Japan music school set for launch in Kolkata

With a focus on education with entertainment and an all-round approach to learning music, the Roland School of Music (RSM), Japan, opens its doors in Kolkata March 21. "The RSM has global presence and provides the perfect platform to encourage kids and adults alike," RSM chief executive officer (CEO), eastern region, Jyoti Bansal told IANS. Catering to all age groups starting from three, the RSM will facilitate the use of interactive software and visual aids for the toddlers. "Unless children can relate learning to fun, they will lose interest. That's where RSM is different," said Bansal. Imparting lessons in piano, guitar, western vocals, lucina, V-drums and keyboards, RSM's semester system of curriculum has been devised based on Indian preferences, so that the learners will have a bouquet of songs ready to play during festivals. "We will prepare the kids in such a manner that they will have a collection of 20 to 22 songs ready for playing based on the chords they have learnt," Bansal said. "Not only that, they will be taught other musical instruments as well beside the one they choose to learn. And the theory about music will be dealt with in an interesting manner. This ensures an all-round learning," Bansal added. Besides, after a year of training, the students will be ready to participate and showcase their talent in RSM's own band which is internationally acclaimed. The multi-talent hub Happy Hours in Vaishakhi Mall, in the city's satellite township Salt Lake, will provide its studio for RSM's classes, whose teachers are specially trained as per its directive. The school will flag off with an international talent hunt contest which will enable the winners to get 100 percent scholarship on the fees. The accord brought several prominent figures from Seleka into the government but it collapsed after the rebels said their demands, which included the release of people they described as political prisoners, had not been met. Seleka launched its first offensive on December 10, accusing Bozize of having failed to honour an earlier peace agreement. They seized a string of towns on their way south but stopped short of Bangui. The state, which has a population of about 4.5 million, has been unstable since its independence from France in 1960, with a history of coups and mutinees.