SURANJIKA
For her, performance is about finding your method to express yourself, and your thoughts and ideas using appropriate art forms and engaging with the people around you. She wants to equip students with methods to express themselves without being limited by societal norms or traditions.
For Sura, the concept of ‘elocution’ as it is used in Sri Lanka, is far removed from her teaching method. Elocution is merely an element in speech technique and her classes do not work on this concept. She teaches through drama activities and performance arts and uses these to also teach technique in speech and communication. She uses her poetry as a performance arts tool to create awareness and add to the narrative.
Even though Suranjika pursued her initial academics and career in law while teaching performance arts, she decided to concentrate all her energy and focus on her passion for education. Her educational qualifications range from an MA in English Studies at the Faculty of Arts, Colombo University, and a certificate in Masterpieces of World Literature from the University of Harvard to both Licentiate and Associate of the Trinity College London. She is one of the first three Sri Lankans to be selected to the examiner panel for Drama for Trinity College London.
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RAPTI
Rapti feels that vocal performance allows you to connect with the hearts and minds of people and creates a bond because they remember how you made them feel. Teaching vocal technique is not about just singing a song prettily, but to understand the nuances in technique and emotion, and integrate them into a perfect vocal delivery.
She believes that the training technique for an individual voice versus an ensemble/choir requires a different approach. There is a common misconception that singing in a choir, results in reaching one’s vocal potential. Whilst this does improve choral technique, it may not be the ideal method to address the requirements of each unique voice. Rapti uses singing as a tool to spread positivity and inspire a community to engage with each other through music as an art form. She firmly believes that singing is not only for performance and teaching but that it should be used as a universal language to reach out to all communities and peoples. The greatest influencers on her music career are the great gurus Lylie Godrige, Mary Anne David and Naomi Gooneratne.
With an understanding of different types of music ranging from opera to jazz, pop and swing to classical, Rapti seeks to inculcate this passion in anyone who has an interest in exploring these areas.
Rapti ventured into the field of Advertising for a decade, and is CIM UK qualified. Music had always been integral to her, and she made the decision to immerse herself in this part of her life, and started out as an assistant teacher at the MerryAn Singers Junior Ensemble. She then took up the role as a vocal director for twelve years at Holy Family Convent Bambalapitiya. During this time she co-founded ‘Vocal Essence’, a singing academy for children. She has completed her graded exams in Singing from the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music and in Musical Theatre from Trinity College London.