Sunita Arora - Shah
“When I was growing up, self-expression and creativity wasn’t part of the plan, nor was career development or educational achievement”, Sunita explains. “My achievements were never celebrated, they were silent victories.”
After leaving school with no qualifications, Sunita worked in factories but volunteered as a youth worker – which turned into paid employment. In her thirties, she returned to study, gaining GCSEs and an HNC in Youth and Community Work, before working in inner city high crime areas with gangs, prostitutes and families suffering extreme deprivation.
During this time, Sunita went on singing courses, “as it felt so fresh given the depressing work I was involved in”, she said. In 2001, she moved to the BBC as a Community Affairs researcher, journalist and then radio producer with the Asian Network.
“There was only so much creativity I could fuse into news stories…” said Sunita. “I decided to follow my heart to learn music. If I didn’t, I felt I would regret it forever. I made a choice and quit”.
With support from her husband, Sunita has now completed two years of Music Foundation at City Lit, together with supporting music courses and maths; she sings with a gospel community choir and, thanks to studying music analysis, she speaks about music on the radio twice a month.
“Learning music has carried me through some very difficult times. It gives me a means of expression and a discipline that always moves me forward. Education is the best gift I’ve given myself and it’s a gift I can and will share”.