Reflections on the VASTA Mid-Atlantic String Symposium and Birch Bay String Teachers Workshop

I returned to the East coast yesterday after a whirlwind week of teaching at professional development sessions for string teachers in preparation for the upcoming school year. My travels to Richmond VA and Bellingham WA were full of great interactions and lots of deep thought about string teaching and what we as string teachers aspire to bring to our students. I was honored to present at both of these workshops. 

First, I gave three sessions at the VASTA Mid-Atlantic String Symposium last saturday. This regional professional development conference drew approximately 50 attendees from around Virginia and neighboring states. The workshop this year included sessions on violin setup and associated equipment, reading sessions, a viola boot camp, and several other sessions. I presented on systems thinking and orchestra pedagogy, developing expressive ensembles, and functional improvisation. I was so impressed with the breadth of teachers that attended this conference. There were folks that are very early in their career all the way through veteran teachers like myself. 

After driving home from Richmond following a long but magnificent day of work, I jumped on a flight to Seattle on Sunday morning, rented a car, and made the 2-hour journey north to Bellingham WA. There, I was welcomed into the community of string educators from Washington and neighboring states at the Birch Bay String Teachers Workshop. This workshop has been held annually since 1959. It includes an exceptional community of friends and teachers with long-standing relationships. They clearly welcome new folks into the community with ease and regularity. This four day workshop includes an amazing amount of teacher orchestra reading sessions. I believe there were over 10 hours of music reading over the course of the four day workshop. In addition, there was a wonderful improvisation class held daily and a real commitment to instruction and advancement on secondary and tertiary instruments for all attendees. Other highlights included dinner every evening to debrief the days ideas, a beautiful picnic/ evening jam overlooking a sunset lit Birch Bay, and daily discussion groups on a variety of topics.  I was honored to be the featured clinician for this 4-day workshop and presented topics on systems thinking and orchestra pedagogy, the habit loop and applications to rehearsal strategy, carbon fiber bows, electric string instruments/applications to the classroom, and the concept of computational thinking and orchestra pedagogy. I was honored to have CodaBow International, NSDesign, Daddario, and Conn Selner all support this workshop along with many of my travel expenses. It certainly takes a village! 

There were common threads throughout both of these workshops that stood out to me: commitment to solid pedagogy, inclusion, wellness, respect, and healthy interaction.  The one aspect I want to stress today is how beautiful the community of friendships and relationships is for both of these workshops. I have believed for years that great music making and ensemble performance starts with great relationships among the people involved. This focus on relationships and collegiality was so strongly evident at both of these events, opening the door for successful learning and interaction. I was immediately welcomed into both communities and made to feel like an integral part. But, more importantly all of the attendees welcomed to each other and allowed all to live and learn in a very authentic manner throughout the events. I was so impressed with the spirit of both of these workshops. 

While I am really tired and ready to get some rest and recovery following a long couple of days, I come back filled up and excited about the future of our profession and my future as a string and teacher educator. The response to my ideas was so positive and I truly felt valued in the work I did to prepare for these conferences. I want to express my deepest thanks to the organizers of both of these events. This is been a great way to start my retirement and this new phase of my life.

Onward.

Peace.

Scott

Palmyra Bluegrass String Camp Reflections 1991-1993

This morning I am reflecting on a really important initiative of my early career, The Palmyra Bluegrass String Camp. I began teaching in Palmyra PA in early 1987 immediately after I graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in December 1986. I was charged with developing a string program in Palmyra schools and while there were a few string players scattered throughout the school district, there was plenty of room for growth and development in the district. I went to work at recruiting and teaching beginning string players starting in the third grade and had a very successful first year or two. During that time, I was thoughtful about seeking out professional development opportunities and making connections in Central Pennsylvania both as a string educator and as a performer on my violin. 

Sometime in 1989 or 1990, Windham Hill Artists, the Modern Mandolin Quartet came to Palmyra to perform as part of the Authors and Artists Series and I was really taken with the sound of the mandolins and the virtuosity of the members of the group. They were invited to come back the following year and do a residency with my orchestra students and we all spent about a week together. That residency is chronicled at this link. As a result of that residency and particularly hearing Mike Marshall play bluegrass licks during the week, I hatched an idea to begin a summer day camp that would be focused on teaching my traditional string students principles and styles of bluegrass music. I sought approval from the school district and, after a few meetings, was given the green light to start the camp. 

Throughout the spring of 1991 I spent a great deal of time planning the camp. This included finding a group of bluegrass professionals that would serve as the faculty. I very quickly found a local banjo player, Nev Jackson, who grabbed on to the idea and was an enthusiastic partner right from the beginning. Nev recommended mandolinist Henry Koretsky and fiddler Ken Gehret as other potential faculty members. Everyone agreed when invited and I knew that we were going to be ready to go. My role in the camp was to administrate everything and serve as the string education liaison. I would be the conduit between the bluegrass professionals and the string students. The camp was open to all string students in the school district and their ages ranged from 5th grade all the way to high school seniors. 

