Youth Music Illinois Handbook

Congratulations, and welcome to membership in Youth Music Illinois. Your successful audition has qualified you to be part of a youth orchestra program founded in 1965, with over 4,000 members so far. Youth Music Illinois is dedicated to providing a musical performance experience that will both challenge and inspire you. You will have a lot of fun at Youth Music Illinois – serious fun, as you and your friends work together to rise to the challenges of the music we perform. This experience is meant to extend and support your school music program, and not replace it; our expectation is that you will continue to make music at school while in Youth Music Illinois.
Membership in your ensemble is a privilege that comes with responsibility, and we expect you to take it seriously. This handbook will explain our schedules, procedures, and policies, and act as a guide for you and your family throughout the season. Please read it thoroughly, and make note of all expectations of student musicians and their families

Welcome to Youth Music Illinois!
                 
David Commanday                                         Lidia Riley
Music Director                                                Executive Director

Contact Information

Youth Music Illinois office and rehearsals are located in the Life Together Center at 3601 N. Sheridan Road in Peoria. 
You may need to contact Youth Music Illinois throughout the season for a variety of reasons. Your primary contacts for the organization will be the following:

• Lidia Riley, Executive Director: ExecDir@youthmusicillinois.org
• David Commanday, Music Director: dcommanday@youthmusicillinois.org​
• Your orchestra/ensemble conductor
  

Your ensemble conductor will be the musical authority and source of answers to questions on music. Any questions regarding your orchestra or ensemble should be directed to the conductor/director first. All non-musical questions or concerns should be directed to the Program Manager or Executive Director.

How We Communicate With Members

Youth Music Illinois communicates with student musicians and parents almost exclusively through email. It is your family’s responsibility to make sure that we have a working email address for you on file, and to make sure our messages can reach you. (Please make sure your browser does not spam-filter our mailings, and read all newsletters for important messages). The fastest, most reliable way to reach Youth Music Illinois staff is through email.

Eligibility Requirements

To become and remain a member of Youth Music Illinois you must:

1. Perform an audition to demonstrate proficiency and establish your ability
2. Not yet have graduated from 12th grade.
3. Commit to Youth Music Illinois’ rehearsal and concert schedule.
4. Commit to some volunteer service for the YMI organization, as opportunities arise (explained further below).

Auditions

Membership in Central Illinois Youth Symphony, Concert Orchestra, Preparatory Orchestra and various ensembles are open to student musicians through grade 12, and is decided through an audition process. Entrance auditions are held every Spring for admittance into Youth Music Illinois for the following season and throughout the year to fill open positions. All audition materials may be found here.

Seatings and Parts Assignments

Conductors will hold seating hearings in August prior to season’s start, to become better familiar with all students’ playing levels, and to seat students appropriately within sections. All seatings are at the discretion of the conductor. Seatings are based on students’ playing levels and specific demands for the instrument in the current repertoire being played.

Concert Dress Code

Dolce String Ensemble, Preparatory Orchestra, and Concert Orchestra: Students are to wear white tops with at least 3/4 length sleeves, black floor-length bottoms, black shoes, and black stockings or socks, if worn. 
Youth Symphony: Students are to wear all black (tops should have at least 3/4 length sleeves and bottoms should go to the floor) or a tuxedo. Shoes should be black, as well as stockings or socks, if worn.
Jazz Ensembles, Percussion Ensembles: All black, including shoes and stockings/socks, if worn.

Youth Music Illinois Activity Calendar

Regular rehearsals for orchestras will occur at the Life Together Center at the following times:

• Youth Symphony: Sunday between 3:00 and 6:00 pm
• Concert Orchestra: Thursdays between 6:30 and 9:00 pm
• Prep Orchestra: Thursdays from 6:30-8:00 pm
• Dolce String Ensemble: Thursdays  from 6:30-7:30 pm
• Sr. Jazz Ensemble: Sundays from 6:00-8:00 pm
• Junior Jazz Ensemble: Sundays from 4:00-5:30 pm
• Percussion Ensemble: Sundays from 1:30-2:45 pm
• Ensemble days and times to be determined

Youth Music Illinois will provide you with reminders of upcoming events every week through the weekly email. However, it is ultimately your responsibility to know the time and location of your rehearsal.

Attendance Policy

Students are permitted two absences per semester. Absences must be communicated by email to ExecDir@YouthMusicIllinois.org before the start of the rehearsal. 

As members of an ensemble, your fellow musicians are counting on you to attend rehearsals. When students are in attendance and prepared for rehearsal, the ensembles perform better and all students have a better experience. Students should prioritize Youth Music Illinois rehearsals except in the case of serious illness.

Student Musician Expectations

Students, this is a unique opportunity for you to work with other young musicians who are just as enthusiastic and passionate about music as you are! As such, we expect our musicians to take their membership within the organization seriously so that we can reach the highest levels of musical excellence possible.

1. Attend all rehearsals and concerts.
2. Bring your music, a pencil, and your instrument and all equipment you may need to perform your music (i.e. mutes, mallets, etc.). **NOTE: It is not acceptable for you to lose your music.
3. Come to every rehearsal prepared to the best of your ability. Daily practice is essential to successful rehearsals.
4. Listen to recordings of your music regularly. Most pieces may be found on YouTube.
5. Take private lessons from a qualified instructor. You are encouraged to bring your orchestra or ensemble music to your teacher for help if needed.
6. Interact with other members, Youth Music Illinois staff, and conductors in a polite and courteous manner. When you are at a Youth Music Illinois activity, you represent the organization. Please behave in a way that shows your commitment to our mission.
7. Treat the Youth Music Illinois facility and concert halls with care and respect. Students causing willful damage to property in any way will be held financially responsible for all damage.
8. If the student or parents have an issue or concern regarding their experience in orchestra or ensemble they should reach out to the conductor first. If the issue remains unresolved after discussion, it may be pursued further with the Music Director and/or Executive Director. If this level of discussion does not resolve the concern, the matter will be passed to the Board of Directors of YMI. The Board of Directors’ decision is final.
9. We encourage all Youth Music Illinois members to use their musical talents to share their love of classical music with their communities and further the mission of Youth Music Illinois.
10. Have an open, positive attitude toward participating in your orchestra or ensemble. 
11. Hats, food, gum, or drink (with the exception of water in a spill-proof container specifically for soaking reeds) are never permitted during rehearsals or performances. The use of cell phones or other electronic devices during rehearsals and performances is not allowed.
12. Youth Music Illinois is proud to support and collaborate with area school and private music teachers. Members of Youth Music Illinois are expected to participate in their school instrumental music program, if possible.
13. ​Students in the Youth Music Illinois organization are expected to have good discipline during rehearsals and performances. Disturbances, inattention, and talking show a lack of interest on your part and indicate that you do not take your role within the orchestra or ensemble seriously. Depending on their seriousness, infractions of conduct, attitude, or responsibility will be dealt with in one or more of the following manners:

• Conference with student
• Conference with parents
• Change in seating
• Expulsion from Youth Music Illinois