Music is a language. It is a way of communicating – using tone, rhythm, volume, and tempo. Music experiences should be connected to children’s life experiences.

Enthusiastic teacher participation encourages children’s musical ability. Often, it is only privilege students who have the opportunity to have great teachers, who provide a glimpse at some musical insight that will changes the child’s perceptions forever. Music consciousness can be raised through watching, listening and engaging directly with music. Jumps in awareness and knowledge of music occur when stepping up to a new level, by accessing new sounds, cultures, instruments, languages, songs, etc.

The question becomes how can we increase a child’s ability to recognize things that will lead to better awareness and thus to increasing his/her knowledge base faster.

The “Music Awareness & Culture Project” aims to build on all the integral goals of Music Basti bringing together imminent young artists, musicians and music- teachers from the fields of Indian and Western music alike, to collaborate and cooperate through their music. It will consist of a series of workshops including the following:

• Introduction to the concepts of music including beat, melody, pitch, rhythm, tempo, timbre, tone, volume, etc.
• Orientations to different instruments including tabla, drums, dholak and other percussion, guitar, electric keyboard, harmonium, sarangi etc. and vocal training lessons
• Introduction to international and Indian music cultures, different styles, genres, etc.
• Listening exercises and an introduction to forms of regional and international music
• Song- writing exercises on relevant social and global issues
• Development of the art of performance