The first year, we had strong enrollment. I don't remember the exact numbers but we definitely had enough to constitute a “critical mass.” As part of the camp we taught basic beginning fiddle tunes. Songs like Boil the Cabbage Down, Old Joe Clark, Soldier’s Joy, Sailor's Hornpipe, and other bluegrass standards. We made all bluegrass instruments available to every student. Some students chose to remain on their major instrument, primarily violinists. But we also taught students to play mandolin, banjo, guitar, and bass, regardless of their traditional string background. Obviously, violists and cellists were most inclined to try new instruments as part of the experience. This would definitely have fallen into the category of experiential learning. Our students were working each day individually and in small ensembles to learn how to not only play the tunes, but also how to interact in a bluegrass band. 

Mark O'Connor signing autographs at the Q & A (Summer 1991)

 Another exciting element of that first year was bringing in a guest artist to perform a concert and Q&A session. That first year, we were excited to book Mark O'Connor to come and give a solo concert on violin, mandolin, and guitar. The concert on Wednesday night of the camp was absolutely virtuosic and stunning. And, the Q&A session the following day was inspirational. While Mark was already a well-known name in the bluegrass community, he was still a relatively unknown force in our community in Central PA. Everyone was stunned by his virtuosity and technique, including myself. (Mark went on to found one of the most successful fiddle camps in history which debuted in 1994.) I was also thrilled to get to spend quite a bit of personal time with Mark that week. Following his concert, I remember taking him out for dinner and then sitting in my car talking about life and music till almost 3:00 a.m. It was a really formative conversation for me.

All in all, that first year was a tremendous success and I felt like my students gained so much as musicians from the experience. Not only did they have their hands on their instruments for an extra week in the summer, but they also learned a new style and even some beginning improvisation. Many of them learned a second instrument as well. This was an all-around success. 

We began almost immediately planning for a second summer. For the second year, we used basically the same model, but everything was just a little bit bigger. We had more students the second year and opened up the camp to community members. Interestingly, the local Mennonite community in Central Pennsylvania got excited about the camp and we had several attendees that year from their community. It was really exciting to bring these folks in to interact with our students. I loved the exchange of culture and ideas that occurred as a result. We kept the same staff for the second year and added my sister, Stephanie Everett as another string education liaison. Her experience, playing technique, and perspective proved to be invaluable in the summer of 1992. Our guest artist that year was Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver. They provided a very different experience than the Mark O’Connor performance the prior year. But it was no less impactful. They brought a much more traditional bluegrass sensibility to the stage and also wowed the audience with their virtuosity.  By the second summer, the camp was really rolling and folks in the Palmyra community grew to know our camp as a powerful force in music education that would happen each summer. 

Sometime late in the school year, I received an offer to become the Orchestra Director at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, MD, outside of Washington DC and accepted the opportunity. We went ahead and ran the camp during my last summer living in Palmyra. Again, it was super successful and lots of students gained a great deal as part of this music education experience. I remember many bittersweet goodbyes at the end of camp that year.

 After camp that summer I moved to Bowie, MD in the DC suburbs and decided I would keep running the camp for at least one more year, planning from a distance and heading back to Palmyra the next summer for the camp itself. I booked the Nashville Bluegrass Band as our guest artist for the summer of 1993. The 3rd year went off without a hitch, but I knew it was time to turn my full attention to my new school and community in Maryland.

I left the camp in the able hands of Nev Jackson to keep things going after I left. My knowledge of the camp after moving away from Palmyra is a little bit murky. (I will amend this document if folks share reflections and update to be as accurate as possible.) I do know that the camp went on for a few more years after I left and there are literally hundreds of string students who were impacted for the rest of their lives by the experience. 

I know that I gained so much as a teacher from the entire experience of the Palmyra Bluegrass String Camp. I learned about collaborating with performers, engaging students with ideas that are new to them, and administrative and organizational skills. You must remember that personal computers were still in their infancy in the early 90s and while I had a primitive database and word processing, I didn't have nearly the organizational tools in my PC that we have today. I remember renting a small retail space on the first floor of the Main Street house I lived in. I had music and papers spread all over the floor as I tried to organize the camp for each upcoming summer. It was a huge undertaking. But, it is certainly one that I will never regret. 

If you have reflections of the Palmyra Bluegrass String Camp you would like to share, please leave them in the comments or message me directly. I would be glad to add your reflections to this post.

