You(th) Can Compose! Summer Workshop

The ultimate program for young musicians who want to write & perform their original music in 3 weeks or less!

NOW ENROLLING FOR 2024!

Mon-Fri on Zoom
July 1-19, 2024 (except July 4-5)
10:30 am. – 12:30 p.m. Pacific
(1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Eastern)

To those of you who are nurturing a young music student in their artistic growth — kudos for helping them embark on this wonderful journey!

Studying music is a great way to encourage young students to exercise problem-solving skills, develop a sense of discipline, and practice working as part of a team.

Yet, new musicians — adults and kids alike — often decide to learn an instrument because they want to find a new way to express themselves.

But after decades of experience in my own musical journey, I will tell you —

Simply learning how to play an instrument does not give students this freedom of expression, even when they get pretty skilled at it.

Many young musicians find themselves having to perform in a manner that is acceptable to their directors or instructors.

While there will always be something to learn from this method of training, it can leave students asking, “When do I get to play what I want? Is this what I signed up for?”

In some cases, this can result in students not practicing, even if they say that they are truly interested in music.

Or, even when you find your child “practicing,” they aren’t really playing what has been assigned to them.

However, what I often want to tell parents is —

Your kid can have their cake, and eat it too! They can study music in a traditional manner and still have a say over how they want to express themselves.

One of the best ways for young musicians to develop or regain this sense of freedom is by writing their own music.

If you have a young music student who is constantly

noodling around on their instrument,
making up their own songs, or
trying to figure out new tunes by ear,

then learning to compose their own original music could give them the key to unlock their artistic voice!

Let me assure you, the roadblocks that you are facing with your child are not your fault!

If you have helped them to get an instrument and/or begin lessons, you are already helping them make strides towards success!

The thing is, both classroom music programs and private lessons tend to be very performance-focused.

Kids learn how to play their instruments and read music. They are assessed by how well they perform, and if your child is in a very competitive program, these festivals and competitions can consume quite a bit of the curriculum during the school year.

And there’s nothing wrong with that!

In fact, if your child is performing regularly, they are probably getting a very healthy music education.

But how would your child feel if they could be empowered to:

take their learning into their own hands?
be confident in their ability to express themselves?
turn their creative ideas into something that they can share with the world?

Sakari is an amazing instructor! She is very knowledgeable, but also patient and kind. She instills confidence in young musicians. She makes learning fun! Would highly recommend her!

— Terri G., parent of 5th grade violin student

Introducing the. . .

You(th) Can Compose! Summer Workshop™

The ultimate program for young musicians who want to write & perform their original music in 3 weeks or less!

And I promise, it will be downright fun! All while equipping your child with the tools that they need to be the self-driven and highly creative artist that they are.

In YCCSW, your child will find inspiration in experimenting with a variety of approaches to writing music.

As their ideas blossom over the course of both weeks, they will develop the ability to shape their inspirations into a performance-length original work.

Ultimately, they will feel empowered to make their own decisions about their artistic vision and gain the freedom to more fully express their own creative impulses.

Enroll and pay in full by Wednesday, June 5th in order save $100 off of any tuition package.

All you need to do is complete your application at the link below and use the coupon code EARLYBIRD24 at checkout.

Hi, I’m Sakari.

In addition to living my dream as a freelance composer and violist, I’ve also had the privilege of teaching hundreds of K-12 students over the last decade in one-on-one and group settings.

With every new teaching opportunity, I eagerly embrace the challenge of tailoring a curriculum that is “just right” — one that meets students where they are currently but also pushes them to reach new heights in pursuit of their individual goals.

Like many music students, I got my start in elementary school.

It wasn’t long before I decided that music was what I wanted to do for a profession, so I took advantage of every opportunity to soak up whatever instruction I could get from the many directors and school teachers who supported me.

I signed up to learn the violin as soon as I had the chance, but my parents weren’t able to afford private lessons until I was in the middle of high school.

Thanks to a composition project in my orchestra class in the 6th grade, I became obsessed with writing my own music.

Whenever I had time outside of class, I wrote duets, trios, and quartets for friends to perform. Year after year, I asked my teachers for permission to program several of these works on school concerts.

Little did I know, this sort of determination that I learned from composing and getting my music performed was the perfect practice for the “real world.” My desire to take risks and create my own opportunities has been key to my success as a freelancer.

It’s a skill that can be applied to any field, and it has helped me to be resilient in an ever-changing world!

I don’t think I would have learned that so early on if I were only waiting on my directors and mentors to give me instruction.

