Souparnika Music School

You can find Souparnika Music School in Karunagappally, over in the Kollam district. The pincode is 690518. We have a small space where we keep the instruments. There are usually a few harmoniums and some violins lying around. It’s not a soundproof studio, so you can definitely hear the music from the street when someone is practicing. Sometimes it’s a bit of a mess with all the wires and the music stands, but we know where everything is. We started this because there weren't many places nearby for kids to learn the traditional songs. It’s mostly local families who come by. We don't have a big staff, just a couple of us who know how to play. The floors are plain concrete and we have some mats for the students to sit on. It’s better than sitting on chairs for some of the lessons. In the rainy season, the dampness can be a problem for the wooden instruments, so we have to be careful about where we store them. We don't have any big advertisements. The sound of the classes usually lets people know we are open. It’s a very basic setup, just focusing on getting the notes right. We spend our evenings here, mostly, because that's when everyone is free. It’s a quiet life centered around the music and the local community. We just keep the music going as best as we can every day.