Gurgaon-based music professionals Lorraine Fiona and Aubrey Aloysius are wholly convinced that music education needs to be fully integrated into school education towards holistic development of children. To enable this symphony as also to teach western music, they moved from Mumbai seven years ago to Gurgaon, the new satellite city of Delhi where they promoted the Lorraine Music Academy (LMA, estb. 2005).Music education is important for optimal development of the human mind. In early childhood, linguistic ability is developed by listening to sounds in the immediate environment. Later in life an individual can develop advanced learning skills and linguistic ability by listening to music. Moreover written music is based on the principles of mathematical progression. Thats why most great scientists, mathematicians and artists including Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein and Galileo among others were great music aficionados. Its now well-established by research studies that the development of musical learning ability by the creative right side of the human brain supplements development of the logical left side. Music melds and harmonises the two sides of the brain, says Aubrey Aloysius, a commerce graduate of Mumbai University, former international banker with Canara Bank and currently the promoter-director of LMA and business advisor to the well-known Delhi-based law firm Titus & Co.
While Aubrey is the left brain of LMA, managing the business operations of this ambitious enterprise, the creative teaching-learning initiatives of the academy are the preserve of Lorraine Aloysius who was raised in a music-soaked family environ-ment. Lorraine, who started playing the piano at age eight, was awarded the Licentiate of the Trinity College of London even as she acquired a Masters degree in banking and finance from Mumbai University.
I began my career as a lecturer at Mumbais Narsee Monjee, Raheja and Hinduja colleges. After a long stint in the corporate world during which I worked closely with my husband Aubrey, I realised my passion for music was greater and I was inspired by God to pursue a career in music, says Lorraine.
The duos seriousness of intent is testified by their relocation from Mumbai to Delhi in 2004. Since our objective is to promote a fully-fledged university of music, we felt that setting up base in the national capital would help as far as clearances, grants, procedures etc are concerned. Besides, north India is unexplored territory for Western music, says Aubrey.
Starting their ambitious venture from a studio in their home in Gurgaon, today LMA runs two centres in Gurgaon with an aggregate enrolment of 250 students learning western music in their after-school hours and on weekends. We plan to expand to ten centres in the next six months, some of which will be located in south Delhi and some in schools which have invited us. We offer a UK-based curriculum which enables children to develop their musical talents on the piano, violin, drums, guitar etc. Our objective is to popularise music not just as an extra-curricular activity, but as an integral component of holistic education, adds Lorraine.
The summit of ambition of this cheerfully optimistic duo is to establish a university of music to evolve a new genre of fusion music which will be universally acceptable. I know it sounds a bit far-fetched. But you need to remember that within two decades India has emerged from obscurity to become an IT industry superpower. I believe we have a glorious cultural tradition which can replicate the IT miracle in music, says Aubrey Aloysius.
Wind beneath your wings!
Autar Nehru (Delhi)