Music on wheels: This organisation teaches melody and rhythm to underprivileged children in Mumbai

In 2010, Kamakshi and Vishala Khurana started The Sound Space, combining their love and learnings from music and psychology.

The Sound Space was founded with an important premise—making music accessible in a contemporary way. The sisters conceptualised sessions for children and adults, keeping their well-being at the core. 

With their music, taught in a deconstructed form, they wanted to help people de-stress, heal, recover, and manage post-trauma rehabilitation. Or, the students could learn music just for the love of it. 

The Khurana sisters train students, teachers and caregivers from schools, NGOs, and care homes. 

The siblings have been learning and practising classical music from the age of three. Their father was a trained musician and sound healer and completed a visharad (equivalent to a bachelor’s degree) in Hindustani classical music while studying psychology.

Over a year ago, while organising music sessions in different slum communities in South Mumbai, the sisters realised that the lack of space and access deterred children from learning.

“While working with multiple schools in South Mumbai and visiting bastis like Machimmar Nagar and Lotus Colony, we realised there were many issues holding children back from learning. We approached the leaders in these communities to understand how we could bring these children together in a spirit of after-class musical learning,” Vishala tells SocialStory.

Engaging children through music

The idea is to reach music to as many people as they can. “Music has so many benefits—it elevates general well-being and offers emotional and social benefits,” Kamakshi adds.

They conceptualised a travelling bus that would go from basti (residential area) to basti and engage children in different activities centred around music. Community leaders and social workers in these communities helped them spread the message and aided them in onboarding participants by collecting forms from interested families and vetting them. 

The Sound Space on Wheels began its journey in August 2023 with its first session in Lotus Colony in Worli. A bus, with modified interiors, was donated by Aisha Motors.

“It was exciting and the children’s energies were very high,” says Kamakshi. Every session lasts 40 minutes and accommodates 25 students. It travels to seven bastis throughout the week and over 500 children between the ages of five and 12 attend these sessions.

As it arrives at a location, the bus transforms into a mobile music school equipped with different musical instruments and props to engage children through music. Certified music instructors interact with these children in a spirit of fun and learning.

“They sing and greet each other; we introduce a melodic aspect as a warm-up vocal exercise, teach them language through a rhyme or a musical event, use rhythmic activity for brain development, and always include a happy expressive exercise that helps them express their feelings,” explains Vishala. There are also cues they learn from each other—sharing, waiting for their turn, and learning about each other’s cultures.

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Music and more

According to the sisters, the programme is designed to teach confidence in children, help them be creative, and teach them to not be afraid to speak up—tapping into the overall socio-emotional side of learning.

The bus travels to bastis including Simla Nagar, Police Camp, Lotus Camp, Machimmar Nagar, Abhyudaya Nagar, and others. 

“We have seen some fantastic growth in musicianship and the children rarely miss these classes. But what’s heartening is that we have been able to give them a comfort level and security that it’s a safe space. They connect and confide in the didis (teachers) and this is very valuable to us,” says Vishala. 

Currently, The Sound Space on Wheels has six full-time music instructors, some of whom are trained in the communities they work in.

However, the sisters admit that they have been struggling to raise funds to expand the initiative. 

“Aisha Motors has already committed to another bus but we need funds to take the bus to other locations. We have managed so far with donors and crowdfunding, but we need corporate sponsorship to scale,” says Vishala. 

“Our goal is to take this concept across major cities, run multiple buses and classes, and hire and train teachers but it all depends on whether we can afford it or not,” says Kamakshi.

Meanwhile, children in seven bastis of Mumbai continue to learn music every day. And, as the rhythm rolls and their sounds reverberate through the air, their confidence soars, one note at a time.