Grand Hyatt Mumbai supports Mewsic

The Grand Hyatt Mumbai has stepped forward as a fan and supporter of Mewsic India Foundation by coming on board as hospitality partners to support the upcoming trips by Foundation founder, Brett Lee.

The luxury 5 star hotel situated in Santa Cruz, Mumbai, will provide a range of services to support Brett's four annual visit's to India for his Foundation work, including the use of accommodation, travel and food/beverage facilities in addition to conference facilities for the Foundation’s board meetings and other official activities during his visits.

Grand Hyatt Mumbai is committed to a range of corporate social responsibility activities as a part of a broader sustainability strategy. The hotel recognizes the impact that it creates on the surroundings and works towards a greener future and a fostered community by dedicating resources, time and talent to important initiatives.

Grand Hyatt Mumbai’s General Manager and Area Director for Hyatt hotels in Mumbai, Pune & Goa - David Mansfield, an Australian national who has been managing Grand Hyatt Mumbai for the past 3 years, is happy to support Mewsic India Foundation which uses the power of music to heal, educate and empower disadvantaged children in India.

David Mansfield, Area Director/General Manager, Grand Hyatt Mumbai states “It is our great pleasure to be associated with Mewsic India Foundation. We at Grand Hyatt Mumbai are aware of the impact that organizations and conglomerates today create on their surroundings and progressively work towards a fostered environment and thriving community. We are happy to extend our wholehearted support towards the noble cause of healing and empowering underprivileged kids through the power of music and are pleased that Grand Hyatt Mumbai is the preferred partner in this benevolent initiative.”

MEWSIC to the ears of 20,000 ROTARIANS

Brett Lee at the Rotary Convention, Sydney

Brett Lee spoke about his Mewsic India Foundation to 20,000 Rotarians at the Rotary Convention 2014, Sydney on 2^nd June 2014, winning the hearts of the delegates from around the world with tales of his Rotary-supported projects.

Rotary currently supports two Mewsic programs - Music Therapy with Cancer Patients (thanks to Rotary Club of Nariman Point) and the Jaipur Mewsic Bus (thanks to Rotary Club of Castle Hill & South Jaipur).

A major attraction of the session was when interviewee radio host Jason Morrison decided to take a ‘selfie’ of Brett on stage with the 20,000 Rotarians cheering in the background. This picture when viral on twitter after Brett tweeted it to his nearly 2million followers – most of whom are from India.

Brett Lee felt privileged to speak in front of the Rotarians from across the world about his foundation and how grateful he was to them for their ongoing support.With a passion for music, Brett spoke about how Mewsic can heal, educate and empower children - the three visions of the foundation.

“After visiting India for the past 20 years, I knew I couldn’t keep going to this beautiful country and not give back something.” Said Brett Lee.  "If I can achieve my dream," he said, "hopefully the children can achieve theirs."

In the coming years, Lee is aiming to start 100 centers in India and expand to Australia

FAQs about Mewsic Centre

What is a Mewsic Centre

 Mewsic Centres are rented rooms in the heart of the slums and villages which give access to children to learn music, dance and music tuitions. Here the children receive tuitions in guitar, keyboard, vocals and dance thus fostering the formation of music groups such as choirs, bands and folk dance troupes.

What is the aim of the Mewsic Centre?

The aim of the program is to use music as a tool for development-fostering self confidence, concentration levels and diligence, whilst also imbibing values, understanding and appreciation around the core themes of:

1) Education-Numeracy & Literacy

2) Personal Growth & Development

3) Positive Behaviours

4) Dreams & Aspirations

Where are the Mewsic Centres located?

Mewsic-A Brett Lee Foundation currently has 5 centres in India: Mankhurd, Govandi, Dharavi, Hydreabad and Lucknow. Mewsic centers will be started in partnership with individual non-profits and community based organizations, whereby they will be supported in adhering to the standard processes and curriculum developed for and Mewsic centers. To set up a new Mewsic center, email us at info@mewsic.in

What are masterclasses?

On a bi-monthly basis, master classes will be conducted whereby specialist volunteers in music and dance will come to deliver special training to children to provide and introduce new techniques, provide inspiration for the increased effort and rehearsal. To volunteer for a masterclass, drop in a mail at info@mewsic.in

How can I  help?

If you have an old or un-used musical instrument in working condition lying around your home, donate them to our centre so that our children can take their first steps in learning how to make music fun. Let us know if you are interested in donating one of your instruments at info@mewsic.in

Direct Aid Program supports Brett Lee’s Mewsic India Foundation

The Australian Consulate General, under its Direct Aid Program, provided Rs 7,52,205 on 12 June to support former Australian pacer, Brett Lee’s Mewsic India Foundation. The funding will support programs to educate and empower disadvantaged students currently learning music in Dharavi, Mankhurd and Govandi slum communities.

It will also be used to purchase new instruments for the Mewsic Centers, costumes for auditions, to fund a Music Mela concert for the families of students, and the training and upskilling of Mewsic’s own Music Tutors.

