Adithya Bellathur (right) and Mak Grgic developed “Notey’s World” to create a fun way for budding musicians to continue practicing their instrument. (Photo and Illustration/Adithya Bellathur and Mak Grgic)
According to Fender CEO Andy Mooney, 90 percent of new guitar players abandoned their instrument within the first year.
This is an issue that Adithya Bellathur, B.S. ‘20, and Mak Grgić are trying to solve through their music education game “Notey’s World.”
“There’s a lot of incentive for people to learn music, but the process can oftentimes be hard,” Bellathur said.
The industry is taking notice. Just two months after the game’s release, the startup was honored with an InnoVision Award in the education and technology category, chosen among 100 nationwide applications. Hosted annually in the Fall, the Innovision Awards honors those dedicated to innovation and technology in the state of South Carolina.
Notey Inc. also participated in Techstars Washington DC’s 2023 Cohort, a start-up accelerator program funded by J.P. Morgan.
“Your tireless work in the community is much appreciated,” wrote Tim Scott, U.S. senator from South Carolina, in a congratulatory letter to the duo. “Your efforts serve as an example for all those you meet each day.”
With a mission to help increase retention in music learning, Bellathur and Grgić developed an interactive gameplay to transform guitar learning into a fun leisure activity. Developed using machine learning and audio recognition, their app “Notey’s World” incorporates real instruments to teach users how to practice and play.
The gameplay follows the character Notey, who moves from one flying island to the next by the player’s strumming. (Illustration/Andrew Hulin)
“There’s a lot of incentive for people to learn music, but the process can oftentimes be hard,” Bellathur said. “So we created this app to help people overcome that initial barrier by creating a reward system to urge people to come back and learn.”
Throughout the game, players follow Notey, a character resembling a musical quaver, by replicating on-screen actions with their instrument as the game progresses. Points are earned as players navigate Notey through a series of flying islands.
“We got to see some of the kids’ reactions to the product that we built, and that was the moment where we knew this was going to work,” Bellathur said.
Bellathur graduated from the USC Viterbi School of Engineering in 2020 with a degree in computer science, minoring in music. He earned a master’s in CSCI in 2021. In addition to his studies, he also participated in Viterbi’s Makers, a hands-on, innovative group of engineering students pursuing creative engineering projects in a space at the Ming Hsieh Institute, all five years at USC. Grgić graduated from the USC Thornton School of Music in 2012 with a master’s degree in guitar performance and a doctoral in musical arts in 2016.
“We wanted to do something that parents will be happy to give their kids and not feel bad that they’re playing for hours,” Grgić added.
While music engagement is recognized for its positive impacts on the cognitive and social development of children and adolescents, the challenge lies in how parents can encourage their kids to continue playing their instruments.
According to research published by the National Library of Medicine, about 50% of all students drop out of music lessons and other musical activities by the time they turn 17, with most students quitting between the ages of 15 and 17.
Grgić, a two-time Grammy-nominated musician and guitarist, pointed out that the high costs of traditional music lessons, along with transportation accessibility, serve as additional barriers for individuals interested in learning music. He believes these obstacles can be addressed through their app.
“We wanted to do something that parents will be happy to give their kids and not feel bad that they’re playing for hours,” Grgić added.
Bellathur and product designer Andrew Hulin (right) pose in front of a Notey’s World billboard at Times Square NYC. (Photo/Sarah Engel)
“Notey’s World” began as the duo’s project during the pandemic. Grgić, who was pursuing his master’s and doctorate degrees, had to stop touring, which inspired him to pursue other ventures, including a music education company. This led him to meet Bellathur, a computer scientist. At the time Bellathur was completing his minor in classical guitar performance at the USC Thornton, while pursuing his master’s in computer science.
With a team consisting of mostly USC alumni, the company officially released the game in October 2023. Fellow USC alumni on the team include product designer Andrew Hulin, artist Jack Bailey and animator Atlas Lin.
The company plans to expand its reach to more schools, offering a scalable companion to music education. Upgrades, including self-service tools for teachers to create their own worlds, Android compatibility and integration with augmented reality and virtual reality simulations are some new features that the team is currently working on. They hope this could create a positive impact on the way music is learned in schools.
“We’re at this critical point and we’re very excited to reshape how everyone takes their first steps in music,” Bellathur said.
You can download Notey’s World from the App Store here or by scanning the barcode below.
Published on March 29th, 2024
Last updated on April 1st, 2024
