If you are a young musician or parent of one and are considering joining TYSA, I hope this review helps you make an informed decision.
I was a member of TYSA orchestras for five years, right through high school graduation. I stuck around for a few reasons, it looks good on a college app, etc., but I can hardly say it was a highlight of my youth.
Only consider joining if you are serious about a future career in music. They take music with a grave seriousness and seem to have a tacit expectation that all their members end up in music conservatories. They demand loyalty and have disdain for competing extracurricular activities (their website's attendance policy corroborates this, if you care to look).
If that fits within your expectations, then by all means go wild. But if you're more like me, someone who is fond of music but only recreationally, I would ask you to think twice about joining. I'd encourage you instead to participate more actively in your school band or orchestra, join regional ensemble contests with friends, play in pep/marching band, and so on. You will have much more fun and make many more memories.
TYSA was critical not only to my formation as a musician (I am still professionally involved jn music, many years later) but also instilled in me the importance of integrity, discipline, compassion, and joy.
The faculty and administration are deeply committed to providing a rigorous education for young musicians. By the same token, they are also committed to providing a space for music students that is safe, inclusive, and happy. I made dear friends; I was carefully mentored; I was, on the whole, nurtured by TYSA in a way that I have only rarely encountered in education since.
I’m jealous of those who just beginning their time at TYSA— it’s a precious interval.
