Young children, for the most part, love and respond positively to music. They are naturally receptive to the nuances of pitch and rhythm. Studies have proved that the physical and mental health of children improves with measured and planned exposure to classical music, and research has shown that children who are exposed to music at an early age do better academically.

The Mehli Mehta Music Foundation runs programmes for young children at different age group levels:

· Children between ages 1 and 2 - Discover Music 2, for Toddlers & Parents
· Children between ages 2 and 3 – Discover Music 3, for Toddlers & Parents
· Children between ages 3 and 4 – Discover Music 4
· Children between ages 4 and 5 – Discover Music 5
· Children between ages 5 and 6 – Discover Music 6

Each class meets once a week for 45 minutes. Our teachers undergo intensive ongoing training under Naheed Cruickshank, one of the United Kingdom’s finest early years’ music specialists.

Children learn pulse, rhythm and movement through songs, games and playing percussion instruments in creative and imaginative ways.

Fine and gross motor skills are improved through improvisational dancing and handling of the instruments. Vocal and speech development are enhanced through rhymes and singing.

Listening skills and concentration progress with aural training. Sharing and cooperation are reinforced in children with the sharing of instruments and the learning to participate with other students.

All these activities, and more, enhance children’s growth and development. The most important benefit is the proven positive effects music has on brain development. This has been thoroughly researched and documented and is most crucial during the first 6 years, when the most important brain development takes place. Youngsters who have had exposure to classical music at a young age, have an advantage in academic abilities, self-esteem, and probably improved attitudes in general. Besides the possibilities of being musicians at an older age!

Young children are less inhibited than they might be after they enter elementary school. They are ready to jump right in and give it a go! There is no pressure for a fantastic performance. The toddlers and pre-schoolers are free to experiment all the wonders of sound without the "standard" judgment of a preconceived notion of a proper performance.

The Orff Approach, the Kodály Method, the DaCapo Method and the Colourstrings Approach are amongst several developmental approaches used to teach music education to young children.

The Orff Approach combines music, movement, drama, and speech into lessons that are similar to child's world of play.

The Kodály Method uses a child-developmental approach to sequence, introducing skills in accordance with the capabilities of the child. New concepts are introduced beginning with what is easiest for the child and progressing to the more difficult. Children are first introduced to musical concepts through experiences such as listening, singing, or movement. It is only after the child becomes familiar with a concept that he or she learns how to notate it. Concepts are constantly reviewed and reinforced through games, movement, songs, and exercises.

DaCapo sessions always take place in a circle and do not use the conventional method of directed learning: instead there is a sense of shared exploration and an emphasis on creative contribution from every participant.

Colourstrings is a child-centred approach. The materials are colourful, stimulating and entice children to embark on musical adventures that will enable each of them to fulfill their musical potential through fun and creativity, without pressure.

The Mehli Mehta Music Foundation incorporates aspects of all 4 methods and has developed a tailor-made programme with the help and training of early music educator, Naheed Cruickshank. She is one of Scotland’s finest early years’ music specialists; she uses movement, puppets, live music and percussion instruments in her sessions. She has extensive experience working with young children and delivers training sessions for music teachers. Teacher training at the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation is an ongoing activity and teachers update their skills regularly.

Our Faculty

Our teachers deliver the entire Discover Music class via singing and movement. All our teachers take great pleasure in working with children.

Ami Makim
Discover Music for Parents & Toddlers
An interior designer by profession, Ami, is now concentrating on music which is her passion since childhood. She is trained in Hindustani Music and has performed on All India Radio. Her school choir sparked her interest in Western Music. She loves to teach children and volunteers in various activities in her children’s school.

Beniefer Kavarana
Discover Music Assistant
Though her educational and work background is a B.E. in Computers, Beniefer belongs to a family of musicians: her mother has been a piano teacher for over 45 years and now, she herself is a piano teacher and she trains students for the Trinity Guildhall examinations. She enjoys working with young children and desires to specialize further in early childhood education.

