Arts Programming at CSAA

Arts Programming at Carlos Santana Arts Academy

At Carlos Santana Arts Academy, we proudly offer a comprehensive arts program that provides standards-based, sequential instruction in music for all students. The program is designed to engage students in both vocal and instrumental music, helping them develop technical, performance, and compositional skills and their unique artistic voices. Every music class includes instruction on music's historical and cultural context, with support from classroom teachers and local arts organizations. 

Our instrumental music offerings are diverse, with options in piano, percussion (such as congas, bongos, Djembe, and Tom Toms), rock band, classical guitar, wind, string, and brass instruments. Additionally, we offer advanced instruction for upper-grade students, including rock band and classical guitar, supported by a partnership with the USC School of Music and the LEAD Guitar Program. Weekly classical guitar instruction is provided to all third-grade classrooms, and all students from Pre-K to fifth grade receive vocal music instruction, which helps prepare them for our Winter and Spring Festivals and end-of-year culminations.

In our ongoing effort to expand and enhance arts programming, CSAA collaborates with Monroe High School and Sepulveda Middle School. These partnerships create a seamless pathway for students, providing opportunities for participation in a challenging, sequential arts program from Pre-K through 12th grade. Through our affiliation with Monroe Community of Schools’ Visual and Performing Arts Academy, students can access the Saturday Fine Arts Conservatory, which offers rigorous instrumental and vocal music instruction. This collaboration supports our students' progression into secondary-level arts education, where they can develop their musical skills further and even begin composing their music.

The arts program at CSAA has been recognized for its emphasis on cultivating essential habits of mind that are transferable to other areas of learning. We are proud to offer our students this award-winning program.