Update From Director Marty Fort!
Read the latest update from Director Marty Fort:
Happy November, Academy families!
Just a reminder that our schools will be closed for lessons for the Thanksgiving Break from Tuesday, November 21st through Sunday, November 26th. We will reopen for lessons on Monday, November 27th. Please note that all three schools will transitioning to a new texting service during the Thanksgiving break, which means our text capabilities may be intermittent during the break. For the quickest response during the break, please email the office.
We love to spread the cheer of the holidays and we'll be holding our annual 31 Days of Holidays on our social media. Current students can submit a video of themselves performing a holiday piece and we'll feature it on our Facebook and Instagram in the month of December!
Picture Day! If you haven't had a chance to book a time for Christmas photos - we have you covered! We will be holding Academy holiday photo mini-sessions on Saturday 12/2/23 from 11am - 3pm at the Irmo Music Academy. (The mini-sessions are open to current students at all three schools, but we just have more space at Irmo :) )
How it works: The Academy will pay the photographer for the sessions - Students are only responsible for any photos they wish to purchase from the session. The images will be released in an online group gallery. These are mini-sessions, running 15 minutes each. We will have holiday and music themed props/items. If you would like to sign up for a session, please email us to schedule a time.
It's time again to Stuff the Stocking with Music Lessons! This holiday season, share the joy of music by stuffing the stocking with a unique gift! Register your loved one for music lessons, and we'll prepare a special stocking for that special person in your life. We can even ship it to you for free if you can't make it down to pick up in person! Everyone loves music and Christmas stockings. We'll do the work for you, and you can save $75.00 at the same time!
Get this one-time-a-year special to gift your loved one an awesome fully stuffed musical stocking, including: One Month of Lessons Certificate! (1st Lesson Free with This Special), $25.00 Music Retail Certificate for Books & Music Supplies, Candy Canes and Holiday Candy, Instrument Specific Goodies: Drummers get Drum Sticks, Guitar Players get Snark Tuners, Voice & Piano Students get Special Music Theory Flash Cards, and a $25.00 Registration Voucher
If you can't pick it up, we'll ship it to you for FREE! Value: $174, your cost: Only $99! It's EASY to redeem! Just reply to this email! Or call/text us at: 803-787-0931, stop by in person 3630 Rosewood Drive, Columbia, SC 29205 or fill out this easy form to order online: ColumbiaArtsAcademy.com/stocking We'll take care of the rest! Happy Holidays!
In case you missed it, the Hurricane Idalia makeup day from our closure on August 30th, 2023 will be on Wednesday, December 27th, 2023. We appreciate your understanding as we navigated the (somewhat) rare South Carolina Storm Days that resulted in our needing to close on Wednesday, August 30th due to Hurricane Idalia, and we wanted to make sure that you have an opportunity to make up your private lesson from that day. We will offer these private makeup lessons on Wednesday, December 27th, 2023 during the academy winter break!
We will be open only for the students who missed lessons during the inclement weather. Your lesson time would remain the same as it was on Wednesday, August 30th, even if you had changed your lesson time since then. For example, if your lesson was at 3 p.m. on August 30th (the Wednesday we closed), then your lesson will be at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, December 27th.
This makeup lesson is available to you even if you have withdrawn from lessons! If you are unable to attend your private makeup lesson, please let us know as soon as possible and we can have the instructor record a video lesson of material for you for that day. Again, we appreciate your understanding and patience. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out!
Recital information for our January 2024 Winter Recitals has been sent out - if you have not received your recital schedule time, please let us know ASAP! Visit www.columbiaartsacademy.com/recitals for performance schedules, parking information, maps, and other important recital details. Please note that students must be actively enrolled in continuous lessons for October, November, December, and January to be eligible to perform to ensure they have ample time to prepare.
Our 2024 Winter Recitals are taking place at the magnificent W. W. Hootie Johnson Performance Hall in the Darla Moore School of Business building at the University of South Carolina, so be sure to come out and support our talented students. Please let us know if you have any questions, and we look forward to seeing everyone perform in January!
Students, families, and teachers - thank you again for an amazing 20, 10, and 5 years of making music, and we are excited for the future!
Musical Ladder System® Achievements!
The Columbia Arts Academy, Lexington School of Music & Irmo Music Academy are the only music schools in the Midlands that gives their students the opportunity to earn special color wristband bracelets (kids and teens love them!), trophies AND certificates for passing musical tests with the Musical Ladder System®. It was actually created by academy Director Marty Fort. It has been awarded multiple patents and is being used by schools nationwide.
Do other schools offer trophies and certificates? A few. But none of them inspire their students with smiling faces by giving them full color, really cool "Musical Ladder System®" wristbands that they can show off to their friends.
Welcome New Students!
Please Welcome the our new students who registered in November!
UPCOMING DATES
Thanksgiving Break | Closed
Nov 21st, 2023 to Nov 26th, 2023
Winter Break | Closed
Dec 22nd, 2023 to Dec 31st, 2023
2024 Winter Recitals
Jan 12th, 2024 to Jan 14th, 2024
Jan 26th, 2024 to Jan 28th, 2024
W. W. Hootie Johnson Performance Hall
Spring Break
March 28th, 2024 to April 3rd, 2024
Summer Break
July 3rd, 2024 to July 7th, 2024
Labor Day
September 2nd, 2024
Thanksgiving Break
Nov 26th, 2024 to Dec 1st, 2024
Winter Break
Dec 23rd, 2024 to Dec 31st, 2024
