Ace Open University Launched

Online, May 30, 2010 (Newswire.com) - ACE Open launches virtual music school
In a first-of-its-kind online venture, New Jersey-based ACE Open University has launched a virtual music school with music luminaries Suresh Wadkar and Sonu Nigam among its teachers.
The music school was officially launched by Wadkar on May 15 at the Holiday Inn in Edison, NJ. Wadkar's classical school of music is the first one signed up by ACE while Bickram Ghosh's School Of Percussions and Jay Oliver's Western Music are also part of the curriculum.
Emphasizing the role of music, Wadkar said, "music makes a valuable contribution to the total education of children especially in relation to academic performance, well-being, attitudes to school and perceptions of learning." He felt it was good for Indian classical music now that it had proponents like ACE Open that could take it virtually anywhere in the world.
Award-winning singer Sonu Nigam, who joined the launch event via video phone, said ACE Open had a pivotal role in ensuring music learning was not limited by international boundaries. "With ACE, instructors of the highest caliber can share their knowledge across national and international borders, allowing students to attend courses across physical, political, and economic boundaries," he said. ACE has also signed up Nigam, who will be teaching voice development, professional singing and performance.
ACE, which simply stands for Art, Culture & Entertainment, seeks to build the foundation for students to become successful professionals and passionate, thoughtful citizens using modern educational approach. "Through a combination of strong ART core, able teaching guidance and relevant curriculum, we will enrich the lives of our students, fulfill their career objectives and help them prepare to become future leaders in the vast creative economy," said Sanjay Chitale, a serial entrepreneur, and founder of ACE Open. Emergence of the Internet and secured delivery technologies had made it possible to accommodate on-line training cost-effectively and efficiently. E-learning can provide major benefits for the music education, said Chitale.
While the ACE Open courses are priced $1000 for 50 lessons or about $20 a lesson, Chitale said the model was the cheapest and most convenient for students of quality music education anywhere in the world. "ACE will offer self-paced specialized music learning sessions around the clock where learners are not bound to a specific time to physically attend classes," he said. Other than beginner's, intermediate and advance course offerings in each school of music, ACE Open also plans to design a music appreciation course for casual listeners.
Gradually, ACE Open aims to become a one-stop for world music by achieving classical literature and music from around the world. "We will extend support to universities and colleges as their extended world music department," Chitale said.