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Darius Partovi’s journey with piano music took an unexpected turn during the pandemic. Having started classical piano lessons at age 7, he soon lost interest-until the COVID-19 lockdown reignited his passion through boredom.
Discovering a unique local teacher, Payam Khastkhodaei, in Bothell, Washington, Darius quickly became captivated. With no prodding, he practiced for hours daily, mastering pieces like Yann Tiersen’s “Amélie” soundtrack and eventually earning third place in a national competition.
Now a 19-year-old NYU freshman, he teaches piano and composes music for fun.
His father, Hadi Partovi, a Harvard-educated tech entrepreneur known for selling a startup to Microsoft for $800 million and early investments in Facebook and Airbnb, was struck by his son’s transformation. Hadi, who founded Code.org to revolutionize how children learn coding, saw parallels in Payam Khastkhodaei’s innovative piano teaching method.
Khastkhodaei, the son of Iranian immigrants, developed a fresh approach that captivated students. Instead of traditional sheet music and classical pieces, his method uses an alphanumeric notation system based on familiar ABCs and 123s, allowing children to “speak” music before reading it.
Students learn songs they love, mirroring how Partovi made coding appealing by linking it to popular games like Minecraft and Angry Birds. The results have been impressive: higher retention rates, enthusiastic students, and a waiting list at the small school with just five teaching rooms.
Recognizing the potential, Hadi Partovi took on the role of CEO, leveraging his network to raise initial investments in the low millions from notable figures including billionaire Mark Cuban and Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer. Their goal is ambitious-expanding Payam Music into a national chain of piano schools.
“It’s rare to find a startup with no direct competitors that can still be transformed with new thinking,” Partovi said. “Taking something 300 years old and making it better is energizing.”
Khastkhodaei’s personal story is equally compelling. He began playing piano at age 3 and showed prodigious skill by 6 but lost interest as he grew older.
Reigniting his passion at 11 by teaching himself video game themes, he started teaching piano at 16. He noticed students were discouraged by dull repertoire and difficult notation.
Inspired by a college lecture on language acquisition, he asked: why not teach music like a language? His method, initially met with skepticism, now boasts a 97% student retention beyond the first year-far exceeding traditional methods-and a faster path to earning diplomas.
The approach caught the attention of Hans Zimmer, the acclaimed film composer behind scores like “The Lion King” and “Dune.” Zimmer, who taught himself piano after a brief and uninspiring formal lesson, praised the program for tapping into kids’ natural curiosity and creativity.
“Kids want to play music that moves them, not endure tedious drills,” he said. Zimmer’s organization, Bleeding Fingers, is investing in Payam Music and mentoring top students.
Mark Cuban, former NBA team owner and “Shark Tank” investor, also supports the effort. Though his own piano lessons as a child lasted just six months, Cuban believes this method would have motivated him to keep playing.
“Music gave me confidence and a way to express myself when I had nothing else,” he said. Cuban appreciates how Payam Music encourages kids to unplug from screens while building self-expression through music.
For Hadi Partovi, music has always been a meaningful part of life. Growing up in Iran during turbulent times, he and his twin brother learned piano with makeshift tools before formal lessons.
After immigrating to the U.S., despite financial hardship, he kept playing and composing as an emotional outlet. Now, amid a tech-saturated world, he champions music as a vital human experience beyond screens.
“As technology advances, we must also nurture what makes us human,” he reflected.
Music education remains popular, with over half of parents enrolling children in arts classes. Yet school budget cuts have shifted many families toward private lessons, a $725 million annual market in the U.S., where piano lessons represent a growing share.
Industry experts see piano as a foundational instrument for contemporary music genres like hip hop and electronic music. While online tutorials and AI pose challenges, Payam Music’s physical schools offer a distinct, community-driven learning experience.
Partovi is betting that parents want what he wished for his son: a joyful, engaging way to learn piano. With eight locations across Washington, California, New York, and Maryland-and plans to expand-Payam Music charges about $100 for 50-minute in-person lessons, offering scholarships to keep lessons accessible. Many investors are parents enthusiastic about the school’s impact.
Afshin Adam Sepehri, a Salesforce engineer and parent investor, calls Payam Music’s approach a needed disruption in a centuries-old tradition. “It’s time for music education to evolve,” he said.
By combining innovative teaching methods with Silicon Valley savvy and Hollywood support, Payam Music aims to transform piano education nationwide-proving that even a 300-year-old art form can find fresh harmony in the 21st century.