Ambica Kale, a 12th-grade student at Cathedral and John Connon School, Mumbai, recently launched a book, Overture, which she had penned at the onset of the pandemic. With the support from her family, friends and teachers, and after two years of laborious hard work, her book is out on the shelves.
Speaking about the driving force behind her writing the book, Ambica says, “I took Western Music as a subject in the 9th and 10th Grade, which was a wonderful experience as I got to engross myself in music history and the works of Beethoven and Tchaikovsky. However, we didn’t have a textbook or a supplemental guide to aid us through the learning process and ensure we were equipped for our exams. So, when the Covid-incuded lockdown was implemented, I was inspired to write a music textbook to help students in their examinations. I also wanted to write a book that gave a holistic introduction to music and could be suitable for music students and anyone interested in learning about the history and forms of music but didn’t know where to start. Therefore, the final goal of the book became two-fold. Writing this book was a wonderful experience as it is a physical manifestation of me being able to share my love for music with the world and be a guide to spur a passion for music in any beginner.”
What started as a guide to her juniors for exam prep, has morphed into a wonderful and engaging book for all age groups that will get readers interested in music and provide a great start to their musical journey.
With one book already under her name, one would assume Ambica would continue on the literary path. But the youngster doesn't have immediate plans of writing another book anytime soon.
“I don’t see myself writing a book in the immediate future, but this project has inspired me to consider education as a potential career. I know the positive effects of holistic education on students (irrespective of what they’re studying) and am interested in, perhaps, changing the way the Indian curricula prioritises rote-learning over holistic development. In terms of writing in the foreseeable future, I’m going to be a college student soon, so most of my time will be spent on writing research papers,” she signs off.
