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What is the problem? 

Gurbani Kirtan is an inseparable part of Sikhi and most of us would like to do the kirtan. For Sikhs living outside India, we face problems such as non-availability of standard curriculum if a teacher is available, non-availability of a good teacher, subject matter expert feedback on the learning progress, authentic theory backed with audio and video lessons.   

Why it is it important to solve the problem? 

Across North America and other western countries, Sikhs are a growing in numbers as a community and each Sikh parent wants their kids to be connected to Sikh Values and Gurbani Kirtan. However, either due to their busy schedule, no background in doing Kirtan, or unavailability of good Gurbani Kirtan teacher parents do not take any action. Therefore, it is especially important to address this problem today so that the immediate and future generations can reap benefits. 

What is the solution? 

We at Nad Music Institute (NMI) are undertaking this project wherein NMI team will create a Kirtan learning manual for beginners (Grade 1-5) with professionally researched text supported by audio and video lessons.  

Through this project, NMI team aims to create a Gurbani Kirtan Learning manual. The primary purpose of this manual will be to serve as a resource kit for Khalsa School teachers to have a structured Gurbani Kirtan curriculum. This can also be used as a self-service tool for individual learners to learn Gurbani Kirtan at their own pace. 

How will the solutions build? 

The solution will be built by a strong team of Gurbani Kirtan experts at NMI in consultation with existing Gurbani Kirtan teachers across North America. The project will have five phases. Each phase will have skill-based curriculum. For example, the first phase will focus on Grade-1 curriculum for beginners.

The outcome will be five grades of Kirtan curriculum to be used in Khalsa School Kirtan classes. Each grade will cover basics of Indian classical music, Gurbani Kirtan, and include week by week lesson plans and homework assignments. 

In addition to building the curriculum, NMI team will provide training and support to Khalsa Schools to implement the curriculum.

What is the plan to implement the curriculum, if you can successfully raise the funds? Where the project will be implemented and when? 

We will begin with institutes and Gurdwaras who will be directly involved in building the curriculum. Eventually it has the potential to be implemented in all Sikh institutes and Gurdwaras across the world who are engaged in teaching Kirtan to the kids. The grade-1 curriculum will be ready for implementation by January 2024.

What will the first phase include?

For the first phase, our plan includes the following: 

1.     24 Weekly lesson plans which will include basics of Kirtan, Rag and Taal

2.     Each lesson plan will include well researched theory, video and audio lesson

3.     Simple Rag based melodies of Guru Granth Sahib Sabads 

4.     Easy to follow Kirtan lessons for beginners including homework assignments

How much does this project cost? 

The budget for the first phase is estimated at $52,000 (estimated date of completion Dec’2023). Of this, we're aiming to raise $40,000 through DVN.

Below is the break-up of the estimated budget: 

• Staff research and planning: $9,600
• 24 weeks of theory lessons: $5760
• 24 weeks of video/audio lessons: $11,570
• Studio recording & editing: $8,000
• Website hosting & testing: $4,800
• Marketing: $4800
• Misc (travel, meetings): $8,000

What is curriculum building methodology? 

Methodology: The curriculum will be created and reviewed by the team of world class Gurbani Kirtan experts such as Ustad Surjeet Singh, Prof. Harbhajan Singh, Hardeep Kaur and Dr. Manjit Singh. The team will invite inputs from Gurbani Kirtan experts who are involved in teaching Kirtan to the kids across North America.

The team will research existing material, develop draft lesson plans, review lesson plans with experts, create audio/video lessons, upload all material on the online learning platform, test run and make it available worldwide.

How can you help? 

Your support is paramount to bring this Gurbani Kirtan Manual to life. You can support by donating your dasvandh; time/skills or money. You can volunteer to create graphics, videos, proof reading, website designing, project management or support us financially by donating on DVN platform.