At a concert held in an empty space at Bandra`s The Simple Brew last November, an artist broke down in the middle of the performance and the audience was with her, in tears. “That was the pure joy of connection. Some of them hadn`t stepped out at all for events in the last two years. And a beautiful experience like that was just overwhelming,” says Shaik Sheeba, leader of the Mumbai chapter of House Concert Foundation, which curates and organises concerts in closed spaces where independent musicians and singers perform their original compositions.

“Everyone was dying to experience music live and have a shared experience. Due to limited attendance, it was heartbreaking that we couldn`t accommodate more. But still it felt great to be physically to be part of the community,” she adds.