Enrolling in Courses

Shankar Mahadevan Academy offers a broad range of courses, catering to various interests and abilities.

Courses run for up to 12 weeks, with new sessions starting throughout the year. All courses are online, and once enrolled, students receive an email with details on how to log in to a personalized student portal where they will find the materials and information they need to get started.

All major credit and debit cards are accepted. We also accept payments by Internet Banking. Shankar Mahadevan Academy does not store any Credit/Debit card details . Our trusted payment gateways use SSL encryption technology to protect your card information.

Learning Experience

At the Academy, we work hard to give you a high quality learning experience with a clear path of progression and well defined milestones. We have strived to take the vast curriculum of Indian Classical Music and demystify it, define milestones and impart learning using some great techniques and tools that are both fun and effective. When you enroll for a course at the academy, we communicate what you can accomplish on successful completion of the course.

The Academy offers certificate courses with live virtual classes as well as self study courses. All our courses are supplemented by great learning materials and tools for practice.

Certificate Programs for Indian Classical Music

The whole classical music program at SMA is basically divided into 3 levels - Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced.

Under each level, there are several modules. Anyone who wishes to enroll can choose a module from any one of the levels as long as they have completed the prerequisites that are required to pursue that module. Each module contains several lessons. Each lesson is taught to you by expert teachers via live online classes. You will also have access to many fantastic self learning tools like a digital text book called the OM Book™, a riyaaz recorder which allows you to record your renditions and submit to the academy for a detailed feedback as well as access to several fun musical games and tools.

Assessments are conducted at the end of each module and after the success completion of a module, you will receive a certificate signed by Shankar Mahadevan.

Teaching Methodology

For classical music courses, SMA uses a combination of 3 different proven teaching methods.

  • Virtual Class

Virtual classes/ Live classes are usually held once a week via Cisco Webex. Each class has a teacher with up to 3 students and students will be able to see each other, interact and imbibe skills like in a real classroom. This is extremely effective as it not only helps you learn from the teacher but also from fellow students across the globe. You will also be able to gauge how you stand with respect to other students taking the same course.

The virtual class is not a standalone method of teaching at the academy. It is supplemented by several powerful self study tools.

  • OM Book™

At the beginning of each course, you will be given access to the Online Music Book or OM Book™, which is a digital text book that contains the entire learning material for the course you have enrolled for. OM Book™ is a wonderful tool. It has all the concepts explained, demonstrated, and sung by expert artists. You will have access to the OM Book™ during the entire duration of your course. It allows you to practice without inhibitions at any time.

At the end of the explanation of each concept, you have practice exercises which can be recorded using the OM riyaaz recorder. The OM riyaaz recorder allows you to record your renditions and submit to the academy for immediate and detailed audio feedback.

  • Assessments and Examinations

We also have regular assessments and examinations to evaluate learning progress and after the successful completion of each module, you will receive a certificate. This will help you achieve learning milestones and give you a sense of accomplishment.

Self-Study Courses

Hindi Movie and Devotional song courses are offered in a self-study course format, allowing students to learn on their own time, and at their own pace. Self-study courses provide students with access to a student portal, the OM Book™, a week-by-week study guide, unlimited singing practice with recording tools, and expert feedback on recordings. 

Want to join the academy? Check out our courses courses now.