Age is just a number

There is a course for children aged eight to 13. Representation pic

DJ, music producer and guitarist Mihir Raina, feels kids these days are lucky. With ample access and resources to tech, music is very much at their fingertips. For over two years now, Raina has been teaching the craft of music production to all ages. From August 30, he will helm a set of two courses that teach children as young as eight, the skills of songwriting, music production and monetisation, theory, and more. "Music is a good outlet. Through it, children can explore different cultures, communities and mindsets. Right now there are so many types of software and technology for kids to get interested [in music]. Getting into production can help kids get a sense of music at its core, and understand its various aspects. It's also a lot of fun, at the same time," says Raina.

Mihir Raina aka Lacuna

The courses will be taught virtually, through the Furtados School of Music; one for ages eight to 13, and the other, which is a pro course, for those above 14. "For an eight-year-old to go into music production, they must be informed about music. I've divided the course in such a way that they learn about that first, and what instruments sound like. Words like sound and pitch might be easy to understand for adults, but for children these concepts have to be thoroughly explained before they get into production. Playing games, listening to music, watching interesting videos will be part of the course. Basic software will be explored that are colourful and interesting, especially for the younger ones. For them, using a production software like BandLab can be almost like playing a video game," adds Raina.

Children will be encouraged to explore all kinds of music. In the pro version of the course, they will also be taught about different kinds of music from around the world. "We want to inform the kids of all the styles of music that exist, so they can make their own choices. They should at least know what's out there," he concludes.

On August 30 onwards
Log on to fsmbuddy.com/course/junior-producer-course
Cost Rs 10,000 onwards