Replace the stethoscope with a microphone and presto! The Medical Melodies Band is at your service.
A group of six city doctors, mostly paediatricians, sometimes sets the tools of their trade aside to give their passion — singing — some time.
Senior paediatrician V.V. Varadarajan of Suriya Hospital is the band leader of sorts, and the other enthusiastic members are paediatricians V. Suresh, Anuradha Srinivasan and J. Ganesh, and dentist Pavithra and optometrist Sanjana.
On Sunday evening, they are coming together for their first public performance, a concert to raise funds for an NGO, Ekam, that works towards reducing infant mortality rate. The concert will be held at German Hall in T. Nagar from 5.30 p.m., and donor passes are available.
“This is our first public event, but we have been singing at private gatherings, largely of doctors and their families,” Dr. Varadarajan says. He has turned singing into his other avatar. As have the others. Most of them have some formal training in classical music, but all of them have great voices, and a deep love for singing film songs, he says. Dr. Sanjana teaches Carnatic music to children.
Sailakshmi B. of Ekam Foundation says the group of doctors were friends and when they heard of the fund-raising efforts, the team offered to hold a concert. The singers are charging nothing for their performance, and the orchestra, headed by K.P. Mohan, has offered a concession.
“We love to sing, so, why not let that music help a cause?” says Dr. Anuradha, who is a developmental paediatrician. The subject of reducing infant mortality rate is close to the heart of paediatricians and also a key concern for policy makers and health agencies.
‘MediMelodies,’ as the show has been christened, will feature a range of Tamil, Hindi and Telugu film songs, right from the 1950s to recent ones from films like ‘Kumki’ and ‘Chandramukhi’.
Dr. Ganesh, who is the Indian Medical Association secretary for the Chennai metro region, and is posted in Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, is raring to go, with his renditions of P.B. Srinivas, Yesudas and S.P. Balasubramaniam — his favourite singers.
“I used to sing in college, but thanks to a few years of posting in government service in rural areas, there was a break. Now, I’m glad I’m back to it again.”
For donor passes, contact: 7299002840, 9841020210.
