MUSIC BASTI: PROPOSAL FOR RE-SOUND PROJECT 2014-15

A. Vision and Mission

Music Basti envisions a world where the universal rights of all children are
recognized and practiced. The mission of the project is to raise the voices of
at-risk children and youth through the arts, in particular through music and
media, to promote enhanced access to opportunities in education, health,
leisure, and also wellbeing and development.

Through the program activities, otherwise marginalized urban children and

youth have opportunities to build skills in leadership, communication,
confidence, teamwork and collaboration; develop an enhanced understanding
of vocational opportunities; and engage and interact with professionals and
students working with them through programs as teachers and role models.
The project also subsequently works to raise the global consciousness on
child rights, especially education and expression.

B. About Us
Music Basti has a twofold focus, to provide music instruction and exposure to
music and art forms and also advocate for a change in approaches to
rehabilitation programs so that the pragmatics of our aspirations take into
account not just the dissemination of basic skills but also creativity, critical
thinking and an inquisitive spirit. Music Basti purports that education should
never be just the promulgation of utilitarian tools, but a platform for children to
be able to explore the world and its material with the approach that they feel
comfortable and excited by.

The key achievements of the project since 2008 include the following:

i. Evaluation, assessment and documentation that has shown positive links

between music learning and life-skills development in at-risk children and
young people, towards evidence-based strategies: Needs assessments and
evaluations conducted by Music Basti show the relationship between
music learning through the Community Arts Approach and the development
of positive life-skills and attitudinal changes, especially increased self-
confidence, improved communication, teamwork and leadership.
ii. Partnerships and collaborations with a diverse range of organizations
including local NGOs and development agencies, schools, local and
international universities, music education institutions, international
cultural centers and embassies, etc., for child education and life-skills
development through music based projects in Delhi.

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 The program actively builds partnerships with existing child welfare
organizations and/or rehabilitation centers where at-risk children and
youth are identified and engaged in music and art projects. The key goals
for these partnerships include promoting resources and best practices
sharing across NGOs, as well as encouraging NGO functionaries to
recognize the importance of building critical life skills and creativity.
iii. Development of an innovative and enjoyable life-skills education
program:
Music Basti has grown and evolved over five years from a volunteer-led
community music program in 2008 to a program focused on child-centered
learning through life-skills development, across 5 underserved
communities in Delhi with a team of teachers and staff. This model also
actively mobilizes, sensitizes and trains youth musicians to advocate for
the realization of child rights, and equips them as trainers and role models
in their communities.
The program model that has been developed includes instruction in music
education, song writing, composition and recording to create music
albums (for example, in 2010 Music Basti created an album Monkey on the
Roof (www.monkeyontheroof.org), and in 2011 created an album and
media project Dhanak Dhin with over 100 children and youth
participants), public performances, and interactive workshops with local,
national and international artists.
iv.Outreach to over 500 at-risk children and youth, with over 5 communities in
Delhi, through life-skills building programs through music learning projects,
through the action and voluntary engagement of over 200 musicians and
artists: The program results focus on community building and personal
development for at-risk children and youth. The program believes arts,
cultural awareness and educational programs are essential for children to
develop self-confidence, self-identity, positive values orientation and
attitudes, and effective inter-personal communication, in day-to-day life in
order to cope with issues in their personal and professional lives and make
impactful change in social structures they are immersed in.
v. Recognition and honors: Music Basti has also received honors and
recognition including Best Use of Social Networks - Public
Service/Cause/Event of Indian Digital Media Awards 2011, Real Heroes
National Award 2011 for Youth (CNN IBN and Reliance Industries), and
Karamveer Puraskaar 2011 National Award for Social Entrepreneurship,
and is also a participant of British Council Indias Connections Through
Culture programs.

C. Goals & Objectives for Re-Sound 2013-14

The project goal is to create a shared community, where at-risk children and

2
 adolescents are able to enjoy their childhood, realize their full potential and
exercise their rights, self-determination & dignity.

