Camerata Strings Program

The Camerata Strings Program for elementary and middle school students is offered in partnership with the Lebanon School District (SAU 88) in New Hampshire. Participants are taught by experienced and talented string teachers, have access to string instruments (with required accessories), and printed musical scores. The program has garnered positive attention in the community, including articles in the Valley News and financial support from individuals and organizations.

Thanks to these partnerships, CSP students are developing the benefits that come with studying classical music while building the interpersonal skills and community relationships that will serve them well as adults.

Led by CSP Director Linda Galvan, the program is highly successful. Teachers Joe Jewett (violin) and Anna Brown (cello) make sure that students not only learn how to elicit sounds from their instruments, they also learn to read music and elements of music theory.

Music has a demonstrated positive effect on the mind and the spirit, and classical music provides a level of complexity and challenge that enhances those effects. Research conducted over the last 40 years continues to show a positive correlation between arts education and improved academic achievement. Learning to play a musical instrument correlates with greater brain plasticity for a lifetime, while playing in an ensemble builds the teamwork skills that are essential for success in almost every career. Recent studies show that students who participate in music programs score higher on standardized tests than those who do not, show greater overall academic achievement in math, science, language, and reading, and are less likely to become involved with alcohol or drug abuse.

What Do the Kids Think?
What could be more meaningful than hearing directly from a student about what the Camerata Strings Program means to him?

Thank You!
CSP-Lebanon is grateful for the support of Mascoma Bank