Mridangam Shankaranarayanan Academy Of Fine Arts Foundation

We are located at Shankar Villa in Sion West, Mumbai. It’s right on the first street. Our foundation is all about fine arts, specifically the mridangam and other traditional music. It’s a house, so it doesn't feel like a cold office at all. You’ll usually hear the rhythmic thumping of the drums coming from inside. We have students of all ages coming in. Some are just kids starting out and others have been playing for years. It’s a bit crowded with instruments and mats on the floor for people to sit on. We don’t go in for fancy decorations. The walls have some old photos and that’s about it. It’s a place for practice and learning. Sometimes the neighborhood is noisy with the Sion traffic, but once the music starts, you don't notice it as much. We spend a lot of time talking about rhythms and old songs. It’s very relaxed. If someone wants to learn, they just come in and sit down. There isn’t a big HR department or anything like that. It’s just us sharing what we know about music. Sometimes we have tea together after a long session. It feels very traditional, like the way things used to be taught. If you walk down the street in Sion West, just listen for the drums and you’ll find us at number 8/87. We’re just a small group of people keeping the art alive in our own way.