First off, Chitra and I want to thank all the students who participated in the Recital – as I said during my closing remarks, it was heartwarming to see our students perform amazing compositions – even the beginners. It sure speaks to their talent, dedication, practice, effort, and most importantly courage – to perform in front of an audience. Their performances were not simply a display of talent; they were a testament to the strength of their character and the power of artistic expression. Each and every student displayed immense growth, not only as performers but also as individuals who dare to pursue their passions.

A BIG Thank You to all the Gurus that helped and encouraged all the kids learn and refine the compositions the students were performing. It is because of them, and patrons like you, that we can achieve our mission of continuing to provide quality Classical Indian Music education to the next generation.

We also want to make sure we recognize each of the parents who encourage the kids, and who help them learn, practice, and perform – I know a few of you also learn music to help your kids practice. Quite a few parents told me that this was their first-ever recital for their child – and I’m sure you were on a roller coaster of emotions — goosebumps as your child got seated on stage, and a sigh of relief when you see they are performing well, and then a sense of pride and achievement when they completed. Let this be a stepping stone towards further honing their skills, exploring new horizons, and challenging them to reach even greater heights. Also remind your children that this does not mark the end of your journey; rather, it is a milestone along the path of lifelong learning. As they bask in the glory of the moment, remember that there is always room for growth and improvement. Let this be a stepping stone towards further honing their skills, exploring new horizons, and challenging them to reach even greater heights.

Last but not least, THANK YOU to all the volunteers that helped us put this recital together, again on a very short notice. A few volunteers that we’d like to personally recognize are:
1. Vivek Darera – for going above and beyond to help with the setup and getting snacks and water (Ohm is in India – but Vivek still came to help)
2. Chethana Nair – for staying through the entire event and helping with the back-stage logistics
3. Chandrakanth Panchumarthi – for all the amazing photographs
4. Bhaskar Ramachandran – for taking the videos
5. Bhavana – again for the certificates and back-stage logistics
6. NCS Ravali garu – for putting the program together
7. Y Gomathi, Nag and Sandra for managing all the backend logistics
8. And again, last but not least – to Shambhavi Bhaskar – for putting the program together, being the MC, and running the entire show. She really is superhuman.

I do recognize that about 7 students did not receive their certificates. I sincerely apologize for this. Having done a Root Cause Analysis, it looks like we ended up printing an earlier set, and not the final set of certificates. You will receive your certificates in School this weekend. Quite a few of the certificates did not have signatures – please bring your certificates to the school so your Guru can sign, or I can sign on behalf of remote teachers.

Thank you again for making this a fantastic experience – especially for the students! Looking forward to seeing all the students perform again at the Annual Day (tentatively scheduled for first weekend in October), singing higher-level compositions!

We are committed to achieving Eswar’s vision for the school to be a platform where students can learn Classical Indian music from many eminent performers and teachers with a rich musical lineage and have the opportunities to perform and shine on their lifelong journey of reward and fulfillment. We thank you for being patrons of the art form – it helps us preserve our musical heritage.

Sincerely, 

Satish