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The Spardha School of Music is a futuristic digital platform for online music education. It recently raised Rs 8 crores (about $990,250) in Pre-Series A2 led by Inflection Point Ventures.
In this exclusive interview, India Currents spoke to Saurabh Srivastav, Founder and CEO, and Dr Amrita Srivastav, Co-founder and Chief People Officer, Spardha Learnings Pvt Ltd about their new venture.
IC: How is the Spardha School of Music is reimagining music learning?
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SS: Spardha is a futuristic digital platform for online music education. It has a curated curriculum, certified trainers, and personalised musical journeys for various student needs. Spardha’s idea originated from mine, and Dr Amrita Srivastav’s experience of getting our child trained in the performing arts. Like any other parent, we wanted our child to be an all-rounder. We started looking for a good music and performing arts academy for our child to become confident, creative, and focused.
A lot of people who start learning music lose interest soon, because they lack proper guidance and direction. At Spardha, they get guidance and motivation from a dedicated teacher who holds their hand throughout their musical journey. People learn to play songs, but learn wrong techniques which hamper their growth in the long run. Getting trained with the right techniques from the beginning is our focus and priority. Every student learns the basic fundamentals through our curated curriculum, which helps students to eventually excel.
IC: Tell us more about Spardha.
AS: Each of Spardha’s products has been intelligently designed to solve the major problems that exist in the music education sector. We provide a curated curriculum for different student personas as well as a proprietary system to hire, upskill, and manage teachers professionally. We also offer personalized journeys for different student profiles and a seamless virtual classroom experience to our students.
Spardha gets its teachers mainly from referrals, job sites, and its own digital marketing campaigns. It follows a unique template-based hiring process, which can be divided into three steps:
Step 1: Background, communication skills, attitude, education, commitment check.
Step 2: Detailed musical skill validation along with deep dive discussion to understand his fitment as a music teacher.
Step 3: Market fitment check to validate if a teacher can succeed in a specific market.
IC: The school has recently raised Rs 8 crores.
SS: Spardha has raised Rs 8 crores in a Pre-Series A2 round led by Inflection Point Ventures. The round also saw participation from the Mumbai Angels and We Founder Circle. The funds raised will be utilized for hiring across sales and operation along with product upgrade. The company will also be spending funds on brand building and marketing to expand its presence in the global market. Spardha has registered more than 400 freelance teachers in India to support its global delivery model. The end goal is to become a trusted brand in music and performing arts globally. The short-term goal is to grow to more than one lakh (hundred thousand) registered users.
IC: Of late, music schools are moving towards a more wholesome curriculum as opposed to simply being a hobby for children. Tell us how music can be made a lucrative career option post Class 12th, especially with the National Education Policy 2020.
AS: In India, music is no longer being simply seen as a hobby. Millennial parents are very supportive of their children to receive a holistic education beyond academic knowledge. With the NEP, music and performing arts are being seen as part of a dedicated course curriculum and academic framework. With the right attitude and guidance, Spardha’s students can pursue a career in music as in any other field.
As per market research, online education in music and performing arts has a huge scope in Indian and international markets. By continuously improving the overall experience, we will be able to create a profitable business using an online mode of delivery. In India, online business will grow due to the convenience with which students can learn music. Outside India, apart from convenience, pricing is also an added advantage. Spardha will continue to provide a premium experience at affordable prices from the convenience of one’s home.
IC: Research has proven that music training helps strengthen cognitive and visual-motor skills. Tell us more about the benefits of music education for children.
SS: When children learn to play an instrument, they have to use both their hands and feet to make the music. This helps them to develop coordination and fine motor skills. In addition, playing an instrument requires a child to use both sides of their brain at the same time. This helps to improve their overall brain development. Learning music teaches children to set short-term goals and achieve them, develop routine in their daily life, and practice self-discipline. Setting aside regular time for practice helps in developing commitment and patience.
Mastering a new piece of music leads to a sense of pride and achievement, and teaches children self-discipline. Exposing children to music during the early stage of development helps them to learn the sounds and meanings of words. Music also helps children build motor skills while allowing them to practise self-expression. Music can also heal from mental, physical, and emotional illnesses or disabilities, and address the effects of dementia, autism, and depression.
One of the most well-known benefits of music therapy is its ability to help people recover from stroke. A study published in Stroke found that patients who received music therapy had significantly better recovery results than others. Music therapy has shown to be helpful for patients of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. A study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found that music therapy helped patients with dementia communicate better. It even improved their mood and sleep quality.
Further, playing an instrument can also improve one’s mental health. Studies have shown that learning to play an instrument can help improve memory and cognitive function. It can also increase levels of dopamine. These benefits are not just limited to adults. Music therapy has been shown to be especially helpful for children with ADHD and other learning disabilities.
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Neha Kirpal is a freelance writer based in Delhi. She has worked for over a decade in print, television, and online media. Her diverse interests in the culture beat include books, music, travel, films,… More by Neha Kirpal
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