Testimonial
4.8/5
My name is Veena Nair, i joined soor academy in 1995, and then moved to dubai, from where i pursued my learnings with Pallavi Mehta whose tireless effort of teaching even when i was far away in dubai, it seemed not so far away. an institution in itself has not only brought the beautiful instrument sitar into my life, it also teaches me values of humility. thank you Pallavi ji for your dedication with me from so faraway.
Veena Nair, Dubai
4.6/5
I am a French Mathematician, passionate about Indian culture and specially Indian classical music.
I took some lessons of Sitar in Mumbai, with Pallavi Mehta, but as I live in Paris, 7000 km from there, I also wanted to practice when I was back home.
It is a real pleasure to be one of her "online students", because Pallavi is a great teacher. She always gives the best of herself, and online lessons are exactly as the ones I took in Mumbai. With Skype and a webcam, it's easy to follow her explanations, to listen to her when she plays, to see the right position for hands or fingers, and to play with her. Each lesson is one hour long. Pallavi follows my work and checks the details as well as the global way I play. I like this because I think it is the best way to make progress.
It is an honour and a pleasure to be her student.
It is a real pleasure to be one of her "online students", because Pallavi is a great teacher. She always gives the best of herself, and online lessons are exactly as the ones I took in Mumbai. With Skype and a webcam, it's easy to follow her explanations, to listen to her when she plays, to see the right position for hands or fingers, and to play with her. Each lesson is one hour long. Pallavi follows my work and checks the details as well as the global way I play. I like this because I think it is the best way to make progress.
It is an honour and a pleasure to be her student.
Christophe Beesau, Paris
4.8/5
Hello, I am Anuradha Shyam Joshi. I am a housewife and 44 years old. I am truly fond of music and love to play the sitar. guruma, Pallavi Mehtaji is training me in sitar since the last one and half years. I am very satisfied and happy with the kind of training imparted to me through her training process.
I am very happy to have such a 'Guru'. Due to her encouragement, friendly and cooperative nature, I am able to travel from Chiplun (Ratnagiri, Konkan) to take monthly lessons at the Soor Academy without any hassles.
I am very happy to have such a 'Guru'. Due to her encouragement, friendly and cooperative nature, I am able to travel from Chiplun (Ratnagiri, Konkan) to take monthly lessons at the Soor Academy without any hassles.
Anuraddha Joshi, Chiplun, Maharashtra
4.6/5
I have been so impressed with Pallavi’s dedication, knowledge and commitment to teaching. Not only am I learning sitar playing techniques, but also the theory and the reason for why ragas are structured in a certain way and the stories behind them. This has been an invaluable and cherished experience that I am so grateful to have as part of my life.
Dr. Riddhi Neugebauer, Seattle, WA
4.6/5
I was always fascinated by the beautiful instrument that Sitar is, I started taking classes in the eleventh standard but that was for a short while as the pressure of my class XII board exams took over. Subsequently I graduated from the National Law School of India University, Bangalore in 2010 and started working at a law firm in Bombay. My fascination for the seven stringed beauty resurfaced and I found an excellent guru in Pallavi didi to guide me in learning the Sitar. My days at Soor Academy have been joyful and merry. However, I shifted to Chennai after a year but I am glad that I have continued to take classes from Pallavi Didi over Skype. I hope my association with Soor Academy lasts for a lifetime.
Gowathaman Ragnathan, Chennai
4.6/5
I have had such an amazing experience learning from Ms. Pallavi Mehta via FaceTime! She is a very loving, patient, and organized teacher. Ms. Pallavi Mehta, makes the Sitar in all its complexities very accessible; a month under her tutelage I started learning my first Raga! I also enjoy her book, which includes alankars and ragas we are learning. I highly recommend Ms. Pallavi Mehta if you are interested in learning how to play the Sitar! I thoroughly enjoy our weekly sessions and look forward to learning more and more from her!
Hiral Parikh
4.8/5
Miss Pallavi Mehta is not only guiding me through the intricacies of learning Sitar, but she is also introducing me to a new way of life. I’m very introverted so, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to find a teacher that understood me, until I met Pallavi. She helped me gain confidence in my abilities and pushes me past my limits, translating to my daily life. My gratitude cannot be measured and to Miss Mehta, I am truly glad to have found a beautiful teacher, mentor, and friend. Thank you.
Rubyanne Van Vuitton Washington, U.S.A
4.6/5
I truly consider myself fortunate to learn Hindustani classical vocals from Pallavi didi. I truly admire her legitimate love of music, her warm enthusiastic and patient personality that ensures I learn the most important fundamental elements of music in a systematic fashion and her inspiring teaching method fosters a love singing/music and sets the bar high. She embodies and inculcates discipline so that I truly can be self-sufficient and independent singer/musician. Didi genuinely makes each singing class fun, interesting and empowering. I truly look forward to my weekly singing sessions with my awesome teacher.
Dolly Davar, California.
4.6/5
I Was Introduced To Pallavi Mehta (Didi) And Soor Sitar USA (Now Soor Academy) While Didi Was Teaching And Conducting Sitar Group Classes At Hayward CA.
