The American Youth Symphony Music Education Outreach Program is made up of three components:

String Project – The String Project is a 30-week program during the school year beginning mid-September to May-June.  It is designed to teach the fundamentals of violin and basic general music theory.  Currently over 100 children benefit from the String Project, and we offer ten classes a week in six different elementary schools in Venice and South Los Angeles.  The current participating schools are Grand View, Broadway, Coeur D’Alene, Walgrove, West Athens Elementary in Council District 15 and Angeles Mesa Elementary in Council District 8.  Each of these free group lessons meets once a week for one hour with their Teaching Artist.  The classes are kept relatively small (8-15 children) so that each child receives a maximum amount of individual attention from the Teaching Artist.  AYS provides all materials and a violin for the duration of the program.  They are encouraged to take the violin home in order to practice outside of school.  Every child participates in a culminating event at the end of the program where they have a chance to perform in front of family, friends, and the community. 

Learning a musical instrument and performing in front of an audience gives a child a sense of purpose and increased self-confidence.  However, many schools do not have the budget for music programs and many families simply cannot afford to offer these types of opportunities to their children.  The String Project provides opportunities for children from families who cannot otherwise afford to buy an instrument or pay for lessons. 

Visiting Artists In-School Concerts – During the in-school concerts students learn about music ranging from classical to popular.  The choice of repertoire engages their interest and relates to the children.  The introduction of classical repertoire encourages them to broaden their horizons and exposes them to something they otherwise might not encounter in their community.  Visiting Artists have backgrounds in classical, jazz, hip-hop, popular, and Latin American music, including Tango, Mariachi, Afro-Cuban, and Salsa.  For many of the children these concerts are their first contact with orchestral instruments and/or live music.  Visiting soloists who are featured soloists with the American Youth Symphony playing in venues such as Walt Disney Concert Hall, Royce Hall, and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, such as Vadim Gluzman – Classical Violinist, often donate their time to play in these in-school concerts.  Other Visiting Artists include Fernando Otero – Argentinian pianist and composer, Supernova String Quartet – specializing in classical and jazz repertoire, our own General and Program Directors – Rafael Agudelo, bass and Myka Miller, oboe, and featured chamber groups from within the American Youth Symphony. 

AYS also invites the parents and children in the program to the AYS admission-free concert series at Royce Hall throughout the year. This gives them more opportunities to hear live classical music at no cost.

Summer Violin Program – This past summerAYS was fortunate enough to be a part of the city’s Music LA! pilot program.  AYS presented two 3-week programs which met three hours a day at Grand View and Angeles Mesa Elementary.  The program consisted of general music including musical notation, rhythm, singing, composition, and improvisation and intensive violin instruction.  As in the year round program, the children present a culminating event presenting what they have learned for family, friends, and the community. 

Philosophy

We believe that every child, regardless of economic status or cultural background, benefits from a music education and more specifically a chance to learn a musical instrument.  Music is an integral part of an individual’s development.  In a school setting, children are often singled out for the things that they do not know, rather than for their unique and individual skills.  The String Project allows for the child to come, just as they are, into a safe haven where they can and are encouraged to express their ideas through music making.  We have found that the group classes and music itself forms a bridge between diverse socioeconomic and ethnic groups.  We nurture our students and provide a space where they feel free to create something and “humanize” the ordinary routine of their day. 

Over 100 String Project participants receive free violin lessons once a week after school.  Learning to play violin is a challenge, and the obstacles that a student must work through to become a better musician make them a better person as well.  Studying violin reinforces the idea that difficult things are worth working for, and that not everything provides the instant gratification that is often stressed in our society.  When asked what advice participants would give future students, they often say, “never give up – even when it gets hard.”  Music is an important part of their lives.  Elementary aged children in Council Districts 8, 11, and 15, receive concerts by our Visiting Artists, which are often times their first encounter with live music of any type.  Past concerts have included classical, jazz, hip-hop, popular, and Latin American music, including tango, mariachi, Afro-Cuban, and salsa.  Our Teaching Artists, who are often members or alumni of AYS, serve as mentors and teachers for the String Project.  We offer them two teacher workshops a year and provide teaching assistantships as well.  The Teaching Artists work closely with the families and receive a unique opportunity to change the lives of these children. 

The Outreach Program strives to connect music to the every day lives of children, while exposing them to classical, jazz, and other musical genres. 

