A WINNERSH teenager helped lead her neighbours in the weekly Clap For Carers by banging her drum.
Aayushi Chopra has been learning the dhol for three years at the prestigious London School of Dhol.
And as the nation once again came together on Thursday evening to honour those frontline staff, including NHS doctors and nurses and care home workers, Aayushi was in the street playing the dhol to the delight of her neighbours, who joined in by clapping.
Proud Mum Shikha said: “We want to say thank you to all our carers, like the NHS, police, delivery men and so on, for all their hard work to support the community and protect us in this situation. We want to reach out to each and every carer and say a big thank you to them.”
“Big thanks to all our neighbours who have requested her play again.”
Aayushi is so committed to learning the Indian instrument that, until the lockdown started, she travelled to Watford every Saturday to attend classes.
She added: “There are very few women and girls who are learning the dhol – you will mainly find men and boys learning it.
“But Aayushi has been practising, the classes are not cancelled completely. She sends videos to her teachers and they send feedback.
“She has performed with the academy in the London New Year’s parade.”
Aayushi said that as a youngster, she was always on YouTube watching videos of people drumming, and that inspired her to try it herself.
“I liked the beat, it attracted me,” she said. “I asked my parents (for lessons) a few times.
“My Mum found a really good teacher – she wanted me to go to the best.”
She added: “With dhol, there’s a lot of techniques to learn, such as where to hit the drum.
“If you get the basics, you can play it really well. But, three years and I still get teachers telling me how to do things.”
Aayushi was pleased that her street were in support of her leading them in the Clap For Carers.
“I’m really happy,” the Holt School pupil said.
And further down the same street was Steve Block who performed Somewhere Over The Rainbow on his cornet. Afterwards, residents gave him a round of applause for his efforts.
The talented musician, who studied at the Royal Academy of Music, conducts the Waltham St Lawrence Silver Band and is a member of Saint Sebastian Wokingham Band.
“I’ve been playing on and off for 50-plus years,” he said. “I got the music, printed it out and made sure I could play it. I enjoy the challenge.”
