THE UNDERDOG
PROJECT
A brass band, a 24-voice choir, and weekly music lessons for every student at the school.
Conceived and led by George Hull, founder of the George Hull Collective, in partnership with TEA CARES Foundation and the Government Primary School, Masthan Nagar, Hyderabad, India.
Where it started
Every jazz musician starts as an underdog. We're building the band, the choir and the classroom these kids were never offered a seat in — and watching them earn their way into all three.
George Hull — project leader, curator, and founder of the George Hull Collective, leads the project on the ground at Masthan Nagar.
THREE PRONGS, ONE SCHOOL
At the Government Primary School in Masthan Nagar, Jubilee Hills, the Underdog Project now runs on three tracks at once — a brass band, a choir, and music lessons open to the whole school.
Twelve children chosen by aptitude form the brass band. A twenty-four voice choir draws from across the school. And every student, band or choir or neither, gets regular music lessons. It started as one idea from George Hull and Friends with the timely collaboration with TEA Cares Foundation — it now runs week to week, in the school itself, building toward a public concert in January.
MUSIC IS THE FIRST THING TO GO
Why Masthan Nagar
Hyderabad is home to over ten million people, a large share of them in communities like Masthan Nagar where schools are stretched thin on the basics and have little left over for the arts. A government primary school here has the students and the will — what it hasn't had, until now, is a music program.
Educational Gaps
Music-integrated learning is linked to better attendance and stronger academic performance in the children who get access to it.
COST OF ENTRY
A single brass or wind instrument can run several thousand rupees — out of reach for most families the school serves.
Emotional weight
A regular music practice gives kids a steady, expressive outlet that a full-to-capacity school day rarely leaves room for.
A SHARED STAGE
Band, choir and classroom feed the same thing: a school-wide event the whole community turns out for, like January's concert.
Every CHILD deserves a teacher who believes in them
Since our inception, we have advanced organizations across sectors by pairing strategic insight with disciplined execution.Our multidisciplinary team analyzes each objective, designs a tailored roadmap, and implements with rigorous oversight.
A BAND, A CHOIR, A CLASSROOM
THE THREE PRONG APPROACH
Each track has its own shape and its own kids, but all three run out of the same school, the same year, the same January concert.
12
BRASS BAND
Twelve children selected by aptitude, training weekly on trumpet and trombone — jazz brass fundamentals, ensemble playing, and improvisation.
24
VOCAL CHOIR
Regular music lessons for every student at the school, whether or not they're in the band or the choir — the baseline the other two tracks grow out of.
ALL
MUSIC LESSONS
A twenty-four voice choir drawn from across the school, rehearsing part-singing and repertoire built for young voices.
12
IN THE BRASS BAND
24
VOICES IN THE CHOIR
1
SCHOOL, ALL STUDENTS INCLUDED
BUILDING TOWARD JANUARY
What's next
SAVE THE DATE
JANUARY 2027
Band, choir and classroom are all rehearsing toward the same date: a concert in January where the school performs together, publicly, for the first time.
The choir share the stage, with pieces built from a term of weekly rehearsal — the first time the whole program performs together in front of the community.
TWO THINGS WOULD CHANGE THIS FAST
What the project needs
The program is running — what would let it grow is volunteer teachers and instruments in the hands of more kids.
MUSIC TEACHERS
We're looking for volunteers to lead or assist sessions across all three tracks — brass, choir, and general music lessons — even a few hours a week helps
INSTRUMENT DONATIONS
Wind and brass instruments, in playable condition — trumpets, trombones, saxophones and similar — go straight to students currently sharing or waiting.
COME - Let’s make some MAGIC
The Underdog Project runs week to week at the Government Primary School, Masthan Nagar. Volunteer to teach, donate a wind or brass instrument, or come to the concert in January.
How to donate
SEND A CONTRIBUTION DIRECTLY
Donations to The Underdog Project are received through the TEA Cares Foundation's account. Bank transfer is the quickest way to get instruments and volunteer support moving.
ACCOUNT NAME
TEA Cares Foundation
ACCOUNT NO.
31448036186
Bank
State Bank of India
IFSC CODE
SBIN0004155
ACCOUNT TYPE
Current Account
BRANCH
Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad
Please email proof of payment to teacaresfoundation@gmail.com so your contribution can be matched to The Underdog Project and acknowledged.
VOLUNTEER, DONATE, OR JUST SAY HELLO
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