December 4, 2020

Kudos to everyone for your part in making our Fall Virtual experience work! It is not easy to provide an orchestra program on-line, with rehearsals, break out sessions, sectionals and more, when making music together in person is such an essential component of playing in an ensemble.

Strathmore is very proud of what MCYO has accomplished in these circumstances and deems it a model of virtual music education.
Thank you for your support, parents and musicians!

Winter semester:
This situation won’t last forever, but it will last longer than we might have wished or expected. Strathmore/MCYO is following all of the required county and state mandates for operating during COVID, and as soon as we can safely move to more in-person programming, we will let you know when and how this will be done.

For now, the MCYO team of conductors and coaches is gearing up for another virtual semester for winter, which will end with late March virtual concert performances. Terrific repertoire has been selected and made ready for our students. For some, rehearsal work on new rep is already underway.

We’ll take a 2-week break for the holidays (no MCYO Wed Dec 23 and 30) and resume the same schedule we’ve been doing all Fall, starting up rehearsals again on Jan 6, 2021.
Dates for the March concert viewings to be announced after the holidays.

Yours Truly,
The MCYO team

What is MCYO's Rehearsal Plan?

MCYO will be rehearsing during our regularly scheduled Wednesday evening rehearsals time slots. Due to Covid-19 MCYO has pivoted all orchestral rehearsals and sectionals to online. Once safe to do so we will begin exploring live to live rehearsal opportunities. Mcyo will be using a myriad of new software including: Zoom, Soundtrap, Bandlab, RMS Rehearsal LIVE, and FlipGrid to enhance it’s virtual offerings and create an immersive, musical virtual orchestra rehearsal experience.

What are the plans for the concerts?

The MCYO team has been working diligently to come up with various new and exciting enhanced performance opportunities and concert formats including: live-streaming concerts (when safe to do so), possible outdoor concert venues, and a new and exciting completely immersive cinematic virtual orchestra concert experience! We are doubling down on our virtual offerings and working tirelessly to provide out musicians and families with the most cutting edge virtual performance opportunities.

What is on screen time commitment and technological requirements for rehearsals?

Since we will be completely virtual in the fall, our conductors will be keeping our students engaged through online full orchestral rehearsals, the use of break out rooms, and through the use of new music software. It is our priority to keep our young musicians playing their instrument as much as possible while still keeping the musical intensity and passionate music making that MCYO has become know for!

Required Items to Participate in our online meetings:

  • Students will need a laptop or high powered tablet to participate in our virtual offerings.
  • Students will also need a pair of hardwired headphones (non bluetooth)
  • A USB microphone (such as Fifine or Tonor) and a USB to USB-C converter if using Apple products.
  • Please make sure you find a quiet space near your router that you will designate as your MCYO rehearsal space for the year.

If you have any questions on technology or if you will have trouble meeting the technological requirements please contact John Park at JPark@Strathmore.org