Jyoti Somashekhar

Subramaniam Academy of Performing Arts (SaPa)

SaPa, the Subramaniam Academy of Performing Arts, was started in 2007 to be the home for great music and musicians. Since its inception, SaPa has been nurturing the next generation of performers and sharing knowledge across cultural boundaries. - Founded by India's violin icon Dr. L. Subramaniam and Bollywood playback singer Kavita Krishnamurti Subramaniam - Currently led by singer-songwriter Bindu Subramaniam and violinist Ambi Subramaniam - The SaPa in Schools program was started by Bindu and Ambi Subramaniam to make quality music education accessible to every child. It uses music as a gateway to developing 21st-century skills like teamwork, empathy, and communication in all children. - With SaPa in Schools, Bindu and Ambi have created an ecosystem for music education in India. Its pillars - curriculum, methodology, syllabus, teacher training, and assessments - have been developed in-house in partnership with the Norwegian Academy of Music - one of Europe's most prestigious conservatories built by the Government of Norway. - The program is compatible with all boards and provides textbooks, audio and video learning material, and gamified learning. - It teaches elements of Indian and global music and includes musical activities that introduce children to rhythm, melody, and new languages from around the world. SaPa in Schools also provides cultural context that explains different historical and social climates, teaches children about storytelling and tradition in different parts of the world, and helps them explore the connection between music and "real-world" topics like mathematics and physics. Currently, the SaPa-in-Schools program impacts over 30,000 students each year.