The proposed activities are based on the following objectives:

i. Create musician and artist led projects through music that foster
creativity, communication, self-confidence and cooperation in
children and teachers
ii. Motivate at-risk children and adolescents to participate in music
projects through positive engagement with musicians and other
artists
iii. Mobilize and train musicians as teachers and role models to advocate
for the rights of children through music and community-led projects
iv. Design a creative teaching curriculum that encapsulates the values
of Music Basti and offers a high quality of musical learning
v. Document and share stories compiled over the course of the project
through audio-visual media, blogs, etc.
vi. Encourage partnerships and collaborations with organizations
working for child-care, government organizations, commercial and
educational units and civil society.

D. Project Approach

Music Bastis activities are based on the Community Music Approach1, which
seeks to promote opportunities in education through the principles of active
participation, life skills building and leadership development. These are also
part of an effort to contribute to the evidence base guiding the importance of
music related interventions and programs and their health related outcomes
at-risk children and adolescent populations in India.

There is a paucity of information and evidence to support this kind of an arts-

based intervention in India, and extremely limited resources available to
achieve this work on a large scale. There is much evidence suggesting that
music may be a universal and pervasive tool for the delivery of positive health-
related impacts. In recent years arts-based humanitarian programs are gaining

1 Community Arts is a way of describing creative activities that bring people together in their communities and that give people the
opportunity to gain new skills and new opportunities. Community Arts works to nurture the potential that exists in all communities to be
creative and to find a voice to express their concerns through and using the Arts. It promotes participation, is undertaken by a group
who either have the same collective identity, or a goal greater than the art form itself, or both, and is developed primarily to provide
opportunities for people who through economic or social circumstance have little access to the means to participate in the Arts. Often
community art is based in deprived areas, with a community oriented, grassroots approach.

3
an importance for their health benefits and therapeutic outcomes. The value of
arts programs as agents of social change and tools of inclusive community
building at the level of the individual and community is becoming visible.

Music Basti aspires to contribute new tools to evaluate music-based

interventions/s especially in resource poor settings without adequate capacity
or resources to develop the same. India is home to more than 243 million
adolescents, who account for almost 20 per cent of the countrys population. 2
Childrens vulnerabilities and exposure to violations of their rights remain
spread and multiple in nature. Investing in adolescents, including their
participation and integrating their views into the process of planning should
be fundamental.

International evidence establishes the benefits of music on a range of positive

health outcomes including cancer care, cardiovascular care, pain
3 4
management, neurological rehabilitation and brain injury , developmental
5
disabilities , communication and emotional expressivity in children who have
experienced abuse6, fostering resilience in early childhood7, amongst others.
Given the extensive application of music, the effects of integrating different
art forms, music and humanities into the healthcare culture in issues such as
social inclusion and cultural understanding is an area that still requires much
more evaluation. International studies and research on the impact of such
programs indicate other potential positive impacts through community music
learning including improvement in academic performance, motivation,
decreased delinquent behaviour, violence and aggression, as well as proven to
improve brain development, increased ability to comprehend mathematics and
language learning and self-expression.

The role of music has found purpose in diverse humanitarian contexts for
children and youth, for instance to promote non-discrimination (The Resonant
Community in Norway), to promote united international action against poverty
(Live8 concerts held internationally), to promote economic sustenance and
livelihoods (El Sistema in Venezuela), to promote human rights (in the 1960s
Civil Rights Movement, USA), and to improve emotional and social wellbeing

2 United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) (2011). The State of the World's Children 2011: Adolescence an Age of Opportunity. New
York, USA.
3 Thaut M. H., McIntosh G. C. (2010). How Music Helps to Heal the Injured Brain: Therapeutic Use Crescendos Thanks to Advances
in Brain Science. Cerebrum. March 2010
4 Bradt J, Magee WL, Dileo C, Wheeler BL, McGilloway E. (2010). Music therapy for acquired brain injury. Cochrane Database of
Systematic Reviews 2010. Issue 7. Art. No.: CD006787. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD006787.pub2.
5 (Thesis) Li R. (2010). The Effect of Community - Based Group Music Therapy on Quality of Life for Individuals with Developmental
Disabilities (Under the direction of Barbara Memory, Ph.D.). The Faculty of the School of Music: East Carolina University.
6 (Thesis) Graham, S (2011). The Effect of Music Therapy on the Emotional Expressivity of Children and Adolescents who have
Experienced Abuse or Neglect. The Florida State University College of Music.
7 Pasiali V. (2011). Resilience, music therapy, and human adaptation: nurturing young children and families. Nordic Journal of Music
Therapy. DOI:10.1080/08098131.2011.571276

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 (Sound It Out, UK). Developing linkages between the outcomes of such kinds
of programs in relation to improved health is an area that requires more
attention and research.

