Mumbai-based harpist is helping students learn with novel approaches

On an early morning visit to Mazgaon we look for the house of a harpist Wandering with our ears as we step into the colony mentioned in the address we expect to hear the faint sound of the instrumentBut tucked inside the farther end of this home the notes of a harp rebound off the walls and encompass the player alone From the outside of this unassuming structure no one would have guessed Amazing grace was being orchestrated through the most angelic tones that we were privy to Inside musician Meagan Pandian presents to us one of nine level pedal and electric harps that stand in all its grandeur largeness and intricate carvings You wouldnrsquot be wrong to associate the instrument with heavenGrowing up in a Goan musical household Pandian didnrsquot need an introduction to music ldquoAt family gatherings even if you did not know how to play an instrument one was placed in your handsrdquo she recalls For a long time Pandian focused on the piano and violin But after seeing the harp being played on television she felt that it remained a seemingly inaccessible dream and ldquotoo wonderful a thing to be truerdquo as she calls it Travelling to France in 2013 mdash under The Olga and Jules Craen Young Musician of the Year award where she saw people playing the harp mdash strengthened her resolve Three months later she bought a secondhand 26string harp from an expatriateMeagan Pandian plays a tune on the harpApart from seeking lessons from international artistes visiting Mumbai and websites Pandian is mostly selftaught Along with the difficulty of finding a teacher she shares about the tricky process to acquire an instrument Her journey led her to launch Harp India in 2018 a platform through which she teaches rents and helps musicians with repairing and purchasing harps books strings and other accessories that are importedCurrently Pandian has eight students Apart from teaching in person in India and taking online classes for international students she writes scores for Indian classical and Bollywood music She has worked with AR Rahman and Pritam and has also toured with Arijit SinghA certified Montessori teacher she also works to incorporate its philosophy to enhance music education She began this endeavour through collaborations with schools where programmes include playing for kids and allowing them to explore the instrument by themselves as an introduction since apart from the Indian harp or Swarmandal it is not a common instrument in the city ldquoThe Montessori approach to music is holistic and based on the understanding that young children learn first through their experiences and senses So I try to engage the ears eyes voice hands body and soul of the child all at onceThen the child is entirely and actively involved in the whole musical experiencerdquo she shares The same goes for teaching adults where Pandian observes and comprehends the needs of the students and responds to them through her lessons She follows the same method used in Montessori education where in every area of exploration and analysis teachers do not give more to the mind than to the hand Similarly Pandian ensures that new concepts are experienced by the mind as well as through movement and the sensesGuitarist pianist and vocalist Irina Mishra travels from Navi Mumbai twice a week for harp lessons with Pandian Struggling to find a teacher in the city for inperson classes Mishra came across Harp India nearly four years ago and has been a student ever sinceThe platform also helped Mishra buy the instrument through proper channels after a bad experience trying to acquire a harp by herself The teaching hour begins with tuning the instrument and practising scales under the attentive watch of the teacher With hands on the strings and feet on the pedals both musicians are thoroughly absorbed in the music when Pandian steals a moment to reveal ldquoOne lifetime isnrsquot enough for this instrumentrdquoLearn onlinegtgt learningtheharpcomgtgt udemycomgtgt hipharpcomgtgt handsonharpscomLog on to harpschoolharpindiabusinesssiteCall 9867185333