Saturday, August 20, 2005

Violins In Kalimpong

Fred de Sam Lazaro of American public television (PBS) reports on a really cool musical experiment in Kalimpong. Here, a Jesuit priest, gave violins and lessons to poor kids and watched them find joy from their own talents.

Take Kushmita, for example. As a poor kid having been accepted at an upscale convent, she faced typical challenges of peer acceptance and fitting in. This is what she tells Mr. Lazaro:

KUSHMITA BISWA KARMA: I used to play violin. I used to play solo songs, like Hindi, Nepali songs. And they all used to love me playing violin. I had friends. Many friends I had in the convent.

FRED DE SAM LAZARO: So you had many friends in the convent school because you were able to play violin?

KUSHMITA BISWA KARMA: And I was good, also.

FRED DE SAM LAZARO: She's good at the violin-- so good she was pulled out of school to be tutored by a visiting German music teacher in hopes of attending one of Germany's most prestigious conservatories.

KUSHMITA BISWA KARMA: Before, I didn't know, like, the rules and the way... how we should play violin. She taught me how I should hold my bows and how should I cast the violin. I want to come back to Kalimpong because my parents are here. I was born here. I studied in Gandhi Ashram School in Kalimpong.

Father Thomas McGuire of Gandhi Ashram died recently. What a beautiful legacy he's left behind. Very cool!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

hi fred,
here is kushmita. i am very happy to read this here......
so how are you? i am fine and doing the last year of school in germany. i am still at the conservatory and also practising a lot.
hope to hear from you soon... thanks for this wonderful things you did with me and my parents.

Anonymous said...

hi fred,
here is kushmita. i am very happy to read this here......
so how are you? i am fine and doing the last year of school in germany. i am still at the conservatory and also practising a lot.
hope to hear from you soon... thanks for this wonderful things you did with me and my parents.

Unknown said...

hi sister its me your brother raju from kalimpong (india).we are very happy that you reach your destination.so keep practising your that you can also do better.bye your brother.
my id raju.singh43@yahoo.com.in

puran said...

dear sister kusmita you can also mail me at:-
puransingh82@gmail.com.inyou can

also chat me at
raju.singh43@yahoo.com.in

bye sister your brother raju

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