The YAMA Orchestras
“Music is the social act of communication among people, a gesture of friendship, the strongest there is.”
Mission Statement
Yakima Music en Acción (YAMA) grows confident leaders throughout neighborhoods it serves by widening access to professional-level music learning, igniting collective pride, and empowering and unifying students and families.
Last season, the YAMA Orchestras consisted of over 120 third through 12th graders from 20 different schools in the Yakima School district. We are very grateful to have Garfield Elementary School as our home base for our Preludio and Chamber Orchestras where we rehearse five days a week, for two hours a day. We are as excited as ever to offer an even more advanced YAMA experience; The YAMA Philharmonia hosted at A.C. Davis High School.
The YAMA Orchestras are comprised of three orchestras of different levels to meet our students' ever growing musical needs.
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18-19 Preludio Orchestra
The YAMA Preludio Orchestra is where YAMA students begin their musical journeys. A focus on building a strong musical and group foundation is emphasized. Students in the Preludio Orchestra play great music from all around the world, often arranged by YAMA Staff, each chosen specifically to help them reach our musical goals. Every quarter, Preludio students will be nominated by a Teaching Artist to audition for a chance to enter the Chamber Orchestra.
The YAMA Chamber Orchestra consists of our most advanced 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year instrumentalists. Students in the Chamber Orchestra tackle longer pieces (some unarranged classical masterpieces), are required to take their instruments home for practice, and serve as peer teachers to our newer YAMA students when asked.
The YAMA Philharmonia Orchestra, which consists of our most advanced students, is a four day a week intensive workshop to further students' understanding of their instruments and offer critical thinking and leadership development. Students of Philharmonia will also be offered the chance to travel to the Garfield site to serve as Assistant Teachers.
During a normal day at YAMA students can be found singing solfege in choir, attending music theory classes, learning about leadership, studying with a private teacher, performing, playing scale games and so much more.