The Young Composers Project

The Young Composers Project (YCP) is an established cornerstone of MIM’s education program.  The innovative curriculum serves to instill passion for classical music in the region’s youth, where they learn about composition, theory, music history, performance, and public speaking.  Students receive weekly one-on-one instruction and bi-monthly group lessons from September through June.  Students present a mid-year recital of their original compositions for voice and one instrument of choice in January, at the New Songs for Midwinter concert. The program culminates with the Young Composers Concerts, where student works are premiered by professional musicians as part of MIM’s summer festival.

This award-winning program kicks off early in the school year with youth from 6th grade through early college. The program consists of both Saturday classes and private lessons throughout the school year with composers/teachers Mark Vance and Jerry Grant. The program consists of two divisions, Beginner/Intermediate and Intermediate/Advanced.

During the ’13-’14 YCP year, students embarked on a special interdisciplinary curriculum with Sierra Streams Institute. To find out more about that collaboration and read student blogs: Prelude for Yuba Salmon..

This education program is funded in part by the League of American Orchestras and The Volgenau Foundation.