Kathy Alexander, stage performer and singer who has performed onstage at Victoria’s McPherson Playhouse, Sidney’s Mary Winspear Center and with the occasional cover band, said she struggled to pursue her third passion for music. vocal teaching among a limited pool of students open on the Island.

“Creating new relationships with other artists is not something that has happened to me outside of (theater),” she said.

Alexander, her husband Kevin and two other veterans of Victoria’s music scene are now living on their solution to train more singers.

Since its public launch last September, the founders of Singdaptive have said they have found success with musicians and singers as an alternative to educational platforms like Masterclass or Udemy. This success was capitalized by investors including John Maeir, CEO of Blue Microphones, and Charles Huang, co-founder of Guitar Hero, who brought the valuation of the Victoria-based startup to $ 2.75 million after their last round. investment at the start of the year.

The difference between Singdaptive’s programming and more well-known competitors is its delivery. “If you are looking for how to sing online, you will often find these same methods that are just one person pushing a particular singing method,” said developer Stephen Evans. Instead, Singdaptive asks its users to register for one of the platform’s 21 instructors in order to provide live or asynchronous commentary.

The vulnerability and excitement exhibited in the pre-recorded performances outweighs the drawbacks of distance education, such as the inability to train the body or posture like it would in a live lesson, Alexander said. . “The thing we weren’t expecting is that it encourages more thought… because the student isn’t there in front of me waiting for my answer, I can really digest it, really hear. and really think about it. Likewise for students (with instruction).

Each of the startup’s four founders is familiar with Victoria’s music and audio-tech industry, which Evans described as a neglected powerhouse in the city. He, Alexander, and the remaining founders Kevin Alexander and Greg A. Barker had each worked for Victoria-based vocal instrument maker TC Helicon before pooling their contacts and establishing Singdaptive in 2018. “Lots of companies from music technology seems to be a bit more private, ”among Victoria’s tech startup communities such as VIATEC, Evans said.

The now four-year-old startup is tasked with driving customer growth through digital marketing and balancing that growth with capacity, he continued. “If we suddenly get 1,000 users in a month, we’re going to need more teachers… We have to be incredibly cheap so that we can grow (staff) slowly,” he said.

The road traveled so far and the challenges ahead have paid off with the receipt of the platform’s first month, Alexander said. “It’s amazing that singers of all skill levels and with really different needs are happy with the progress they have been able to make on this platform,” she said. “The fact that we are a team, that we have an instant and easy way to check in with each other, compare grades and recordings of what we have done with our students right on the platform, has been so fun for all of us. “

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