Kamakshi & Vishala Khurana, co-founders of The Sound Space

Interview with Kamakshi & Vishala Khurana, co-founders of The Sound Space

Born in a musical family and mentored by our father Shri Harendra Khurana, we have both completed our Visharad in Hindustani Classical Music and are graduates in psychology. Our overpowering thirst of sharing the numerous horizons of sound has resulted in the birth of our endeavour– The Sound Space.

Kamakshi conducts several workshops where she introduces people to sound and its benefits. Vishala uses her knowledge of relaxation therapy and sound, combining them to impact both children and adults alike.

Their on-going research assisted by a team of hands-on experts enables them to use their knowledge and understanding in a manner relevant to today’s times.

They also delve into Sound Therapy which works on the premise of using different sound waves and frequencies to improve the health and well-being of an individual.

Their workshops are well crafted with the help of Raga-Chikitsa which was written in ancient times and spoke about the use of the different ragas to treat various ailments.

Another commonly used technique for healing through sound which is used by them is the Sound Bath. All of this helps in rectifying the energy imbalance through sound is the aim of sound healing.

All through COVID-19, they have worked with recovered patients and learned that music therapy has helped them combat stress, anxiety and its after-effects.

Using the power of sound and frequency to heal the chakras coupled with various vocal exercises it has been seen that such techniques help cope with the effects of the illnesses.

About the Sound Space:

Started by Kamakshi and Vishala Khurana, The Sound Space is a one of its kind organizations that develops modules, workshops and interactive sessions with music at its heart.

Through this organization, the duo are paving the way for innovation in traditional Indian music from all over the world.

Crafted with a holistic approach the programs are designed for both adults and children and is focused not only on teaching Indian music in a deconstructed form but also on other aspects like destressing, achieving inner balance and healing.

The Sound Space works extensively with NGOs and care centres apart from schools, corporates and are pioneers in the field of music wellness.

This music institution works closely with adults and kids to teach them Indian classical music in a deconstructed manner through Bandish, Raga, Art of Thumri.

The Sound Space uses a technique called Sound Therapy that uses music to improve and maintain individuals’ physical, psychological, and social well-being.

The therapeutic use of sound has been able to help people in ways that other forms of therapy have not. It aims at working on both physical and psychological ailments.

The Sound Space is our labour of love deeply rooted in our musical childhood. Through this organisation, we are paving the way for innovation in traditional Indian music not only in India but also globally.

Deconstructing the complexities of Indian music and using it to offer an enhanced life to children and adults alike, we are working hand-in-hand with various schools, NGOs, multinational corporations through The Sound Space’s diverse programs.

Please tell us a little about your entrepreneurial journey

When we started out about 11 years ago, we had a few young women in the business which posed challenges but we overcame them due to dedication and commitment and the people in the business have also become more and more open as time has passed.

When we were starting, it was a very niche aspect and now its grown exponentially and we’ve found lovely people to work with. We’re really lucky to be here.

What are the health benefits of Music and Sound therapy?

Our therapy sessions help individuals to relax and be in their bodies, while experiencing the boundless energy of music.

Chanting helps to regularise the heart rate helping the body reach a state of calm so as to cope with the healing process and after effects of the medication.

Using the power of sound and frequency to heal the chakras coupled with various vocal exercises can help with coping with the effects of the illness.  

It also helps patients to de-stress after illnesses and lower our heart rate and cortisol levels. 

It helps to alleviate exhaustion caused by daily strife and helps to increase regular breathing capacity and also increase the immunity of the body over a period of time.

How does music play an important role in developing an emotional quotient from a young age in children?

In the past few years, we have worked with at least 800 children with whom we’ve seen significant changes and improvement in their emotional well-being and behaviour.

Some of the changes we’ve seen are –

-They start to build confidence, and connect better with their peers and the people around them.

-They start to connect with their emotions and are able to express themselves better.

-Music therapy and learning helps them emote better. For example, one of the children we’ve worked with was a hearing impaired child.

While working with us we began to discover that he had a lovely singing voice and so we worked further with him to hone his skills with rhythm and pitch and other vocal exercises. This in turn helped him to build confidence, self esteem and a sense of identity.

How is music an essential learning tool for growing kids?

Music has been used as a great education tool for hundreds of years now  and has also majorly picked up in recent times in educational settings.

Music has shown to have positive effects on the brain, including the regions involved in cognition, emotion, sensation, and movement.

The diversity of music forms prevalent today combined with the engaging and stimulating nature of music, it has been found that sound and holistic music education is uniquely effective in the development of children and young minds. 

What made you choose this type of business?

Growing up in a musical family, we realised the need to spread the power of music as it impacted us. Learning Hindustani Classical music at a young age can seem like a very dry subject.

To remedy this, we decided to come up with ways and methods to make it fun and popular and age specific, which is exactly what we did!

We now have over 800 students across the city of Mumbai and the most joy we feel is seeing them enjoy learning Indian music the way we intended them to.

What was your mission at the outset?

Our mission at the outset was to reach music to every person and understand the importance of music no matter what you’re doing. Everyone should have to magic of music one way or the other.

What’s your company’s goals?

Our company’s goals have been the same. To reach out to more and more people. We stared out at the Mumbai level and now we are only going PAN India and we also want to move around the world. Teaching people the value of Indian music to people around the globe is our ultimate goal.

What have been some of your failures, and what have you learned from them? What are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve made?

When we started we couldn’t reach the numbers we had initially set as our target and over time we learnt that you have to start small and slowly if you are committed and determined by the work you are doing. But it’s a process and it takes time.

What was the inspiration behind turning an entrepreneur

Our goals were very straightforward. We knew that we wanted to educate people about the power of music. We were very clear that this was the way to do it.

Key things to consider before starting a startup? Your success tips for young and aspiring entrepreneurs

To make your goals clear. To not lose hope when things don’t go as planned and to make very realistic goals and targets.

At every stage its important to sit down and reassess where you’re at. Your team is your backbone – so working with the right set of people is a must.

Website: http://www.thesoundspace.in

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