What is JOC?

What is JOC, anyway?  There’s JMC, YMC, JAC, JXC, MAC…so many acronyms to keep track of in the Yamaha world.  The latter are all acronyms for music courses in the Yamaha Music Education System, but JOC is a unique and special program for Yamaha students that YMF (Yamaha Music Foundation) provides.  It is also a life-changing experience in which I and many other students at Jensen’s Yamaha Music School have participated.

JOC stands for Junior Original Concert.  It is a prestigious series of concerts featuring young composers from all around the world.  All pieces performed are written and performed by Yamaha students ages 15 and younger.  The concerts are organized by levels.  In the US, we have National Concerts that have taken place and continue to take place in such cities like Phoenix, AZ, Los Angeles, CA, Mahwah, NJ, Boston MA, and many others.  Students from Yamaha schools all over the US compose their own piece of music, record a performance of their piece and submit to the National Headquarters to be considered for recognition and selected to be performed in one of the National Junior Original Concerts of that year.  A select few of those submissions are then sent to Japan to be considered for the International Junior Original Concert that takes place in Japan.

Having performed in several National Junior Original Concerts, I have personally experienced the great benefits of participating in the JOC program.  I was particularly motivated to come up with new ideas and to expand them and turn them into fully developed pieces.  Some were ensembles, duets, and solos.  I loved meeting fellow composers from other cities and hearing their pieces.  Every year I went, I would leave inspired by the other student’s pieces and wanted to compose a new song right away.

So, how and why does Yamaha do JOC?  Yamaha Music Foundation profoundly believes that having the ability to create one’s own music is the ultimate musical achievement.  With that in mind, the Yamaha Music Education System incorporated these valuable skills into the Yamaha Music Curriculum.  As students advance in the Yamaha Education Courses (JMC, YMC, JXC, JAC), they learn more and more about composition and are encouraged to compose their own music.  More than just being eligible to participate in the JOC program, students benefit greatly from having the outlet to express themselves and explore what else is possible in music.  They can create their own unique possibilities.

Curious?  Here are some highlights from the recent National Junior Original Concert in Mesa, Arizona in 2014. Click here to view videos.