Didi Is A Devoted Sitar Teacher With Exceptional Caliber, Passionate For Music And Was On A Mission To Popularize Sitar Outside Of India.
Didi Performs At Various Events, Teaches At Colleges And Gets Many Offers From Music Conferences. I Am Amazed And Simply Enjoy Her Ability To Breathe Life In The Form Of Various Ragas.
Didi, Your Ability To Bring Out The Emotional Qualities Of Raga Through Sitar For All Moods Be It Devotional, Love Or Joy Is Exceptional.
Stay Blessed And Wish You The Very Best With Your Mission To Spread The Joy Of Music Around The Globe.
Hamsa Pasupathy Lead Product Engineer, Healthcare Applications San Ramon, CA
4.6/5
I’ve known Didi since I was a child back in Mumbai. I used to go to Didi’s house for music classes and I remember her as being one of the most genuinely loving, sincere guru I have ever known. As a child I remember having fun memories going to Didi‘s class and the living room being full of students and everyone playing the sitar in unison, it was one of the most immersive experience I have had. My journey with Sitar began when I was a kid, eventually when I started medical school I gave up on my classes. About two decades later I saw a post on Instagram by Didi and realized that I wanted to make sitar a part. I reached out to Didi again, and it was like if we picked up from where we started, no questions asked. We started taking zoom lessons every week and we’ve done that for the last 3.5 years. In these 3 1/2 years we’ve gone through several life experiences, went through a global pandemic, my grueling hours at the hospital and going to residency training, but throughout it all Didi and I have maintained our weekly class as a routine which has tremendously helped me. She is one of the most patient gurus I have had the opportunity to learn from. She only has love and wisdom to give to her disciples. In any situation she’s always looking at the bright side, which inspires me to be a better person. Professionally speaking I have seen Didi adapt her ways of teaching to keep up with evolving times. When I was kid I learnt by sitting next to her in a traditional guru-shishya parampara, and now we do our class via zoom in two different time zones. However throughout it all she has maintained that discipline and devotion towards Shastriya Sangeet. I cannot thank Didi enough for bringing sitar into my life. As a doctor I face some really difficult circumstances but when I come back home and play my sitar, it connects me back to my soul, gives me the peace and quiet I need at the end of the day. I look forward to my journey with Didi and my sitar for the rest of my life.
⁃ Dr. Divya R Nair, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Marco Petracin from Padova, Italy
4.6/5
I have been taking long-distance sitar lessons with Pallavi Mehta for about four years, and she is the best sitar teacher I have ever had. When I first contacted her by e-mail, asking if she would take me on as a student, she signed her e-mail as “Didi,” which means “elder sister,” and, ever since then, I have felt that she is indeed a caring and compassionate elder sister who also happens to be an excellent sitarist. She is extremely patient, no matter how badly I might play at a lesson, and she utilizes her 40+ years of experience to teach me, sometimes in more than one way if I don’t understand something. She always knows what she wants to assign me, but if I ask her to teach me something other than her planned lessons, she always obliges me and encourages me to do my own learning and research to better understand the intricacies of the sitar. I know that I’m not just a body to her; she cares deeply about my well-being and my progress as a student, and the feeling is mutual.
My lessons are long distance, but that hasn’t prevented me from learning the sitar because she is a stellar teacher. She values her students above all else, and I really appreciate the fact that I feel well respected and appreciated. She does not use the position of teacher as a self-aggrandizing ploy to garner respect. She truly views her students as a vital part of that position, and her kindness knows no bounds. If I weren’t her student, I would be honored to be her friend because I have never met anyone who is as humble, kind, knowledgeable or generous as she is. I highly recommend her as a teacher, and I know that her future endeavors will be successful.
I have been taking long-distance sitar lessons with Pallavi Mehta for about four years, and she is the best sitar teacher I have ever had. When I first contacted her by e-mail, asking if she would take me on as a student, she signed her e-mail as “Didi,” which means “elder sister,” and, ever since then, I have felt that she is indeed a caring and compassionate elder sister who also happens to be an excellent sitarist. She is extremely patient, no matter how badly I might play at a lesson, and she utilizes her 40+ years of experience to teach me, sometimes in more than one way if I don’t understand something. She always knows what she wants to assign me, but if I ask her to teach me something other than her planned lessons, she always obliges me and encourages me to do my own learning and research to better understand the intricacies of the sitar. I know that I’m not just a body to her; she cares deeply about my well-being and my progress as a student, and the feeling is mutual.
My lessons are long distance, but that hasn’t prevented me from learning the sitar because she is a stellar teacher. She values her students above all else, and I really appreciate the fact that I feel well respected and appreciated. She does not use the position of teacher as a self-aggrandizing ploy to garner respect. She truly views her students as a vital part of that position, and her kindness knows no bounds. If I weren’t her student, I would be honored to be her friend because I have never met anyone who is as humble, kind, knowledgeable or generous as she is. I highly recommend her as a teacher, and I know that her future endeavors will be successful.
Kavita Salvado DaRocha, Elk Grove, California.