Music education is a game-changer for kids. Music opens worlds of opportunity to learn, create and interact. Music education has the power to boost academic performance and self-confidence in children, providing them with collaborative and communications skills they’ll use for life.
Of course, you might be asking, “How is music taught in cyber school?” It’s a good question, because the traditional model of teaching music puts students and teachers face to face, in group or individual lessons.
Fortunately, CCA leverages technology to deliver music education without limitations. If you’re wondering about music education in virtual schools, you’ll be happy to learn that it’s alive and well, and part of an approach that guides students toward fulfillment in life and in careers.
How CCA Uses Edio for Music Education
How do online music lessons work? At CCA, it’s a matter of harnessing technology to teach music courses customized for varying grade levels. The platform is CCA’s edio learning management system, designed by our teachers, parents, staff and students to personalize learning. This flexible system allows students and parents to access course content and send communications, while teachers use it to deliver vibrant courses across the curriculum.
CCA believes in the power of music education to unlock children’s creativity, immerse students in other cultures, and introduce them to U.S. history and heritage. Edio offers the framework for learning music online by turning an engaging, interactive music curriculum into a virtual experience. Students get to dance, sing and do music-related activities in a variety of ways. Color coding helps learning coaches — the parent or other adult who guides students through the school day — see when a demonstration could help the child understand. For instance, children might be encouraged to step away from the screen to practice an African dance they just learned.
The flexibility of edio allows students to take extra time if they need it. Learning coaches can go through the material with their child, helping students embrace all the richness of the lesson. Students then have more opportunities to showcase what they’ve learned for the teacher. It’s a way for children to incorporate the beauty of music into their lives and daily lessons.
Music Education Course Options
Music learning is infused into a CCA education. Students learn from experienced music teachers who share their love of music and make it a one-on-one experience. Our music courses have been designed by a CCA educator who has taught music to British elementary students in Dubai and been featured on a Grammy-nominated album. Her wealth of experience is infused into every course, providing students with a rich and relevant music education that reflects the value and importance of music in the real world.
CCA offers music courses at all levels.
- Elementary and Middle School: Music courses are offered from kindergarten through eighth grade. Students learn the basic principles of music, from time signatures to the elements of rhythm. They also learn the basics of movement that are integral to understanding music across cultures. In their live interactive classrooms, music teachers employ videos, create learning games, draw out concepts to help students understand, and even perform, in many languages.
- High School: Grades 9 through 12 offer students the chance to dive more deeply into topics that interest them. CCA’s high school electives include a music appreciation and a music theory course. Each class takes students into the world and language of music, helping them become better listeners and audience members — and perhaps preparing them for careers in music.
Students in all grades are welcome to join the CCA Music Club, one of the many clubs bringing children together to share their passions and learn more through experience. Through the Music Club, students who love to make music or just listen can explore the wide world of musical genres, lyrics and instruments. They can learn to make their own instruments and appear in a virtual talent show.
CCA’s personalized approach to education customizes the learning plan according to the passions, talents and challenges of each individual student. While state-certified teachers work directly with students and their families to craft meaningful lesson plans, certified counselors work directly with students to hone in on postgraduation goals. Students can explore the career fields that interest them through internships and work-study. Students who are passionate about music can learn the realm of career possibilities, not just in performing but in managing, publishing, producing, writing, technology and engineering. With CCA’s career guidance, students graduate from high school fully prepared to take the next step on the way to their dreams of lives in music.
Student Experiences in the Music Industry
“American Idol” contestant. Award-winning country music artist. Background-track engineer for a major artist’s Times Square New Year’s Eve performance.
CCA students who are passionate about music have nothing to hold them back. With CCA’s rich courses, flexible scheduling, high-quality internships and mentorships, and personalized learning, students have launched their music careers even before graduating from high school. In a field where experience and networking are necessities in getting jobs and approaching stardom, these CCA students didn’t have to wait for graduation day to get started.
- Dani-elle Kleha: Dani-elle first sang for her church at age 3 — and she hasn’t stopped since. The rising country star, songwriter and musician has pre-opened for some of the top names in country music, including Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley and Little Big Town. She has garnered a host of awards, including the Josie Music Awards’ prestigious Fan’s Choice selection. She enrolled in CCA when her previous school’s schedule conflicted with her career, which was taking off exponentially. She was being called for performances and early-morning radio interviews, but her former teachers and school weren’t willing to accommodate her. She learned about CCA and enrolled one week later. “CCA allowed me to juggle music and schooling…which I absolutely loved,” she says. She had “the best teachers,” she adds. “I felt that the teachers were invested in you as a person, not just school-wise but also wanting you to do well career-wise and in your personal life.”
- Matthew Nickles: Matthew has been a musician since seventh grade — a career made possible through CCA. He had a passion, nurtured by an MTV documentary about his favorite band, blink-182, and CCA helped him craft a learning plan to fit. “CCA’s major strength is that they structure schoolwork around students’ lives,” he says. After enrolling in a CCA work-based learning program, Matthew secured an internship with renowned audio engineer and sound technician Josh Fluck, based in Bethlehem. Under Fluck’s patient guidance — “With Josh, no question is a stupid one,” Matthew says — Matthew learned the ropes of a complex business. When Fluck was approached to create the background music mix for Wiz Khalifa’s nationally televised New Year’s Eve show, Matthew got the chance to help mix the track — and he hadn’t even graduated from high school yet.
- Michael Woodward: Michael always knew he had a weakness for procrastination, but his CCA teachers never gave up on him. One let him finish an assignment by submitting it in song — knowing that singing was Michael’s passion. At only 10 years old, Michael sang the national anthem and “America the Beautiful” at the U.S. Open. He even sang the national anthem before President Barack Obama. As a vocal-performance major at the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, he took a chance on auditioning for “American Idol” and made it to the finals. His CCA teachers, he recalls, “taught me independence in every way possible. [CCA] taught me how to be self-dependent, and that makes you feel comfortable with being yourself.”
CCA Nurtures Your Child’s Passion for Music
Children love to make music. Give them a drum, and they’ll pound it. Play music, and they’ll dance. Hand them a guitar, and they’ll strum. Will every child become a musician? Of course not, but each can learn to appreciate how music enriches their lives. For those born with a passion to make a career in music, CCA has the tools. CCA teaches music to kids of all ages and talents, and if they show interest in pursuing music for life, CCA teachers and counselors help them get ready. Through vibrant music courses and real-world internships, students build the skills and experience for jobs or further study after graduation. Plus, CCA’s flexible scheduling means that young musicians and technicians can seize opportunities to practice their art, performing wherever audiences gather. Contact CCA to learn more about music education and the personalized pathway to making dreams come true.
