I have been taking long-distance sitar lessons with Pallavi Mehta for about four years, and she is the best sitar teacher I have ever had. When I first contacted her by e-mail, asking if she would take me on as a student, she signed her e-mail as “Didi,” which means “elder sister,” and, ever since then, I have felt that she is indeed a caring and compassionate elder sister who also happens to be an excellent sitarist. She is extremely patient, no matter how badly I might play at a lesson, and she utilizes her 40+ years of experience to teach me, sometimes in more than one way if I don’t understand something. She always knows what she wants to assign me, but if I ask her to teach me something other than her planned lessons, she always obliges me and encourages me to do my own learning and research to better understand the intricacies of the sitar. I know that I’m not just a body to her; she cares deeply about my well-being and my progress as a student, and the feeling is mutual.

My lessons are long distance, but that hasn’t prevented me from learning the sitar because she is a stellar teacher. She values her students above all else, and I really appreciate the fact that I feel well respected and appreciated. She does not use the position of teacher as a self-aggrandizing ploy to garner respect. She truly views her students as a vital part of that position, and her kindness knows no bounds. If I weren’t her student, I would be honored to be her friend because I have never met anyone who is as humble, kind, knowledgeable or generous as she is. I highly recommend her as a teacher, and I know that her future endeavors will be successful.

I have been taking long-distance sitar lessons with Pallavi Mehta for about four years, and she is the best sitar teacher I have ever had. When I first contacted her by e-mail, asking if she would take me on as a student, she signed her e-mail as “Didi,” which means “elder sister,” and, ever since then, I have felt that she is indeed a caring and compassionate elder sister who also happens to be an excellent sitarist. She is extremely patient, no matter how badly I might play at a lesson, and she utilizes her 40+ years of experience to teach me, sometimes in more than one way if I don’t understand something. She always knows what she wants to assign me, but if I ask her to teach me something other than her planned lessons, she always obliges me and encourages me to do my own learning and research to better understand the intricacies of the sitar. I know that I’m not just a body to her; she cares deeply about my well-being and my progress as a student, and the feeling is mutual.

My lessons are long distance, but that hasn’t prevented me from learning the sitar because she is a stellar teacher. She values her students above all else, and I really appreciate the fact that I feel well respected and appreciated. She does not use the position of teacher as a self-aggrandizing ploy to garner respect. She truly views her students as a vital part of that position, and her kindness knows no bounds. If I weren’t her student, I would be honored to be her friend because I have never met anyone who is as humble, kind, knowledgeable or generous as she is. I highly recommend her as a teacher, and I know that her future endeavors will be successful.