I was introduced to Carnatic music when I was around 7 years old. I realised I loved music when I was determined to continue learning even when I faced setbacks during the process. Since I loved music, my parents introduced SOTA to me as they felt that this would be a good school for me to do what I love and at the same time continue with my studies. I decided to apply for SOTA as I thought it would be a good environment for a holistic education. However, some people told me that it was going to be stressful managing both arts and academics, and asked me to reconsider my decision of applying. But, I was certain in my decision.

The first thing that attracted me to the school was its infrastructure. When I went to school for a tour during Talent Academy audition, I was taken aback by how big it was. There are more facilities for students to use at here as compared to primary school. SOTA is completely different from primary school. It is a diverse environment where everyone is very bonded regardless of which artform they are in. While you would have 35 or more students in a class in primary school, there are about 24 to 29 students per class in SOTA. To me, this is a better learning environment as you would have more attention from the teacher if you need help due to the small class size.

A typical day for me is quite long. School usually starts at 7.50am and sometimes ends at 5.25pm. Sometimes, it is very tiring due to the long timetable, but sometimes, you won’t realise that time is running when lessons are enjoyable.

As a Music student, I would say that the music curriculum provided here is very helpful and beneficial to those who are interested in music. You have the opportunities to perform, learn theoretical concepts and apply them to your daily life as a musician. For example, once a week, I have chamber music lessons where I learn to play as an ensemble. I am in the Indian Fusion Ensemble, which has really helped me to develop ensemble skills such as playing together with other musicians and coordination within a group. The chamber music sessions are something that I always look forward to when starting the week as it feels like an open space to share all your ideas and craft out something creative. The ensemble gets to perform during the annual showcases, usually held in August. The late rehearsals before performances, meals together with my ensemble mates, and performing on stage are things that I enjoyed the most out of my whole chamber music experience.

Music students also have Instrumental Studies (IS) with a specific teacher to master the instrument that we specialise in. I have IS lessons every week and it has made a huge impact on my ability to play my instrument, the Carnatic Violin. The IS lessons are always engaging and encouraging for me as my IS teacher motivates me to keep practising and to never give up on what I love.


Sreeranjani having a Carnatic Violin Instrumental Studies lesson (2021)

Other than Music, I take Physics, Chemistry, History and all the rest of the academic subjects. I love studying History as learning about famous and everyday people, events, stories, and the successes and failures of people, nations, civilisations, and organisations is important and meaningful to me. The way lessons are taught in school are very interactive. Teachers use a lot of interesting games like Kahoot quizzes and activities in their lessons to engage the students. Some of my teachers also try to give short breaks in between long lessons so that students can take a breather.

In my past two years in SOTA, I have learnt a lot. One thing I have learnt that is most essential is time management. I always tend to procrastinate doing projects and school work, and I used to cram everything at the last minute. This, affects my ability to score better as everything is rushed. Knowing that I have this habit, my teachers always advise me about managing my time better so that it is less stressful for me. They have also shared methods to help me consider how to have good time management.

The student culture at SOTA is very encouraging. Since coming to SOTA, I have learned to be more open-minded too. I used to be introverted, and would not respond or talk openly to everyone. Here, teachers and students support each other and motivate everyone to be better at what they do. The classroom environment is a space where I can feel safe and free to share my opinions and be involved. Looking at how bonded the community is has encouraged me to open up and make new friends and talk to everyone freely. I enjoy being a student at SOTA, as the environment has helped me to be a better version of myself.


Sreeranjani with her classmates on the last day of school (2020)

After graduating from SOTA, I hope to pursue a degree related to music. My goal in life is to develop emotional intelligence and to keep learning new things. I also would like to develop a reading habit as it will increase my knowledge.

To those considering SOTA:
I would strongly recommend you to join SOTA if you are truly passionate about your artform. The training that you receive in here would be very helpful to build your abilities and improve your skills.

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Students specialising in Music will experience the spectrum of music, from voice and instrumental study, to music theory and analysis, and composition. They will discover music from around the world and examine the development of music across traditions and history. They will also develop craft, perspectives and dispositions of a musician, which will enrich their journey in any field beyond SOTA.

Find out more about SOTA at our e-Open House, held online from 10 April to 18 May 2021 HERE.

READ OTHER STUDENTS' EXPERIENCES.❖ Photos provided by Sreeranjani Muthu Subramanian