Music Mentors
Free Lessons Program
The CSO Education Department is offers free private lessons to select beginning string students who participate in our Strings in Schools program in schools around the greater Chattanooga area. These free lessons broaden our reach to underserved young musicians. Lessons are offered via Zoom. This program is the initiative of CSOYO Alumnus Sasha Hitachi.
CSOYO Symphony string members are needed to act as mentors for the Music Mentors Program. Members may apply online if interested. YO Teachers will be selected by Music Director, Ismael Sandoval and will work in conjunction with Susan Caminez, CSO Director of Education & Community Impact.
Music Mentors Program Details:
1. YO Members sign up in August.
2. One 90-minute training session in September will be offered via Zoom for all YO Teachers in order to introduce the curriculum, individual lesson plans, pointers for teaching, and other program procedures.
3. Elementary String Students will be selected by the Strings Teacher at the respective schools and paired with an approved YO teacher. The student and one parent will coordinate with their YO Teacher to schedule lessons. Six 30-minute lessons will be given during a semester. YO Teachers will be limited to no more than two lessons/students per week.
4. One student parent must be present, along with the student, for every lesson.
5. During the first lesson, a professional CSO Musician/teacher will sit in to evaluate the YO Teacher and provide feedback.
6. A beginning student book will be used and each of the six lessons will be planned by the String Teacher. YO Teachers are only required to follow the curriculum they are given.
7. The first semester will begin in Mid-October and conclude the first week in December.
8. A recital will be planned for all participants at the end of the semester.
9. The program will begin again in January and run through April, with lessons that further the curriculum. A goal of the program is to prepare young string players for a YO audition in the spring.
YO Members interested in being teachers should be strong individual players who have at least three (3) years of experience on their instrument. They should have at least one (1) year of membership in the CSOYO when they apply. For more information about the Music Mentors program, please contact Susan Caminez, CSO Director of Education & Community Impact.
MUSIC MENTORS APPLICATION