#OmanPride: Muscat school student wins Berklee College of Music scholarship

More sports Sunday 18/September/2016 22:23 PM
By: Times News Service
#OmanPride: Muscat school student wins Berklee College of Music scholarship

Muscat: An Indian School Muscat (ISM) student has earned the opportunity to attend a five-week programme at Berklee College of Music (BCM) in Boston, US.
“BCM had given me an opportunity to work with many Grammy Award winners, and also to work in a cross cultural environment. I am happy to share the news that I have been invited for another programme under scholarship,” Santrupth G R Vedanthi, a student of class X at ISM, said.
Also, Santrupth became the youngest performer to attain Grade 8 in drums at Trinity College of Music, London.
BCM is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. It is widely known primarily as the world’s foremost institute for the study of jazz and modern American music.
Talking to Times of Oman, Santrupth, Santhrupth said he began playing the drums when he was three years old, attributing his achievements to his parents.
“I have reached this level because of my parents’ support and, more importantly, the audiences who liked my style of drumming, and their encouragement, which has brought me here,” Santrupth said.
Santrupth’s father, G.V. Ramkrishna, who works at a bank in Oman, said they have supported their son since he developed his love for drumming at age three.
“We will always support him in pursuing his dreams. We feel honoured when his teachers and mentors appreciate him. We feel blessed to have Santrupth as our son,” he added.
Santrupth also thanked his school and teachers for their support. “My second home, Oman, has always lent a lot of support to me and my band, Red Khanjar, as well as the other highly talented young Omani band members,” Santrupth said.
Santrupth wants to build a career in engineering, though his ambition is to bring his music to the needy. “I want to bring happiness in their lives through my drumming,” he explained.
In 2014, Santrupth raised OMR1,000 for the Oman Cancer Association (OCA) during his performances across the capital.
So far, he has given a number pf performances on various stages, notable ones being his playing alongside the legend, A R Rahman. He also had the rare opportunity to play with Gino Banks, Dilip Doshi and Arunkumar, a renowned trio from the world of drumming. Santrupth has released music albums, including “Amogha Milana”, which is made up of a collection of classical fusion songs, with Santrupth playing the drums.