The musical samaritans!
Sridhar Ranganathan, Founder and CEO of Shankar Mahadevan Academy, opens up about how the organisation is touching millions of lives
Bollywood music director and singer Shankar Mahadevan has been quietly enhancing countless lives through the Shankar Mahadevan Academy. The Free Press Journal caught up with its Founder and CEO, Sridhar Ranganathan, for an exclusive chat. Excerpts:
How did the idea of SMA Nirvana come to you?
The idea was presented to me in a dream during the early hours of one morning in August 2021. It was during the Covid-19 pandemic. I remember being terribly affected, like many others were, by the huge number of affected people — who suffered mental as well as physical agony. The whole uncertainty over what one could do or could not was stressing the whole world. I wondered what we could do as Shankar Mahadevan Academy to make a difference—apart from making monetary donations. Can SMA lessen the suffering and anxiety of people? I still vividly remember — sleeping with this thought running in my mind. I woke up around 3:00 AM, startled by a dream that made my heart jump with joy. It was the dream of holding free, 60-minute live music concerts for anyone who had an internet connection and could watch the concerts on their mobile phones. The name SMA Nirvana also came in the dream. Anxious that I should not forget it, I hurriedly scribbled it down on a notepad that I keep within my right hand’s reach on a small round desk beside my bed.
How do you execute this one-of-its-kind concept?
We tie up with NGOs who give care to the following: People living with a terminal illness in hospice centres. Cancer survivors or people taking treatment for cancer. Elderly people at institutional centres or homes for elders. Children who have no family or social support.
Children who were born to sex workers and are in the care of a wellmeaning institution. Adults or children who live with physical or intellectual disabilities. People who live with depression or other mental illnesses. Then we set up a Calendar of Concerts with the NGOs for an entire year. The NGOs gather all the people under their care into a common room equipped with a large TV set and sound system. The NGOs also share the live streaming links of SMA Nirvana concerts with their network of founders, donors, volunteers, and their caregiving and administrative staff. Next, we tie up with musicians. Many of our teachers and students, of their own free will, voluntarily perform for the needy under SMA Nirvana.
Please share the success stories at SMA.
At SMA Nirvana, we count our strong bank of artists and NGOs and most vitally end-beneficiaries — the people we perform the music concerts for. The number of people we have performed free concerts for under SMA Nirvana is 4,50,000+. We are especially proud of our students in the Inspire India Project — more than 2000 people have learned music under the banner of this initiative. Four of them took part in and stood as winners in Music for Change, a nationwide competition in songwriting and advocacy-by-music.
What is the strategy and lineup for 2022?
Our mission has been Joy of Music. In 2022, we want to further this mission through these broad actions: Reach music lessons to more households. Bring 45 minutes of music learning to eager learners every week — form Musical communities. Bring 60 minutes of joy via music concerts to people every day. Brighten lives for those who need that bright spark in their day. Preserve Indian traditional music. Make it freely available for learning. Make a career in original music a viable and lower-risk reality for the talented youth in India.