About Our Teacher

Sara Baldwin

Sara has 25 years of experience as a public school orchestra director, and over 30 years as a studio teacher for violin, viola, cello, and music theory.

About Our Classes

• Peninsula Community Youth Orchestra is for children in grades 1-12. Children entering the program should be able to read. More advanced high school students may instead prefer to join our parent organization, the Sequim Community Orchestra.
• We offer group lessons for beginner, intermediate, and advanced learners of violin, viola, cello, or bass.
• Classes are held Monday and Wednesday afternoons.
• Classes are located at Swisher Hall in Sequim, WA, which is near Carrie Blake Park and the soccer fields.

Registration will open soon.

For more information about registration, email youth@sequimcommunityorchestra.org, or call or text the parent coordinator at (360)-207-1720.

How does our program fit in with other Peninsula music programs?

The Peninsula Community Youth Orchestra is designed to serve students that have traditionally had less opportunities to learn string instruments. The Sequim Community Orchestra’s mission specifically calls out the Sequim area as it’s school district does not have an orchestra program. We also see many students join our classes from Chimacum. In Port Angeles, the school orchestra program begins in fourth grade, so students in grades 1-3 do not have a group program they can participate in. Homeschool students also may lack a program that they can participate in.

We assume that students will graduate from our program after a few years, and enter another orchestra that their skills are suited to, such as the Sequim Community Orchestra. Once students have mastered their instrument, they may choose to audition for the Port Angeles Symphony Orchestra. This does not typically occur until high school, and generally requires a private teacher.

The SCO and PCYO collaborate with Olympic Strings as our educational mission is very closely aligned with theirs. Olympic Strings provide summer string programs for students on the Olympic Peninsula and we highly recommend their programs as additions to ours when our classes are not in session.

The musical environment of the Olympic Peninsula is very vibrant and lively and several groups are actively engaged in expanding the after school experience for students across the Peninsula. Expect more information on expansions of opportunities for string students soon.