Please tell me about the DC Youth Orchestra
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Anonymous
| I found out about the DC Youth Orchestra thanks to a DCUM post, and after checking out the website, it seems a fantastic program. my 8 yr child has been taking private clarinet classes in the past few month, and while she likes the instrument, her enthusiasm is a little lackluster. I played a instrument as a child and know that the first years may be difficult because practicing may boring but without practice the student does not get to the level where playing is fun. I think playing with other kids would be a great incentive and fun. The cost appears also to be a fraction of what private classes cost (and with a second child who would like to play this year, this aspect is also relevant). the big drawback for us: we live in Chevy Chase, and I looked at the map and the DC Youth Orchestra could not be farther from where we live. it is going to be at least a 45 minute drive each way, if not one hour. I would love to hear from other parents with children at the DCYO about the program, the good and the bad, to evaluate if the it would work for us, especially in view of the awful commute. if you live in upper NW, I would especially interested in hearing from you. the last thing I want is starting the program and then sinking after a month or two. |
Anonymous
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My DD is in the program, playing a brass instrument. I think it's a really great program with committed, passionate staff and parents. There are 500 kids on any given Saturday trooping around Eastern (beautifully renovated) with their instruments. It pulls from all over the city plus some suburban kids so the diversity is really nice too.
DD goes sort of grudgingly but is learning to enjoy playing with others. The concerts have gotten progressively better as she has advanced. One thing to keep in mind-- you might want to keep private lessons going, if not now then later. DD gets something different out of private lessons and also the group lessons that DCYOP offers. With both she's progressing quickly. That said, you definitely can just do the DCYOP classes and not private lessons. One thing that I think is good is that it teaches kids that there are some things where there are no shortcuts. The jury system makes sure that kids practice, get better, learn new skills and then advance to the next level. No practicing? No advancing. Life lesson. And yet, it's a supportive environment, not cut throat. Regarding the commute, well it's Saturday so maybe it won't be that bad. |
Anonymous
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We love DCYOP!
Ditto everything the previous poster said about diversity and the jury system. My daughter started violin last fall with DCYOP having never picked up a violin. She loved it, and loved the format of mastering a song every week or so. It was and is highly motivating for her, and appeared to be for most students. (As an aside, I wish DCPS was as challenging and rigorous academically as this "extracurricular" is.) This summer (because DCYOP only runs during the SY), she is taking private lessons, and she is much less enthusiastic and motivated. Although the attention to form is something that she did not get in the DCYOP class of 10 beginners. |
Anonymous
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Same here. We have a child in strings (going into the fourth year). Although I can't speak to clarinets, I'd also highly recommend DCYOP.
To be fair, one has to say that there was something of a slump recently, which the new leadership has been very active in overcoming. So while I would have said "meh" a little over a year ago, I feel confident for the program come fall. I agree with PP who said that there is rigor, but just as in schools, some teachers are better and more driven than others. No real duds though and a great collective experience with the new leadership paying close attention to building community among students, so that it's not just a lonely trek but a socially rewarding experience. Additional opportunities to perform are also constantly being added after the short-lived outgoing director did nothing but curtail those. That too has been adding motivation and relevance, which will hopefully grow further come fall. |
Anonymous
| DCYO is nice and has been around for decades. The commute is relative as there are people who live even further. Once you get acquainted with some of the parents a car-pooling situation does occur. Pros and cons for any type of organization but all in all it is a good environment for the children who love music. |
Anonymous
| This looks great. I've been thinking of starting my nearly 5-year-old on music lessons in the fall, so might consider this as an option. I'm also in Chevy Chase DC, but we would try it out for a semester, especially at this great price. Is there somewhere to see their class schedule to see if it would work for us? I'm not finding it. |
Anonymous
Click on the "Register for Fall 2014" link at top here, then click on the instrument you want to see the classes. http://www.dcyop.org/registration.jsp We were in a similar spot to OP a year ago--live in NW (Col Hts which is closer, but still a long commute) and debated whether to sign up for a beginning violin class and make that long drive on Saturdays. In the end we stayed at DCYOP through fall and spring. Our first teacher was not great but second was excellent. The commute (35 min for us) was a hassle, though. Plus we were trying to juggle Stoddert soccer on Saturdays too. This year because the conflict between soccer and DCYOP is even worse (violin is ~9-10 am, while it was in the afternoon last year) we've decided to try a private teacher through the fall and see how it goes. We will try to stick to the DCYOP lesson plan. Then we may rejoin in spring when the soccer/violin overlap is less. We did not run into anyone in our neighborhood to carpool with, although maybe that would have happened eventually. |
Anonymous
| Great program and set up. But we live in AU Park and gave up because of the commute. Too much for us on the weekends, unfortunately. |