Conduction secures funding to expand music education with real-time digital composition for schools

Conduction, an edtech platform focused on enhancing music education, announced today a $265,000 pre-seed investment from the Richard King Mellon Foundation. 

This funding will support the development of Conduction’s proprietary software, broaden partnerships with corporate sponsors, and expand the platform’s availability in Pennsylvania schools and across the United States.

According to the Arts Education Data Project, millions of students lack access to music and arts education, with many schools unable to maintain engaging music programs due to limited budgets and outdated curricula. 

Conduction’s software addresses this need by enabling students to compose and produce digital songs. Each week, classes vote on their favorite creations, and Conduction coordinates with local musicians to perform and record these songs, creating music videos within days.

Nina Unitas, Senior Programs Officer for Arts Education at Pittsburgh Public Schools, explained the program's impact:

“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. Conduction’s platform aligns with modern students’ interests by teaching skills in beat making, digital composition, and songwriting, while covering traditional elements like sheet music education and band integration.”

Joe Maggiore, CEO and co-founder of Conduction: “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 “Music curriculums are often stuck in the past, focusing on topics kids never would want to hear about – like outdated classical music from the 1700s.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.”

Currently, Conduction collaborates with dozens of schools and school districts as well as community musicians to bring students’ digital compositions to life. Some students also use the platform as part of school-run enterprises, such as the student-operated Conduction Studio at Penn Hills Charter School for Entrepreneurship (PHCSE).

Jesica Zuk, Principal at PHCSE, said: ““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."