Dear Parents,

Amherst SAU 39 will be launching a musical string program this year. Parental interest,

encouragement from the teaching staff, and support by the School Board and Superintendent

Peter Warburton all contributed to this decision that will enrich the curriculum of our school

system.

All students in grades 3-12 will be afforded the opportunity to learn violin. Depending on level of

interest, the high school program will be expanded to other string instruments like viola and cello,

filling string ensembles. With continued support and enthusiasm from the community, we envision

the program will expand to a full orchestra at the high school level!

Third and fourth graders can take group classes in the Wilkins School and MVVS, middle schoolers

at AMS and MVVS, and high school students at SHS. The 3rd and 4th grades will take classes just

before the start of school twice a week. The middle and high school classes will be held at the end

of the school day, one time per week. The exact day and times will be forthcoming.

Parents will not be required to pay for the group instruction, but will need to provide a few music

books and a rental instrument. We will be working towards minimizing these costs. Please contact

your school’s principal if you have financial restraints but still would like your child to participate.

Johnson’s String Instrument will be providing the rental instruments. Johnson’s provides excellent

customer service and the highest quality student instruments sized to your child’s needs. I don’t

recommend buying an instrument off the internet without first consulting with myself or another

music teacher.

I am very excited to help get this Amherst Strings Program off the ground. Please feel free to call your school principal or myself if you have any questions or concerns. 603-582-5211 or jshimagirl5@aol.com

STRINGS PROGRAMSTRINGS PROGRAM

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AMHERST SAU 39

WHY STRINGS YOU ASK?

IMPROVED ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT:Research shows substantial benefit to students who participate in a music program. “Music students outperform non–music students on achievement tests in reading and math. Because of their study of music, their skills are better at reading, anticipating, memory, listening, forecasting, recall and concentration... Footnote (B. Friedman “An Evaluation of the Achievement of Reading and Arithmetic of Pupils in Elementary School Music Classes”)

Music students scored an average of 52 points higher on the verbal portion of the SAT scores and 37 points higher on the math portion. This difference increased with the number of years of music study involved. Those who studied four or more years had an average 101 point increase on their combined score. Footnote (Profiles of SAT & Achievement Test Talkers. The College Board - 1997)

EXPRESSION:String instruments provide a great ability of expression. It is because of this that the great composers chose mostly strings to carry the interpretive demands of their music. Strings compose the largest portion of the orchestra and hold great prominence in ensemble and chamber groups.

SOCIAL SKILLS:String players must be social. Prestige due to wealth, clothing or looks holds no importance. Skill in the instrument, hard work and ability to work with others is what counts. Teamwork is required, a lifelong skill important for children to learn.

PERSEVERANCE:Learning a string instrument requires perseverance, intelligence, sensitivity and dedication and fosters the growth of these qualities in our youth.

CULTURAL:You cannot learn to play a string instrument without learning about the world around you. The great composers come from all over the globe. Classical, fiddling, contemporary music will all be taught and music history and culture is a part of this education.

PHYSICAL:Development of a student’s coordination and ear training, sensitivity to pitch, rhythm, timbre, form, dynamics are all physical aspects and benefits of a learning strings. Students become more educated, better listeners.

LIFELONG OPPORTUNITIES:Opportunities for playing a stringed instrument after graduation from high school are abundant. Many colleges and universities offer scholarships for participation in orchestra, and there are professional orchestras, community orchestras, fiddle groups and ensembles in almost every city and town in the country. According to the American Symphony Orchestra League, opportunities exist for adult musicians in more than 1,500 orchestras in the U.S. Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and Albert Einstein all played stringed instruments.

Violinist, String Manager and President of the Nashua Chamber Orchestra, Jacqueline has been teaching violin for over 10 years. Jacqueline teaches out of her home studio in Amherst, NH, The Little Private Music School in Merrimack, NH and High Mowing School, Wilton, NH and Music and Arts in Manchester, NH. Trained in Tradition Method, Suzuki Method and Fiddle. Jacqueline has a Bachelor of Arts from SUNY Binghamton and trained at the Watertown Suzuki School Books 1-4 and is currently working towards her Masters at the Berklee College of Music. Besides her work with the Nashua Chamber Orchestra, Jacqueline worked as Co-Producer of the Amherst PTA and Manchester Community Theatre players. She has experience in performance and theatrical arts and has played in theatrical pit orchestras and in circus pit orchestras. Jackie currently studies with Narine Dolukhanyan, Beth Welty and Elliott Markow and is the 2015 recipient of NH Good Samaritan of the Arts Award.