Special children performing the inaugural concert at Bhumija Jackfruit Festival. Photo Credit: Courtesy: Bhumija

Sunny Symphony, performed by the children of Srishti Special Academy, Bengaluru and directed by the versatile artiste MD Pallavi, was an ode to the connection that a musical program can bring when it is not limited to traditional performance parameters.

It was the inaugural concert of the Bhumija Jackfruit Festival, conducted by eminent musicians Shubha Mudgal and Anish Pradhan. Pallavi also hosted the show with such warmth that she was seen hugging children on stage and in the audience.

The show was about showing how impactful music can be when singers are given the space to create their own relationship with a song. The festival programmers’ decision to center musical tours rather than results helped this.

Gayatri Krishna, founder and managing trustee of Bhumija Trust, attributes the quality of the musical program to Pallavi. He composed the songs and enlisted singers Pratima Bhatt and Meghna Bhatt, who trained Srishti’s children for eight weeks at his premises on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

Versatile artist MD Pallavi is hosting the show. Photo Courtesy: Photo Courtesy: Bhumija

“Last year’s Jackfruit Festival was inaugurated with the singing of Pallavi for the children of Srishti. The children enjoyed it a lot,” recalls Gayatri. Taking things a step further, the festival team wondered if they could reverse the audience-performer equation by bringing children on stage this year.

“This also fulfilled the academy’s goals towards inclusivity and the music program and process impacted the singers and students,” says Gayatri.

Pallavi says that the show featured songs by popular composers and poets and was chosen for the “curiosity and wonder” they inspired. The focus was on choosing songs that were simple, relevant and known to most children. And so, the singers made the song their own – even enunciating some of the words with utmost clarity and emotion, making for an emotional listening experience.

Pallavi has not been formally trained to work with children with special needs, and she approached the group as she would any group of children. “As we were teaching them we realized we didn’t need to do anything different… They were just as receptive as any other group of kids. He had his energetic moments and low energy moments. We just had to be open to them,” she says.

Pallavi credits the children’s confident performance to Meghna and Prathima, who “met the children three times a week, taught them songs and practiced with them.”

The show features Krishna Udupa (keyboard) and Sumukha (percussion). Photo Courtesy: Photo Courtesy: Bhumija

Supported by musicians Krishna Udupa (keyboard) and Sumukha (percussion), the children sang solo or in small groups, absorbing the tune and rhythm of each song. The final song, sung by a large group, showed how much the children enjoyed collaborating.

Festival curator Shubha Mudgal says she was “particularly pleased” to see last year’s audience turn into performers this year. Speaking about inclusivity she says: “I may be wrong, but I have not seen any major efforts towards inclusivity in the Indian music field. Nor do I think there is any easy solution available. The first thing each of us has to do is be aware and make efforts, no matter how small.”