Finding Your "Hook:" Enrichments in the String Classroom

Back in 1986, I was preparing to begin my student teaching experience as a rising senior at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. IUP was known as a magnificent music education school and I had taking advantage of every opportunity during my undergraduate years to set myself up for a successful teaching career. Sometime in the spring of '86, the Williamsport High School Orchestra was on tour and played a concert on the IUP campus. I went to the performance and was absolutely blown away with their numbers, musicianship and the exciting nature of the concert. I had never seen a school high school orchestra that was anything like this group. They played with enthusiasm and mastery. And, their conductor, Walter Straiton was really dynamic on stage. He had the kids in the palm of his hand and they were clearly making art. Following the concert I saw the bus loading up to head back to Williamsport. I jumped on to the bus made eye contact with Mr. Straiton and enthusiastically declared, "I really want to work with you and am going to do everything I can to student teach at Williamsport." I jumped off the bus, the doors closed, and the bus pulled out of the parking lot. Later that day I went to the music department chair to see if student teaching at Williamsport might be a possibility. And, after some major wrangling, I was granted permission to do my student teaching experience with Walter Straiton in Williamsport. I believe I was the first student teacher from IUP to ever have that experience. In August of the same year, I received a call from Walt, telling me that he was going to a workshop in Madison Wisconsin on starting strolling strings groups. He told me he had a place for me on the trip and that I should be ready to go one week before my student teaching assignment was to begin. When the time came for the conference, arrangements were made for my family to take me to a meeting spot on Interstate 80 near Clarion PA and he would pick me up at the designated spot. We went to that workshop and I learned so very much. I had never heard of a school strolling strings group before and I was exposed to some of the real greats in the field at that time. The workshop was run by James "Red" McLeod and strolling strings pioneer, Stan Nosal of the Tremper Golden Strings. The Golden Strings were one of the first high school strolling strings group in the United States. Their inspiration came from the well-known Golden Strings that performed in the Flame Room at the Radisson Hotel in Minneapolis.  They were founded to provide interested and qualified students with an opportunity to study and perform a variety of lighter music, and to make available an entertainment-type string group that could accept invitations to perform for various civic functions as well as school performances throughout the year. 

During our extended car trip from Pennsylvania to Madison, Walt and I discussed how we would begin a brand new extracurricular strolling strings group at Williamsport High School in the fall while I was student teaching. Through the semester of my student teaching experience, Walt gave me the opportunity to be instrumental in the beginning of this program that would go on to become the Williamsport Millionaire Strolling Strings. I had the opportunity to be part of this pioneering group, develop student and parent buy-in to the idea, demonstrate concepts that would become very important to the organization, and have a ground level experience with starting a new enrichment in an already well-established school program. 

Additionally, throughout the rest of my student teaching experience, I watched with great interest as I saw Walt work with jazz and pop orchestra idioms in addition to the classical music repertoire that was part of the orchestra program. Walt had established himself as a expert musical director of student and professional pop and jazz orchestras over the years. I loved being part of these groups and soaked in every bit of his example. As my relationship with Walt deepened, he encouraged me to consider what kind of enrichment opportunities would be most appropriate for me as I started my career. Certainly, my experience with strolling strings could work. While I really loved the jazz and pop orchestra repertoire, to me that felt very personal to Walt and I wanted to be careful not to simply become a facsimile of Walt Straiton.  I knew in my heart that I needed to find ways to be myself in front of ensembles and developing a program. 

When I began teaching in Palmyra PA the following winter (1987), I knew my first responsibility was to develop a traditional program and stand on the fundamentals of string education. With that said, I always had my eyes open for potential enrichment opportunities to share with my students. The first major opportunity came as part of the Palmyra Authors and Artist Series, a concert and lecture series founded and administered by my colleague Mr. Jim Woland in the Palmyra schools. Jim was bringing interesting eclectic music and theater acts to our small little town east of Hershey. Some of the acts that I remember from my time in the late 80's include Shirley MacLaine, John Hartman, a young Turtle Island String Quartet, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, and many others. One of the acts that I thought was absolutely magnificent was the Modern Mandolin Quartet led by virtuoso mandolinist Mike Marshall. This group played classical style quartet repertoire on mandolins and they were absolutely stunning to witness live. Following their performance in Palmyra, Jim asked me if I would like to be part of a residency with the Mandolin Quartet the next year. Obviously I jumped at the chance. We spent the next year planning the week-long residency. They came back to Palmyra and spent a full week with me and my string program the following year and it was a resounding success. 

