YOUTH ORCHESTRAL EXPERIENCE

The annual Youth Orchestral Experience (YOE) during the September/October school holidays, attract learners from schools in the Eastern Cape which can audition for a place in the youth symphony orchestra or wind band. This is to our knowledge the only provincial orchestra course in the country that serves as a learning experience to prepare learners for participation in the National Youth Orchestra course and also serves as preparation to become a member of the ECPO.

45% of last year’s participants were from disadvantaged communities.

The best of youth conductors South Africa can offer are invited to lead this course. Our own teachers and a group of music teachers who are experts in tuition on specific instruments assist them. The course also serves as a motivation and learning for our own relatively young music teachers.

This course is annually partly funded by the Grant-in-aid fund of the NMMU.

The YOE has added the following to the growth and development of its participants:

• An opportunity to mix socially with learners who share a mutual interest in music and are from the full spectrum of the socio-economic and cultural background of our diverse country

• Add to and improve their skills and understanding of the instrument on which they play

• Extension of their knowledge of and playing of the orchestral repertoire

• Exposure to some of the best youth orchestra and band conductors as well as music instrument facilitators in the country

• Demonstrate to their peers, parents and family their achievement and progress in music making