Divyani Mohanty who has to get up at dawn to attend school would hate her mornings. Now, she looks forward to them, much less anxious.
Ashmit Paul feels less drained when he reaches home after a gruelling day in school.
For both these Class XII students of South Point High School, music has acted as therapy and a calming influence.
Divyani and her classmates, attending the school’s morning section, are treated to notes of Raga Bhairavi before they start their classes. The music helps them prepare for the day ahead with greater concentration.
To instil in students the love for music and add peace to their hectic lives, South Point High School has started playing instrumental music for the students of Classes VI to XII since July. It’s usually Raga Bhairavi for the morning session and Raga Bhimpalasi for the afternoon.
The music is changed as an occasion demands. Teachers also encourage the students to read up about what they are listening to and ask questions every week.
“Because of the sessions, I have started listening to more classical instrumentals. I love listening to Anoushka Shankar’s sitar,” said Divyani.
“The school chooses music that touches every student’s heart. Apart from learning about instruments, it has also helped them get closer to their culture and traditions,” said Sutapa Chatterjee, the school’s co-curricular co-ordinator.
“Focus music raises our concentration levels and eliminates mental discomfort. Playing calm music in school is a great initiative. It can significantly improve a child’s mood,” said clinical psychologist Devaleena Ghosh.
“The music sessions expose pupils to compositions of maestros — we hope our boys and girls will develop an ear for pure music which transcends all languages and cultures. More so, it helps to calm them down and prepare for the day ahead,” said principal Rupa Sanyal Bhattacharjee.
Schools such as Purushottam Bhagchandka Academic School and South City International School are also conducting music therapy sessions for their students.
“We have included rhythmic music in our offline sessions for our children with special needs till Class II. Our counsellors and psychologists are also providing healing music therapy to senior students,” said Purushottam Bhagchanka Academic School principal Madhuparna Andrews.
“Music has the ability to heal. We conduct sessions with music waves and instrumental music with varied rhythms with our expert team of educators,” said South City International School founder-principal John Andrew Bagul.