The mission of The Music Academy of North Carolina is to enable students of all ages, interests, abilities, and backgrounds to discover, develop, realize, and express their inherent talent. The Music Academy was founded in 1982 by Dr. Ivan Battle in response to the need for a community music school that offered exceptional music education in a structured, well-paced course of study. Starting out with just three teachers and 20 students, today MANC has 35 instructors and about 800 students from the Piedmont and surrounding areas.
In order to both reflect and serve the community and the state, The Music Academy offers a comprehensive, culturally diverse curriculum including classical study, jazz, folk/bluegrass, rock/pop, musical theater, and early childhood music. The positive response to this more diverse offering has resulted in increased diversity among teachers, students, and volunteers who more truly represent the rich mix of cultures of the Piedmont.