When the Mandolin Quartet played Copeland's Hoedown as one of their pieces they would routinely break into a bluegrass jam in the middle section. It was so exciting to me. I had really never been around bluegrass prior to this and I found the speed, rhythm, and groove of the music to be absolutely thrilling. This is when a particular idea came to me. Why not have a summer camp for my string students where we taught them the principles of bluegrass? Might this be the hook that I had been seeking? The following summer, I founded the Palmyra Bluegrass String Camp. I hired local bluegrass and string education professionals to be my staff. The staff included Nev Jackson on banjo, Ken Gehret on fiddle, Henry Koretsky on mandolin. I would serve as the Director and string education liaison. As part of that camp, Jim Woland suggested that we invite a hot young fiddle player to be a guest artist on and give a concert on one of the evenings. That guest artist was none other than Mark O'Connor who had just released the Grammy winning New Nashville Cats album. Mark came one evening and played a stunning solo concert toggling between fiddle, guitar, and mandolin, playing with extreme virtuosity on each instrument. The following day he gave a Q & A session which I really wish I had recorded. It was a stunning camp and a great experience for me and all of the students. I thought that this might be my enrichment hook moving forward. In fact, we held the camp again the following year. But, something kept nagging at me. It wasn't really my music. I was not and I'm still not a bluegrass fiddle player. I liked it, but did it really fit me and my personality? As things worked out, I ended up leaving that school district after the second summer of the camp in the summer of 1992. I believe the camp continued to operate for a few more years after my departure, but it was no longer mine. 

A few years later, mandolinist Mike Marshall introduced me to the world of electric violins. He gifted me my first electric violin and the second that instrument was in my hands, I was hooked. This was the coolest thing I had ever been part of and I was intoxicated by the sound and feel of the instrument. I knew almost immediately I had found something that would separate me from other string teachers in the early 1990s. I quickly dove into all things electric violin and began incorporating the instrument into traditional orchestra performances at my school. Eventually the school purchased a quintet of electric string instruments and we started the Eleanor Roosevelt High School Zeta String Ensemble. I was teaching my students all about the technology, effects processing, the use of MIDI and electric strings, and principles of acoustics through these instruments. We performed traditional string quartet repertoire on the electric instruments and also performed a variety of eclectic styles as part of the ensemble. We had opportunities to perform for Congressmen, at the Kennedy Center, for business leaders, and all around the greater Washington DC area. During this time I began to accept invitations to speak on Electric Instruments in the Traditional String Classroom at state and national music education conferences around the United States. I had definitely found and enrichment for my students that matched my sensibilities as a musician and teacher. And, the innovative topic put me "on the map" of string education in a major way.

So, what can a young teacher learn from this part of my career and story? I think the answer is multifold. First, everything starts with strong fundamentals. It really won't do you any good to have a hook or a major enrichment at your school until you really have a fundamentally sound string program moving forward. Like with everything, fundamentals matter. Secondly, I believe that many teachers try to do a little bit of everything and nothing gets done really well. I would caution against this. Be selective in the enrichments that you prioritize. Some folks are really drawn to improvisation, others to technology, still others too cultural styles. Any of these are great and provide and enrichment to traditional Western classical repertoire. But, one need not spread themselves too thin by doing everything all the time. While the bluegrass camp was a good trial for me, I knew pretty quickly that it wasn't where my head and musical heart truly existed. So, finally, when you find an enrichment that really speaks to you, go for it with abandon. I have learned that my enthusiasm for a musical opportunity typically will translate to students and they will want to be part of it as well.

Today at NCSSM, we have electric strings. We also have a quartet of mandolins.  These enrichments are always available to my students.  Some dive in head first. Others like them in smaller portions.  This weekend, a student who is in my audio production course is experimenting with electric cello direct recording.  Another is using an electric cello in the pit orchestra for The Adams Family Musical. And, we are preparing for a jazz orchestra concert in March.  The enrichment bug has never left me.  I encourage you to keep your eyes open for your "hook" in the string classroom. 

Cliff Cox Reflections

I was saddened recently to learn of the passing of a dear friend and colleague, Mr. Clifford Cox who was my teacher, friend, mentor, and supporter of my work for many many years. I first met Mr. Cox at age 12 when I attended the Edinboro University Summer Music Camp. He was the director of the camp and conductor of one of the orchestras I played in. I found out quickly that he and my father had been fraternity brothers and friends during their undergraduate years at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. As a young violinist, I loved playing under Mr. Cox. He was funny, smart and a wonderful musician. I continued attending Edinboro Music Camps through the rest of my junior high and high school years. Each summer, I would look forward to Mr. Cox's leadership and support when I would attend. 

During my high school years, Mr. Cox conducted several PMEA honor orchestras in which I performed. By this time, I was closely observing the conductors at these events. I was becoming aware of the characteristics I thought made a great conductor at and teacher at these festivals. In many ways, I wanted to become a conductor because of Mr. Cox. He always had the group right in the palm of his hand. His engaging personality and constant sense of humor made me want to perform while in his groups at my very best. I have often thought that he was the quintessential role model for the job of conducting honors orchestras. And, I decided as a high school senior that one of my primary goals in music education was to become a guest conductor of high school groups. This was largely due to the example of Clifford Cox. 