For this reason, I have always been passionate about giving young music students tools to express themselves fully and take charge of their own education. Composing music is the perfect way to start!

Sakari is a gifted teacher of course, sensitive to what she hears and sees in her students and responding to them so that they can grow in their skills and musicianship

— Anna Ancheta, Executive Director of MUSICA! (El Sistema USA)

So, what’s it like in the program?

Over the course of three weeks, your child will participate in interactive projects where they will explore many different approaches to writing music.

They will love being able to interact with our esteemed guest artists — professionals who will share about their music careers and their approach to composing. YCCSW students will have the rare opportunity to work directly with these professionals and receive input on their work.

Since this program is in a small group setting, your child will have plenty of opportunities for individualized feedback while being able to learn from and interact with their peers.

By the end of the program, your child will compose and perform at least one solo piece, which they will showcase in a YouTube recital at a private link.

The You(th) Can Compose! Summer Workshop will be a great opportunity for your child to take their musical inspirations and make them into a reality! On top of that, they will be able to share their hard work with all of their family and friends.

“This workshop is a really awesome experience!”

— Angelica, YCCSW 2020 student

Meet Our Guest Artists for 2022!

Shelley Washington

Shelley Washington (b. 1991) writes music to fulfill one calling- to move. With an eclectic palette, Washington tells stories focusing on exploring emotions and intentions by finding their root cause. Using driving, rhythmic riffs paired with indelible melodies, she creates a sound dialogue for the public and personal discourse. Shelley performs regularly as a vocalist and saxophonist, primarily on baritone saxophone, and has performed and recorded throughout the Midwest and East Coast- anything from Baroque to Screamo. She holds degrees from Truman State University; a BA in Music focusing on saxophone, and a Masters of Arts in Education. She also holds a Masters of Theory and Composition from NYU Steinhardt, where she studied with Dr. Joseph Church, Dr. Julia Wolfe, and Caroline Shaw. As an educator, she taught for the New York Philharmonic’s Very Young Composers program, and was acting Artistic Director for the Noel Pointer Foundation, located in Brooklyn, NY. In the Fall of 2018 she began studies at Princeton University in pursuit of the PhD of Music Composition. Shelley is a founding member of the composer collective, Kinds of Kings.

Kian Ravaei

Kian Ravaei composes music that delivers bold melodies, heartfelt directness, and visceral power. His growing body of work has often been praised for combining ri-gorous compositional technique with naturalness and penetrating emotion. Born in 1999 of Iranian immigrants, Ravaei spent his childhood playing jazz, producing electronic dance music, and singing in a rock band when he should have been practi-cing piano sonatas. Ravaei’s music has been performed by leading musicians and commissioned by notable organizations such as the Canadian Music Centre and Sa-lastina. He makes his home in Los Angeles, where he serves as a Composer Teaching Artist Fellow for the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and studies music composition with Richard Danielpour — one of his favorite living composers — at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.

Get the best value if you sign up by June 5th!

Submit your application and tuition payment using the code EARLYBIRD24 in order save $100 on your enrollment!

Your child may be a perfect fit if they:

are a “go-getter”
are an instrumentalist between the ages 10-18
have at least 1 year of experience studying music
love to problem solve and explore

Give them just what they need to excel in their passion for music!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the investment for the program?

Tuition for the You(th) Can Compose! Summer Workshop starts at $675 per student.

This includes enrollment in daily, two-hour group classes plus a one-year subscription to Breezin’ Thru Theory where your child can continue to practice their musicianship skills all year long.

Looking for even greater value and more individualized support?

Upgrade to the Concertino package ($800 total) to get all of the above PLUS two 45-minute, one-on-one lessons during the program.
Upgrade to the Premier package ($1130 total) to get everything in the Concertino package PLUS 6 additional one-on-one lessons to be used after the You(th) Can Compose! Summer Workshop. That’s 8 private lessons at a 20% discount compared to the standalone private lesson rate! This offer is not available anywhere else!

And remember –

Investing in the You(th) Can Compose! Summer Workshop will empower your child to become a more well-rounded musician.

Today’s most successful artists are multifaceted and rarely fit into cookie-cutter ideas of what a music career looks like, so why start them off that way? Your child might even discover a musical path that is just the right fit for them!

Even if your child does not intend to pursue music as a profession, they will gain so much joy in knowing that they have the power to express themselves in the way that they see fit.

With any package you choose, make sure you use the code EARLYBIRD24 at checkout to save $100 off of your enrollment by June 5th!

