Music-COMP (Music Composition Mentoring Program) is a Vermont-based non-profit started in 1995 that teaches students in grades 3-12 how to compose original music. Schools and teachers don’t often have the time, resources, or training to allow students to realize their musical creativity, and our goal is to help each student find their musical voice. Our young composers range from people who have never written a note before in their life all the way to students interested in composition as their profession. We partner with schools, private lesson teachers, and independent students across the country.

Each young composer we work with is directly paired with a professional composer as their mentor in a way that transcends geographic boundaries. On our secure website, a mentor will connect with each student from the very first notes written to the final performance. It is not uncommon for a professional composer from New York City to be helping a student from a small rural community compose a piece of music, which in turn may then be premiered by a violinist who performs with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra. Our mentors include college professors, working jazz and classical composers, Fulbright scholars, graduate students at Juilliard, and more. In addition, we partner with other organizations to perform and share the amazing music created by our students including Vermont Public Media, the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, the Vermont Philharmonic, TURNmusic, and more.

We prioritize access to our programs. No experience is necessary and, thanks to generous donors, financial means are never an obstacle for our young composers. This approach has enabled young musicians from a variety of backgrounds in all corners of Vermont and beyond to participate each year. Our student population is a cross-section of our communities, and we continue to expand our reach further and further each year.

Below you can find some selected works from past Music-COMP performances. Every single note you will hear was written and created by a student in grades 3-12.