The Sounds of Shibira

This week, I had the opportunity to accidentally land at a workshop called Shibira, held about a couple of hour away from Mangaluru. It was a place where musicians of all levels came together under one roof. A setting like this allows beginners or those aspiring to grow in the field to gain in-depth and vivid exposure to various dimensions of music. This wasn’t a one day event the workshop spanned five days, which not only offered the benefits I’ve just mentioned, but also facilitated the direct transfer of skills from seasoned and highly accomplished artists to the emerging generation of musicians.

Attending such an event actually made me feel a bit envious, because no such initiatives have been undertaken in the field I currently work in. If something like this existed in my domain, it would have significantly reduced the effort I put into reaching out to people I admire efforts that often go unanswered.

Another realization I had was that I’m not someone who usually enjoys classical music. Yet, the beauty of this place was that it was literally immersed in music at all times. During the few days I spent there, I would wake up to the sound of classical melodies in the morning, spend my entire day surrounded by artists, listening to music, and end my day late at night or even early in the morning while everyone continued to practice and showcase their craft.

When I first came across the opportunity to attend this event, I decided to go simply because of where its located. I didn’t expect it to do anything significant for me, especially since I was a complete outsider to the field of music. But I was proven wrong by the time I left. As I mentioned, I was surrounded by music for a couple of days, deep inside a dense forest, away from all the distractions of urban life. Eventually, I found myself growing fond of the music, and to my surprise, on the night before I left, I even tried playing an instrument.

That’s when I realized the immense impact one’s surroundings can have on the way the brain functions on seeing things with different perspective . If I could begin to enjoy and engage in something I previously had little interest in, within just a few days in such an environment, isn’t it possible for the same to happen in my own field of interest? Wouldn’t such an environment help me take the next step in my career? Wouldn’t it encourage and condition my mind to learn new things and acquire the skills essential for my growth? The answer, I believe, is a definite yes.

I met some of the most genuine people there people whose intentions were as pure as anything I’ve ever witnessed. The man behind this initiative is Vittal Sir. Organizing such an event every year must come at great personal expense, and yet this was the 25th year of the initiative. One of my close friends, who has been part of this culture for many years and who brought me there, told me that Vittal Sir refuses all kinds of financial aid from the people who attend, just to ensure that anyone who truly wants to learn can be part of it—regardless of their background.

When he once asked Vittal Sir what drove him to start something like this, he shared that he had struggled a lot during the early stages of his music career. Despite being deeply interested in learning, he had to travel long hours from his remote home to reach the city and sometimes, he had to walk the entire journey through dense forests to get there. He said he wanted to give something back to society by creating a structure where everyone had an equal opportunity to learn music.

This experience has left a deep and lasting impact on me. I felt truly overwhelmed after I returned home and that’s what inspired me to write this post. I hope it resonates with you and perhaps helps you in some way, too.

If you know of any such opportunity in the food and beverage sector that could possibly help me learn, I’d really appreciate it if you could let me know.