I went on to attend his Alma mater, Indiana University of Pennsylvania as a music education major focusing on violin. When I got out of school, I realized quickly that my goal of conducting would require more focus and schooling, which I continued to pursue.  I received my first offer to conduct an honors group by my second or third year of teaching. There must have been a small newspaper article published about that little elementary honors festival I conducted. I received a note of congratulations from Cliff on the opportunity and successes of the event. As I went on conduct other district and regional PMEA events in Pennsylvania, Cliff always had an eye on the news and would frequently drop me a note of congratulations. I realized during those years that I had a true supporter and mentor who was interested in my work, my successes, and my accomplishments. I respected him so very much and his attention really gave me they confidence to keep going. 

In the late 1990s, my parents bought a condominium in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I found out that Cliff had a beach home there as well. In the coming years, he and I met for coffee on a number of occasions to talk about music education, conducting, our lives and families, along with many other topics. We began making that transition to friends. 

A few years ago, a large box showed up on my doorstep. When I opened it, I found 20 or 25 amazing books on a variety of musical topics that were gifted to me from Cliff. I called him up and he told me that he was clearing out his office and thought that I would appreciate these various books. I read every one of them from cover to cover and a couple of them are still my favorite books in my library. 

In 2024 I was honored to conduct the Pennsylvania All State Orchestra in Erie and it meant so much to me to hear from him after the event. I had the opportunity to tell him that he had been one of my strongest conducting models. My success and opportunities were a direct result of the example that he provided for me.

Cliff and I exchanged emails as recently as November 2025. I was conducting a regional PMEA honors string orchestra in Pittsburgh and he reached out to wish me well with the event. He asked me what repertoire I was programming and we had a lovely exchange of emails. As always, he was affirming and supportive. I really hope he was proud of the role he had played in my career.

Mr. Clifford Cox will certainly be missed. His wonderful sense of humor, his sharp intellect, and his musical knowledge were a perfect example for me as a young musician. His affirming personality was a perfect support for me over the past 40 years. He example and legacy will certainly live on through my work and the work of others for many, many years to come. 

Fulfillment Model

Here is another post from several years ago. I just didn't want it to get lost. This was probably written around 2005.

Scott

Over the past several years, I have developed a “model” that I offer to students at appropriate times within a school year or program.   The idea is to share with them a concrete model of some of the guiding principles I hold dear, both in and away from the musical world.  After all, most of my students will not be heading off to music school or conservatory, but will soon be making the metamorphosis from adolescence to adulthood.  The college years are such treacherous crossroads with many obstacles along the way, and so it seems fitting that I give my students something they can draw on when the going gets tough or their ideals are called into question. Call it a model for success, a model for fulfillment, or simply a guideline that has worked well for me over the years.  I can’t say that I have held to it unfailingly, but when I sense that I am beginning to stray from its principles, I always do my best to consciously return to them.

The model for me has three basic precepts.  First, be passionate.  Find passion in your work, your music, and your life.  In fact, go beyond passion and find a mission.  Not just a job, not just a hobby, but a mission.  Now, that requires passion.  The people in my life who are successful and fulfilled are filled with passion and have a sense of mission in their work, in their play, and in their relationships.  Secondly, live with integrity. In this world there are people who play by the rules and people who cheat, folks who lie and folks who tell the truth, those who live in the dark and those who live in the light.  At the end of the day, I’d always rather be on the positive side of those statements.  How else could I ever get a good night’s sleep?  Again, this seems to be a solid rule among those whom I count as role models in my life.  Thirdly, maintain balance in your life.  And when the balance is out of sync, take concerted steps to fix it.  It seems to me that there are seasons in our lives when we need to focus more on one particular area.  But, we must also recognize the need to feed all the parts of our selves: our career, family life, musical soul, social life, spiritual life, and physical life.  I am sure there are others.  The trick is taking time to evaluate and act when one area of your life is in need of nourishment.  It is unfortunate that many in our society lose sight of this precept.   Recently, I have found that with three young boys, my family life has required more of a prominent place in my daily activities.  So I have taken action to make that happen.  Have I been totally successful?  Not yet, but I am trying.  I try to be sensitive to all areas of my life when there are so many activities and opportunities competing for my time and energy. 

Do I have all of the answers regarding living a successful and fulfilling life?  Certainly not.  It is an ongoing process of introspection and growth.  I do know that this burning question arises in each of us from time to time:  How do I find and maintain success in this career that seems to require so much time, commitment, and energy and still remain fulfilled in all the other areas of my life?  When these questions find their way into my thinking, my mind first goes to the areas of passion, integrity, and balance.  If any one of the three is out of kilter, I take conscious steps to correct the problem. And, with time and effort, success and fulfillment begin to come into greater focus.

