What are the best Youth Orchestra's in the DMV area?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How often do they meet once you’re part of the orchestra. Is it multiple times or once a week? Thinking of applying for my child as well.

TCSYO is once a week either Monday or Tuesday plus they have to take private lessons, but that might be a requirement for all youth orchestras?

Private lessons end up being a requirement because other than maybe debut orchestras, it is very difficult to make it to any orchestra without private lessons, and then you'll be stuck at that one level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How often do they meet once you’re part of the orchestra. Is it multiple times or once a week? Thinking of applying for my child as well.

Generally once a week, few concerts a year, higher groups play more concerts and private lessons is a requirement for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How often do they meet once you’re part of the orchestra. Is it multiple times or once a week? Thinking of applying for my child as well.

Generally once a week, few concerts a year, higher groups play more concerts and private lessons is a requirement for us.

Oh, we also have sectionals every few weeks too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How often do they meet once you’re part of the orchestra. Is it multiple times or once a week? Thinking of applying for my child as well.

AY orchestras meet one a week on Monday nights from 7-9:30 for senior orchestras and 7-9 for junior concert orchestra and earlier on Mondays for the String ensemble and for Debut orchestra.
Three concerts per year—Nov, Feb, May.
The top senior orchestra has four concerts per year —late Oct/early Nov, January, March, May.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Play up? Mcyo may if your child is good enough but at 14 the symphonic conductor is fantastic and they will move her up when space is available or she is ready. It’s very hard to get in at that age. MYCO tryouts are in August. Wonderful program.

+1

OP, I would not assume that your child needs to be with more advanced musicians - MCYO is highly competitive and the musicians are very, very good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Play up? Mcyo may if your child is good enough but at 14 the symphonic conductor is fantastic and they will move her up when space is available or she is ready. It’s very hard to get in at that age. MYCO tryouts are in August. Wonderful program.

+1

OP, I would not assume that your child needs to be with more advanced musicians - MCYO is highly competitive and the musicians are very, very good.

Without knowing instrument and current repertoire, it's hard to tell whether OP's child is best served by an age appropriate orchestra, or something a little more advanced.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Play up? Mcyo may if your child is good enough but at 14 the symphonic conductor is fantastic and they will move her up when space is available or she is ready. It’s very hard to get in at that age. MYCO tryouts are in August. Wonderful program.

+1

OP, I would not assume that your child needs to be with more advanced musicians - MCYO is highly competitive and the musicians are very, very good.

Without knowing instrument and current repertoire, it's hard to tell whether OP's child is best served by an age appropriate orchestra, or something a little more advanced.

It really depends on the orchestra. Some are highly competitive and some have a group for all and are welcoming. They should apply to a few as at that age there are less spaces available and harder to get into depending on the group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Realize this is a change of topic but does anyone know of strong / competitive jazz band programs in the DC area?

Maybe Bethesda Blues & Jazz Youth Orchestra?

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Realize this is a change of topic but does anyone know of strong / competitive jazz band programs in the DC area?

I don’t think any are comparable. We did jazz academy and it was a bad experience.

Thank you- good to know

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Play up? Mcyo may if your child is good enough but at 14 the symphonic conductor is fantastic and they will move her up when space is available or she is ready. It’s very hard to get in at that age. MYCO tryouts are in August. Wonderful program.

+1

OP, I would not assume that your child needs to be with more advanced musicians - MCYO is highly competitive and the musicians are very, very good.

Without knowing instrument and current repertoire, it's hard to tell whether OP's child is best served by an age appropriate orchestra, or something a little more advanced.

It's also impossible for OP to know, until/unless her child auditions and is accepted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Play up? Mcyo may if your child is good enough but at 14 the symphonic conductor is fantastic and they will move her up when space is available or she is ready. It’s very hard to get in at that age. MYCO tryouts are in August. Wonderful program.

+1

OP, I would not assume that your child needs to be with more advanced musicians - MCYO is highly competitive and the musicians are very, very good.

Without knowing instrument and current repertoire, it's hard to tell whether OP's child is best served by an age appropriate orchestra, or something a little more advanced.

It really depends on the orchestra. Some are highly competitive and some have a group for all and are welcoming. They should apply to a few as at that age there are less spaces available and harder to get into depending on the group.