Music Basti has a twofold focus, to provide music instruction and exposure to
music and art forms and also advocate for a change in approaches to
rehabilitation programs so that the pragmatics of our aspirations take into
account not just the dissemination of basic skills but also creativity, critical
thinking and an inquisitive spirit. Music Basti purports that education should
never be just the promulgation of utilitarian tools, but a platform for children to
be able to explore the world and its material with the approach that they feel
comfortable and excited by.

E. Beneficiaries & Partners

The project mobilizes and works with a diverse network of individuals,
organizations and others with the goal of promoting change and social
transformation through joint action.

i. At-risk children and adolescents:

Music Basti project works with underserved populations of at-risk children
and youth in the NCR. They are identified through partnerships with
selected non-governmental organization (NGO) working on issues of child
education, rehabilitation and welfare in low income and underserved
communities, e.g. slums, rehabilitative schools or shelter-homes.
Communities that Music Basti projects have been implemented in include
Okhla Industrial Area, Mehrauli, Kapashera, Papankalan Dwarka, and
Mahipalpur in Delhi. Children who are part of Music Basti programs are
often labeled as children-at-risk. For Music Basti, this implies that the
children have demanding and challenging experiences of life on the
streets, often abandoned by their families and without protective elements
of any kind. They live in poverty, and inhabit physically, mentally and
socially unsafe environments. Some of the key challenges participant
children and youth face in the process of integration into the formal school
system include low self-esteem and self-confidence, poor communication
skills, very limited exposure to education and culture, a lack of social
acceptance.

ii. Youth musicians and volunteers:

Musicians and artists participating in Music Basti projects may be
students, professional teachers and/or performers. While most
participating musicians are local, the program also involves volunteers
from India and internationally, who are trained as teacher-cum-artists
integrating music learning through formal and non-formal teaching

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 methods, encouraging model character traits and values among children
through engagement with musicians and artists to produce confident
young people with a positive self-image and a belief in teamwork and
harmony.

iii. Civil society:

Through the project activities, performances, events, social media,
documentation stories and blogs, as well as song-projects and albums
created for online distribution, Music Basti has been able to reach out to a
vast and diverse audience in civil society, to encourage first-hand
engagement through volunteering and teaching, as well challenging
stereotypes about at-risk children and adolescents, as well as the idea of
interventions catering to basic needs for vulnerable populations including
the development of creativity, critical thinking and an inquisitive spirit.

F. Re-Sound: Proposed Strategy & Activities for April 2014 March 2015

i. Re-Sound 6 month music learning & song writing program for at-risk
children and adolescents: Re-Sound is a group music learning program,
using improvisation based teaching methods with content including
introduction of key musical concepts and elements, skills in listening,
singing and creative expression for song writing and performance.
Designed for beginners aged 10-15 years of age, it is delivered by trained
musician-cum-teachers or Teaching-Artists on a weekly or bi-weekly
basis. The lessons are conducted on the premises of the partner or
collaborator NGOs that also assist in the process of selecting child and
youth participants for the program.

ii. Training and capacity building for musician-cum-teachers:

Teaching-Artists selected participate in an intensive weeklong training
process, focused on understanding and applying improvisation as a tool for
music teaching. Monthly trainings are conducted for Teaching-Artists on
teaching methods, how to monitor childrens progress, best practices in
music instruction, child centered teaching and participation, etc.

iii. Exposure programs:

Exposure workshops for participants through visits to concerts and
performance-based workshops at the Center/Home, led by local, national
or international musicians and other performers, to promote a more global
understanding of different forms of music.

iv.Performances programs:

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 Participant children perform music and songs both internally, at their
residential school or community center, as well as through events
organized by Music Basti at public venues in the city.

v. Research and mapping of content & curriculum development:

Re-Sound is developing a content-framework through the course of the
program with a focus on an integrated approach to introducing rhythm,
melody and singing, song-writing and performance to beginners, focused
on at-risk children and youth, who may have limited access to formal
education opportunities. Through the program, there is a focus on
promoting the life skills of confidence, communication, cooperation and
creativity.

