5 reasons to apply to the Shanti Bhavan Music Fellowship

Having the opportunity to experience Shanti Bhavan is  a chance to experience a bubble of kindness, love, and passion for education. BAE’s music education program adds another layer of magic and love to the Shanti Bhavan community. For interested music educators who want to experience this bastion of love and community, we have compiled 5 reasons why you should apply to be our next Music Fellow! 

1. A chance to build meaningful relationships beyond “drop-in” volunteering 

Fellowships last for a minimum of 3 months as Shanti Bhavan students deserve committed teachers who want to take the opportunity to learn what life is like for these remarkable students. Additionally, qualified applicants can stay for an entire academic year if available. This time gives the Fellow the chance to really get to know who they are teaching instead of focusing exclusively on what they are teaching. 

2. Teaching music is your dream. 

The Music Fellow at Shanti Bhavan coordinates the music program on-site. The fellow provides music education classes to elementary school children, oversight and training of three choirs for middle school and high schoolers, and coordination of virtual music instructions with exceptional teachers across the globe. There is no “busy” work - most of the time spent is providing music education or preparing to provide education. 

3. You believe in the transformative power of community and education for youth restricted by extreme poverty 

Incredible volunteers and staff come from across the globe to contribute to Shanti Bhavan’s mission to “bring children from generational poverty to a life of dignity and achievement”. Shanti Bhavan provides food, shelter, clothing, medical care, and community to children from the poorest families in the Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka areas of Southern India from the time they are in preschool to their first day of work after college. 

4. You enjoy teaching music with little resources and reliance on technology 

While the Music Fellow teaches music class in a classroom on campus, equipped with a piano, keyboards, boomwhackers, and other instruments, past fellows have found it exhilarating to teach music outside on Shanti Bhavan’s gorgeous campus, especially with the younger children. For example, the class may consist of the children forming a circle to repeat after the teacher or singing songs while in a line practicing formation and active listening skills.  

5. You are interested in being immersed in the culture of Shanti Bhavan students to provide informed, contextualized music education 

Music Fellows live in guest residential housing on Shanti Bhavan’s campus, fully getting immersed into the Shanti Bhavan and rural India’s culture while on campus. Fellows eat meals native to Tamil Nadu and can eat dinner with students to chat and get to know them better. During limited excursions (COVID-precaution), Fellows can get essential supplies in the neighboring villages and towns, learning more about the areas that many students grew up in. 

If all 5 of these reasons resonate with you, apply to our Music Fellowship today at this link!  We are looking for Fellows to start on or around August 15, 2022. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions, at tracia@broadwayforartsed.org.