Jotsoma, Kohima: On Friday, 8-year old Jentijung Tirshana Aier became the first-ever ‘student advisor for a day’ for the state’s Task Force for Music and Arts (TaFMA), a day when the young musician led a premier governmental department.
Aier, a student of Pilgrim Higher Secondary School in Dimapur, officially began her day as a student advisor when she called on Chief Minister of Nagaland Neiphiu Rio in the morning. The CM had taken to Twitter to say, “Happy to meet Ms Jentijung Tirshana Aier @TafmaNagaland student Advisor for the day. I hope she has an enriching and a memorable experience. I wish her a great day. Best wishes to TaFMA as it takes action on its vision to nurture the young & inspire the next generation of talents.”
Throughout the day, she interacted with government officials, musicians, visited a music school, toured the TaFMA facilities and also inaugurated the ‘I love Nagaland’ Children Art exhibition at the Gallery of Contemporary Art (GoCA) at the Regional Centre of Excellence for Music and Arts (RCEMPA) at Jotsoma under Kohima district.
The ‘Student advisor for the day’ is a unique initiative of TaFMA to nurture the next generation of talents in the field of art and music. The young musician grabbed the attention of the department when a video clip of her musical performance was posted online by the Hope Centre for Excellence, a music school in Dimapur where she is currently training.
“We were surprised when TaFMA contacted us. While we are happy that she gets a good platform, we did not want it to be an opportunity where she gets to fly high but fall down later on. So to ensure that there is a balance, although we were very excited, we did not immediately inform her and took the time to tell her about TaFMA and why they think that she is very special,” her father Rijolong Aier said.
The young girl who headed the department for a day said, “I had an awesome day; a day I will cherish for a long time. I got to do something different, so it was so much fun.” Recounting the day, she said that her favorite moments were meeting with the Nagaland chief minister and attending the concert at the D’ Operatus Music School in Kohima.
While she thanked TaFMA for providing an opportunity to express her heart and share her dreams for Nagaland by appointing her as the student advisor for the day, she put forward two suggestions that can be carried out by the department.
One recommendation was a music residency for children to learn and interact; a residency where she envisions that children can learn the art of song writing and live performances. She also suggested that a musical be conducted for children to participate.
While addressing the music and arts fraternity of the state, ahead of leaving the office, Aier encouraged them to continue following their passion and their calling. “Let us work hard and make Nagaland proud,” she said.
Theja Meru, Advisor TaFMA, shared that the day was a fruitful one. “Besides giving a platform to our talents, we want to create wonderful memories for them. I believe that they will never be the same after an experience like this. It is also a day to thank the parents who invest time and efforts in encouraging their children to follow their passion,” he said.
He shared that TaFMA plans to invite people of all ages, primarily young talents. “We want to focus on raising the next generation of musicians and artists. We hope to push them to be ahead of their times. We want them to start young with the hope that the fire which is ignited in them grows bigger,” Meru said.
As for the suggestions made by the student advisor, Meru said that the recommendations are doable. He said, “We have a lot to do. The ideas that are shared through initiatives like this shows that they are able to respond. So through such exercises, we truly hope to inspire and raise some real talents.”
He informed that TaFMA will be identifying more talents across all districts of the state to appoint the next student advisor for the day. He said that the initiative will likely be held once in two months time.
In this regard, he advised such talents to utilize the power of the internet and social media to display their talents. “Be relentless and create good contents. Somewhere, someone is watching you. So if you work hard, the world is your stage,” he advised.
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