vi. Documentation stories & blogs:

Through program activities, written, audio and video documentation is
focused on documenting teaching and training methods and results, as
well as centered on sharing the context and stories of the communities
that the programs are implemented in. The purpose of these is to generate
awareness on the community and share its voice. Read Music Basti
Stories: Voices from Kapashera 'India is independent, but Kapashera is
not' and also published by The Alternative. (November 28, 2013)

G. Way Forward

Music Basti uses a community-based approach or Community Arts Approach,

as part of a conscious effort to work with and enter into a dialogue with
children through collaborative arts-based activities and projects. Through
these activities, strong bonds are built with positive thinking adult artists --
friends -- whose several achievements in art and intellectual activities foster
enthusiastic and motivating value beliefs in the children who pool resources
together as equals. Through such a communal activity, which is a learning
process for both the adult and child participant, a sense of shared community
is created especially on occasions of joint participation in public showcases
and performances. Creating this support system is often critical for the
promotion of positive attitudes and beliefs among children, in the absence of a
stable family atmosphere and family income, housing, healthcare, legal
protection and nutrition.

The importance of community support is where the relevance of Music Basti

becomes apparent. Childrens development is the outcome of our community,
its shared norms, practices and it is important that as our community
progresses that it also become more inclusive of the multiple voices that

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constitute our shared spaces. These activities work to nurture the potential
that exists in all communities to be creative and to find a voice to express
their concerns through and using the arts.

In India, the lack of a focus on the arts at primary and secondary levels of
school education coupled with an emphasis on technical disciplines has led to
a reality where arts and music related programmes receive little importance
in the educational framework. This non-belief in arts and music as tools for a
healthy and creative sense of being is apparent in the healthcare system as
well. An additional single-minded focus on the meeting of basic needs for
vulnerable populations leaves little scope or interest in arts-based
interventions that may pose a viable and cost-effective alternative to working
with different populations. This kind of analysis may be of special interest and
relevance for further study to the Ministries of Health and Family Welfare,
Human Resource Development and Women and Child Development in India. A
paucity of research to substantiate the value and efficacy of arts-based
interventions for health in a global context hinders the application of creative
minded health-based interventions in India.

CONTACT

Organization Name: Music Basti project, of Integrated Development Education

Association (IDEA)
Address: C/o 144 Munirka Vihar, New Delhi, 110067
Telephone: +91 9818453347
Email: faith@musicbasti.org / musicbasti@musicbasti.org
Website: www.musicbasti.org

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H. Cost Plan

S. No Cost Plan Total (INR)

A. Music Activities with 100 at-risk children and youth 4,75,000.00

A.1 Music Education Classes Fee to Teachers @ 2,25000.00
INR 500 per teacher per lesson x 30 lessons for 15 teachers
A.2 Instruments and/or Learning Materials @ INR 2,50,000.00
2500.00 per child x 100 children
B. Training and Capacity Building for Teachers 1,75,000.00
B.1 5 Day training program for 25 Participants including 15
selected Teachers (transport, venue, food and
refreshments, audio-visual equipment, etc.) @ INR 1000.00 1,25,000.00
per person per day x 7 days

B.2 50,000.00
Honorarium to 2 Trainers @ INR 5000.00 per day x 5 days
C. Program Personnel 9,36,000.00
C.1 Program Director (full time) @40,000.00 x 12 months 4,80,000.00
C.2 Project Coordinator (full time) @30,000.00 x 12 3,60,000.00
months
C.3 Part-Time Support Staff @ 3,000.00 x 12 per month 36,000.00
C.4 Transport to team for community visits related to 60,000.00
project implementation supervision @ INR 2500 per
month x 2 persons
D. Documentation & Website 2,20,000.00
D.1 Website Maintenance 20,000.00
D.2 Documentation Films for awareness & educational 1,00,000.00
purposes @ INR 20,000 x 5 short films
D.3 Music Recordings for awareness and education @ INR 1,00,000.00
20,000.00 per song x 5 songs
E. Public Program & Exposure Programs 3,40,000.00
E.1 1 public concert program with outreach to up-to 1000 3,00,000.00
persons
E. 2 4 exposure programs for child-participants to 40,000.00
concerts @ 10,000.00 INR per program
F. Administration 5,29,000.00
F. 1 Rent @ 15,000.00 per month x 12 months 1,80,000.00
F. 2 Electricity, Water, Local transport, Phone, Stationery, 2,40,000.00
Internet, etc. @ 20,000.00 per month x 12 months
F. 3 Accounting @ 6,000.00 per month x 12 months 72,000.00
F. 4 Audit 30,000.00
F. 5 Misc. 7,000.00
Total: 26,75,000.00
Total in words: Twenty Six Lakhs Seventy Five Thousand Only