Our artistic goals are:

AYS integration

Site Visits - The Program Director works closely with school principals, classroom teachers, and students to match a Teaching Artist with the individual needs of each school.  Every school has a unique demographic and level of community participation.  As we spend more time in particular schools, we get a better idea of the community and what works vs. what does not.  The Program Director makes regular site visits and gets to know the individual children as well as their families, and understands the specific strengths of each of the Teaching Artists.  The Program Director foresees all aspects of the specific programs as well as maintaining relations with all of the people involved. 

Consultation - Currently, AYS works with an Outreach Consultant who has extensive experience teaching in inner cities as well as affluent neighborhoods and who actively participates in many music education research projects.  The Consultant assesses the program, prepares curriculums and learning strategies, and offers two intensive teacher workshops throughout the year.  In addition to the Program Director’s site visits, this year the Outreach Consultant made a visit to each of the schools and assessed each of the teachers and their strategies.  She reviews the effectiveness of the Teaching Artists, the progression of the students, and offers suggestions to the teachers and the Program Director if something does not seem to be working.  Next year she plans to assess the program at both the beginning, middle, and end. 

Yearly Evaluations - Classroom teachers, Teaching Artists, parents and students complete evaluations at the end of every semester. These evaluations are used in determining what changes need to be made to the program for the following year.

Teaching Assistants – This year we will start a pilot program for musicians who are interested in teaching, but do not feel quite ready.  They will be assigned to a Teaching Artists who has more experience or larger classes.  This will give them a unique opportunity to see teaching hands-on and actually participate in it.  It is a voluntary training program for new teachers. 

Workshops and Meetings – Two mandatory workshops are offered throughout the year by the Consultant.  The first is to offer training to new teachers and advice for returning ones.  Guidelines and expectations are addressed for the upcoming year.  Educational packets and sample lesson plans are distributed.  The second workshop offers mid-year advice and addresses specific issues being encountered.

Continuity - To be successful, any undertaking that is directed at changing established patterns of behavior needs to be sustained over a period of years.  AYS looks at the program as one that will require time and patience to ensure lasting behavior changes.  However, some results are near immediate as parents report an increased interest in classical music outside of school, and teachers report increased self-esteem, confidence, and better behavior in general.  The ultimate success of the String Project lies in the number of children continuously participating and returning year after year. 

Timeline:

Summer

AYS violin inventory is updated, violins in need of repairs are either repaired in house or sent to a repair shop, in order to be ready to distribute the children at the beginning of the school year.

Evaluations are read and processed, creating goals and plans for the upcoming year.  The Outreach Consultant prepares lesson planning and goals.  She prepares all information packets for parents, students, and schools.  She also creates guidelines and expectations for the Teaching Artists. 

Recruitment for the upcoming school year is planned and the Summer Music Program participants are encouraged to join the String Project. 

Teaching Artists are contacted and a list of prospective new Teaching Artists is compiled, as well as Teaching Assistantships for those who are interested in teaching but do not have experience.  They are paired up with the stronger, more experienced Teaching Artists and those that have larger classes. 

September

Recruitment for the String Project begins at each of the participating elementary schools between September 12 and 23.  The Program Director and a Teaching Artist meet with the administration and visit each of the third grade classes. 

Returning students are contacted by September 26 and letters are sent home with their parents.  New student class lists are compiled by September 26 and notification is sent home to their parents.  A waiting list is also formed at this time, and if a student drops out, their spot will be filled.  All written materials are offered in Spanish and English. 

Teaching Artists are matched up with schools. 

October

Teacher Workshop I is held by the Outreach Consultant, offering training to new teachers and advice for returning ones.  It is treated as a round table of ideas and lesson plan creation.  Guidelines and expectations are addressed for the upcoming year. 

String Project’s 30-week program begins. 

November, January, March, April

String Project and Visiting Artists in-school concerts are on-going.  The Program Director visits sites to review Teaching Artists and to ensure that the children are receiving instruction useful to them.  Helpful suggestions and/or modifications are made as needed.

February

The Outreach Consultant makes site visits at each of the schools.  She works individually with each of the Teaching Artists and makes suggestions to the Program Director. 

Teacher Workshop II is held by the Outreach Consultant, offering mid-year advice and addressing issues.  Suggestions and goals are set for the remainder of the year and the upcoming year. 

May – June

Culminating concerts are given by each of the String Project violin classes.  Depending upon certain circumstances, the concerts are performed for friends, family, the community, and/or the entire student body. 

June

Final evaluations are filled out by classroom teachers, Teaching Artists, parents and students participating in the String Project.  Thank you letters are written by each of the students and sent to specific donors of the program. 

Recruitment for the Summer Program begins (if applicable).

July-August

Summer Music Program takes place (if applicable).