Camerata Strings Program
Welcome, Li Lao!
We are pleased to announce that the violin portion of the Camerata Strings Program will begin with the 2017-2018 academic year. Our new violin teacher, Li Lao, is an exceptional violinist and a talented and experienced teacher of violin. She holds bachelor and master of music degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music, where she studied violin with Donald Weilerstein and viola with Kim Kashkashian. Ms. Lao has performed nationally and internationally, including solo performances with major symphonies. Ms. Lao maintains a teaching studio of individual students and has taught workshops and master classes at WuHan Conservatory in China, Northeastern University, New England Conservatory, Bucknell University, the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, and the Queen Reina Sofia Conservatory in Madrid. |
Welcome, Woodstock Students!
Students in grades 2-6 at Prosper Valley School and Woodstock Elementary School in Woodstock, VT, will be able to participate in the Camerata Strings Program this fall. This partnership was warmly welcomed by teachers, administrators, parents, and students alike. We were beyond thrilled to receive two impressive grants to fund the entire first year of the program! Students will be able to begin studying cello and violin when they return to school this fall! |
The Camerata Strings Program for elementary and middle school students is offered in partnership with the Lebanon School District (SAU 88). Participants are taught by experienced and talented string teachers, have access to string instruments (with required accessories), and printed musical scores.
With the full support of the faculty, administration, and school board, students from Mount Lebanon Elementary School, Hanover Street School, and Lebanon Middle School learn cello together, while some of the first students in the program are now continuing their cello studies in high school. The program has also garnered positive attention in the community, including articles in the Valley News and financial support from individuals and organizations.
Thanks to this partnership, these 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.
The cello program, led by Linda Galvan, is highly successful. Students not only learn how to elicit sounds from their instruments, they also learn to read music and elements of music theory. This year, Ms. Galvan is building on the initial program by inviting her advanced cello students to work with the students in the Camerata Strings Program. Violins will soon be added to the program so even more students will be receiving the benefits of studying string instruments and classical chamber music.
With the full support of the faculty, administration, and school board, students from Mount Lebanon Elementary School, Hanover Street School, and Lebanon Middle School learn cello together, while some of the first students in the program are now continuing their cello studies in high school. The program has also garnered positive attention in the community, including articles in the Valley News and financial support from individuals and organizations.
Thanks to this partnership, these 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.
The cello program, led by Linda Galvan, is highly successful. Students not only learn how to elicit sounds from their instruments, they also learn to read music and elements of music theory. This year, Ms. Galvan is building on the initial program by inviting her advanced cello students to work with the students in the Camerata Strings Program. Violins will soon be added to the program so even more students will be receiving the benefits of studying string instruments and classical chamber music.
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.