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I. Overview of Project Activities

Narrative Objectively Means of Assumptions

Summary Verifiable Verification (MoV)
Indicators (OVI)
Goal
To create a shared community, where at-risk children and youth are able to:
enjoy their childhood;
realize their full potential;
exercise their rights, self-determination & dignity;
have opportunities to pursue arts, especially music and media based
learning.
Objectives/Purpose
Engage with 100 1. Identify child and 1. Number of Previous years
at-risk children and youth participants children and experience has
youth in (ages between 12 youth selected to seen
and 16 years) and participate in partnership
participative music
select NGOs activities and formulation
learning projects,
working with child- details of with grassroots
over 8 months. care, education batches. NGO partners
and/or 2. Partnership to be time-
rehabilitation. agreements with consuming and
2. Conduct a institutions/ NGOs slow. Renewal
baseline/needs- for administrative of partnerships
assessment with and other support with existing
selected child and in hosting partner NGOs
youth participants. activities for or
3. Create up to 10 children and incorporating
batches of children youth more children
and youth participants. part of their
participants. 3. Data collected as shelters or
part of the programs will
baseline survey be ideal.
for profiling of
participants,
feedback and
assessments with
children and
youth
participants.
Recruit and train 1. Identify and train 1. Teaching-Artist 1. Recruitment
15 musicians as 15 Teaching- applications and and open call
Teaching-Artists Artists* to CVs; selection for applications
implement the process will yield 100+
to implement the 8-
course for the 8- (applications, applications.
month music
month music interview and 2. Availability of
learning program, course program. audition, selected
and other 2. Plan and orientation). Teaching
music/art projects implement a 1- 2. Documentation of Artists for
with the child and week long training training program/s training and
youth participants. program with conducted, capacity

10
 selected Teaching- feedback from development.
Artists and Teaching-Artists, 3. Smooth
volunteers/interns and resource placement and
for capacity and persons introduction of
skill building on conducting the Teaching
implementing the training. Artists to their
8-month music- 3. Teaching-Artist appointed
learning program. reports; Feedback groups of
3. Appoint and place meetings between children in
each Teaching- management team selected
Artists 1 batch of and Teaching- communities/N
children and/or Artists. GOs.
youth for the 8- 4. List of mentors, 4. Efficient
month music and network of communication
course program. support between
4. Provide on-going organizations and Teaching
support and individuals, and Artists and
monitorship to other relevant Music Basti
Teaching-Artists, resources. program
and access to a 5. Blogs/media management
network of NGOs, pieces created staff regarding
trained teachers by/featuring the scheduling,
and others for Teaching-Artists. documentation
support/mentorship and reporting
on issues of child processes.
rights and
education.
5. Engage Teaching-
Artists and
volunteers/interns
in social media
documentation and
advocacy projects.
Design a creative 1. Identify 2 1. Appointment of 2 1.
teaching staff/consultants to consultants/staff Documentation
curriculum for an develop 8-month for course of program
music learning development and activities and
8-month music
course program. monitoring. learnings, with
learning course
2. Research existing 2. Research report expert
program, which systems and on best practices consultancy
encapsulates the curricula on music of selected and/or help.
values of Music education, existing systems 2. Assistance
Basti (focus on life- education modules and curricula on through experts
skills of for children at-risk, music education, and/or
etc. education volunteers on
confidence,
3. Develop a modules for continued
communication,
monitoring and children at-risk, research for
cooperation and evaluation system etc. monitoring and
creativity) and for 8-month music 3. Course-book for 8- evaluation
offers a high learning course month music- purposes.
quality of musical program. learning program.
learning. 4. Implement 4. Monitoring and

