Call or text us to register for lessons: 803-996-0623
Visit our other locations in Irmo & Columbia
Email us: info@lexingtonschoolofmusic.com
HomeLessonsRequest InfoRegister OnlineContactNewsBlogOnline TourTestimonialsVideosPodcastInstrumentsCalendar
Update From Director Marty Fort!
Click to watch the update or read the transcript below:
Hi everybody! It's Marty Fort here, director of the Columbia Arts Academy, the Lexington School of Music, and the Irmo Music Academy, with another video update. I cannot believe it's already December, and I wish everybody a very Merry Christmas and a happy holiday. I'm so excited to talk about the Stuff the Stocking special. We do this once a year for Christmas, and this is so cool. If you want to get your loved one something new, unique, and different this year, check out music lessons in our stuff the stocking special.
It's a fully stuffed stocking that comes with, just for $99, it's already set up for you with candy. It's got a free month of lessons certificate, it's got a $25 retail certificate, it's got a free registration certificate. It's got instrument specific stuff, so if they're drummers, it's got drumsticks; piano and voice students, flashcards; guitar students, tuners, so it's already ready for the tree. I know you're busy. I know how it goes, and I know you want to do something unique this year. Contact us at any of our three locations. It's $174 value, yours for just $99. They are limited supply, so be sure to call us and get the stuff the stocking special.
If you're not familiar with it, we are the home and founders of the Musical Ladder system. Musical Ladder system is something I created in 2014. It's got multiple design patents, and we just got a utility patent for our software and the Musical Ladder system, and we got 129 schools around the world that use that system, over 40,000 music students use it, but it was made right here in the Midlands at Columbia Arts Academy, Lexington School of Music, and the Irmo Music Academy. I'm always trying to improve the Musical Ladder, and being a dad myself of a young child, I know how it goes. The kids love stuffed animals. What do parents want? Parents want their kids to practice more. Of course, teachers want their students to practice more. What we come up with is a new program called the Practice Buddies.
This is a flyer you'll see with all the different Practice Buddies, but basically the way it works is this is all free for you, our students. After your child passes their first apprentice test, which is a 90 day mark, they get their Practice Buddy of their choice. They come to the lobby, they can take the one they want, and the concept is they take it home, they bring it to lessons. At home, one of the tip for you parents is say, "Hey, go get your Practice Buddy. They're going to be sad if you don't play for them, go and play." But, we're really excited about this. I think it's really going to motivate the kids to practice even more and get better at learning music. Check out the Practice Buddy program, Musical Ladder system at any of our three locations.
Once again, we're so excited for the return of live music, and in February, we're going to be doing our recitals at the Koger Center for the Arts in the large orchestra room in downtown Columbia. Be sure to join us for some great live music. We got five full days. There's going to be over 1,000 performances of all ages, all instruments. Come down to check it out this February at the Koger Center for the Arts.
I want to give a shout out to our teachers, a lot of which are celebrating their anniversaries with us. Next year is going to make 19 years in business for the Columbia Arts Academy, which I started just by myself with just me and 30 students. We've now grown to become South Carolina's largest school with 1,600 students, 80 teachers, full office staff at each location, and so I want to give a shout out to all of our teachers, many that have been with us for 17 years, 15 years, 10 years. Congratulations, teachers, and here's to many, many more. Also want to give a shout out to all of our new teachers. In the past 30 days, we want to welcome the 15 new amazing teachers we brought on. As director, I love seeing new talent come in, new teachers come in. They're fresh, excited to be here, so welcome to all of our teachers that are celebrating their anniversaries with us and the ones that are brand new.
All right, so keep us in mind this spring for Girl Scout cookies. We're going to be teaming up with some of the Irmo Girl Scout chapters, and we're going to have at our facility at Irmo Music Academy Girl Scouts cookies sales. If you want to get your Girl Scout cookies, we'll have more information coming up, but keep us in mind, and get ready and get hungry to eat some Girl Scout cookies.
Don't forget about our referral program. If you refer a friend or family member to us, we'll give you your choice of one of three gift cards: $25 to Target, $25 to Amazon or $25 to the movies, whichever you prefer. We'll also do the same for the person that you referred, and both of you get entered into the big drawing that right now we're doing for an Apple iPad. Be sure to refer your family and friends, and thank you for your referrals.
