“I KNOW WHAT
I’M DOING NOW IS
WHAT I WAS PUT
ON EARTH TO DO.”Dias’s excitement when he teaches
the children is palpable. He demon-
strates how a piece should sound, ex-
plains a bit of the history, asks them if
they remember what ‘adagio’ means,
which language it comes from, which
note he’s playing, sharp or flat. These
children, their lives circumscribed by
their social status, are making leaps
far beyond the limits fate has imposed
on them. Dias and his colleagues not
only teach them music, they broaden
their horizons with every session. They
teach them endurance and discipline,
persistence and patience. Reflected in
the children’s faces is a sense of pride
at being able to play an instrument
and, with every smile of approval and
pat on the head from their teacher,
their growing self-esteem.Child’s Play puts on at least two
concerts a year to which the children’s
families and general public are invited.
The parents, many of whom are street-
side vendors and labourers from
nearby slums, while initially wary,
feel nothing but pride once they see
their children on stage as any parent
would be. Never had they imagined
that their children, condemned to a
life in the wings, would find a place
on centre stage, in the limelight and
applauded by a wildly enthusiastic
audience. It matters little to them that
it is western and not Indian classical
music that their children are playing.
What matters is that their children are
displaying their hard-won skills and
that they are appreciated.
“It is not just the life of a child that
we may be changing. Music can have
an effect on generations to come. Or-
chestral music teaches children to
work together to create a thing of
beauty. It has the power to create har-
mony in a community,” Dias says. It is
clear what he means when he says
playing music together can foster unity.
Children in Dias’s violin class come
from different religious communities:
Muslim, Christian and Hindu. How-
ever, when the bow touches the strings,
their fingers find the same notes, their
hearts pulse to the same rhythms and
their spirits surge in harmony. “This
work does come at a personal cost. But
when I go to meet my maker,” he says
with a wry grin, “at least I can say, I did
what I could to make a difference.”Everyday Heroesreadersdigest.co.in 27in
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