When Lisa Harley, an Orlando mom, heard about Central Florida Community Arts, she knew it was the perfect outlet for her seven-year-old daughter, Ava Capri. The non-profit musical arts organization believes that every artist, regardless of age, should have a cultural platform to connect, serve, and perform. “My daughter loves to sing and has since she was two. I signed her up for the children’s chorus,” said Harley. “I sing as well, so it was a great opportunity for both of us. It’s become a great bonding experience.” The mother-daughter duo are one pair among hundreds of families that sing, dance, play an instrument, or act together through Central Florida Community Arts, who provides a local opportunity for people to showcase their talents.

Joshua Vickery, Executive Director, founded the organization to give families a place to develop their artistries together in an affordable way.  Vickery spent 10 years as a church choir director and a casting director for Walt Disney World’s American Idol Experience at Hollywood Studios. He discovered that the majority of guests who auditioned for the theme park attraction didn’t have an outlet at home to foster their talent. As a result, in 2010, he started the Central Florida Choir and, by 2011, the group had swelled to 151 singers. “It was all word-of-mouth ─ a kind of grassroots effort,” Vickery said. Now the group boasts a 240-voice choir, 70-piece orchestra and, in January, opened the School of Performing Arts, which offers individualized instruction for as low as $20 for 30 minutes ─ an intentionally set low price to allow all family members (age five and older) to find a way to express themselves through the arts.

“There really is a place for everyone at Central Florida Community Arts,” Vickery said. “None of our ensembles are auditioned so we see a wide variety (of talent). There is an opportunity for people who have never done anything to become involved.” That was the case for Arista Robison’s family. While she personally is not participating, she explored several local choir options after her seven-year-old daughter, Bless, expressed a desire to take “singing classes.”

“It’s her favorite thing that she does all week. She’s just having so much fun,” said Robison, who expects to eventually enroll her younger son. “I feel like the instruction is very high-quality but without the pressure. The staff is nurturing.” Harley is also pleased with the instruction, “It is very much a family atmosphere and everyone is really passionate about music. The shows are truly fun to be part of.”

Developing artistic talent and exposing youngsters to the arts at a young age was part of Vickery’s motivation to start the organization. “A lot of schools have had their budgets cut and the choir or band was, therefore, eliminated,” he said. “In the homeschool arena, they don’t have those opportunities either.” Dance classes are available for preschoolers and older but some programs have a minimum age due to maturity issues. Children as young as five can learn to play the piano and string instruments, such as the violin and the cello. “That’s about the age when eye-hand coordination develops and children have a musical ear,” Vickery said.

Vocal technique courses begin at age 13 as instructors have found, according to Vickery, that younger children are unable to grasp the lessons.

The School of Performing Arts caps fees at $40 for classes in a variety of art categories, including voice, piano, woodwinds and guitar, dance, composition, and orchestration. “We offer the cheapest private lessons in town,” Vickery said, adding that the organization’s rates are “unheard of in Orlando. It’s about compensating the teacher (nearly 90% of the fee). The classes aren’t a revenue source for us.” Additionally, tickets for performances are only $10 to allow the community to experience high-quality performances ─ a price comparably to movie theatre tickets. “Our purpose is to make the arts accessible to all people.”

Central Florida Community Arts is dedicated to serving the underprivileged community. They offer scholarships and summer camp for low-income children and regularly partner with other area charities by offering free performances at their fundraising events. “The heartbeat of who we are is charitable,” Vickery said. Such events may be staffed by the organization’s professional music group, called Legacy!, comprised of Central Florida’s best choir members, who perform at functions in various ensemble sizes, singing a variety of genres, such as gospel or Broadway show tunes. Central Florida Community Arts is located in the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts building, a space shared with Orlando Ballet. Visit  cfcarts.com or call (407) 937-1800.