Even as Covid shattered the dreams of many novice entrepreneurs, Swapnali Gaikwad, who comes from a humble beginning, started giving music lessons in 2018 to fund her college studies in Pune.
The 24-year-old native from Latur, Marathwada, reached out to students across the globe through social media as the pandemic forced many to move online.
“I was surprised by the number of enrolments, including students from the US, UK, Australia, Germany and France. Students from Pakistan and Japan who did not speak Hindi also showed interest to learn Indian classical music,” she said.
Daughter of parents, with father a school teacher, and with no background in music, Gaikwad has so far taught Indian classical music to 546 students.
“More than 150 students are taking my online classes,” she said.
“I am from Japan and don’t speak Hindi. Swapnali’s method of teaching helped me learn Indian music even as I don’t understand the language,” said Hisael Williams.
Neha Ganjoo, a student who took music lesson from Swapnali during the Covid pandemic, said, “It was a nice experience to learn classical music online. I was a bit sceptical about learning music virtually. But with Swapnali madam the teaching was similar to offline class. The classes also helped me to cope with Covid anxiety.”
{{/usCountry}}Neha Ganjoo, a student who took music lesson from Swapnali during the Covid pandemic, said, “It was a nice experience to learn classical music online. I was a bit sceptical about learning music virtually. But with Swapnali madam the teaching was similar to offline class. The classes also helped me to cope with Covid anxiety.”
{{/usCountry}}“We are also helping artistes to monetise their work online through my music label “After Dream Entertainment”. I hope that my students should get international recognition for the work my label is producing,” she said.
Since the age of ten, Swapnali aspired to be an Indian classical singer. Her music teacher Pt Baburao Borgaonkar encouraged and helped her foray into the world of Indian classical music. But her birth in a conservative middle class family, to a couple who happen to be Zilla Parishad teachers, reduced her dreams and aspirations to a mere hobby. She continued her studies and got into the field of Engineering. It didn’t take her long to know she wasn’t cut out for that life. She switched to music in the second year of her studies and enrolled in a college in Pune’s Loni Kalbhor.
She teaches Indian classical (Hindustani), semi-classical and devotional music.