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Neecia Majolly

Domain: Semi-retired concert pianist | Singer (Music Theatre & Alternative Rock) | Piano Tutor | Celebrity vocal coach | Songwriter/Composer | Conductor

Genre: #WesternClassicalMusic #MusicTheatre #AlternativeRock #Piano #Vocals #OriginalMusic

Location: India

Journey

A PRODIGY AND MUSICIAN PAR EXCELLENCE

Neecia Majolly is the only member of IICA, as yet, who has been featured in Rolling Stone (India). She is a rockstar in her own right, an accomplished concert pianist, composer, songwriter, celebrity vocal coach, conductor and a piano tutor.

We are honoured to feature her brand story. At the outset, let’s acknowledge a few highlights of her leadership positions and career peaks:

  • Featured in National and International newspapers and publications including Femina.
  • Stage debut at 6 years of age in Brunei.
  • Appeared on Brunei radio and television in childhood.
  • Performances in Sweden, Nepal, India, South East Asia, Australia and USA
  • Advisor to the National Philharmonic of India based in Japan
  • Empanelled as artist for Western Classical Piano in the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR)
  • Advisory Council Member of the Karnataka Artistes Association
  • Conceptualized and written three competitions –
    1. Kawai Junior Piano Competition (National level)
    2. Outperformers (National level singing competition)
    3. NMCPA Online Western Classical Music Competition (International level)
  • 2019 – World premieres of ‘Haiku 1’ for mezzo soprano and piano, and ‘The Way I Am’ (SATB)
  • Published ‘Haiku 1’ for mezzo soprano and piano.
  • 2018 – ‘Fenced Circle’ aired on VH 1. Featured in Rolling Stone (India).
  • 2017 – Alternative rock album ‘Please’ released.
  • 2012 – Pure Spa Gold Coast released (Universal Music)*first Western Classical album by an Indian pianist.
  • 2009 – First Western Classical album in India released ‘the renaissance begins’.

Getting to know her life journey and upbringing is nothing short of a revelation of her prodigal talents, indomitable courage, big hearted intent to do good and be good as a musician, and as a human being who is passionate about music, and someone who really cares about environmental issues, and about health and well-being of musicians.

HUMBLE UPBRINGING IN RICH MUSIC

Born in 1970, Neecia Majolly was brought up in Brunei, a country in Southeast Asia, situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. Her father – Mr. Joseph Mathews, who was a musician, learnt Hindustani classical music and played the western violin, wished to have a girl child. He played western classical music when Neecia was a baby, thinking she would absorb the music. At 2.5 years of age, he started her on piano, and she would imitate him playing.

By 4 years of age, Neecia already finished the method book, which is the John Thompson GRADE 1 book, for piano. Also, she played electronic organ, violin, and was singing, by 6 years of age, when she gave her first public performance on stage.

It is noteworthy to mention here that her mother – Molly Joseph Mathews, was also performing and learning piano and could play the guitar as well. From 7 years of age till 14, Neecia Majolly was regularly featured by Radio Television Brunei, the State owned channel and the national public broadcaster of Brunei, where she would sing and play the piano.

During this time, Neecia got into a children TV workshop, with guidance from a producer named Royston Goh. At 12 years of age, she started her formal advanced training in piano, from Marietta Baja, a filipino Master piano teacher.

Neecia learned a lot from her, on how to practice, how to listen. Moreover, she finished class 10 of conventional school, at 15 years of age, so, before she turned 16, she went to Singapore to pursue music studies, inspired by her father – as she was talented – and it was decided that she’d pursue music full-time. There was no discussion about vocational higher studies or pursuing other professional careers.

Since Singapore wasn’t far from Brunei, also it was very safe for youngsters, young Neecia studied for 4 years in Singapore, at LASALLE College of the Arts, where she underwent rigorous training; she majored in piano, did a minor in voice, and studied other subjects such as harmony and counterpoint, history of music, ear training, ensemble play, choir, and conducted deep research in music. This was her first encounter in deep study of music.

Details of her educational qualifications are given below:

  • Associate of the London College of Music – 2010 (Music Theatre)
  • Licentiate of the Trinity College of Music – 2001 (Classical Singing)
  • Bachelor of Music in Classical Music – 1992 (Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, Edith Cowan University, Perth) *a 4 year degree was completed in 2 years due to previous qualifications and outstanding audition
  • TEE (*equivalent of Pre University education) – 1990 (Tuart College, Perth, Australia) *received the highest marks in music at the College (total 410.4 out of 500 for all subjects)
  • Associateship in Music – 1989 (La Salle College of the Arts, Singapore)
  • Fellowship of the Trinity College of Music – 1989 (Piano Performance)
  • Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music – 1986 (Piano Performance)
  • Licentiate of the Trinity College of Music – 1988 (Principles of Piano Teaching)

PROFESSIONAL ORIENTATION, AWARDS AND ACCOLADES

Young Neecia was already presenting professional level performances and began teaching piano at the age of 16, as she was already a Diploma level performer in piano.

After 4 years completing her music studies at LASALLE College of the Arts, she obtained her music Degree in Perth, in Western Australia. In order to finish high school equivalent of Indian education system, she finished 1 year of tertiary music education and auditioned to get into the Conservatorium of Music. Based on her audition and 4 years in Singaporean music education system, she directly got enrolled for the third year of Bachelors Degree of Piano Performance, which she finished in the next 2 years.

Since, there was not much of opportunities for musicians in Brunei, and also, since she had an Indian passport, she came to India to pursue music as a profession. In 1993, Neecia Majolly got a job in Delhi school of music, and she taught music privately as well. This continued for 1.5 years, and then she came to Bangalore and started teaching with Bangalore school of music.

