Versatility, Video Experience Pay Off for K12 Music Showcase Winner

Entrants in all grades of K12’s third annual Music Showcase dazzled us with their best as singers, pianists, drummers, flutists, and more.

But when it comes to versatility, few can sparkle in as many directions the way multi-talented Adam Edwards did on his way to winning “Best in Show” honors.

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Within his winning “K12 Rap” entry, 13-year-old Adam sings, plays keyboard and drums, and serves as his own stuntman, doing a back flips off a beach-side boardwalk and riding his bicycle backward.

“I wanted to do something different,” says the eighth grader at California Virtual Academy, who co-wrote the lyrics and self-produced his entry. “I wanted to do a bunch of things that are fun.”

To be fair, Adam has benefited from a head start in the industry. His father, Ron Edwards, is a successful writer and producer of videos, commercials, and jingles with an array of national clients. Full access to a recording studio helps Adam, who is an aspiring actor and music/video producer. But Adam’s musical skills have been self-taught.

“I’d say Adam is probably ahead of me compared to where I was at his age,” says Ron Edwards, who began playing keyboard and piano at 13 and was working as a studio musician by 23.

“One factor, of course, is that Adam has grown up with it. But with K12, he’s been able to have a lot of free time to focus on his music, bang on the piano, and play around in the studio.”

Adam is accustomed to working in front of a camera and behind a microphone. At the age of seven, his dad began enlisting him to do voice-overs and for commercials, primarily in West Coast markets. He is featured operating a remote-control car in a Fulton Homes commercial. In 2013, an award-winning producer enlisted Adam to appear in his Super Bowl advertising entry for Doritos.

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“I’d like to be an actor—maybe until I’m 18, then probably get into producing, doing what my dad does with music,” Adam says.

Behind the scenes, it’s mom, Jennie, who not only directs the action as K12 Learning Coach but works with lyrics on the creative side as well.

Adam says his parents called his attention to the K12 Music Showcase. “They knew how I like to do music, and I thought I’d give it a try and make the video,” he says.

He wrote the script, adapted the original rap lyrics, then handed his cell phone to his father to handle the videography.

“Adam has great skills as a videographer,” says Ron Edwards. “He knows what’s going to look good on camera. He’s very accurate with that.”

All told, the project took more than 20 hours of team effort to write, record, and edit.

“With K12, I’ve had more free time to pursue what I love to do—more time to practice the keyboard and all that stuff,” says Adam, who has experience in comedy and acrobatics, making his backflips on video practically second nature. “I wanted to do something just a little crazy.”

In addition to Adam’s “K12 Rap,” be sure to check out the other winning Music Showcase entries from each grade. It’s proof that K12 students are talented!

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