Mukesh's Musical Journey with GetSetUp

hat is Lifelong Learning? It's an ongoing journey that helps us connect with others, be active in our communities, and grow personally. As we age, embracing it becomes even increasingly important as it helps maintain cognitive health, stay connected with society, and lead a purposeful life as it reflects in the story of GetSetUp Learner Mukesh. A former principal and now faculty member at a renowned homeopathic medical college in Delhi, Professor Chawla has shaped the minds and futures of countless students, yet beyond the walls of academia, Mukesh has found a beautiful new chapter through music and GetSetUp.

"It was about three or four months ago. I am learning classical Hindustani, and some students there often said they had to leave for a session. Curious, I asked them what session they were attending, and they mentioned it was the singing session on GetSetUp. They suggested I should join too if I were interested. So, I decided to give it a try. The friends who introduced me to GetSetUp are Deepika and Sucheta." Mukesh shares, as to when he discovered GetSetUp and started attending singing sessions on the platform. "I attempted to join earlier but ran into trouble trying to download the app on both my Android and Apple phones. My Android phone is quite old, which stopped me from joining successfully. However, after talking it over with the GetSetUp Team, they helped me out by giving me the necessary link to join."

The premium GetSetUp singing course offers more classes with expert music Guides and teaches you from the basics, “I have a passion for music and poetry, and I love learning new things. I even have my own podcast, where I combine poems with music. It's called 'Yaadon ke Darichey' on Spotify. Deepika, being Bengali, is a very talented singer, and you know, Bengalis are often good singers— hence I wanted to find out where she was honing her skills. That curiosity led me to join because I saw my friends were very polished singers who knew all the basics. I was inspired by them and discovered they were learning from GetSetUp. In the GetSetUp class, Deepika is an amazing singer and perhaps the best student. If I miss the teacher's singing, I learn from Deepika's singing and try to mimic it." 

Further, Mukesh shares with us his experience with the Guides in these courses and how he appreciates the non-judgmental and encouraging approach of the instructors, "Sometimes, students and I struggle to sing properly especially Bollywood songs. The teachers, however, always encourage us, saying it's good, or gently guiding us on improving. What's impressive is that many of them are classically trained, allowing them to share insights on the finer details of singing. I'd like to mention one of the teachers, Debopriya G., who is Bengali. I was amazed by her pronunciation of Urdu. As someone interested in poetry and reading the work of Javed Sahab and Gulzar Sahab, it's not easy to find such a deep understanding of Urdu pronunciation. It’s encouraging and empowering when the Guides appreciate our performances,” Mukesh also highlights an aspect of his learning that he found particularly impactful. “In classical music, although I had learned some ragas before, the way the GetSetUp teachers explained them was different from my previous courses. So, I learned more than what was initially taught to me. And for Bollywood music, I have learned how to modulate my voice, which is quite nice. Also, while we have classical music continuously, which is good for practice and learning, I have enjoyed learning the Bollywood songs. Since I am still working and reach home in the evening, I don't have much time for classical music. However, I get very excited when I see the list of songs that will be taught. Sharing the song list in advance prepares us and heightens the anticipation, especially for old Bollywood songs. You have picked a very good list of songs."

In addition to the community and knowledge he has found in these sessions, Mukesh has also seen an impact in his personal life, especially in terms of his social interactions and perceived persona, "Being a principal, everyone thought I was very strict because I maintained discipline in work, time, and everything. This created a distance. However, since I started learning music, my subordinates have noticed a change. One even mentioned to his wife that I've become less strict, more approachable, joking, and friendly. That's a significant shift in how my colleagues and subordinates perceive me."

Mukesh's story reflects the impact of lifelong learning in learning new skills, improving one's quality of life and social connections, and even reshaping one's identity. 

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