Volunteer Name: Nimisha Manji
Location: Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad, India
Duration of Assignment: September to December, 2013
Task:
- Taught music theory, composition and performance to students in the Primary and Middle Years programs
- Developed curriculum for music education while ensuring that the International Baccalaureate methods and requirements were being met
- Acquired resources for music education such as textbooks and instruments
Impact: Nimisha shared her music talent and passion with young students in Hyderabad. As a result of her work, they were able to identify core elements of music, examine musical pieces, develop compositions and also perform at an end-of-term concert.
Full Story:
“I can still visualize myself in the classroom,” reflected Nimisha Manji as she recalled her experiences at the Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad. Nimisha embarked on a three-month TKN assignment as a music teacher at the Academy in September 2013. She primarily focused on teaching music theory and composition to students in the Middle Years program, but was also actively involved with students in the Primary program. Her role also included developing curriculum for music education while ensuring that the International Baccalaureate methods and requirements were being met. In addition, she acquired resources for music education such as textbooks and instruments.
Nimisha has a Bachelor of Music in Music Education with a Minor in International Development from McGill University. She completed her Postgraduate Certificate of Education at the Institute of Education (IOE), University of London upon graduating from McGill. After teaching in the United Kingdom for almost 15 years, Nimisha went back to the IOE and completed her Master of Arts in Music Education in 2013.
While Nimisha’s primary instrument is the clarinet, she is a woodwind specialist and can also play the saxophone and flute. She has been actively involved with wind bands and choral groups throughout her education and career as a teacher. Nimisha has worked with extracurricular groups in schools conducting orchestras, choirs and various small ensembles as well as organizing concerts and productions. She also loves choral singing and was a member of the McGill Choral Society and the St. Lawrence Choir in Montreal.
Nimisha was able to utilize her extensive experience as a music teacher and instrumentalist during her time at the Aga Khan Academy. Through her teaching, students acquired the skills to identify the core elements of music such as melody, rhythm, harmony and pitch. Students were then able to take this theory and apply their learning in a practical manner by examining musical pieces, creating compositions and making connections to contemporary and modern music.
Nimisha explained: “Ideal teaching would be where units of work would involve listening to and appraising music, so being able to hear things and identify pieces of music but also instruments within the music, techniques being used, themes, anything like that - basically building the students’ hearing skills. We would also try to combine performance, so that students were developing technique, and understanding the principles behind performing music and what it means to work together as a group and follow a beat. We tried to tie in things that had a compositional element, and how students can create their own music on different themes.”
Through utilizing this approach, Nimisha was able to incorporate her skills in teaching world music, a major focus in her career, as well as a variety of other genres. She feels that this approach “allows students to understand geography, culture, history, the importance of music in society and its reflection of a society or community whilst developing music skills and applying techniques in various ways.”
One of the highlights for Nimisha during her time at the Academy was the end-of-term concert where students had the opportunity to showcase their talents and learning. “In December, we presented a full concert of quite a variety of programs with a mixture of both primary and secondary students.” This was the first concert of its kind held in the Academy’s new Commons Building on campus and included both vocal and instrumental performances by students.
Since her time at the Academy, Nimisha has relocated to Lethbridge, Alberta to help her father with their family business. While Nimisha is currently not teaching, when asked if she could see herself going back to the Aga Khan Academies, she remarked: “I would love to go back! I felt like there was so much more I could offer.”
Nimisha also benefitted professionally as this TKN assignment introduced her to the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum. In addition, it gave her the opportunity to collaborate with other teachers and professionals while learning from their diverse experiences. On a personal level, Nimisha developed new friendships and still has fond memories of her interactions with the students and staff. She says “I am grateful to have been able to experience living in India and to travel to a place that I had only dreamed of seeing. The opportunity to serve was extremely humbling and gratifying in countless ways, which words cannot express.”
The Aga Khan Academy hopes that Nimisha will have many more opportunities to share her music talent and passion with the Academies and others in the future.
