School Administrators and Guidance Counselors

If you have students in your school who want to pursue a career in string teaching, here are some guidelines to help them be prepared to major in music education in college.

1. Encourage students to study privately on their primary instrument. The performance skills needed for a college audition require more specialized training than can be achieved in the school orchestra class alone. If such programs are not available through the school, students should be encouraged to find a private teacher in the community. The string teacher at your school can help recommend a qualified person. If you do not have a program in your school, contact the School of Music at the nearest university and ask for recommendations. Students need a basic knowledge of advanced positions and vibrato, as well as a basic concept of tone production and intonation. Other factors such as attitude, enthusiasm, commitment and discipline greatly affect the ability to achieve. Prospective colleges/universities consider not only where a student is now, but what they feel that student can achieve in the future.
2. Students should enroll in a music theory class if it is available at your school. If your school doesn’t offer such a class, students should ask their private teacher to help them or enroll in a class at a summer camp. They need to know how to read both treble and bass clefs, as well as have an understanding of key signatures, major/minor scales, meter signatures, intervals, and know how to write basic notation.
3. Keyboard skills are essential for every musician as it facilitates musical understanding and competency. If you have a piano lab at your school, students should be enrolled in this class, unless they are already studying with a private piano teacher.