Welcome to StringsAttached!

At StringsAttached we love strings! We always want our strings to be attached: to fine tuners, to pegs, across bridges, against bows, and most importantly, TO STUDENTS!

Our students enter our orchestra classrooms with their strings attached to all kinds of stuff, some good, some bad. We as teachers also enter the classroom with strings attached: to expectations, experiences, baggage, obstacles, challenges, hopes, and aspirations.

As a NYC educator, I personally know of four strings programs that were flourishing 5 years ago and are now completely gone. It is our goal to spark revitalization in programs like these, energize strings teachers, and advance string orchestra education programs everywhere.

For the few orchestra teachers who have the privilege of teaching in urban schools, this blog is for you! We aim to share best practices, ask questions, and spark personal and professional growth specifically for teachers in our setting. We often face systemic, unjust, and unfair challenges within our city schools, and yet our students still deserve the highest quality music education we can give them. Just remember, if you can make it here, you'll make it anywhere!

So, what are our strings attached to? Here are a few topics we expect to explore within the context of the Strings Classroom:

• Engaging Students in Learning

• String Pedagogy

• Social-Emotional Learning

• Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

• Authentic Assessments

• Well-rounded Musicianship

• Instrument-Specific Technique

• Supporting Music Teachers

• Utilizing Technology

• Research & Data

We look forward to sharing our strings with you! Thanks for joining us!