Happy August, Academy Families!

Thank You, Columbia! For the 13th year in a row, our three schools have been voted “Best Place for Music Lessons”in the Free Times Best of Columbia poll!

We are incredibly grateful to our students, families, teachers, and staff who have made this possible year after year. We’re proud to be part of this community, and we can’t wait to see what the next year brings! Thank you for making us your choice for music lessons, Columbia! Let’s keep rocking!

Don’t miss the Culture Choir as they perform their summer repertoire featuring music from around the world! This FREE concert will be held on Saturday, August 22, at 4:45 PM at Rosewood Community Church, located at 3707 Moss Ave, Columbia, SC. Come out and support our incredibly talented students and celebrate music from around the world!

Didn’t get a chance to join us for Culture Choir? Then join us for Creepy Choir, a spooky and fun musical experience! Creepy Choir is open to all current students ages 7 and up, regardless of the instrument they study. Rehearsals will be held twice a week. While you do not have to attend every rehearsal, we highly encourage students to attend at least 5–7 rehearsals to ensure they are prepared for our performance at our Trunk or Treat event on October 25, 2026!

Rehearsals will be held every Friday at Lexington School of Music and Saturday at Irmo Music Academy from September 4 through October 24. For more information and to sign up, visit: https://www.columbiaartsacademy.com/choir

We’re happy to announce our 2027 Winter Recitals! They will take place over two weekends: Friday, January 8 through Sunday, January 10, and Friday, January 15 through Sunday, January 17. Recitals will be held at the W.W. Hootie Johnson Performance Hall in the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina, located at 1014 Greene St, Level 1.

Recital sign-ups are just around the corner! Online registration for our 2027 Winter Recitals will open on October 1, 2026, with the schedule released in mid-November. Be sure to mark your calendars and sign up early! Visit www.columbiaartsacademy.com/recitals for more information.

We’re happy to announce that Trombone, our Adoptable Pet of the Month for July, has been adopted! This month’s pet is Espresso! Espresso loves other dogs and having fun with kids:

We hope you’re off to a fantastic start to the school year and finding ways to stay cool in this August heat! We’re excited to make music with you at Columbia Arts Academy, Lexington School of Music, and Irmo Music Academy!

Not a student yet? We’d love to have you join us! Get started by visiting www.LexingtonSchoolOfMusic.com, calling or texting us at 803-996-0623, or stopping by to visit us at 226 Barr Road, Lexington, SC 29072.

The Columbia Arts Academy, Lexington School of Music, and Irmo Music Academy are the only Midlands music schools where students earn colorful wristbands, trophies, and certificates through the patented Musical Ladder System®, created by Academy Director Marty Fort and used nationwide. Some schools offer trophies and certificates, but none excite students like the Musical Ladder System® wristbands they proudly show off to friends.

Please help us welcome our new students who registered in the past month!

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 lesson spots available.

Labor Day – Closed
Sep 7th, 2026

Thanksgiving Break 2026 – Closed
Nov 24th, 2026 to Nov 29th, 2026

Winter Break 2026 – Closed
Dec 22nd, 2026 to Jan 1st, 2027