Private lessons are a crucial part of the training that young musicians need for playing their instrument in an advanced orchestra, and for playing music that requires high-level skills to perform. Our families are encouraged to provide private instruction for their student by paying for weekly lessons with an established instructor.
Typically, private lessons are 30–60-minute sessions once a week with a professional musician educator who has been trained on the instrument on which they are teaching. The members of our orchestras study with skilled individuals in our community, many of whom are members of the Spokane Symphony or teach at local universities and public schools.
Why is it that weekly orchestra rehearsals with skilled conductors do not provide enough training for young musicians? The reason is that orchestra rehearsals and private lessons teach very different skills. In an orchestra, students learn to work with a group, to follow a conductor, to listen for balance, and other skills required in working with other musicians to create music. In private lessons, a student works one-on-one with an instructor to perfect skills that will allow them to play more challenging music and to be stronger orchestral musicians. Every student faces different challenges in developing their instrument technique. Orchestra conductors cannot spend their limited time with the group working with individual students on a technical issue that is holding them back. This technical work is accomplished through private lessons.
Our organization provides periodic sectional rehearsals in which music teacher “coaches” come to our rehearsals and provide specialized training for the different instrument groups. The coaches provide very helpful and necessary details related to orchestra music and instrumental technique (fingerings, bowings, proper instrument position, strategies to improve tone production, for example). However, these sessions do not take the place of private lessons which occur weekly and provide accountability for students in their practice and overall progress with private teachers.
Most of the students in our program have access to private instruction. However, the cost of weekly lessons can be prohibitive for some families living on a very tight budget. For the last several years, we have provided a limited number of scholarships for SYS students whose families face this financial challenge. The results of this investment have been truly inspirational as most scholarship recipients have responded with positive motivation, and have grown in their technical skills, even moving into leadership roles in our orchestras!
For us to continue to provide private lesson scholarships, we need support from members of our community. Donations can be contributed on a one-time or monthly basis. Your commitment to the musical growth and nurture of music students in our community through supporting the SYS Private Lesson Scholarship Program for low-income Spokane Youth Symphony students will not only help promising young musicians to achieve their dreams but will also help to strengthen the quality of our orchestras.
Thank you for your consideration and support! You can give at the link below: