Conduction, an ed-tech company transforming the music classroom, announced a $265,000 pre-seed investment from the Richard King Mellon Foundation. The funding will advance the company’s proprietary music software modules, increase corporate partnerships, and expand operations in schools across Pennsylvania and throughout the US.
Millions of students lack access to music and arts programs at U.S. schools. And for many schools with existing music programs, teachers struggle to engage students with outdated curricula and limited budgets.
Conduction, which meets several national education standards, was built to enable students to create and produce digital songs easily. Every week, classes vote on their favorite song creations, and Conduction sources local musicians to make music videos playing the classroom’s selected songs within days. Through Conduction, individual schools and entire districts can bring music back into the classroom at a fraction of the cost of traditional programs.
Conduction offers learning experiences that align with the interests of present-day students. And students get to learn beat making, composition and songwriting, sheet music education, and band integration, all with an intense element of student engagement. These modules help increase classroom participation, reduce absenteeism and create new, digital education experiences.
Conduction now works with dozens of schools and districts and countless community musicians to bring students’ digital songs to life.
In the last year, Conduction has seen growing demand for its platform, having spoken to over 100 schools that are fully ready to incorporate the solution into their education programs to enhance the overall student experience. And the company also works with corporations interested in sponsoring individual schools by subsidizing the costs of music education.
KEY QUOTES:
“Pittsburgh has a vibrant music history, and our school system wants to honor that legacy while reimagining how we get students excited about learning. We’ve started introducing and testing new learning tools, including Conduction, into some classes, and the response has been incredible. What makes Conduction great is it supports the National Core Art Standards while flipping the script on traditional approaches. It’s all about the students. They get to create digital songs, present their music, respond to other creations, and connect with fellow students and local musicians in the community – all while bringing music education into the 21st century. We really look forward to rolling out Conduction throughout Pittsburgh Public Schools in the coming years.”
– Nina Unitas, Senior Programs Officer of Arts Education, Pittsburgh Public Schools
“Music is the one school subject that is meant to touch the soul, inspire awe, and light up life – and yet today’s music classrooms fail to do this. Music curriculums are often stuck in the past, focusing on topics kids never would want to hear about – like outdated classical music from the 1700s. Today’s students want to become producers, DJs, songwriters, and beatmakers, and our schools are failing to meet them where they are in their interests while providing distinct curricular needs. We created Conduction to refocus music education on today’s student values while still finding a way to incorporate critically important national music education standards.”
– Joe Maggiore, CEO and co-founder, Conduction
“Conduction Studio has become a cornerstone student-run business in our school, where employees not only create their own music but also experience the thrill of hearing it shared and appreciated by musicians in the surrounding area.”
– Jeanine Tortorice, MicroSociety Coordinator & Coach, Penn Hills Charter School for Entrepreneurship (PHCSE)
“Seeing the students’ expressions when they hear their creations played back to them is truly unforgettable. Without a formal music program at PHCSE, Conduction provides a unique and innovative way for students to connect with music, furthering their education and sparking creative exploration.”
– Jessica Zuk, Principal, PHCSE