Delna Patel
Discover Music for 4, 5 and 6 year olds
Born and brought up in Mumbai, Delna studied music (Pianoforte) with Ratti Mehta, for more than 10 years before going off to Boston for a Masters in Communication Studies. She lived and worked in Boston and New York for several years before returning to Mumbai in 1996. She has been deeply involved in the theatre working as a Production Manager, Assistant Director and Producer over the years with Directors like Pearl and Alyque Padamsee. Deeply interested in singing she has been an active member of a choir for several years. She has done several voice-over assignments for Radio, Children's books and TV. She is also a film actor having portrayed character roles in 'Being Cyrus' and 'Everybody Says I'm Fine' among other films and starred in many ad films. She teaches Communication Studies at the St. Xavier's Institute of Communications. Delna enjoys working with children and teaching the Discover Music programme at the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation.

Hayat M. Sadri
Discover Music for Parents & Toddlers
Hayat has eclectic taste in music ranging from classical, choral, jazz genres to Western & Indian pop. A Commerce graduate from Mumbai’s HR College, Hayat’s mother led her to the piano when she was just 4. Later under the tutelage of her music teacher and mentor, Blossom Mendonca, she has cleared Trinity Grade VI and plans to study further. Hayat finds teaching music appreciation to young children most fulfilling.

Kamakshi Khurana
Discover Music for 4, 5 and 6 year olds
Kamakshi began her musical journey as a little baby hearing her father sing and compose. She decided to take it up as a profession from the time she was a child. She studied music and psychology through her college life and her love for children and teaching has brought her to take up this profession. She has been teaching children for the past 5 years and enjoys teaching at the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation.

Mandovi Menon
Discover Music Assistant
Mandovi has just completed her Bachelor of Arts degree with Economics. She loves the outdoors, amidst wilderness and nature, and finds this peaceful and soothing, after city life. She enjoys music and art, the history of both these. She wants to work with children and sees music as a tool to help children be soothed and peaceful. Besides working at the Foundation, Mandovi volunteers at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park.

Nicole Fernandes
Discover Music for 4, 5 and 6 year olds
A commerce graduate from the Mumbai University and currently pursuing her Masters in commerce, Nicole has been teaching at the Mehli Mehta Foundation since 2006. She started learning the piano at the age of 6 under her mother. She stood first in Mumbai in the Grade 7 Piano exam and has gone on to complete her Advanced Certificate in Piano from the Trinity College London under the tutelage of Blossom Mendonca. She also sings with the “Living Voices” choir, which performs on a regular basis in Mumbai, sometimes in collaboration with the Bombay Chamber Orchestra. At the Foundation, Nicole teaches the Discover Music programme, theory of music and accompanies various choirs. Alongside teaching at the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation, Nicole also teaches the keyboard and piano privately and sends students for the Trinity Guildhall Examinations. Outside of music, her interests include oil painting, reading, photography and creative art.

Rael Mendes
Discover Music for 4, 5 and 6 year olds
Rael is passionate about three things: music, children and psychology. She loves to sing and is part of the “Living Voices” choir and plays the piano as well. Her love for children is immeasurable and began when she was a child herself. She has studied psychology: developmental and child psychologies are her areas of interest. Teaching at the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation has given her the opportunity to experience and apply all three of her passions daily, and work at what she loves.

Rozelle Alphonso
Discover Music Assistant
Rozelle has passed her Grade 8 (Piano) of the Trinity Guildhall School of Music and is currently preparing for her Advanced Certificate Performance exam. She enjoys playing the Guitar and Cello and is an avid Jazz music lover. A music teacher by profession, she loves working with children and finds it a very enjoyable and gratifying experience. It is her aim to help people from all walks of life appreciate and love music as a form of art, expression and healing.

Shimoni Shah
Discover Music Assistant
A first class in her Bachelors of Commerce and Masters of Commerce degrees, Shimoni initially worked in a Chartered Accountancy firm. She has also studied music to Grade V (with distinction) of the Trinity College of London, and is an Indian semi-classical singer. Her enthusiasm for music is demonstrated in her love of playing all kinds of music on the piano. She wants to develop this and work with children and early music education.

Ursula Pereira
Discover Music Assistant
Ursula is a violinist with the Bombay Chamber Orchestra. She has given performances at inter collegiate festivals and also accompanied church choirs. She has performed with string and piano quartets at The Oberoi, Mumbai. She has played in various ad jingles and has performed with orchestra at the Bandra Festival, 2008. She also teaches violin to the children, and enjoys working with young children.