What does MAYCO mean in MUSIC

MADISON AREA YOUTH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA (MAYCO) is an after-school chamber orchestra program based in Madison, Wisconsin for all students in 5th-12th grade. We provide instruction to young musicians and help them become better performers through private lessons, ensemble instruction, and weekly rehearsals throughout the year. Our mission is to offer a comprehensive educational experience that will further musical development, inspire self-confidence, foster creativity and spark enthusiasm for music making.

To participate in MAYCO, students must be between the ages of 5th to 12th grade and must fill out our online application form which can be found on our website. Once your application has been received, we will contact you to discuss audition dates/times and additional information.

There is a small registration fee to join MAYCO which goes towards helping us cover administrative costs. Additionally, tuition fees are required to cover the costs of materials for each student's music studies such as sheet music and instrument rentals. Additional fees may apply depending on the family’s financial situation or ability to pay.

YES! The annual concert is one of the highlights of the year for our members! It usually takes place sometime during springtime and showcases the hard work put in by our members during their rehearsals throughout the year. Participation in this event is compulsory but it is also a lot of fun!

We accept most common orchestral instruments including strings (violin/viola/cello/bass), woodwinds (flute/oboe/clarinet/bassoon), brass (french horn/trumpet/trombone) and percussion (snare drum). You will need to provide your own instrument if accepted into our program but private lesson instructors often have instruments available for rental if needed.

YES! Private lessons are available for all our members at varying levels of experience from beginner onwards. Our instructors are highly experienced professionals who can help guide you towards improving various skills such as technical ability, tone production or simply learn new pieces of music independently from home or at school.

YES! Our program runs throughout most school years so you are always welcome to come join us - however please note that auditions will be required ahead of joining which includes learning a short piece of music from memory before its performance. Additionally, as we follow different academic schedules each year we cannot guarantee availability beyond certain timescales so please enquire with us directly about any questions you may have about when best to join us!

Rehearsals usually take place once a week at different venues around Madison depending on availability - usually somewhere near downtown area or on campus near UW-Madison. The exact location changes each academic year so please enquire with us directly ahead of time if rehearsals haven't already started yet! Generally speaking though they normally take place Thursday evenings 6-7pm during non-holiday weeks over summer time too!

Throughout each academic year we offer various events related to music performance such as field trips for members only, master classes featuring guest clinicians from prestigious conservatories across America or international performances by invitation depending on availability - these could range from choir concerts at Carnegie Hall in New York City up till orchestra competitions around Europe! But aside from these opportunities it’s always great fun playing together outside rehearsal times so we also love organising informal movie nights or potluck dinners where everyone gets together once every few months too.