During the cheque handover ceremony, Australia’s Consul General in Mumbai, Mr Pierce, commended the efforts of Mewsic which uses music to heal, educate and empower underprivileged children and has already supported 1500 children since its incorporation in 2011.

“As a result of the Australian funding, over 400 children will have access to guitar and keyboard lessons as well as vocal and dance tuition. We are privileged to help them. I hope to see these children perform at one of their melas at the end of the month, said Mr Pierce.

Brett Lee and his team at Mewsic, along with children from the Community Mewsic Centre’s, are delighted to be supported through this grant.

“It’s great to be recognized and have the support of the Australian Government and the DAP.  I am very passionate about both Australia and India and hope that through my foundation we are doing our small bit to foster stronger ties between the two countries.”  Brett Lee said.

“It’s great to see how DAP has imbibed a culture of giving something back to the community and their support is very much appreciated by us here at Mewsic India Foundation.”  Brett Lee said. “We look forward to implementing the work funded by the Australian Consulate and building a long term relation with them.”

Meet our Mewsic Centre Tutors

We are proud to introduce our three tutors Mr.Pravin Patil, Mr Sachin Kamble  and Mr.Mahesh Sonawane  from our Community based Mewsic Centre’s in Mumbai. Mr. Patil teaches singing, Mr. Sachin teaches dance and Mr. Mahesh teaches different musical instruments like guitar, keyboard and flute. Let’s get to know a little about our tutors…

Mr.Pravin Patil

 In 2001, ‘Patil Sir’ was the Assistant Music Director at the Wings Cassette Company before joining our centre. Today he teaches the underprivileged children singing in vernacular languages. He created a program called ‘Music for Education’ where he teaches the children Multiplication and Consonants through music. He likes coming to the centre because he can see the passion and talent that exists in the children. 

“These programs have motivated them so much that they have won trophies for themselves. I don’t like running behind money it’s the passion for music and children that I will always run behind. I believe that I was born a social worker and will always love to serve others.” Patil said.

 He dreams that one day some of his students will become playback singers like Shaan or Shreya Ghosal.

Mr.Sachin Kamble

 Before joining the Mewsic centre, Sachin had his own dance academy where he would conduct classes for children of factory workers and the homeless children.  After visiting the Mewsic centre in Dharavi, he saw how interested the kids were and decided to dedicate his time to them. 

Sachin is passionate about having a social idea, an idea to change the world through his dance skills.  He helps the centre children choreograph performances around social issues such as ‘Girl Child’ to educate them and their audiences on such issues. 

As he has a lot of choreographer friends, he invites them to the centre so that the children can learn different styles of dancing including hip hop, traditional dance and fusion. 

“My relationship with the kids is like a telephone line, there is always some connection.” Sachin said.  “I make it very important that the children study as seriously as they practice their dance.  What more could I ask for rather than training these kids?” 

He dreams that his children will dance on big platform like Dance India Dance or Maharashtra Dancing Superstar.

Mr. Mahesh Sonawane 

Mahesh has been passionate about music since the day he was born. It is genetic in his family to be a musician - his dad was a percussionist in a band and when he was a kid, Mahesh would attend their jam sessions.

He was so curious about learning music that today Mahesh knows to play 19 instruments and openly shares his knowledge with the Centre kids where he teaches the keyboard, flute, tabla, guitar and zambe. 

part from his daily schedule, he likes going regularly to the centers because he finds the children exuberantly interested in music. He is so attached to the kids that he cannot think of looking out for another job. He used to always search for different ways to make a career out of music, but since he came to the centre he knows this is his career.

 “My dream is not to be a good player but to be a good teacher.” He says. 

 He aspires that one day his students will perform at big events and people will say ‘Wow he is a student of Mahesh ’

Upcoming Mewsic Mela

Tutors and Staff of the Mewsic India Foundation during the planning meeting of the Mewsic Mela

The children of Mewsic India Foundation’s Mewsic Centres are busy organizing a fun-filled concert on the 27^th July 2014 for Brett and Lana Lee in Dharavi, Mumbai.

It’s time for Brett Lee to visit his foundation and the children are all geared up to showcase their talent, skills and hard work to him and his wife.

They will also perform in front of their parents and family who will also be invited to the event to witness the evolution and development of the children since starting at the Mewsic Centres.

Mewsic Centre Tutors Sachin, Mahesh and Patil are preparing a list of different songs for their children to perform and the bar has been set high to deliver a powerful and inspiring performance

Tightening of skills and performance is on top of their to-do list! Mewsic’s dance Tutor, Sachin is preparing to spread social awareness through his dance choreography with his students preparing to perform a dance on the girl child.

This is the first time the children from centers, Dharavi, Govandi and Mankhurd will be meeting each other and performing together on stage.

Discussion and brainstorming meetings are in the process to create an event to remember with different dances, singing and music.

If you are Mumbai on this day, come visit us by confirming your presence at info@mewsic.in