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Music Buddies Mentorship Program
Jump to section for: Showcase Recital  •  Mentors  •  Mentees & their Parents/Guardians  •  Teachers

The Music Buddies Mentorship Program is a peer-to-peer musical training opportunity for youth in Northern Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.  The program provides eight months of free, weekly, private music instruction to disadvantaged middle school and elementary school students given by trained AYPO musicians who are interested in coaching other students on their instruments.  This program is available to middle and high school members of the American Youth Concert Orchestra, the American Youth Symphonic Orchestra, and the American Youth Philharmonic® as a way to gain valuable hands-on teaching experience as mentors.  Each AYPO mentor receives community service hours for participating in this program.

Elementary and middle school music teachers identify mentees to receive instruction based on financial, social, and other special needs.  The AYPO musicians meet weekly with their mentees for half an hour to provide free lessons covering basic music skills, exercises, and the mentees’ school orchestra or band music.  The mentors receive training from a professional music educator every one to two months on how to teach younger musicians.  Mentors volunteer their time in 18 schools throughout the Washington region, providing over 1,000 free music lessons to disadvantaged students.  At the end of each year, mentees, their families, and mentors are encouraged to participate in the Music Buddies Showcase Recital.  This recital is an opportunity for Music Buddies participants to share their musical accomplishments with an audience.

One goal for the program is to elevate the interest level and retention of young musicians in their school music program.  Farina, a violin mentee from Luther Jackson Middle School, said that “the best part about my music lessons is that I could learn music to play on my instrument and at the same time I was able to share with my mentor.  Another goal of the program is to instill a sense of community responsibility in AYPO musicians.  Sarah Toy, AYPO alumna and violist said that “Music Buddies is a wonderful program that provides young people with an interest in classical music a unique opportunity to teach, that would be otherwise unavailable, while providing private lessons for underprivileged youth in the community.”

For questions about the Music Buddies Mentorship Program please contact Michelle Wallace, Education & Outreach Manager, by e-mail (mwallace@aypo.org) or call 703-642-8051 x.22.

Music Buddies Showcase Recital
Monday, May 23, 2011 at 7:30 PM

Kilmer Middle School, Vienna, Virginia
No tickets required - free admission!
*Mentors & mentees must arrive by 6:45 PM
Throughout the season mentors guide their students toward the end goal of performing at the Music Buddies Showcase Recital. This recital is an opportunity for mentees to share their musical accomplishments with an audience and to experience solo (or small group) stage performance.


Mentors:

2010-2011 Mentor Training Sessions
Dates, times, locations to be determined

Session topics will include:
Orientation and Introduction to the Program
Teaching the First Lesson
Lesson Plan
Pyramid of Rhythm
Time Management
Art of Communication
Checking in with mentors
Challenges
Mentoring Middle School Musician
Strings Session
Woodwind/Brass Session
Teaching Music to Students with Special Needs
Multiple Intelligences
Concert Etiquette

Resources:
Music Buddies mentor application
Online lesson record form
Printable lesson record form
Supplies request form
Mentee practice record
Music staff sheet
Mentor carpool roster (available Oct. 2011)
Showcase Recital flier (available spring 2011)
Showcase Recital info (available spring 2011)

Websites:
Metronome Online
MusicTheory.net
Music Racer


Mentees & their Parents/Guardians:

Resources:
AYPO pamphlet
Music Buddies program flier
Music Buddies mentee application
Parent permission form (for matched students)
Mentee practice record
Music staff sheet
Showcase Recital flier (available spring 2011)
Showcase Recital info (available spring 2011)

Websites:
Metronome Online
MusicTheory.net
Music Racer

 

Teachers:

Resources:
AYPO pamphlet
Music Buddies teacher brochure Music Buddies program flier
Music Buddies mentee application
Parent permission form