Information for YYO Families

2023-2024 Calendar

Spring Term 2024

February 3- First Day of Spring Term

February 10

February 17- NO CLASSES (Midwinter Break)

February 24 

March 2

March 9

March 16

March 23 

March 30 - NO CLASSES (Spring Break)

April 6

April 13

April 20

April 27 

May 4 -Last Day of Classes/Dress Rehearsal at YCMS (Link to Information Sheet for Families)

May 5- Spring Concert. WCC Morris Lawrence Building- Towsley Auditorium. Call time for performers- 2:45 PM, Concert Begins-4:00 PM. For more information, click HERE.

Class Location & Mode of Instruction:

All classes are offered in-person at Ypsilanti Community Middle School. Address: 510 Emerick Street. Ypsilanti, MI 48198.

Family Involvement

• A parent/guardian is expected to attend class with their beginner students, sitting with the student and engaging with them as they participate in class.

• Parents/Guardians who have more than one student in YYO classes may rotate between their students’ classes.

• Families may sign up to serve as Saturday Morning Volunteers at the following link- Ypsilanti Youth Orchestra Saturday Morning Volunteers 2023-2024. Other volunteer opportunities include: serving on our board or committees, helping with fundraising, and helping with publicity.

• YYO families are welcome to connect with each other through our private Facebook group, Ypsilanti Youth Orchestra Parents, Guardians, and Family Sponsors | Facebook.

Instruments & Music Stands

• Students registered for Drumming will need a drum pad and sticks.

• Beginner-level students will not need an instrument immediately, as the first few class sessions are spent instructing the students in proper posture and how to care for an instrument. Class instructors will advise families when students are ready to begin working with instruments and music stands.

• Instrument options: Students may bring their own instruments, rent instruments from a retailer, or request to borrow a YYO instrument (based on availability). Currently, all available YYO instruments have been assigned to students.

  • Instrument rental recommendations:

    • Shar Music (Located in Ann Arbor)  Shar rePLAY Violin Outfit as low as $9.99 per month (sharmusic.com)

    • Baroque Violin Shop (Located in Monroe, MI. Will ship to your home)-Violin Rental | Baroque Violin Shop

    • Music Go Round (Located in Ann Arbor).[percussion, woodwinds, brass, and strings], 2791 Oak Valley Dr, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. Phone: (734) 662-1080. 
      

  • Our Instrument Request/Maintenance/Return Form is available HERE.

    • Effective Fall 2022: Students may only borrow one (1) YYO instrument at a time. We will collect the instruments at the end of each term. We ask that you and your child be extra careful and loving of the instrument!

Need Help?

• YYO exists to provide students with access to music education. For some families, the inability to afford an instrument is a barrier to that access. If a family needs assistance obtaining an instrument, there are resources in our community that we can recommend.

  
  

Protocols:

• Our partner organization, Ypsilanti Community Schools, requires us to provide Pre-Placement Instruction to all YYO students and families before they can attend classes in YCS buildings. We provide this instruction in our registration form and through our Parent Orientation. YYO families are expected to respect YCS building policies while in the building.

• Update to our COVID Protocols: Masks are optional. Contact tracing is no longer required.