverance, self-discipline, and good judgment through their participation in music.

Songs and other creative exercises are used to promote these messages, character traits and values. Song writing, performances and workshops involve the creativity and imagination of children to infuse meaning from their world into the music.

Music Basti’s program involves integration in the areas of English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and other content areas both within and outside of the arts.

The music content focuses on developing rhythm, melody, pitch, music awareness and appreciation, through a combination of non- formal and formal teaching methods, message driven songs and activities. These are developed in a child centric manner, taking into account learning needs and desires of the children.