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As musicians and music educators, technicians and artists, community leaders and members, we must continually seek and encourage passion, integrity, and balance, not only for ourselves, but also for those around us.  Look for more “in-depth” thoughts on Developing and Maintaining Passionate Ensembles, Ethics and Leadership in the Music Classroom, and Curricular Musical Balance to come over the next few months.  Until next time, I wish you much success and fulfillment in all of your musical endeavors.

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Residencies

This is a reprint from an article I wrote many years ago for the PMEA Journal.  It was pivotal in my young career and provided an early opportunity for me to share some of my ideas with the broader music education community.  I hope you enjoy a small window into my "young" outward thinking mind.

Residencies and Guest Artists as Enrichments to a School Music Ensemble Curriculum

Music teachers know that after a student hears them give the same instructions or advice time and time again, the point may begin to lose its meaning.  Even if Itzak Perlman or Wynton Marsailas were public school teachers, they too would become another familiar face to the students, and their words could become commonplace. One way of breathing life into a program is to host an occasional residency of a professional or semi-professional musician or group or to invite a guest artist to perform with or to conduct an ensemble.  When a student hears a concept they may have been hearing for years from someone new, it often has more of an impact on the student. A resident or guest artist can range from a past graduate of your program that is studying music in college, to a local chamber group, to an artist of national reputation.  A residency can last from one day to a week or more.  This is all secondary to the idea of having a new face in the classroom and exposing the students to different musicians, rehearsal styles and approaches to music. Over the past 20 years, I have been fortunate to have hosted numerous residencies of a variety of scopes and scales.  The guest instructors or “residents” have ranged from performers to composers, nationally recognized names to local musicians, classical musicians to folk musicians, and from two weeks in length to just a day or two.  Over the years, I also have served as the organizing teacher and sponsor as well as the musician and teacher in residence.  So, my perspective on this subject is pretty broad.  This spring, I am preparing to host yet another residency that will be detailed later in this article.

PALMYRA RESIDENCY

Early in my career, I hosted a week-long residency of Windom Hill recording artists, The Modern Mandolin Quartet in the Palmyra, PA, School District.  The tremendously successful residency left the student motivated and anxious to continue their training.  In addition, it served as an exciting and enlightening experience for the four mandolinists who had never been in a public school before. The residency was the idea of Jim Woland, a local arts promoter, and was sponsored by The Authors and Artists Series  that had a home in Palmyra School District for several years.  Woland, director of the series, booked the group to play at the high school and thought a return concert in conjunction with a residency would be a tremendous educational opportunity for the string students in the district.  He then approached me, the district-wide string teacher, to organize the week of interaction with the students. Palmyra School District houses approximately 1,700 students.  It is primarily a bed-room community just east of Hershey, PA.  The string program includes approximately 100 elementary students and 100 secondary students.  The residency exposed the maximum number of students to the guest artists within the week and focused a majority of time on the secondary schools.  The elementary students, however, were included on a more limited basis.

CATALYST TO SUCCESS The week began with a Modern Mandolin Quartet Concert on Saturday evening.  The group played to a full house in the Palmyra High School Auditorium.  The group consisted of four virtuoso mandolinists that play primarily classical quartet music.  The group included:  Mike Marshall and Dana Rath, mandolin; Paul Binkley, mandola; and John Immoltz, mandocello.  Marshall’s reputation spans the world as a top bluegrass mandolinist.  The group, which wrote most of their own arrangements, mystified the audience for two hours and played several encores. The group and organizers met over dinner on Sunday evening to talk through the week.  This gave everyone time to get to know each other before the work began.  It also made the group feel more at ease because they were nervous about teaching.  They planned to work toward a concert on Friday evening after the residency was over featuring the Middle School and High School Orchestras along with the Quartet. The week, which was schedule tightly, included three general elementary school assemblies where the group played for and explained mandolins and chamber music to the students.  They also held a one-hour session with each of the three elementary schools’ string orchestras where the string students received “hands-on” instruction on mandolins, mandolas and mandocellos.  The Quartet participated in five one-hour sessions with the high school orchestra (two sectional and three full rehearsals).  The middle school string orchestra received five hours of rehearsal time as well.  In addition, the group spent about an hour rehearsing the 1st Mvt. of Vivaldi’s A minor Concerto with nine of the top violin students.  (The Quartet played the accompaniment.) The week came to an exciting conclusion at the Friday night concert.  Playing to a crowd of approximately 500, the Quartet began with a half hour set of their own music. Next, all of the students found their seats on stage and the student portion of the concert began.  The groups played everything from Bruce Chases’ Blue Ridge Boogie to Bach’s Brandenburg Concert #3.  The High School Orchestra joined in the Quartet’s arrangement of Copeland’s Hoedown which was highlighted by a blazing bluegrass “jam” in the middle.  Sixth grade student Joe Miller got the thrill of his life when he played Cripple Creek on the banjo with The Quartet backing him up.  Even I got into the act by performing Monti’s Czardas on violin with the group.  The concert concluded with everyone playing Sandra Dackow’s arrangement of Finale from Overture to William Tell by Rossini.

