Shankar Mahadevan to teach music in BMC schools

Mumbai: After Bollywood actor Salman Khan, it is the turn of noted singer-music composer Shankar Mahadevan to be roped in for a good cause by BMC. Civic officials said that Mr Mahadevan and his academy will impart music lessons free-of-cost to municipal students deprived of an education in Hindustani classical music owing to their weak financial background.

The announcement on social media by Yuva Sena chief, Aditya Thackeray, read, “Music director Shankar Mahadevan and his academy will teach students music in schools run by the BMC this year onwards. Pilot classes will begin soon and regular classes will commence in June.”

Aditya tweeted, “Many BMC schools have active music departments with students having a talent and passion for art and music. This will only take it further. Shankarji will be working with BMC teachers and students to encourage music further and enhance learning regular stuff through music.”

On his part, Mahadevan said, “Extremely happy that my academy will teach music to BMC schools! It’s a dream come true! Economic background should not be a reason for not learning music!” According to civic officials, Mr Mahadevan had prepared a computer programme for providing training in classical music which would be used to train municipal students initially on a pilot basis.

Education committee chairperson Hemgani Worlikar said, “The pilot project will be implemented in three schools – Adarsh Nagar municipal school at Worli, Prabhadevi municipal school and Wamanrao Mahadik municipal school at Dharavi. Music training is presently provided to municipal students of the sixth, seventh and eighth standard by specialised teachers. However, the new initiative will help provide music education to all students from the first to the 10th standard.”

Before Mr Mahadevan, Salman was roped in as brand ambassador for the civic body’s Open Defecation Free (ODF) drive.