Meet Chayanit-The Chosen Ones, a neurodivergent band from Delhi NCR

Pianist Devanga Bidrum Kalita from Dibrugarh successful Assam began learning soft successful people II aft watching his person play the instrument. An creator with a circumstantial learning disability, his involvement encountered a roadblock erstwhile helium could not find a soft teacher successful the city. Every month, helium and his parent went to Guwahati to larn piano, which yet led him to AR Rahman’s KM Music Conservatory successful Chenna and aboriginal to Middlesex University successful the UK, wherever helium earned his bachelor’s grade successful music. Currently, Devanga is simply a soft tutor successful 2 schools.

Devanga happened to conscionable drummer Chayan Taneja, a graphic decorator connected the autism spectrum, and his parent Archana Taneja, who were seeking to commencement a neurodivergent euphony band, successful Delhi NCR. They went connected motorboat the band, Chayanit-The Chosen Ones, successful May this year.

They formed the set with the enactment of the Hyundai India Art for Hope Grant 2025. Chayanit has performed crossed Delhi and is each acceptable to task extracurricular the Capital with Sammohan 2025, a national-level showcase for People with Disabilities astatine the Different Art Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, connected September 27.

The ensemble has Kevin Aryan Mitchell connected guitar and Eshaan Pratap Singh and Shreyam Shreevardhan connected vocals. The set benefits from the mentorship of Sandeep Paul, Chayan’s puerility teacher, portion Archana coordinates the group.

Origin stories

“When I was four, I utilized to play artifact drums and was rather funny successful it. I started taking classes from Sandeep sir astatine the property of 10. In 2013, 5 months into learning drums, I had my archetypal solo performance,” says Chayan, a instrumentality of Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal, implicit a Zoom call. “I tin besides play different instruments specified arsenic the cajon, djembe, and tabla.” He is simply a Grade 6 drummer from Trinity College London.

Kevin fell successful emotion with the guitar arsenic a teen listening to his begetter play the instrumentality and taught himself however to play ‘Country Roads’ astatine the property of 14. The 19-year-old says helium was inspired by a fewer German artists increasing up; helium is connected the autistic spectrum.

Eshaan, who is besides connected the autistic spectrum, says, “I started to signifier singing during the lockdown with my mother. Later, it turned retired to beryllium my passion.” Shreyaam who lives with ADHD and a learning disability, credits his philharmonic involvement to Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar, and Hemant Kumar, whom helium listened to arsenic a three-year-old.

Hopes and challenges

It has not been casual for these musicians to turn up with neurodivergence, says Archana. “All of them person antithetic personalities with difficulties of varying degrees. For instance, Chayan utilized to get bushed wrong 30 seconds of playing the drums, saying his hands were aching. Giving him timers helped, and present helium tin play for 2 hours astatine a stretch. There was besides trouble successful learning euphony notation. Sandeep utilized to people the drums truthful helium would remember.”

Devanga, an Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Grade 8 certified pianist, says, “When I was successful people VI, it was hard for maine to recognize what my euphony teacher taught. So the teacher would instrumentality lessons for my begetter who was with maine and helium explained everything to me.”

Archana, who near her occupation arsenic a manner decorator to coordinate the band, says, “We are focused connected abilities alternatively than disabilities. Children person skills waiting to beryllium discovered. That is thing I privation to archer each parents. Your kid speaks; you conscionable request to listen.”

Sandeep says, “I bash not spot it arsenic a hard job. I request to make masters successful their fields. That’s it.”

Archana adds, “This set is simply a imagination travel true. But determination are difficulties successful presumption of logistics, planning, and coordination. All the parents are moving hard to marque the ensemble possible. The happiness I spot connected our children’s faces is our motivation.”

The set is gearing up for 2 concerts successful October, including a show astatine the International Purple Fest successful Goa.

“We are coming retired with an archetypal opus too,” says Chayan. “I imagination of carving a abstraction for myself arsenic a musician, truthful that my parent and mentor tin beryllium arrogant of me. I privation to animate those who are stopped from doing things due to the fact that they are disabled,” says Eshaan.

Chayan says, “I privation our set to play astatine Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal’s concerts. People should cognize we are peculiar but not less. We are Chayanit-The Chosen Ones.”

Chayanit - The Chosen Ones, performs astatine Sammohan 2025 connected September 27 , from 3pm onwards astatine Different Art Centre, Thiruvananthapuram. Entry free.