KEYS TO THE SUCCESS OF A RESIDENCY

While Palmyra’s residency featured a group of national reputation, this is not a prerequisite for a successful residency.  The cost of the group in residence can range from several thousand dollars to the price of the resident’s lunch.  The most important element is to promote interaction between the students and the musicians other than their teacher.  This gives students the opportunity to meet new people and this can pay dividends to your program for years to come. There exits, however, several other keys to making your residency successful.  First, your resident must possess strong overall musicianship.  It is not critical that they have teaching experience, (you can fill in the gaps in this area) but, if they don’t play well, the student will not respect them.  Next, your time must be organized carefully.  Maximize the potential of your resident and don’t waste time.  If your resident’s strength is improvising, center the time spent on improvising.  If the strength is group dynamics, center the time around group work.  One should remember that most residents are not sued to the rigors of the average music teacher’s schedule.  Over scheduling can also be a hazard.  Also, make time for sectionals or small groups so the students get to know the resident more personally than they would in an ensemble setting. The success of your residence also hinges on the enthusiasm of your guest.  A resident should be willing to work with all levels of ability.  A resident’s enthusiasm will ignite your students’ enthusiasm and more often than not, the students’ new spark will, in turn, excite the resident.  This can create a perpetual circle of enthusiasm that is quite contagious. It should be noted this connection between resident and student will not happen instantly.  Depending on the age level, it may be fast, or it could take two or three sessions.  Elementary students warm-up to new people quickly.  High School students follow as a close second.  Middle school students may take a bit longer to become comfortable with a new personality. When planning your residency, design the guest’s time with the younger students for motivation.  On the other hand, the time with the older students may serve the dual purpose of motivation and preparation for a performance.  Younger students may find the pressure of a performance after such a short preparation time to be uncomfortable.  Older students, on the other hand, often take a task more seriously when a performance is impending. If you don’t already know your resident personally, take time to do so.  Use your resident’s ideas and personality to your advantage and enjoy the company.  Also, your students will perceive a friendship growing between you and your guest and, in turn, react favorably. Schedule your residency at a time of year when little else is pressing. Palmyra’s residency was in mid-January. It is important to choose a time when there are few other distractions for you or your students because you will all be quite busy.

REPRISE

This spring, I am pleased to have invited Mike Marshall to my current school to reprise our residency success from several years ago.  This year, the North Carolina School of Science and Math received a grant from the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation to host a “Fine Arts Weekend” at our school.  Mike immediately came to mind when faced with the decision of whom to invite.  I contacted him, through his agent, and put the wheels in motion.  This residency will consist of two days of rehearsal with the school’s orchestra and jazz rhythm section, a Saturday night concert that will include a performance of Mike’s first mandolin concerto, some Brazilian jazz tunes with our rhythm section, and some solo work from Marshall, and a Sunday morning “Bluegrass Brunch,” where local bluegrass musicians can come and jam with him in an open and relaxed forum.  All of the events will be free of charge, and the entire community is looking forward to this exciting event.

CONCLUSION

A residency can be an excellent break in the normal routine of a music program.  The resident need not be of national reputation.  A local soloist, college student home on break, or local college professor are al possibilities.  The residency can last from one class period to over a week.  The idea of hearing a new voice give similar suggestions in a different way is the important factor, in addition, exposing your outstanding students to working musicians other than yourself may inspire them to continue in their music education.  Overall, any effort put into organizing a residency will be a catalyst to the success of your program. 

Until next time, I wish you success as you plan your next event designed to motivate and enlighten your students.  It just might be a good time to plan a residency at your school!

Scott D. Laird Instructor of Music North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics Durham, NC

Educational Specialist D’Addario Bowed Strings

It's Not What You Do. It's What You Do Next.

Back in October, my Orchestra at NCSSM was scheduled to perform Haydn's Symphony 104 (London) in our first official concert of the 2025-2026 academic year. Preparations for this concert had been really smooth. The strings had embraced the challenge of the classical style and technical roadblocks. The wind section had been diligent in matching the style of the string section throughout rehearsals. I was excited to perform this Symphony as part of an open house at our school where we would be in front of a large group of prospective students. 

