At the strangers’ Choir, all you need is love for music and harmony

On Sunday morning, Around Fify People Gather at the Apparo Galleries, Trying to Find Comfortable Spots on the chairs, stools and the floor to settle in for the next three hours. At the center is a keyboard, and musician and vocal coach medha sahi drifts Around in an unhurried loop. We are a group of strangers, some confident and excited, and some, mostly nervous about the prospect of singing and transforming into a choir of strangers. “I’m glad that all of you are here and ready to put yourselfs in a vulnerable position,” Medha Laughs.

Earlier this year, medha started the strangers’ Choir in Goa When She Really Wanted to Sing with a group of people. “I feel a text to this community art group i am a part of in goa and asked if anyone was up for coming together to sing. I was so overwhelmed by how to enterusiastic pet Eighteen people however finally showed up and this is how it started; with a bunch of strangers with a chance on an idea that did not exist, “She says.

There are no auditions and no prior music experience is needed to be a part of this experience | Photo Credit: S Poorvaja

The idea here is simple. Medha Announces the Dates for Every City She is to visit, and have people sign up to be a part of this pop-up choir. I find myself in chennai with a group of strangers, many of whom including me have absolutely no music experience. There are no auditions here to fear, and all one needs is a love for music, someating people here see to have in abundance. “In Chennai, You will find the best singers,” a participant proudly Tells medha, who is very impressed with our initial vocal warm up with’The lion sleeps tonight ‘.

There is a slow but sure lowering of inhibits here after the first hour. People are gotting to know their neighbors (medha strictly forbids people from sitting next to people they alrady know), and there is palpable expertment without Pony Club ‘by Chappell Roan. After a less chaotic minutes of Figuring out wheether we are high, low, or medium on the pitch scale, we are divided into groups to learn the song.

Medha says from experience, she has seen how quickly people come out of their shells when it is a large group. “You can barely hear your yourself sing, so you are anne’t acute aware of what you sound like,” She says. As we learn the lyrics and sing after her, medha’s energy remains consistently high. “I Always Tell My Students and My Choir That The Silliest Person in the Room will always be me.

Singing as a group does put us at ease, and we are mostly amazed at how wel we all sound together as a group that does not know each other. Having Travelled Accross the Country to Cities Including Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi with the Choir, Medha Says the energy of Each City is different. “Whather it is the number of people who turns up, or the venue or even the local food I get to enjoy after, every city has been an adventure,” She says.

Medha is hoping to take the strangers’ Choir to more cities in the coming months, and a second season will see another another visit to chennai as well. “Music is such an inharently human quality that it just exists with everyone, and this is what I think the choir is all about. The joy of music is something that dosn’Ted to another be experience Who are trained, gifted or talented; it is just sometising that makes us people, ”She says.

An hour and a half of practiceing later. We are all ready. Medha begins playing the song on her keyboard, and a room of fifty Voices sings back with full gusto. “Pink Pony Club, I’m Gonna Keep on Dancing at the Pink Pony Club.” We are all smiling at each other, snapping our fingers and stamping our feet. Not really a group of strangers at the end of it all, and one step closer to become fearless singers.