How Japanese violinist Mika Nishimura is empowering young minds in India through music

The heavy weekend showers did not deter 140 children gathering at Mumbai’s Tata Theatre for an exciting event of music and dance. They were participating in the finale of Elevate, a week-long programme, facilitated by Japanese violinist and educator Mika Nishimura.

The camp, held in mid-August, brought together students from across government schools, private institutions and NGOs. Beginning with a four-day training workshop at the Muktangan education centre, it moved for a day to the Bombay Club before the final rehearsal and grand performance at Tata Theatre. Children began by practising on hand-built wooden string instruments, before transitioning to real violins and cellos, rehearsing in ensemble formats. They learnt new songs and to play them on instruments, all while having fun. Entry was free and with registration.

Japanese violinist and educator Mika Nishimura.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

For Mika, it was a dream come true. She has been staying in Mumbai for over a decade now. She started by teaching at Mehli Mehta Foundation of Music (MMMF), and later started Sound of Soul, a music school, seven years ago. Elevate, conceptualised three years ago, is co-created by her and Spanish-Honduran education projects’ specialist— Katheryn Murillo. It brings students of different backgrounds together on a common platform. Says Mika, “The idea was to empower children through music, movement, learning and listening.”

Born in Fukuoka, Japan, Mika started learning violin at the age of four. She made her solo debut in Tokyo, and later studied at Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary. In 2006, she moved to Madrid, and studied under maestro Zakhar Bron.

Students performing as part of Elevate at Tata Theatre in NCPA in Mumbai
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Mika, who initially trained to be a concert musician with “teaching always on” her mind, shares the story of how she came to settle in India. “I had moved to Tel Aviv and studied at the Buchmann-Mehta School Of Music. That was where I met maestro Zubin Mehta, who invited me as a visiting teacher at MMMF in Mumbai and train teachers here. My plan was to do that for a few weeks in summer, but soon felt this was where I could pursue my career as I wanted to create opportunities for education of children through music.”

In Mumbai, Mika performed at the Con Brio Music Festival and the Cool Japan Festival and at the 2018 De Capo Sammelan in Goa, along with soprano Patricia Rozario and pianist Mark Troop. During her stint with MMMF, Mika took 22 Indian violin and viola students to Japan, where they performed with Japanese students at Takasaki Music Festival. Her students have also performed at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Mumbai, where they presented Indian and Australian national anthems as an opening act for Zubin Mehta’s Australian World Orchestra tour.

During her early years in Mumbai, Mika met many children from disadvantaged backgrounds and wanted to “help improve the quality of their life through music. That was the inspiration to start Sound Of Soul. The methods of teaching music are the same, whether the students come from wealthy or poor families. Yet, at a young age, both have an inhibition to play with the other on a common stage. I wanted to remove this gap.”

Mika also noticed children could not stand still for an hour. She says, “In music, one can’t focus if one doesn’t have the energy. That’s when I realised the role of nutrition in their training.” Elevate then collaborated with the restaurant 145 to prepare healthy snacks for the participants.

Mika with children at the four-day training workshop at the Muktangan Education Centre
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Katheryn helped devise the programme after they met in Portugal. “I am a musician, and she has an engineering background. But the combination has worked as we can come out with fresh ideas.”

The programme also involved mentors, including Cyprus-based Colombian conductor Santiago Oziate, Spanish wellness educator and athlete Guillermo Diaz, Japanese nutritionist and wellness mentor Yurri and fitness instructor and movement coach Nitin Chandan. They plan to start a second edition of Elevate and take it to other cities. Mika says, “Elevate isn’t a traditional music camp. It’s a bold experiment which shows that children thrive when they are seen as capable of creating, healing and leading no matter where they come from.”