The Lubbock Youth Symphony Orchestra During The 2008-2009 Season: An Internship Report

Arts education is an important part of a young student’s life. Arts education helps foster creativity and many other important qualities that shape a person’s future. My interest in arts education led me to work with the Lubbock Youth Symphony Orchestra (LYSO) from July 2008 to May 2009. During this internship, I worked closely with the LYSO Program Director on nearly every aspect of the youth orchestra program.
The major areas of my internship duties included (but were not limited to): • Artistic Staff • Technical Staff • Students • Concerts • Fundraising • LYSO Retreat • Music Distribution • Additional Duties with the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra

While working with the LYSO Program for ten months, I gained an intimate perspective regarding what it is like to work in and manage a non-profit organization. This dissertation is a sum of my experiences with LYSO and the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra (LSO). It is an in-depth overview of the Lubbock Youth Symphony Orchestra’s structure and processes. The document contains specific events, policies and processes of LYSO, as well as my direct involvement with each area of the organization. It also contains my insights about the best practices for a successful youth orchestra program.