Mumbai: As technology and artificial intelligence (AI) continue to reshape music creation, education is also evolving to keep pace with these changes. AI offers musicians advanced tools for creativity and efficiency, while independent music is gaining prominence worldwide.
Artium Academy steps into this space, offering a forward-thinking approach to music learning. By combining modern pedagogy with AI, they provide a personalised learning experience, nurturing talent from the grassroots level. With guidance from industry legends like Sonu Nigam, Shubha Mudgal, KS Chithra, among others, Artium Academy is transforming the way music education is delivered, helping students evolve from learners to creators.
Indiantelevision.com’s Arth Chakraborty caught up with Artium Academy founder and CEO Ashish Joshi to discuss the academy's innovative approach to music education, the role of AI in enhancing learning experiences, the importance of nurturing talent for the independent music scene, and much more…
Edited Excerpts:
On the inspiration behind founding Artium Academy, and the evolution of its mission since its inception
Despite the depth, diversity, and richness of Indian music, which is probably deeper and more diverse than the global music ecosystem, India has never had a music education brand that is truly global. Just imagine the Berklee College of Music, New York and The Juilliard School in the West. That was one of the first thoughts that came to my mind and that’s when we realised that there was also a lack of an outcome-driven education platform globally.
What I mean is that, once you finish learning, whether on your own or through an institution, you are left to fend for yourself. There is no creative assistance, no creative guidance, or no financial support. Even if you manage to create something of your own, there’s no help with monetisation or distribution. So, the value chain was dysfunctional. Also, the current music education ecosystem in India is rigid and has not evolved. It’s not a globally standardised process like you see in the West or Southeast Asia, where programs are standardised right from school. That’s not the case in India. These were the gaps we saw, which inspired us to start Artium. Today, we are proud to be the largest outcome-driven music education platform.
On Artium Academy differentiating itself from other music education platforms
The outcome-led approach I mentioned is one of our key differentiators. There are a few aspects that really stand out. First, we are fortunate to have some of the top maestros in the industry, individuals who have dedicated their life, heart, and soul to music across various genres, such as Sonu Nigam, Shubha Mudgal, K.S. Chithra, Louis Banks and Aruna Sairam. These maestros have come together as part of the academic board at Artium, which is one of our biggest differentiators. The second is that we are the first outcome-driven music education platform. When I say outcomes, they come in two forms: one is a globally certified music education program, and the other is the journey from being a learner to becoming a creator, and eventually an influencer. This comprehensive vertical music play is what sets us apart from other players who are solely focused on music education.
Additionally, we’ve launched our own music label, where we give opportunity to our talent. Every album we launch includes a collaboration between a superstar from the industry and our talent, giving them a fast track in their growth journey. So, real outcomes are being driven.
On AI transforming music education and enhancing creativity and efficiency in music production at Artium Academy
I wouldn’t say that we are using AI to teach learners because I still believe that the learning process is creative, and you can’t depend on AI to start teaching. However we are using AI to enable the post-class practice experience. We’ve built a picture recognition platform as part of our practice studio. So, after the class is over and the learner goes home, they have the content they learned in the class. Through the practice studio, which has an AI-enabled platform, learners can practice and submit their assignments based on the practice they’ve done.
I feel AI plays a vital role in enabling these self-paced practice sessions when the teacher isn’t available after the live class. That’s one area where AI plays a very important role, and we’re trying to use that as much as possible. We’re also using AI for generating video content. For instance, at Juju Baby Music, all our video content is AI-enabled. This means we don’t have to go outdoors to shoot for any concepts we create around the videos; all the videos are AI-enabled or rather AI-led.
On the current trend of underdeveloped music styles gaining popularity as compared to the polished styles valued in the past; and this trend affecting young artists' creative processes
I believe Lo-Fi is a format of music, but an artist doesn't have to sing in Lo-Fi. The core process of music learning remains the same, although new genres, such as hip-hop, may be introduced along the way. However, this doesn’t change the approach to vocal training. An artist’s journey typically has two or three key phases: learning, creating (which involves songwriting), and finally, performing. The performance stage is crucial, as it requires the artist to have mastered the fundamentals during their learning phase to excel as a live performer.
While new formats like Lo-Fi have gained popularity thanks to advancements in technology, they are more about how the music is presented than how it’s learned. Lo-Fi works because most devices can handle stereo sound well, but it's not a style of singing. The learning process shouldn't shift based on these evolving formats. More and more artists realise that mastering versatility is essential for them to become multi-genre singers. The nuances of these new formats are tied to production, not to the foundational aspects of learning music.
On AI tools used in your teaching methods
Once learners complete their live classes, they have content available on their dashboard for post-class learning. This phase focuses on the practice process, where they can use AI tools to practice with original content and receive feedback on how well they are doing with pitch, sur, and taal. We are efficiently utilising AI here and continue to evolve as we move forward on this journey.
On Artium Academy supporting aspiring musicians in today’s rapidly evolving industry
Most music education platforms in the world leave you to fend for yourself once you finish your learning journey. However, at Artium, we have our own music label, Juju Baby Music, where the idea is to take learners journey from being just learners to creators. Once they become creators, we help them through the entire A&R process of grooming them to be the artists of the future. We launch these talents on our own label, and in every album, we feature singles by our creators/artists, along with collaborations between our talent and maestros from the industry. This provides emerging talent with some of the finest exposure they can receive because all they need is a platform for visibility. That’s how we’re progressing with Artium Originals, with Juju Baby being a part of it.
On Artium Academy defining and measuring success for its students, particularly in terms of their career growth in the music industry
First, I don’t believe that every learner comes with the intention of becoming an artist; every learner has different reasons for learning. For instance, kids and their parents often want them to acquire cognitive skills, confidence, and the right growth. In that process, they may not focus on performing better.
For us, the measurement of growth is in three formats. For a group of kids who want to acquire knowledge of music, we offer global certification programs to enable that process. For middle-aged individuals who see music education as a stress buster and seek social equity, we also facilitate their learning journey. For those who come with the intention of becoming creators or influencers of the future, there’s a specific journey we enable. As I mentioned before, these individuals move from being learners to creators.
We provide them with creative assistance and a platform like Juju Baby Music to create and distribute their music. We also assist them in securing live shows and brand partnerships. So, the whole Juju Baby support system is what we offer to the talents who come to Artium with the intention of becoming the artists of the future.
On the future of music education evolving and your vision for Artium Academy over the next few years
I believe music education is growing rapidly for two key reasons. First, there’s a rising narrative among new-age parents that music education is an essential life skill for children. Much like enrolling kids in sports, more young parents are encouraging their children to start learning music as early as five or six years old. Second, India has never had a globally certified music education program, especially for Indian classical music, and I see that now emerging strongly. Moreover, with the government of India's new education policy (NEP 2020) making music education an elective subject in CBSE and ICSE schools, this will further boost its growth.
Overall, I see the growth of music education across different age groups and demographics as a healthy and positive trend. I also envision Artium Academy becoming the leading outcome-driven music education platform, starting with global Indians and eventually expanding across all cultures to become a truly global platform. By offering a platform for future creators, I see us as the foundation of talent, uniting creators under one umbrella within the next three to four years. Our goal is to be the largest hub for music creators, and with these creators as part of our ecosystem, we will generate significant independent music intellectual property (IP).
In this way, we aim to build the largest independent music IP platform. On one side, we’ll be the largest education platform, on the other, the largest hub for music creators, and simultaneously, the biggest platform for producing independent music IP. That’s the future I see for Artium.
