About Us
Teaching and inspiring children through music
Classroom Classics was founded more than 35 years ago by educator Sam Francis, record producer and composer Cliff Maag, and songwriter and producer Gary Francis with a shared vision: to help children learn important values and concepts through the power of music.
Since its founding, our musical programs have been performed by millions of students worldwide. These performances have ranged from intimate classroom presentations with as few as 15 students to large-scale events featuring more than 8,000 children singing together in packed arenas.
Our mission is to educate, entertain, and inspire children—while giving them the exciting opportunity to sing alongside full orchestral accompaniment. Our songs have been featured on both local and national network television, performed for two U.S. Presidents, and used by the National PTA.
In 2003, the Utah State Legislature officially designated our song “Utah…This Is the Place” as the State Song of Utah. In addition, the United Nations selected our “We Can Save Our Planet” program for its worldwide environmental summit in Boulder, Colorado. We are also honored that America’s Freedom Foundation has featured our music in its annual Hope of America program for the past 30 years.
Cliff Maag, owner of The Record Lab studio, brings more than 40 years of experience in the recording industry and has contributed to numerous gold and platinum albums by today’s top recording artists. Songwriter Sam Francis spent 35 years in the classroom, using his firsthand teaching experience to transform curriculum standards into engaging, educational songs. Gary Francis graduated with a degree in broadcast television production and has contributed to numerous award-winning videos and music programs used nationwide.
The founders of Classroom Classics were honored with the prestigious Champion of Liberty Award from America’s Freedom Foundation and have received more than 15 national ASCAP awards recognizing excellence in children’s music.