Highlights of her professional experiences are mentioned below:

  • 1986 till 2021 – private teaching in piano and vocal studies (Singapore, Brunei, Australia and India)
  • 2021 till present – Founder Director of the Neecia Majolly Centre for Performing Arts (NMCPA, Bangalore, India)
  • 2011 till present – Founder President of The Majolly Music Trust (Bangalore, India).
  • 2008 till 2015 – London College of Music representative in Karnataka (India).
  • 2000 till 2005 – Founder of the Bangalore Society for Performing Arts (India).
  • 1999 till present – Co founder and Director of ‘Madrigals, Etc.’ (the only choral group in India performing music from the Middles Ages to Renaissance), in Bangalore, India.
  • 2001 till 2017 – Founder of the Camerata (later renamed MMT Choir – choral group of repute), in Bangalore, India.
  • 1995 till 1996 – Piano teacher at the Bangalore School of Music (India).
  • 1997 till 2004 – Music critic for Deccan Herald and The Indian Express newspapers (Bangalore, India).
  • 1993 till 1994 – Piano teacher at the Delhi School of Music (India).
  • 1993 till 1994 – Radio presenter at All India Radio, New Delhi (India).

Neecia Majolly has won some of the most prestigious awards, nationally and internationally:

  • 2022: Gold Prize Winner for Composition at the World Classical Music Awards Season 2
  • 2019 – Winner and Nominee at various International Film Festivals for ‘Whitebone’ (Top Indie Film Awards, European Film Festival, Rome Prisma Film Awards, Filmstrip International Film Festival amongst others)
  • ‘Best Alternative Song’ for ‘Fenced Circle’ at the Indie Music Channel Awards, Hollywood.
  • 2018 – ‘Alternative Artist of the Year’ at International Music and Entertainment Awards Association, USA.
  • 2016 – Best Alternative Rock Video for ‘Whitebone’ at Akademia Awards, Hollywood.
  • 2015 – Silver Medal ‘Best Song’ and ‘Best Video’ at the Global Music Awards for ‘Whitebone’.
  • 2015 – Gold Medal ‘Best Emerging Artist’ and ‘Best Song’ at the Global Music Awards for ‘Dark Room’.
  • 2001 – The Fewkes Memorial Rolling Trophy for Outstanding Achievement (Voice Performance), South India.
  • 1992 – Stephanie Coleman Prize for Best Graduating Pianist (WAAPA, Perth, Australia)
  • 1991 – The Rex Hobcroft Prize for the Best Pianist in the inaugural Conservatorium Chamber Music Competition (WAAPA, Perth, Australia).

REVOLUTIONARY CONTRIBUTION TO INDIA, AS COMMUNITY LEADER

In 2000, she set up the Bangalore Society for Performing Arts, with a mission to encourage local talent. With a musical sensitivity and sense of music direction, it was not possible to attract funders, to organize concert for children, so she had to shut down by 2005. It took 4 years to recover the debt. Meanwhile, she read about a legendary musician in destitute living in Varanasi, who was a practitioner of the Indian classical music, and his sad plight of life in the senior years inspired her to form a TRUST, with a mission to providing quality education to sincere learners as well as to fund a monthly pension for aged and infirm musicians in India. She now runs The Majolly Music Trust (MMT).

She believes that in their prime of health, musicians have contributed so much towards music and the government doesn’t take care of their health. Funds for this pension come from students’ fees, donations by a few kind people and the fundraiser concerts organized by MMT. Neecia Majolly believes music education needs to be more than just teaching music; so she has developed a scientific curriculum and has a process of regular internal assessment that takes care of learners’ enrichment in music, in the truest sense of the term.

Inspired by environmental issues and animal welfare, Neecia wrote her first song in New Delhi and her second Single titled “white bone” – was released as a YouTube video depicting the poaching of elephant. Some of her outstanding achievements and contributions are highlighted below:

  • The Camerata (now MMT Choir), Madrigals, etc. and Femusica (an all-women’s choir) have all earned a firm reputation in India for being unique in their choice of repertoire and quality of presentation, including releasing the first ever Western Music Classical album in the country in 2009 ‘the renaissance begins’

 

  • The Majolly Music Trust has one of the finest faculties in the country imparting music education in piano and voice studies besides having created a unique pension fund for aged and infirm musicians

 

  • Besides being former representative of the London College of Music Examinations in Karnataka, Neecia is believed to be the first Indian Western Classical Pianist to have a piano album, ‘Pure Spa Gold Coast, released by Universal Audio, USA.

 

  • She holds an Associate Diploma in Music Theatre from the London College of Music, Licentiate in Classical Singing & Principles of Teaching from Trinity College, London, Licentiate in Piano Performance from The Royal Schools of Music, and Fellowship in Piano Performance from Trinity College, London.

 

  • Empanelled in the Indian Council of Cultural Relations’ Reference Panel of Artistes’, and is also an Advisory Council Member of the Karnataka Artistes Association

 

  • Gold Prize Winner for Composition at the World Classical Music Awards.

A LEGENDARY MUSICIAN WHO LEADS BY EXAMPLE

Neecia Majolly is the Founder – Director of the Neecia Majolly Centre for Performing Arts, the Founder of  alternative rock outfit ’The Majolly Project’ – that has won several music and film awards, and the Founder-President of The Majolly Music Trust, who has emerged as one of the most dynamic musical forces in India with international performances to her credit.

Her teachers include Ms. Marietta Baja, Dr. Georgina Emmanuel, Peter Cooper, Josephine Koh, Vivien Ngo, Dr. John Roberts, Sergio Snyder, Shelagh Molyneux, and her parents – Mr. Joseph Mathews and Molly Joseph Mathews. She is presently based in Bengaluru, India.

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