Your voice is the most effective and comprehensive mode of letting out your feelings, expressing yourself. When the speaking voice transforms into a singing voice, when the spoken words are attached with a musical ring, the effect is boundless, both on the listener as well as the doer. It is such a beauty and a thing of satisfaction and bliss to be able to engulf yourself in the therapeutic, rejuvenating voice of your own voice. Singing has immense benefits upon your psyche as well – from increasing your mental alertness to destressing, to raising your levels of confidence – it does all.
When we speak of retreats happening all around the world, they mostly are retreats of Yoga or may be a spiritual or emotional awakening circle with like-minded people on board and the space being held by experts of the subjects. The group travels to a place away from the hustle-bustle of city life, in a secluded, quiet and serene location which serves as the ideal space for such practices where the individual seeks to dive deep within himself. It is true that these retreats go a long way in serving the purpose of finding or carving out a new ‘You’ from your existing personality. Based upon the same format Music Retreats are also being planned all around the world to make things more interesting and exciting for the participants.
Sudhanshu Sharma, an Internationally respected Musician, Teacher & Artist – holds space for such Music Retreats where Music becomes the food for the Soul. Where Music is the canopy for holding the minds and hearts together and bringing them closer to each other. The Rāgas, Bhajans and Kīrtans created and sung by the participants during these retreats serve as the medium to connect to the Divine and also to one’s Soul in the most beautiful way and bring about universal brotherhood, peace and harmony.
According to Sudhanshu Sharma, the inspiration of holding such retreats came from the very old practice of the ‘Gurukul’ system of education practiced in ancient India where the student gets to stay with the teacher for a considerable period of time, studying and practicing together to create rich knowledge passed down to generations through the oral system of training. He has been teaching music under the fore-walls of the classroom for many years and felt the need of taking it out of the boundaries of a formal institution and allowing the rich treasure of Indian Music to be soaked in by the students in a natural set-up without the boundaries of time and the busy schedules of everyday life. Music, like any other craft ought to be learned with a sustained and dedicated study and practice under the watchful eyes of the teacher. This is near impossible under the present systems of work practices. That is the reason why Sudhanshu Sharma designed his Music Retreat where the ideal system of Gurukul education in Music can be practiced even if it be for 10 or 15 days. It acts as a great catalyst in improving the approach of the student towards the art and gives them inspiration to continue exploring this beautiful journey.
Under his able guidance and leadership, his brainchild, the Music Plus Retreats have been doing a great job in reserving and propagating the importance of Indian Classical and Spiritual music. Combined with Hatha Yoga, this musical retreat takes you into a journey of its kind. With successful retreats conducted in India, Nepal (in the Himalayas), Bali, Australia, Dubai, France – Sudhanshu Sharma is fast becoming a musician-cum-teacher whom the students adore and want to study with again and again.
