An eight-year-old drummer rocked the BE (East) stage on Ashtami night. “I played a four to five-minute piece of what I’ve learnt so far,” said Tanay Chaturvedi, who has been learning the instrument for two-and-a-half years now. “My mother was sitting in the front row and she heard neighbours say ‘koto bhalo korche’.”

Indeed the residents of BE Block — far from getting disturbed by the sound of drums round the year — encourage Tanay. “Last year, our next-door neighbour Vaishali Dutta was in the puja committee and, having heard him practise, suggested that Tanay perform on stage,” says the boy’s mother Anisha. This year everyone urged him to play again. 

Drums may not be a popular hobby for children so young, but Tanay had a knack for it right from the start. “Actually it was my brother who learnt the instrument but my son would go over and try to play it with him. So we signed Tanay up as well for music lessons,” says Anisha. “Now my brother has given up learning but my son continues.” 

Anisha strongly suggests drums for hyper-active children. “My son is so full of energy that I think the drums are a great way to keep him busy,” she smiles.