Mission
The mission of Very Young Composers of Central Wisconsin is to provide an interactive pathway for children to listen, explore, and reveal the essence of their own voice through the creation of original music. The four-week after-school class held in January is open to all 4th and 5th grade students in Central Wisconsin. No prior experience in music is necessary.
The Young Composers create their original compositions with the assistance of volunteer University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point music students, acting as Teaching Artists. The Teaching Artists do not focus on instructing the Young Composers how to compose music. Their role is more that of a scribe, faithfully putting the musical ideas as imagined and described by the Young Composers into standard musical notation for later performance by the Teaching Artists. The Young Composers create their music for any combination of usually six to seven instruments. At the conclusion of the class their compositions are performed by the Teaching Artists in a public performance with each Young Composer introducing their music.
Selected Young Composers are then invited to orchestrate their compositions for wind band or orchestra. The fully orchestrated compositions are performed in the spring by the Stevens Point Area Senior High Orchestra and Wind Ensemble.