Community Outreach Programs
Oak Park Percussion Program
This partnership of the San Diego Youth Symphony and Oak Park Elementary School provides students of diverse cultural and economic backgrounds with introductory percussion training in African Drumming and Western Classical Percussion. These performance traditions have been selected to allow students to become performance ready on the African drums within 3 months while they continue the more time consuming task of learning to read music and master multiple Western percussion instruments. The program gives entry level students the music theory and percussion performance skills necessary to participate in middle school music programs and in the Youth Symphony's Large Ensembles. In addition to after-school training, the Youth Symphony invites Oak Park families to attend its Large Ensemble concerts for free and provides bus transportation so that they can see and understand the opportunities that come with the study of music. Students who wish to advance their musical studies in SDYS are provided full tuition scholarships, and auditions are provided onsite. SDYS is embarking on the 7th year of this partnership.
La Jolla Music Society Community Music Center
The Community Music Center provides free music lessons to children in the San Diego area who otherwise would not be able to afford them but does not offer large ensemble opportunities. To give these students more training opportunities SDYS currently provides 5-10 tuition scholarships annually so students at the Community Music Center can enroll in SDYS Large Ensembles. Students from SDYS also perform at the Community Music Center throughout the year to expose the students and families to advanced classical music performance. Community Music Center families are provided free tickets to SDYS concerts and bus transportation to Copley Symphony Hall. SDYS is embarking on the 4th year of this partnership.
UCSD Preuss School Music Booster Club
The Preuss School Music Booster Club is an on-campus leadership activity that trains middle school students in arts promotion. SDYS provides the 25 student members with promotional materials and free ticket vouchers to share with peers and their families. SDYS staff trains the students in promotion of specific SDYS concerts and increases their access to classical music performance. Three students from the club have subsequently enrolled into SDYS ensembles as a result of this exposure. SDYS now provides private and group lessons to Preuss students who need more focused attention to advance their musical studies. SDYS also provides onsite auditions and full tuition scholarships to any Preuss students who wish to join the Large Ensemble program. SDYS is in the 5th year of this partnership.
Monarch School Percussion Program
This partnership of the San Diego Youth Symphony and Monarch School provides at-risk and homeless students introductory percussion training in Western Classical Percussion. Students participating in the program are already part of the Monarch School’s Steel Drum Band but are unable to read music. The program gives entry level students the music theory and percussion performance skills necessary to participate in more advanced orchestral ensembles. In addition to after-school training, the Youth Symphony invites Monarch School families to attend its Large Ensemble concerts for free so that they can see and understand the opportunities that come with the study of music. SDYS is embarking on the 3rd year of this partnership.
