CEE junior S. Balaji Mani is one of 26 MIT sophomores and juniors selected as Burchard Scholars in the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences for 2009. The award recognizes students who demonstrate unusual abilities and academic excellence in the areas embraced by the school. Mani, an environmental engineering science major interested in water and renewable energy, is also an accomplished musician. The Chicago native has traveled to India, Senegal and Ethiopia to play and learn music. “I’ve always had a craving to get my hands on all the different sounds that I love in music,” said Mani, who plays guitar, drums, piano, Ethiopian harp and Indian instruments. For several semesters he has performed with Rambax, MIT’s Senegalese percussion group. This month, his pop music band, The Pears, will enter a contest judged by Rolling Stone magazine at Boston’s Paradise Rock Club, and release its debut album, “Flavors.” Mani also serves as arts editor of The Tech, MIT’s student newspaper.