This organisation brings joy to low-income schools in Delhi with music

An organisation is using music to transform the lives of children studying in low-income schools

Two young people walk into a government school classroom armed with a guitar and songbook instead of textbooks and chalks. They get the children to hum some simple notes. The guitarist begins to strum. A student beats a tattoo on the wooden desk. In minutes, the classroom is resonating with joyful and not necessarily always tuneful sounds. “Music can change a child’s relationship with learning,” says Preeti Arya, co-founder of Manzil Mystics, an NGO that has evolved a unique pedagogy to use music to teach life skills and bring joy into the classroom. “It gives children an alternate form of expression, broadens their perspective and helps them perform better in studies.”

The flagship programme of Manzil Mystics, Learning Through Music (LTM) operates in 35 SDMC or low-income schools in Delhi and has created 80 music classrooms for over 3,000 students. Participants learn how to sing, write and compose their own songs and in so doing, express their hopes, ideas, emotions and frustrations through music. LTM’s pedagogy has developed organically. “First of all we recognise that we’re not teachers,” she says. “We’re facilitators who simply enjoy singing and playing with children!” Their one-hour sessions focus as much on building rapport and developing relationships as they do on music. Arya and her cohort of 30 facilitators have devised a series of games to this end. “Consequently, the children learn without even realising that they’re learning!” she says. 

Manzil Mystics started its journey from Manzil (a Delhi-based alternative education and learning centre). “Many of us loved making music and so Manzil Mystics, our band, was born ten years ago,” Arya recounts. They became popular for their socially relevant music, but it didn’t seem enough. “We wanted to use music not just as a tool for social change but also for its incredible educational potential,” she says. That’s how in 2016, Manzil Mystics the NGO was born. They used the income from the band’s gigs to finance their initial work and devised a 10-month music-based curriculum for students in the fourth to sixth grades. Each programme costs Rs 1.8 lakh, of which 60 per cent goes to facilitators and the rest towards training, developing the curriculum and more. 

 

The results are evident. Teachers report that children who’ve attended these workshops are more eager to come to school and seem more focused. Through music and games, the facilitators teach children about the importance of personal hygiene, teamwork and other life skills. “Now you can easily differentiate between students who’ve attended our workshops in school as they’re noticeably better turned out!” Arya says. Many of the facilitators, Arya included, work with children with special needs. “For many, while even learning simple lyrics is challenging, the results are transformational,” says she. “Not only do they blossom with music, some even get to perform in front of audiences which gives them a great sense of achievement.”

Supported by BookASmile (BookMyShow’s charity arm), Pratham, Wipro, KPMG and some of the best incubators in India, Manzil Mystics now supports over 30 musicians and has encouraged many talented youngsters to look at music as a source of livelihood. Last year, BookASmile, which funds their programmes in 15 schools, asked the Mystics to select students to sing the national anthem for an Independence Day special film. “We often show the video to children during workshops,” she says. “Some recognise schoolmates in the video and feel inspired to see how far music can take them!”

In the years ahead, the Mystics would like to reach out to more schools, funds permitting. “Music is the best way to promote peace, love, justice and harmony,” says Arya. At a time when the country is divided and angry over so many issues, the music and philosophy of the Mystics is a welcome balm. 

Learn more here manzilmystics.org or follow their YouTube channel