COZMO Ensemble & the COZYMO Learning Group

WE WELCOME NEW PLAYERS to join the COZMO Ensemble and to participate in COZYMO’s Learning Group.

We aim to expand the COZMO Ensemble and welcome additional mandolin, mandola and mandocello players, guitarists and bass players.  To play in the Ensemble, you should have fair to good reading skills and playing technique and be able to express the rhythm and mood of the repertoire.  Participants in the Learning Group may feed into the Ensemble as their skills develop.

HOW TO JOIN COZMO

Once you have visited COZMO at rehearsal and played with the ensemble (up to three times without obligation) and you decide you’d like to join, speak with COZMO’s Musical Director. Before you do, check out the information below about what we do.

WHAT WE DO

COZMO: Click here for a short info sheet (PDF): Info about COZMO – Feb 2024  It introduces the ensemble and what we do.

COZYMO: Click here for a short info sheet (PDF): Info about COZYMO – Feb 2024  It introduces the Learning Group and what we do.  If you would like to participate, contact the Secretary to book, and complete the Participant Registration Form – COZYMO participants.

COZMO Ensemble

Are you a reasonably proficient player?  Do you read music?  Do you play mandolin, mandola, mandocello, classical guitar, bass guitar, double bass or electric bass at intermediate or higher level?  Do you want to have fun playing in a mandolin ensemble and further develop your ensemble skills?  Would you like to experience playing in a massed ‘Zupforchester’ drawn from Zupforchesters around Australia and New Zealand?*  If so, the COZMO Ensemble may be for you.  COZMO meets weekly for rehearsals during school term time.

Prospective new ensemble members are invited to contact COZMO first, to arrange to come along to up to three of our rehearsals, initially to listen and/or to join in playing.  Just introduce yourself to the Musical Director Col Bernau before each rehearsal starts, to let him know you’re there and what you’d like to do (listen or participate).  Col will need to hear you playing in the ensemble on at least one of those three visits, to determine whether COZMO is the appropriate group for you, and you can use those three visits to decide whether you’d like to join.  The MD may then invite you to join or you may indicate a wish to join.  After you have completed and emailed a short application form to the Secretary, you’ll hear back from the MD.  Easy and fun!

COZYMO Learning Group (Continuing level)

Are you a music student or a ‘casual’ player? Have you had at least a year of lessons on your instrument – or equivalent informal playing experience, and have some music reading skills?  Would you say your playing level is more than ‘beginner’ but not yet ‘intermediate’?  Would you like to join a small orchestra or ensemble but feel that your music reading skills could do with a little work first?  Do you play individually but haven’t been able to find other musicians – mandolinists, guitarists etc – to play with in an ensemble setting?  Do you have an interest in playing but haven’t yet found a group to join?  Regardless of your age, are you keen to start playing with others in a group?  Would you like to further develop your playing technique and proficiency?  Would you like to experience playing in a massed ‘Zupforchester’ (plucked string orchestra) coming from Zupforchesters around Australia and New Zealand – e.g. the next FAME Festival in June-July 2024?  Whilst the COZMO Ensemble may not quite be for you yet, the COZYMO Learning Group (Continuing) may be just what you’re after!  This Program will be offered each Semester depending on numbers.  If sufficient enrolments at this level are received, the Participants meet weekly for a one Semester-length program of learning/playing sessions during school term time.  We look forward to seeing LG participants progress to playing in the COZMO Ensemble within 1 to 3 Semesters or so (depending on your starting point).  Contact COZMO now to book your place.   Click here for fees.

COZYMO Learning Group (Beginning level)

Are you a beginner? Regardless of your age, are you keen to start learning a mandolin-family instrument, playing with others in a group and learning some music theory?  We would love to help you gain these skills!  If you wish, you can then participate in the COZYMO Learning Group (Continuing) and progress to being a part of the COZMO ensemble.  Contact COZMO to find out if the COZYMO Learning Group (Beginning) might be just the thing to help you get started on your musical adventure!   We meet weekly for a one Semester-length program of learning/playing sessions during school term time.  Contact COZMO now to book your place.  Click here for fees.

The value of the Learning Groups:

Mandolin orchestras in Australia e.g. WAMO (West Australian Mandolin Orchestra) in recent years, and overseas for many years, have established learning and training groups to assist newer players work towards entry into the main orchestra.  This ‘two-tier’ strategy has proven to be of great benefit not only to the training group members but also to the main orchestras, who grow with the addition of ‘graduating’ training group members bringing good instrumental and ensemble skills with them, acquired in the training group.

It’s never too late to learn!

More than a decade ago, WAMO embarked on a program to encourage beginners to take up the mandolin or guitar, with the aim of joining the orchestra down the track.  Within 18 months they had a number of mature-age beginners ready to join the orchestra.  In August 2012, COZMO introduced its Learning Groups program to encourage beginners to start and others to continue to play the mandolin or guitar (or mandola or mandocello, if interested).  A number of Learning Group graduates are now members of the COZMO ensemble!

Since starting in the WAYMO and COZYMO programs, players have been learning from music teachers and ensemble players and have been practising performance in a small training ensemble.  As new ensemble members, the instrumental and performance skills gained and the new challenges of playing in an orchestra, will ensure their further progress and playing enjoyment.   So, regardless of your age or lack of previous experience, it is never too late to learn.