11
 feedback, evaluation system
monitoring and for course.
evaluation 5. Feedback
activities with 100 meetings with and
child participants. course reports
5. Present an annual received from
evaluative report Teaching-Artists.
on 8-month music 6. Evaluation Report
learning course for 8-month music
program. learning course
program.
Facilitate volunteer 1. Identify volunteers 1. Volunteer 1. Volunteer
led music and art who may be applications andapplications
projects. musicians and/or CVs. received
artists to 2. Volunteer project
regularly.
implement short- report and 2. Capacity of
term projects. feedback on-going
2. Provide meetings. activities to
orientations and absorb and
monitoring to fully utilize
volunteer led volunteer
projects. support.
Document and 1. Audio and visual 1. Facebook &
share stories documentation Twitter
compiled over the projects and blogs updates/events
created for each 2. Blogs
course of the
NGO/community 3. Website updates
project through
the program is 4. Videos
audio-visual media, implemented 5. Music
blogs, etc. with. tracks/songs
2. Compilation of recorded
strategies for
documentation
employed.
Encourage partnerships and collaborations with organizations working for child-
care, government organizations, commercial and educational units and civil society.

J. Suggested Project Timeline

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 Outputs Activities Month-wise (Apr 13 Mar 14)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 1 1
0 1 2
Engage 100 1. Select NGOs working Y
at-risk with child-care,
children and education and/or
youth as rehabilitation.
participants. Y
2. Identify child and youth
participants (ages
between 12 and 16
years) from the selected Y Y Y
NGOs.

3. Conduct a
baseline/needs- Y
assessment, feedback
and evaluation with
selected child and youth
participants.

4. Create up to 10 batches
of children and youth
participants.

Implement 1. Identify staff to develop Y

teaching 8-month music learning
curriculum for course program.
an 8-month
music- Y
learning 2. Research existing
program. systems and curricula
musical on music education,
learning. education modules for
children at-risk, etc. Y Y

3. Develop monitoring and Y Y

evaluation system for 8-
month music learning
course program. Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

4. Implement feedback,
Y Y
monitoring and
evaluation activities
with Teaching-Artists,
children and youth
participants.

5. Present an annual
evaluative report on 8-
month music learning
course program
Facilitate 1. Identify volunteers who Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
volunteer led may be musicians and/or
music and art artists to implement
projects, short-term projects.
wherever Provide orientations and 13
feasible. monitoring to volunteer
led projects.
Recruit and 1. Open call for Y Y
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K. About Integrated Development Education Association (IDEA)

Integrated Development Education Association (IDEA) was set up in 1991 as

an all India agency, with the aim to work towards the empowerment of he
socio-economically deprived communities, especially dalits and women, living
mainly in the Northern and North Eastern states of India. Its founder, Mr G. J.
Gonsalves, had earlier worked for 18 years at the grass roots level in Bihar,
with governmental and non-governmental departments/networks working in
rural development and education, as a member of the National Adult Education
Programme (NAEP) Policy Formulation and Working Committee, as the Director
of National Service Volunteer Scheme (NSVS) for Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal
and Manipur states, a full-time member for the formulation of the 1986 New
Education Policy. IDEA has focused on initiating processes of community
development based on social awareness, organization of communities and
their networking, and concrete creative action based on the principles of
justice, equality and non-violence.
IDEA as a registered body started its activities in 1991 as the Delhi based
consultancy of Indo-German Social Service Society (IGSSS) mainly for
Awareness, Training and Motivation for Action (ATMA) programs beginning.
Subsequently, child education programs were set up in Uttar Pradesh in 1998,
while in 2000 this was followed by setting up the Resource Center for the
National Education Group (NEG), for concrete activities of educational
projects and sustainable agricultural growth with equity (SAHM). The Students
Mobilization Initiative through Learning (SMILE) was set up in 2003, and Music
Basti in 2008 was added on within the framework of its basic priorities of
access to information, social awareness, community organization and
concrete action for development. Based on this history of programs, activities
have included the training-of-trainers of non-governmental organizations,
educational institutions, self-help-groups (SHGs) and others is a strategy and
activity that is employed by IDEA in order for core groups formation who can
sustain a movement for rights based development. Along with these, pre-
funding and post-funding studies and training of development personnel at the
NGO levels were key activities too.

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16