Da Capo

Da Capo offers intermediate woodwind & brass players an ensemble enrichment opportunity in a fun & encouraging environment. During each session, musicians will prepare concert repertoire specific to winds and brass, culminating in a performance for friends and family in Elley-Long Music Center!

Da Capo is intended for students in grades 6–9 who have at least 1 year of experience on their instrument. Sessions are 7 weeks long and take place twice per year.

General Information

Conductor: Ally Tarwater
Manager: Art DeQuasie
Tuition: $175, financial aid is available
Rehearsals: Sundays, 12:30 pm–2:30 pm at Elley-Long Music Center at St. Michael’s College

Da Capo Fall 2025 rehearsals are on the following Sundays:

September 14, 21, 28

October 5, 12, 26 (No Rehearsal October 19) 

November 2 (Concert: 1:30pm)

Attendance Policy: Da Capo students are allowed one rehearsal absence for the Fall session. An additional absence may result in the student  not performing in the concert.

Skill expectations: Students should be able to play in keys with up to 2 sharps or 2 flats, and be comfortable reading rhythms that include sixteenth, eighth, quarter, half, and whole notes and their equivalent rests, including dotted rhythms. No audition is required for participation, simply register using the link below.

Meet Our New Conductor!

Ally Tarwater     

Ally Tarwater (she/her), a native of East Tennessee, has spent her years of classroom experience and time as a private flute instructor cultivating her enthusiasm for music education. She earned both a Bachelor and Master of Music in Music Education from the University of Tennessee. During her time in Tennessee, Ally built a thriving flute studio, coached flute ensembles, and performed extensively in the region.

In 2012, Ally and her husband decided to transplant their pets and instruments to Machipongo, Virginia where Ally continued to grow, teaching Pre-K through 12th grade music, choir, band, music theory, theatre, and, unexpectedly, geometry, at Broadwater Academy. In 2020, Ally and her husband once more set out on an adventure and put down roots in Montpelier, Vermont where Ally now teaches concert band, jazz ensemble, orchestra, and popular music at Montpelier High School and orchestra at Main Street Middle School. In addition to her teaching, she is an active performer with the Vermont Philharmonic, Montpelier Chamber Orchestra, Vermont Fiddle Orchestra, Vermont Symphonic Winds, Pipe Dreams Flute Ensemble, and her bands Rootbound and Fair Sparrow.

As an educator, Ally prioritizes creativity and flexibility, encouraging her students to think beyond the page and to make kind, supportive connections with each other. Ultimately, Ally strives to foster a lifelong love of music in her students as they discover the joy it adds to their lives. When she is not teaching or performing, Ally devotes her time to knitting, sewing, painting, biking, swimming, and obsessing over the state of her many houseplants.