Can I pay with a payment plan?

You certainly can! There are actually two payment options:

Option 1: Choose “Pay Now” or “Pay with PayPal” in order to pay in full.
Option 2: Choose “Pay with PayPal” to get the option to pay in installments.

There are two ways to pay in installments using PayPal:

PayPal Credit, which charges no interest as long as you pay the full amount in 6 months, or
Pay in 4, which breaks your tuition into four interest-free payments.

What are the class sizes?

In order to make sure that your student has access to plenty of support, classes will hold a maximum of 10 students.

What is the time commitment for the course?

In order to make sure students are ready to get the most out of YCCSW as soon as it begins, there will be a mandatory orientation to be scheduled in late June.

Classes will run from Monday, July 1st to Friday, July 19th. Students will have 2-hour workshops on Zoom every weekday from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Pacific Time (1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time).

In addition to the live Zoom workshops, students will need to set aside time to work on their composition projects outside of class. Your student can expect to do work independently for at least 30 minutes per day of the class, although this may vary from student to student.

What technology is required?

Chances are, you have everything that you already need at your fingertips!

But if you would like to be sure, here is what your child will need to have the best experience:

a computer or tablet with a built-in camera and microphone
headphones
a minimum internet speed of 4.0 Mbps
the Zoom video conferencing app on their device (Download it for free at www.Zoom.us/download. View the full system requirements here.)
exclusive access to their devices during class. (If more than one child will be attending, each will need their own device.)
a printer is recommended, but not required

What if my student has little to no experience with composing or music theory?

That’s perfectly fine! In fact, the You(th) Can Compose! Summer Workshop is a great place for them to get started.

In YCCSW, they will learn to take their inspirations and make them into a piece that they can perform. Having a fully-completed piece will give them the confidence that they need to continue to express their musical ideas.

If your student does have experience with composing, then they will have plenty of support in taking their skills to the next level. They will also explore many different approaches to writing music so that they can have more techniques to draw from in future pieces.

Does my student need to be able to read music?

Yes! Your child will need to have a basic knowledge of reading on a musical staff (i.e. reading notes in treble, alto, and/or bass clef). This includes guitarists, who may be used to reading tablature or lead sheets.

They will need to be able to identify basic rhythms, name the pitches that they see, and perform from sheet music using their primary instrument.

I love the idea of this! But there’s no way participate right now. How can I get updates on future workshops?

I get it! You want to make sure you can commit fully, and that’s great! If there’s a question that we can still answer, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Otherwise, you can sign up for our mailing list to be the first to know about future opportunities with You(th) Can Compose!

[Sakari] has a passion for teaching and makes even the most mundane of exercises fun and educational.

— Jordan C., adult violin student

Still on the fence?

Here's the thing --

Believe it or not, there are not many programs out there for young composers to get introduced to the art of composing and develop their ideas from start to finish, especially with this level of individualized support.

Even with teenagers, composition programs tend to follow the trend of the rest of the classical music world — there is a lot of opportunity for competition, but little room for those who want to get started.

(Most programs want to see submissions of finished works with your application. I do not require this.)

It’s really unfortunate, to be honest!

For most, private lessons are the first and only option

However, one-on-one lessons rarely give kids a chance to interact and learn from their peers on a regular basis.

In school, students get to learn alongside their peers, but the focus is usually on performing in concerts.

Any opportunity to compose is usually a side project, and there is less time to learn in-depth or go “out-of-the-box.”

At YCCSW, you can have your cake and eat it too —

the small class size means plenty of individual attention and peer interaction
you can start as a beginner and have the joy of writing (and performing) an entire piece
being in a group means lower pricing, but I promise, you will learn just as much as one-on-one (if not more!)

Did I mention that the price is less than half of the cost of your average private lesson per hour?

And unlike most summer programs, there’s no need to shell out thousands of dollars in the cost of transportation or lodging for in-person classes.

Plus, each student will have a one-year subscription to Breezin’ Thru Theory, a browser-based app where they can continue to hone their skills at their own pace and get immediate feedback on their progress all year long. The value just keeps adding up!

– Sakari

Ready to get the best of both worlds?

Still not sure?

Questions? Email [email protected]

Photo credits:

Young man listening to music – perfectwave
Woman with guitar – Jonnelle Yankovich
Sakari Vanderveer with viola – William Vasta
Screenshot of a YCCSW session – Sakari Vanderveer
Sakari Vanderveer near column – Kat Wilson