Differently-abled pianist Joanna makes Hyderabad proud, puts city on world music map

The journey was not easy for Joanna, the singer-pianist from Hyderabad as she has a medical condition called dwarfism with a height of just three feet seven inches. She also has 40 % hearing loss in her right ear and uses a hearing aid.

“Due to my dwarfism, it is difficult to play certain pieces at a faster tempo. I can’t play octave notes due to my short hands. Crossing the hands to play higher notes is very difficult, and to use the sustain pedal, I need to stand and play. But I have decided to appear for Grade 8 next year after a gap of more than a decade even though it would be very difficult for me due to my short height. Also, I have already had half a dozen ENT surgeries, mostly of the ear and nasal septum, and more surgeries are awaited. I have a weak eardrum and from time to time, fluid that accumulates in my ear has to be removed,” informs Joanna about her physical challenges and adds that she was used to some little children making fun of her height.

It was her father Jairaj Kamthan, a self-taught musician, who recognized her talent and ear for music and started giving her music lessons on the keyboard. She learnt to play prayer songs and her first performance at school was at the age of seven.

“I started taking piano classes from the age of nine and found it easy to play since I was already accustomed to playing keyboard at home. My father was my first teacher and in the subsequent years, I learnt from three other teachers including Vijay Metla when I was nine, Clayton Sheehan for the next two years, and from the age of 12 to 21, I learnt from Sukanya Jaipal, who lived near my house and we went to the same church. Since 2008, I have played in various churches, especially during Christmas. By 2011, I had completed Grade 7 piano from Trinity Guildhall College of Music, London, for which examiners come to India to evaluate the students,” says Joanna, who knows to play the harmonium, mouth organ, and ukulele to some extent apart from piano and keyboard. She can also figure out a few chords when someone plays the guitar.

In November 2017, Joanna started going to the music school Strings and Tunes, founded by Ashrita Arockiam D’Souza. “Apart from the director Ashrita Ma’am, who offered me the teaching job, I am also grateful to my guides Cecil Naveen Elias, Commodore TMJ Champion and Shantanu Patel. I completed Grade Six in singing and Grade Five in music theory from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM), United Kingdom. Currently, I teach piano, singing, and music theory in Strings and Tunes.

Joanna, who loves classical, country, and gospel hymns, has also played at the Exposure concert of her music school and participated in Christmas programmes. Some of her favorite musicians include Mozart, Bach, and Lang Lang apart from gospel singers Laura Story, Keith, and Kristyn Getty. She can sing Western classical songs in English, German, and Italian languages and says someday she would like to compose her music.

The oldest of the three musically-inclined siblings, Joanna was academically bright as well. After her schooling at St Andrews High School, Bowenpally, she did her Intermediate, B.Com, and MBA from Loyola Academy Intermediate, Degree and PG College, Old Alwal. In B.Com Professional, she got All Rounder Student Award in 2011 besides winning awards for singing and playing musical instruments in her college fests.

Joanna also worked for Dell, Hyderabad for three years as an Accounts Receivable Associate between 2014 and 2017. But the sedentary life didn’t suit her health. She found her calling in teaching and furthering her music career.

“I left my corporate job and joined as a music teacher at St Ann’s School, Kompally, where I worked between 2017 and 2023 while both learning and teaching music part-time at Strings and Tunes from 2018. Since March 2023, I have been teaching full time at this music school,” says Joanna and adds that apart from singing and playing the piano, she loves to watch cookery and baking videos, piano instrumentals, a cappella music, and catch up with friends whenever she gets time.

“However, both singing and playing music give me the most creative satisfaction, peace, and happiness,” concludes Joanna.