It’s not every day you hear the word mridanga in a sentence. In fact, you’ve probably never heard the word before. But for Ananjay Raju, a 7th grader at Sugar Land Preparatory Academy, mridanga represents a big part of his life and culture. What does mridanga mean? A mridanga is an Indian drum shaped like a double sided cone. In ancient times, it was played in Karnataka music and was believed to be heard in the heavens. One side of the instrument has a lower pitch than the other side; this allows the drummer to create a musical medley of high and low sounds. Ananjay has been playing this unique instrument since he was four years old. Recently, he was given the opportunity to work with a successful mridanga player. Ananjay would meet with this musician yearly and go over Ananjay's techniques on the instrument. Ananjay was given the chance to perform at his temple, and he traveled around the city to perform. It’s clear that Ananjay shines just as brightly academically as he does musically. This year he was able to earn State Recognition for Duke TIP by taking the ACT. He's traveling with his family this week to receive his medal at the Duke TIP awards ceremony in Dallas! By earning a 23 on the English section, Ananjay was able to score in the top 5% of all juniors and seniors in the nation. Here at Sugar Land Preparatory Academy, we make sure our 7th graders are ready for success in the Duke TIP program. Ananjay and many others go through our intensive preparation and countless hours of hard work in order to achieve this high honor. We are extremely proud of Ananjay’s ability to succeed in everything he attempts, especially qualifying for Duke TIP and playing the mridanga. Want to learn more about Sugar Land Prep? We are a private school for self-motivated 6th through 12th graders. A practical alternative to a traditional classroom education, Sugar Land Prep engages students through a self-paced college preparatory curriculum. All of the students who attend Sugar Land Prep are at or above grade level in all of their courses. For more information, please visit our website: www.sugarlandprep.com |
Our PromiseSugar Land Prep is dedicated to providing our students with learning foundation skills required for success in college and in life. Our students leave with an impressive advantage in learning. We are a school like no other; here, success is the norm. Categories
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