PP referred specifically to MCYO.

[Anonymous]

My son is in an orchestra that is mainly kids 3-4 years older and it is not ideal in that he is pretty lonely and it is not social for him at all. I get why they put the advanced musicians together, but it definitely has its downsides too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son is in an orchestra that is mainly kids 3-4 years older and it is not ideal in that he is pretty lonely and it is not social for him at all. I get why they put the advanced musicians together, but it definitely has its downsides too.

Mine has been the youngest/one of the youngest in her orchestra for several years now, but also is a high chair. The reception has been very positive, with the HS kids calling her and treating her as a prodigy (she’s not).

I think the experience largely depends on other members of the orchestra. Last year, her stand partner was a HS senior who was friendly and treated her as her musical equal. This year her stand partner is a Junior who keeps to herself and acts as if DD doesn’t exist. Although the age gap was larger, she had a more fun time last year than this year. She would still not play in a lower orchestra though; she enjoys the music she’s playing currently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn't know Orchestra was going the sports route where you "play up".

Do you also redshirt your kid so they are bigger and stronger and get the coveted Tuba 1st chair?

It's not about redshirting. It's about a kid being able to play in an ensemble that is a good fit for their ability. If a 10 year old violinist can play Sibelius, it makes no sense for them to be playing the equivalent of 'Baa Baa Black Sheep' in an ensemble.

Then it’s not playing up, it playing with others at your same level. DCYOP does this.

The orchestras considered best in the region (MCYO and AYPO) generally do not allow this. For instance, the Philharmonic orchestra at AYPO says that it "Includes students grades 9th-12th, averaging grade 12". My rising 9th grader violinist has nearly 0% chance of getting into it, although she is auditioning for it anyway.

if she is good they will let her in.

It's not that straightforward. A student that has been a part of the organization for years will have a better shot than someone that is brand new to the organization, even if they both have essentially similar skills if they're say on the borderline of the age/grade cutoff. Obviously, a 13 year old playing Pag 1 would probably make it.

If PP's kid is borderline then she doesn't need to "play up".

Op may not realize how competitive some of these programs are.

My understanding is that the high chairs in these orchestras are competitive, but others are considerably less so.

Does the seating change during the year? Are there seating auditions, so that the kids are competing for the higher chairs periodically throughout the year? Or do the conductors just rotate kids around or keep them in place? I’m wondering about AYPO specifically but curious in general.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn't know Orchestra was going the sports route where you "play up".

Do you also redshirt your kid so they are bigger and stronger and get the coveted Tuba 1st chair?

It's not about redshirting. It's about a kid being able to play in an ensemble that is a good fit for their ability. If a 10 year old violinist can play Sibelius, it makes no sense for them to be playing the equivalent of 'Baa Baa Black Sheep' in an ensemble.

Then it’s not playing up, it playing with others at your same level. DCYOP does this.

The orchestras considered best in the region (MCYO and AYPO) generally do not allow this. For instance, the Philharmonic orchestra at AYPO says that it "Includes students grades 9th-12th, averaging grade 12". My rising 9th grader violinist has nearly 0% chance of getting into it, although she is auditioning for it anyway.

if she is good they will let her in.

It's not that straightforward. A student that has been a part of the organization for years will have a better shot than someone that is brand new to the organization, even if they both have essentially similar skills if they're say on the borderline of the age/grade cutoff. Obviously, a 13 year old playing Pag 1 would probably make it.

If PP's kid is borderline then she doesn't need to "play up".

Op may not realize how competitive some of these programs are.

My understanding is that the high chairs in these orchestras are competitive, but others are considerably less so.

Does the seating change during the year? Are there seating auditions, so that the kids are competing for the higher chairs periodically throughout the year? Or do the conductors just rotate kids around or keep them in place? I’m wondering about AYPO specifically but curious in general.

It depends on the group. In MCYO, the higher level groups do depending on the instrument. We get emails that the kids have to send in videos regularly. I haven't seen it as much in the lower groups, but it probably happens more informally. I'm assuming AYPO is similar to MCYO.

Any kid who needs to play up probably needs to be in a more challenging or higher level orchestra.