We had a 2-hour rehearsal on Tuesday of the week before the performance. We would also have 2 hours on Thursday night. Then, we would give the concert Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m. In those rehearsals, we had wind section for only 30 to 45 minutes. Our Tuesday rehearsal started off great. We rehearsed the two string pieces that we  used as an opener and closer with the Symphony sandwiched between. We opened with Acadian Solstice by my friend Perry Holbrook. Then, as a sort of encore, we will performed Tchaikovsky's February: Carnival arranged by Steven Brook 

The review of the string pieces went great at the beginning of rehearsal and then we began our run through of the Symphony; first with strings, and then with the wind section later in rehearsal. As we began running the Symphony, it was apparent to me that our two biggest hurdles moving into the concert would be maintaining a steady tempo and continuing to focus on bow placement, particularly on the moving eighth note passages. As always, students must focus on moving towards the lower half of the bow at all times when performing Haydn, Mozart, and their contemporaries. I have always believed that if the bow placement is accurate and uniform, the style really speaks. This had been a major topic of conversation and rehearsal focus over the past 8 weeks or so. 

Working with the strings alone went well enough, with a few reminders here and there. The winds arrived just about the time we were ready to start the fourth movement. So, I thought it would be appropriate to begin with that movement and then go back to the beginning and run as much of the piece we could in the remaining time of rehearsal. 

After some work, a couple of odd things happened that threw me off my game. First, by the end of an evening rehearsal from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., my students always start to lose their concentration a bit towards the end. So, that is a given and I must admit that I was getting tired as well. Then a couple of little things happened. One student pulled out their phone to glance at it and I lightly reprimanded him.

Not a big deal.  

A couple of other students were talking during an important set of instructions and I needed to say a word to them.  

Again, not really a big issue. 

Then, a violinist told me they were not feeling well and needed to leave rehearsal. 

"Okay, go take care of yourself." 

Next another leader in the class broke an E string. Okay I can deal with this. 

I try to keep going. All of this is while I'm still conducting. Next, a student moved seats in the middle of a movement and I was very caught off guard and asked them to move back to their own seat. I am sure that my tone of voice was somewhat harsh. But, I really had no idea what was going on. And, at this point, I was just trying to get to the end of rehearsal. 

There were so many moving parts in a very compressed amount of time. We finished the movement, I said a few words of encouragement at the end of class, dismissed the students, and was ready to move on. 

Immediately after class there were easily 8 to 10 students who needed to see me about individual concerns or questions. I dealt with each of them and was ready to start packing up my stuff for the night. This point it became apparent to me that that student who had switched chairs was very upset. I had unwittingly struck a nerve with my admonition for moving seats. I felt horrible and immediately apologized for upsetting them. They told me that they were simply moving to help the person in front of them turn pages since they had lost their stand partner and he had lost a stand partner as well in the midst of the sickness and broken E string. They were trying to do the right thing in the situation.  Of course, I did not know that while we were playing the piece and I was certainly not expecting players to move from seat to seat at that moment. 

Obviously I apologized for my somewhat harsh reaction and tried to make things right with the student. But, I was still thinking about it the following morning. Which brings me to my thought this morning:

Sometimes we just know that we could have done things better. 

I know that I could have done things better that night. The next day was a little bit rough because it was really on my mind. I am thinking quite a bit about the quote from Charles Swindoll that basically says life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. That night, my reaction in the last 20 minutes of rehearsal probably should have been quite different. But, it was concert week and whether I want to admit it or not, I had some anxieties about the performance. I always want our performances to go well, more for the students than for me. But, I am sure there's some ego involved as well. I really wish I could have the last 20 or 30 minutes of rehearsal that night back and do it over. 

I have strong recollections of an orchestra I was part of back in the 1980s. I am certain that the conductor of that orchestra got flustered on many occasions for reasons that probably were overblown in his own mind. But that feeling that we are losing control from the podium is so palpable. 

I wonder if any of you have experienced that before. It doesn't happen to me very often after 40 years in the profession. But it certainly did that night. So many things happened in a very short period of time that I just snapped. 

I'm reminded of another important phrase that sticks in my head. My youngest son played a lot of baseball from Little League all the way through college. He had a travel ball coach that used to always remind the players that it's not what you do it's what you do next. And that's how I felt the day after the rehearsal. I can't get that rehearsal back. So all I have is what is next. That is, how I approached rehearsal the following night. Did I approach it with the joy and lightness that I usually try to promote in my rehearsals? Or, did I approach it with a sense of anxiety and stress. Certainly, the plan was the former. Obviously, it was my responsibility to say a word about it at the beginning of rehearsal and then move us right into the mindset that I want to have very quickly on Thursday.

In the end, the Thursday rehearsal came and went in the best fashion.  It was light, musical, and full of smiles and anticipation of the upcoming concert.  The Saturday performance was a huge success and everyone walked away with a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction of a job well done. The audience was standing room only and the ovation following the performance was raucous. 

In the end, this was a good reminder that I can always still grow and be reflective.  If this has ever happened to you, do not despair.  

And, always remember, "Its not what you do. It's what you do next."

Peace.