IMPHAL, July 5: At the BB Paul Mental Development Home at Mongsangei which is looking into the needs and care of over 167 people with special needs ranging from autism to other mental challenges, a group is keeping the hope that the sky remains clear on July 6. “We are going to perform the opening act at a concert at Yaiskul,” says an excited ward at the Home. For days now, the group of the Home, which is set to render the poignant song “We shall overcome”, has been practicing with band members of a rock band, ‘Dark Reign’. The band, along with four other popular rock bands have been brought together by a Delhi based group of professionals from Manipur going by the name ‘A Guitar in a House’, an entity brought together by music. The concert set to unfold at the YAC Ground on July 6 under the theme ‘Give music a chance’ is incidentally the second major music based program undertaken as a project by the group that aims to promote music education in schools and among young people.
Among its objectives, A Guitar in a House is aiming at convincing policy makers to include Music as a compulsory subject in school curricula and has been using various mediums to reach out and create awareness.
At the BB Paul Mental Development Home, music is used as an integral part of therapy for the inmates of the Home with a music teacher giving classes. Maintaining that music is therapeutic for the inmates, Principal Takhellambam Anita is all praises for the initiative being undertaken by A House and a Guitar. “Our children have taken part in competitions at school level and among themselves. One of our students have also featured in music concert but this is the first time that our Home has been given the honour of opening a major musical program where there will be a huge crowd,” she says, underlining that inclusion is the key to encourage people with special needs related to mental growth.
Giving a brief about the concert over an e-mail conversation; Aheibam Prahlad, an advertising professional has this to say, “Our group believes that music is a binding force and a medium to come together. The proceeds of this concert will be used to aid the Home.” At the Home, there are repeated renditions of ‘We shall overcome’ by the group even as two students are rehearsing their solo performances. As the band members of the Dark Reign patiently give music cues and set the rhythm for the song practices, the hope is that the forces of nature will not play spoilsport with the efforts made to use music to speak about people with special challenges.