“There is no better time than today": Meenakshi explains why you should no longer procrastinate taking art lessons

Meenakshi was one of the winners of our promotion called ‘Win One Year of Free Art Lessons’. She chose to learn Indian classical music from the Sri Vinayaka school in The Hague. Only 2.5 months in, Meenakshi already got the opportunity to perform at the prestigious stage of The Gandhi Centre, the cultural wing of the Indian Embassy in the Netherlands. What are the learnings Meenakshi would like to share with you? Find out in this interview! 

How do you feel about having won one year of art lessons? 

“It feels amazing that I won one year of Indian classical music lessons from CultuurSchakel. What is meant for you, finds you. Ever since I've come to the Netherlands, I was looking for something to start learning Indian classical music and this came as a wonderful opportunity. I'm really thankful to CultuurSchakel that through them I found the Sri Vinayaka school and my teacher Sitrawatie. And now I'm continuing this, I'm starting this journey of learning Indian classical music.” 

What type of singing lessons did you choose, and why? 

“The singing lessons that I chose are Indian classical vocal music. Indian classical music is the basis of all the music that is there.  We say that from Sa, the first note, comes all the other notes. So if you get that right, you can pick up any song and sing well.   

Also, when I practice, we call it Riyaz Abhyas. When I do my Riyaz, it takes me into another world. It's a very spiritual meditative experience for me.” 

How do the singing lessons help you develop yourself, both as a singer and as a person? 

“The singing lessons that I'm taking have definitely helped me appreciate the nuances: the small details of a song, of a melody, and how to touch those small parts. It is just the beginning for me: I have just started, but I would really like to dive deep into this ocean and learn far more and develop my skills even better. 

Of course I also hope to develop myself further as a person, because it requires precision, it requires repetition, it requires you to note what errors you're making and improve yourself. It gives you those fine observation skills that help you in other aspects of your life as well. 

And the Riyaz itself is like a prayer for me. It feels like I'm sitting and there's God around me when I'm practicing, so that has been a really positive influence in my life.” 

What is the most valuable thing you learned from Indian singing and from your school?  

“The most valuable lesson is to not be complacent and not to think: this is my best, I've done it. No, you can always do better. Of course I knew this already, but now I'm implementing it – what you've done, what you've touched, is just the tip of the iceberg. There's so much more, so you can always do better and better. One should not just stop at what one knows. One should always move forward to know more to improve oneself. And of course nobody's perfect, but you can reach as close to perfection as possible, if you continue to work on your mistakes and on your errors. That's something that I have learned other than singing.” 

How do you feel about performing at the Indian Embassy?  

“We performed at the Gandhi Center associated with the Indian Embassy and this was an amazing experience. I recently started my lessons and in a short span of about 2.5 months I've got this prestigious stage, so this feels wonderful and it motivates me to continue learning this beautiful art of singing.” 

For those who are hesitating: why should someone try art lessons?  

“For those who want to learn an art form, but are hesitating for reasons like: I don't have time or I'm too old to start learning now. I think that there's no better time than today, because one year down the line you will say: I should have learned it one year ago or so. If you have that will, find a way to do it. Of course people have time constraints and other responsibilities, but I think that we owe it to ourselves also. If music brings you joy, if learning a skill or keeping yourself busy in something other than your mundane tasks gives you happiness, you should give it priority. 

And of course, any art form is something that helps a person: not just in developing themselves externally in terms of the art itself, but it has deeper impact on your conscience as well. I feel it has deeper impact on the way you look at life, because any dance form, any art form requires discipline and practice. You inculcate these habits and this helps you in other walks of life as well.” 

What is it like to learn Indian singing from your teacher Sitrawatie? 

“I've been really fortunate to find the Sri Vinayaka school through CultuurSchakel. My teacher Miss Sitrawatie Bonoo is so patient with me. She notices small mistakes and she wants me to improve on them. She has vast in-depth knowledge of her subject music and she guides me in a way that I learn – not in a fixed way that she teaches. She doesn't show you music notes as notes on paper or sounds. She paints a visual picture in front of you, so that you get other dimensions of it as well, and that makes learning even more fulfilling for me. So I am really thankful to her for this opportunity and I would recommend her wholeheartedly.”

Further reading: 

• Learn more about the Sri Vinayaka school. 
• Learn more about Indian dance and singing, in the interview with music and dance teacher Sitrawatie Bonoo. 
• Interested in India? The Gandhi Centre is your go-to place! Discover the possibilities in the interview with Krish Gupta, director of The Gandhi Centre.

Photography: The Gandhi Centre & Iftegaar Joemanbaks.