On a mission to spread classical music globally

Rajamahendravaram: Padmini Kacchapi of San Francisco (USA) is putting in her efforts to spread classical and Carnatic vocal across the world through classes online as well as with regular classes.

She is the founder of Padmini Kacchapi Swaradhara (an international school of music and arts), which came into existence a decade ago in San Francisco.

Speaking to ‘The Hans India’ here on Monday, she said that she was teaching both classical and Carnatic vocal to about 800 students through online in 14 countries and to 60 students in regular classes. So far, about 2,000 students were completed their courses in the school during the last 10 years.

Sharing her future plans, Padmini said that plans were afoot to conduct a mammoth programme with 25,000 to 50,000 children during August in Visakhapatnam, a world tour of seven countries in association with noted cine music director Mani Sharma with 10 to 15 children, release of a short film with eight Annamayya Keerathanas, followed by an album with renowned music director RP Patnaik.

As part of spreading classical and Carnatic vocal music an action plan was prepared to enter into MoU with Adikavi Nannaya University and Andhra University to teach the music online freely. Moreover, the school entered into an MoU with Visakhapatnam Zilla Parishad to teach classical and Carnatic vocal to 2,000 students online.

Like in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, at least one person in a house should learn classical or Carnatic vocal which was my aim, Padmini said. “There is tremendous response to music across the world and the music teachers should try to tap the talent in the children, instead of discouraging them in the early stages. Music is an ocean and sky is the limit to learn it and underlined the need to bring awareness among the people both on classical and Carnatic music,” she added.