Music Buddies
Music buddies mentorship program
The Music Buddies Mentorship Program is a peer-to-peer musical training opportunity that provides private music instruction to students who are invested in their school music program. At Music Buddies, students from Alexandria and Arlington public schools play in both a small orchestra and receive a 30-60 minute lesson from an AYPO musician. Students perform for their peers and families at recitals in February and May. Students receive free instrumental and instructional material and their lessons are focused on learning solo repertoire and improving playing techniques.
Music Buddies meets Fridays from 4:00-5:30 PM from September through May.
Questions about Music Buddies can be directed to Katie Curry at kcurry@aypo.org.
Mentors
Mentoring is an excellent way for AYPO musicians to gain valuable hands-on teaching experience while enriching the lives of fellow musicians. Mentors are musicians from either AYS, AYSO, or AYP. Upon applying to the program, mentors are matched with students who are given level-appropriate instruction on their instrument. Mentors provide support by giving weekly lessons, helping mentees meet educational goals, and playing in a side-by-side ensemble with the students. After each session, mentors participate in a group discussion where the day’s challenges and breakthroughs are shared. Ms. Jackson relays lesson tips and pedagogical techniques to better equip mentors from week-to-week.
Mentees
Student musicians in the Washington, D.C. region, who are dedicated to music and who want to excel on their instrument, are welcome to apply to the Music Buddies program. Upon applying for the program, Music Buddies Mentees are matched with a mentor and are expected to meet once per week for lessons, perform at the bi-annual recitals, and prepare their solo and scales for weekly lessons and their ensemble music.
The Music Buddies Mentorship Program is supported in part by a generous grant from the American Orchestras’ Futures Fund, a program of the League of American Orchestras made possible by funding from the Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation