Om is three. But unlike other playful kids of his age, he is quiet and avoids eye contact. Most of the times, he remains silent. To his parents, Om's silence is deafening and they began to wonder if music can help him. But can a kid with special needs learn or recognise the language of music?
"Yes, of course," vouches Antonio S F Gracias, founder, ‘Solutions with Music' - a Margao based institute that teaches music to one and all, including special learners. Antonio has experimented in finding solutions to teach music to a variety of population including children and elderly. "I have tried to add sounds to musical notations (in text) and colours to the keyboard notes so that when words fail, my students while associating with sounds and colours, will recognise musical notes and chords and play the right tune," explains Antonio who has volunteered at Atmavishwas, Jyot School for Autistic Children, Vidya Vikas Resource Room and Lions Club Senior Citizen's Recreating Centre in South Goa.
For his students, age is just a number and learning or relaxing through music is a pure fun activity. No more boring lessons - no reading tedious text - as it is really difficult for those who cannot follow a methodology. Numbers and letters do not come in order for those suffering from various types of syndromes. Confused, they juggle hard to read, to recognise, to count. The course helps them learn, making life easy. It helps to communicate, to interact, to break the barriers of silence through familiar sounds that sooth their souls. Expressing emotions and feelings becomes easy. It makes them joyful, happy and restful. Yes, music does wonders. Banking on this theory, Antonio has formulated and structured his course - to equip special kids, parents and teachers - to communicate and understand each other's worlds. "Music binds all. It connects both the lobes of the brain, even among elderly people," he points out.
Endorsing the benefits of music therapy, many parents in Goa have tu(r)ned to music to interact with their special children and make them learn social skills. "Music acts as stress buster. It brings out the hidden talents in my child. At times when words fail or fall, it is music that comes handy as a tool to bridge the gap and to break the silence," admits a parent from South Goa.
"Music is an action that produces vibrations and affects the creator of vibrations and the listener of those vibrations. Music is the only medium that can engage absolutely anybody. It doesn't require massive effort, yet produces massive results," explains Antonio who has developed a specially designed 10-day course to teach music to special learners, their parents and teachers.
"I chose to work with special kids because I saw a need that had to be met and a gap that had to be filled," he points out. Be it ADHD, Autism, Down's Syndrome, William's Syndrome, Dyslexia, Asperger's, Anxiety Neurosis, Learning Differences, Slow Learning or any kind of special needs in a child - it is an universally accepted concept now that music comes as an aid in teaching them basic communication and social skills.
Having done an electrical engineering diploma, Antonio's career as an electrical contractor was at peak between 1993-2001 until he became a maintenance engineer for some time before finally, quitting his ‘power' field to ‘empower' himself with music. "It was my calling and I answered with a positive note," he asserts.
Bored with fitting the live electrical wirings and setting up connections Antonio switched to connecting hearts with live and vibrant musical strings. He got associated with ‘Taught to Teach Music Art and Dance School' to learn the ABC of music and eventually in 2004 became the president of its Margao branch and remained on the post until 2015 when he founded his own institute, ‘Solutions with Music'. From a learned master in electrical wiring, to a fresh student of music and to a founder of an institute to teach music to special learners - Antonio's musical journey since 2004 until date - is notable.
Recalling his transition this 45-year-old smiles, "A time came when I didn't want to continue as an electrical engineer. I was convinced that it was music that I wanted to pursue. But I was never taught music by anyone until now. I wanted to learn music myself to teach it to others around. If I didn't know it myself, then how would I teach others? That was a big question mark. But that didn't discourage me. I took to self-teaching."
In 2013, Antonio joined the Trinity Laban Summer Academy for teachers and enrolled with Chennai School of Music Therapy. Previously he had to his credit 8th grade theory (2012) and he also passed 8th grade popular vocals in 2014. Equipped with skills to teach music to others, Antonio founded his own institute - ‘Solutions with Music' a year later.
The institute is a platform to get together special educators, counsellors, clinical psychologists, family members of special clients, music therapists, nurses and all interested persons who believe that music can heal.
Here, one can learn about non-verbal communication and how it can aid in developing communication, regulation of social behaviour and offer stimuli to achieve goals by using a drum circle. It also promotes healthy interaction, development of interdependence and a team spirit as well as development of voices with singing exercises using the simplest form of group singing.
From this point on, Antonio's musical journey diversifies to corporate stress reduction, digital detox, senior citizens, mentally affected, orphans, pre-schoolers, HIV/AIDS affected, cancer affected, transgender community, prison population, juvenile delinquents, street kids, beggars etc. "I now await connections with those who envision in changing the world in various ways."
