Monday evenings are a busy time in the School of Music. The Big Red Marching Machine is typically rehearsing out on the practice field. Students enrolled in the Opera and Staged Production Workshop are practicing scenes and arias in Kemp Recital Hall. And on the third floor of Cook Hall, 100 students ages 8-13 are practicing their stringed instruments as part of the ISU String Project.
The award-winning ISU String Project has been operating on campus since 2001. Jenny Herrarte has been coming to Cook Hall on Monday nights since 2016. “I’ve had three kids in the program. My oldest son participated in String Project classes for five years. He is now a violist in the Bloomington Normal Youth Symphony. During Joaquin’s classes, his younger siblings sat in the back and colored, did their homework, and watched the class. Then they joined the program: Jiovani in 2018 and Jiada in 2021. String Project has been an incredible blessing to our family.”
The Rogal family has had five siblings participate in the program going as far back as 2015 when the oldest two children, Mamush and Sitota, were in third and fourth grade. Younger siblings Fekadu and Azaria joined the program in the following years, also choosing to play violin. This fall, the Rogal’s youngest, Reverie, surprised everyone by picking the cello. “The kids have learned from great student-teachers, made friends, and gained skills that help them in all aspects of life,” said parent Jenni Grigsby-Rogal. “We are very thankful to everyone dedicated to making this program successful and keeping it accessible for all families.”
String Project offers four levels of classes: a beginning class for third and fourth graders (Dolce), a second-year class (Allegro), an intermediate class (Vivace), and an auditioned intermediate class (Sinfonia). This year, there are students from 22 grade schools and nine middle schools participating in the program.
Based on a national model and loosely organized under the umbrella of the National String Project Consortium, String Projects serve a dual purpose in the community. The first goal is to provide low-cost group instruction to students in the community. The second goal is to provide hands-on teaching experience to college students who are studying to be string teachers. Shelby Fick is a violist and senior music education major. “I really like that I get to work on small-group and full-group instruction in String Project,” says Fick. “I get to interact with parents and families, learn what it’s like to do administrative tasks in teaching, and also build relationships and work with students as they grow to become the musicians and people that they are now.”
Fick is one of 20 Illinois State University string majors serving as teaching assistants in String Project this year. While most of the student teachers are undergraduate music education majors (freshmen through seniors), the program also provides practical teaching experience to graduate students who have come to Illinois State to study string pedagogy or string performance. International graduate student Chona Noble (Philippines) and Oluwagbenga Ajila (Nigeria) are both serving as first-year teaching assistants in the program this fall.
The undergraduate and graduate teaching assistants work closely together with string faculty Dr. Katherine Lewis, professor of viola and String Project master teacher and director; Dr. Cora Swenson Lee, instructional assistant professor of cello and String Project master teacher; and Dr. Benjamin de Kock, instruction assistant professor of bass and String Project master teacher.
“One of the best things about String Project, from my perspective as a professor, is watching our students and our teachers blossom each year,” Lee said. “I love seeing the bonds that develop between students and teachers, and how through those relationships each classroom becomes a community. String Project is such a warm and welcoming environment, and it’s a joy to be a part of it!”
Lewis added: “String Project has become a pillar for affordable and inclusive access for music in our community. Throughout my 18 years at ISU, I’ve seen generations of students and student teachers benefit from their experiences in String Project and hear from grateful alumni and families frequently thanking us for the unique experiences they had.”
Students and teachers have been meeting every Monday evening this semester in preparation for their winter concerts. The Sinfonia Class will perform music from A Charlie Brown’s Christmas at the Music for the Holidays Saturday matinee on December 2, at 3 p.m. in the Center for the Performing Arts (CPA) Concert Hall. Tickets are currently on sale at the CPA box office. On Saturday, December 9, at 11 a.m. all four String Project classes will present a Winter Concert, also in the Center for the Performing Arts Concert Hall. This free concert showcases the progress that students achieve from the beginning Dolce class to the advanced intermediate Sinfonia class. Finally, around 12 students representing all classes will be selected to perform on the String Project Honors Recital on January 27 at noon in Kemp Recital Hall. This recital provides an opportunity for current String Project students, alumni String Project students, and college teaching assistants to present solo works that they have polished in individual lessons.
The ISU String Project has provided wonderful instruction and an opportunity for students and teachers to learn together for over twenty years. Parent Janette Lee shared her gratitude for the program: “I was very excited to find out about String Project in 2018 when my oldest daughter was in fourth grade. Her younger sister joined soon after. Not only have they had the opportunity to perform some great pieces, but they have also made new friends along the way and connected with the wonderful String Project teachers.”
For more information visit the ISU String Project website.
