Mysuru: As part of World Music Day, a music teacher of the city has come up with a unique table calendar that explains the achievements of great musicians.
M.V. Anitha, a music teacher at Government High School in Kuvempunagar, is the one who has come up with the special calendar, with help from two of her students.
The table calendar was released by eminent personalities at a programme organised at the School marking the World Music Day recently. The table calendar features the achievements and life and times of 12 great musicians of the country who are ‘Padma’ awardees.
The legendary musicians, who feature in calendar, include M.S. Subbulakshmi, Pt. Ravishankar, Bhimsen Joshi, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, M. Balamuralikrishna, Mallikarjun Mansur, D.K. Pattammal, Gangubai Hangal, Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman and K.J. Yesudas.
Two school students M. Anmol Ratan Rao and S. Rakshith have drawn figures of the iconic musicians who feature in the calendar.
Talking to SOM on what prompted her to come up with this unique table calendar, Anitha said that the World Music Day is being celebrated only from the past few years. As she intended to propagate the achievements of the legendaries of Indian Classical music, she came up with this idea.
Pointing out that she had planned to celebrate Music Day in a special manner at her School, Anitha said that she thought of the idea when she saw some children drawing sketches of personalities with a pencil.
Later, the calendar, featuring pencil sketches of legendary musicians and also their achievements, was brought out with the help of her students at the School, she said and added that she was preparing for celebrating the next World Music Day in an outstanding manner.
Continuing, Anitha said that a music teacher’s job is not restricted to merely teaching patriotic songs and Bhavageete to children.
Pointing out that involving children in music holds key to the success of music education, she said that at the same time, it was important to make children develop interest in music.
She thanked the School Head Master Prakash and her colleagues for extending their co-operation in bringing out this special table calendar.
An unfortunate and strange omission in the calendar and the events for World Music Day is of the great Hindustani instrumental maestro Pt Rajeev Taranath, an important figure in music based in Mysuru. I hope that the school finds a way to present a performance by this great treasure here and credit his contribution to our culture.