We were blown away by the response to our Irmo Music Kids Day. We had over 75 people show up. It was an amazing event, and we're going to be doing it at our Lexington School, we're also going to be doing it at our Columbia School for Lexington Music Kids Day and Columbia Music Kids Day, so watch out for the dates coming up, but it's a really cool event. It's free. It's on a Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00. We have face painting, we have a balloon artist, free mini lessons, demos with the teachers, we have an instrument petting zoo. The instrument petting zoo is always a huge hit. We're giving tours and we're raffling off all kinds of great door prizes, free lessons, instruments. Come down, bring your kids to the Lexington and Columbia Music Kids Day coming up soon.
Having run the schools for almost 19 years now, but having been a teacher for 35, student safety is of paramount importance to me, so when I founded the schools and created the schools, even laid out the rooms, it was very important that we had safety in mind to keep the students safe. I've come up with a new initiative, it's nationwide, called the familysafetyplan.org. You can check it out. Basically what it is, is my school and other music schools around the country pledge to do certain protocols to keep our students safe. Namely, security cameras in every room, background checks on every teacher, have an office staff present at every time there's a lesson going on. That's big one. Glass windows in every door. Check us out at familysafetyplan.org and know at my three schools, we're always dedicated to keeping our students safe.
I'm going to sign off for 2021. I thank everybody for an amazing year. I want to give a big shout out to our teachers. Our teachers are working very hard seven days a week. They're doing a great job. They're getting the Musical Ladder test going, they're getting everybody ready for the recitals in February, so have a restful and awesome Christmas holiday, teachers and thank you for all that you do. Want to thank our office staff that's also working very, very hard seven days a week, and I greatly appreciate all of them. Jordan, Alyssa, Amanda, Hailey, Sarah, Rebecca, and Marissa, we appreciate you so greatly. We're one of the only schools in the Midlands that has full time office staff all the time there're lessons going on. They do an amazing job, so can't wait to see them at our Christmas lunch coming up, and thank you office staff.
Finally, of course we want to thank our students. I've said this many times, but I'll say it forever, really. I'm a big Kiss fan. Gene Simmons from Kiss always said without the fans, they're nothing. Without the students, I've always said, we are nothing. Thank you, students, for sticking by us, for referring your friends and helping us get to 2,000 students, all three locations. God bless you guys, wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy holiday, and we'll see you next time at the Irmo Music Academy, the Lexington School of Music and the Columbia Arts Academy.
Holiday Sweater Coloring Contest!
Congratulations to Lexington School of Music student Kaylie Behr for winning the Holiday Sweater Coloring Contest and a $50 Amazon Gift Card! Thank you to all of our creative students and their entries. Also thank you to everyone who voted! Happy Holidays!
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 December!
Is Your Teacher Sold Out?
Many teachers have sold out. If you need a schedule change or would like to be added to a waiting list for a particular teacher, day or time, please contact any of our office staff team and they can add you to the waiting list. If you are not a student yet there are still limited lessons spots available.
‍UPCOMING DATES
Winter Break | Closed
Dec 22, 2021 to Jan 1, 2022
2022 Winter Recitals | Week 1
Koger Center for the Arts | Large Rehearsal Room
Spring Break | Closed
April 13, 2022 to April 19, 2022
Memorial Day | Closed
Summer Break | Closed
July 3rd, 2022 to July 7th, 2022
Thanksgiving Break | Closed
Nov 22nd, 2022 to Nov 27th, 2022
Dec 22nd, 2022 to Jan 1st, 2023
It's easy to take the first step.
Ready to start? You have nothing to lose.
Sign up is easy and parent-friendly, with helpful staff at the front desk seven days a week to serve you. Because we only offer lessons on a month-to-month basis, there are no large upfront payments, no complicated contracts, no annual material or performance fees, and no semester minimums.
Lessons are first come, first serve, so contact us today to arrange your first lesson!
$32.50 / 30 minutes
Lessons are available seven days a week, and scheduled once a week. A one-time registration fee is $25 (due only at time of registration).
We'll never share your information. We simply want to keep you informed of all the cool things happening at our music academy.
Offering quality guitar, voice, singing, bass, drum and piano lessons at three convenient South Carolina locations: Columbia, Lexington and Irmo.
226 Barr Road, Lexington, SC 29072
803-996-0623info@lexingtonschoolofmusic.com
Lesson & Office Hours
ColumbiaIrmo
3630 Rosewood Dr, Columbia, SC 29205
1061 Lake Murray Blvd, Irmo, SC 29063
HomeLessonsNewsCalendarOnline TourVideosUltimate Guide to Music LessonsTestimonialsPrivacy Policy
All Images & text property of Columbia Arts Academy.
Copyright © Columbia Arts Academy LLC