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Technology is transforming the way performing arts are taught to students, irrespective of time zone or geography. Practitioners and teachers of performing arts are increasingly adopting technology to stay relevant and reach more students than ever before.

Tapping into this trend is The Pallikoodam, a Chennai-based edtech startup, which is imparting lessons in vocal music and acting to students around the world via online live classes and recorded sessions.

While there is no dearth of performing arts classes in the country, the quality of teaching and learning experiences differs greatly. This is the gap that The Pallikoodam seeks to bridge with its courses that are taught by seasoned artistes and experts in their own right.

The founders of The Pallikoodam aim to leverage the power of technology and equip students of all ages with the essentials of vocal music and acting.

The Pallikoodam was founded by Kiran Sampath, Ranjith Govind, and Nara Visva in 2021. It started with vocal music classes and then expanded to acting lessons.

Each session, which is hosted on Zoom calls, is crafted, curated and taught by experienced artistes, says Sampath, Co-founder and CEO, The Pallikoodam.

The teachers include Ranjith Govind, a trained Carnatic musician, and Lakshmipriyaa Chandramouli, a national award-winning actor.

Govind has lent his voice to over 1,000 film songs in the South Indian languages. He has also learnt Hindustani and Western classical music and is influenced by rock, RnB, alternative rock, hip-hop, country and EDM.

Chandramouli, who has played various roles in Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu films, won the the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum.

What The Pallikoodam offers

The Pallikoodam’s courses emphasise on core techniques of music and acting.

The startup’s music course, called ‘PaatuClass’, offers lessons based on Carnatic music techniques, such as breathing techniques, pitch adjustment, expressing emotions, and voice modulation.

“However, it is a genre-free course where learners can sing in any style and any language—including hip-hop, jazz and K-pop,” says Sampath.

While level 1 of the music class focuses on voice exercises, level 2 includes lifestyle choices for vocal health, vocal improvisation techniques, live performance skills, and rhythm development.

The vocal training also includes sing-alongs and vocal workouts. Students submit videos of their practice or performance, which are then assessed by teachers for constructive feedback.

The curriculum is designed to provide a solid foundation in vocal music.

 “We believe the entire journey and the experience (of a learner) is based on how strong the foundation is … and we are laying that foundation for them,” says Govind, Co-founder, The Pallikoodam.

The acting class includes acting drills and exercises, presenting one’s authentic self, expressing emotion, and connecting with the audience.

The level 1 course in both music and acting, which lasts for 12 weeks, is priced at Rs 3,953. Level 2 in music is a 10-week course priced at Rs 5,900.

The startup recently expanded its music course to offer music lessons in Tamil.

Fun and interactive platform

Discussing the feasibility of learning performing arts online, Visva, the co-founder of the edtech platform, says the greatest advantage of the online medium is that it gives learners a “constant reference point,” which allows them to go back to their lessons and practise as and when they need to.

The founders believe The Pallikoodam will serve as a “fun and interactive” platform that helps people get out of their shells and express themselves.

“The lessons and self-practice exercises allow people to learn within the boundaries of their privacy, and the live classes allow for group activities,” says Sampath.

Collaboration and guidance

The Pallikoodam has also launched a vertical called ArtVizha, a collaboration platform for learners and upcoming artistes. It also provides artistes a personalised career roadmap and expert guidance on branding, networking, and marketing.

ArtVizha gives learners exposure to what really goes into working on a music track and helps artistes turn their creative vision into reality and accomplish their career goals, explains Sampath.

“As not many people want to manage an unknown artiste, we feel it is our responsibility to help them find their footing,” she adds.

Growth and expansion

The Pallikoodam has around 5,000 learners across the world, including 100 students in its acting course. While a majority of the students are from India, there are also learners from the United States, United Kingdom, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Middle East, Australia, and Europe.

The platform—which is backed up by Malaysia-based high net worth individuals—plans to launch its own app and add more art forms to its portfolio.

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Other startups offering online lessons in music and performing arts include Hyderabad-based Muzigal and Bengaluru-based SaPa India and Perfect Strangers School of Music.

Going forward, The Pallikoodam plans to offer dance classes by Vithya Arasu, who is trained in Bharatanatyam, Mayurbhanj Chhau, Odissi, Kandyan, and contemporary styles. It plans to teach the fundamentals of classical art forms in a genre-agnostic manner.

The Pallikoodam will also explore the possibility of integrating augmented reality and virtual reality into the learning experience. According to Visva, this will help online learning become as close to offline education as possible.