The Taalim School of Indian Music will hold its Spring Student Recital on April 6. EDISON — Several students of Indian music have chosen to have their recital practice make a difference in the lives of students a world away.
The Taalim School of Indian Music, 25 Gibson St., Piscataway, is gearing up to celebrate its Spring Student Recital and Fundraiser on Saturday, April 6. Leading up to the musical event, 11 students have been chosen to participate in a “Pledge for Practice” challenge, including 16-year-old Leela Hedge of Edison.
The pledge, which began Feb. 20, pits novice players against each other in a sixweek preparation competition of daily practice, or “riyaaz.” The students ask their friends and family to sponsor them for an hour of practice, resulting in a race to see how much money they can earn. All funds raised will go directly to India, where learning to play musical instruments is a luxury out of reach for Indian youth. The money will help create scholarships for children in Ahmedabad to receive lessons at the Rhythm Riders Music Institute, the parent organization of Taalim.
For Hedge, a sophomore at John P. Stevens High School, the end result is the main focus of the competition.
“The older I get, the more I realize how many privileges I take for granted,” she said. “My mother and father see that I really love playing music, and they pay for the lessons I take. Unfortunately, not everyone has this support, even if they are talented and passionate. The many underprivileged children and teens in India don’t have the same network of support for their playing, and that’s unfair. If they are truly dedicated, then they should have the same opportunities and encouragement to pursue a future in music. This scholarship can help.”
Hedge developed a love of music when she was just 6 years old. She began learning the trumpet in fourth grade, and now plays the tabla, an ancient classical Indian percussion instrument that can be difficult to learn. In fact, it is an instrument typically played by men.
“I didn’t know too much about Indian classical music, but I remembered one of my friends from a religious camp who had really inspired me with his tabla playing,” Hedge said. “My impression of tabla was that of a dynamic splash of color in a seemingly unappealing form of music, so the choice of instrument was clear to me.”
Hedge attends tabla lessons two or three times a week and has already improved her performance. For the pledge, she has approximately 10 sponsors offering $5 to $25 an hour. Hedge’s goal is to complete 22 hours of practice. She has already raised close to $1,000.
Hedge is unsure if she will pursue music as a post-high school career, but she does know that she will always keep music in her life.
“Up until now, music has defined me, and I can’t imagine living a healthy and happy life without the presence of both tabla and trumpet,” Hedge said. “They are played with two different genres of music, but I find that I can express my deepest emotions through both in different ways and find the same amount of joy and beauty in both.”
The Taalim recital will be held at 2:30 p.m. at the Highland Park Dance Studio, 233 Raritan Ave. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.taalim.com.