It is a common adage – catch them young. Whenever we want to inculcate values or expose children to certain areas of interest we form groups usually in schools. Many of us remember with nostalgia a trip with the Scouts, a cleaning drive as a project of the NSS, or a march past organized by the NCC. International organizations like the Lions or Rotary have clubs in schools.
Today the classical music scenario has so many young and bright performers who are taking it up as a career and yet, paradoxically there are fewer and fewer youngsters to listen to and appreciate music. Yuva rasika is an initiative by the Music Forum and Music Academy to bring together school and college students interested in classical music under one umbrella and to mould them as future rasikas.
The launch of this project is happening at the Music Academy on the 25th of June. The Music Forum which is joining hands with the Music Academy for this project is all set to launch and implement the project on a large scale. Its Dr. Sunder’s dream to see this happen as a movement where in concert halls would be have young and vibrant rasikas enjoying and appreciating our music. Many schools have music clubs and the Forum is already in touch with a number of schools to join the Yuva rasika movement and the response is very encouraging.
The project will look at congregating school students of Chennai to start with and periodically expose them to music appreciation sessions by eminent musicians. The students will be given YUVA RASIKA identity badges and these students will be given free entry to attend other regular concerts as well. By the forthcoming December Music Season, it is a distinct possibility that the musicians will be performing to an audience of a whole new group of youngsters.