Young Musicians Chorus

Guidelines Rather Than Rigid Policy

 

At YMC, we trust our families and singers to make thoughtful commitments and balance their schedules responsibly. Rather than rigid policies, we prefer to operate on a foundation of mutual respect and shared responsibility. However, we've found that families have different expectations when it comes to attendance, so we want to clarify what level of commitment is needed to ensure our ensembles' success.

 

The Importance of Attendance

 

Parents tell us that one of the things they appreciate most about YMC is our incredibly efficient schedule – while most comparable choirs require two-hour rehearsals twice a week, we meet just once for a shorter rehearsal.

 

That efficiency, however, comes with a tradeoff: every absence has an outsized impact. Everyone suffers in both progress and morale when a member of the ensemble misses a rehearsal.

 

Most serious choirs have strict attendance policies, excusing absences only for major life events like weddings, funerals, or immoveable academic obligations (such as SATs). While YMC is more flexible, we do expect our singers to prioritize rehearsals and performances.

 

Though YMC's atmosphere is casual, our musical goals are not. We work on challenging, multi-part music, designed to push each singer’s abilities in an ensemble setting. Missing rehearsal doesn’t just impact the individual singer – it also puts strain on their section and the group as a whole.

 

What We Ask

 

We don’t impose draconian rules, but we do ask families to be mindful of these expectations:

• Balancing Conflicts – If your child has another extracurricular commitment (such as sports), we ask that absences be kept proportionate between the two activities. Because we rehearse so infrequently, missing even one rehearsal has a major impact. Rehearsal represents an entire week’s worth of musical progress, just as a full week of practices and games represents a week’s worth of progress in another activity. Absences should reflect that equivalent weight. If possible, attending even part of rehearsal is better than missing it entirely.

• Long Weekends & Travel – If a long weekend falls on a rehearsal day, we ask that families plan to depart after rehearsal rather than the night before. The awake time lost at your destination will be minimal, but the impact of an absent singer on the group is significant.

• Notifying Us of Absences – If your singer must miss rehearsal, please let us know as soon as possible. With different voice parts being so carefully considered, even one absence affects how we run that day’s rehearsal. Advance notice will help us to lesson plan more effectively.

• Concert Commitment – While we feel that a balanced approach makes sense when it comes to rehearsals, we ask that our performances take priority over any other activity except, for example, being the featured soloist in a musical or concerto. Concerts are more than just music – they're the euphoric culmination that every single singer has worked toward for months. When even one member is missing, the experience is diminished for every kid in the ensemble.

 

We Get That Musicians Have Gigs!

We understand that, by definition, Young Musicians Chorus members are active, talented young musicians, and that sometimes opportunities arise – especially for those performing in chamber ensembles or holding solo roles. We are supportive of your musician's other musical activities. An occasional conflict is understandable and even expected. If they become too frequent, we may need to reassess commitments to ensure a sustainable balance. That said, our experience has been that chorus and other musical endeavors are strongly mutually beneficial.

 

Our goal is to make YMC an exceptional, rewarding experience for every singer. Thank you for working with us to make this possible!