Intro to Violin (July)

DATE: 

JULY 22-26 (Monday - Friday)  -  10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

VENUE: Annex 301, Coupeville High School, 501 S Main St, Coupeville, WA 98239

AGE: 8-12

SCHOLARSHIPS: Please pick a scholarship option for what you can afford from the tickets below. If you need to apply for 50-100%, please refer to our scholarship page for more info.

Please contact Arianna at Coupeville School District for more details:  (262) 528-3774/ abumgarner@coupeville.k12.wa.us

Do you have a child who loves music and wants to explore the violin, but isn’t ready to dive into private lessons yet? This introductory music group class is for them! Led by the skilled educator Cynthia Albers, this exciting program is designed for beginners to discover the joy of playing the violin.

In this five-day camp, students will learn:

• First Steps with Strings: Learn the fundamentals of violin playing in a supportive and encouraging environment. Ms. Albers will guide them through proper posture, holding the instrument, and crafting their first beautiful sounds.
• Active Listening and Teamwork: Students will learn to watch, follow, and collaborate musically with other campers.
• Music Theory: Study music notation through interactive games.
• Basic Foundations for First-time Players: Learn the importance of good posture for playing and the proper care of a musical instrument.

Designed to provide a taste of violin mastery before committing to further studies, this course helps participants explore the instrument and acquire some skills and confidence. WILASC and Ms. Albers may offer follow-up group classes if there is enough interest, but students completing this course will be prepared to transition seamlessly into private studio lessons or next-step group classes, offered by Island Strings.

Acquiring a violin for the camp: 

Participants are responsible for acquiring (rent, buy, or borrow) an instrument in good working condition that fits the child. Violins come in fractional sizes! Please reach out to Ms. Albers for more information and guidance on finding the right instrument and for pre-enrollment questions. Contact Ms. Albers.

About the instructor 

Cynthia Albers opened her teaching studio to serve a broad range of students; from beginners seeking a strong foundation, to advanced players participating in youth symphony. Her detailed instruction, with a focus on healthy posture and position, addresses the needs of all levels of students, including older beginners studying a musical instrument for the first time. 

Ms. Albers has performed, toured, and recorded with the San Francisco-based Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra (PBO) and American Bach Soloists. She toured internationally for PBO as quartet manager and musician, performing across the People’s Republic of China, and throughout Western Europe as the centerpiece of cultural arts tours hosted by Viking River Cruises. She recorded with her orchestras at Skywalker Sound (LucasFilm) and performed several summer seasons with the Carmel Bach Festival Orchestra.

Her teaching appointments have included faculty positions at the Chicago Musical College, where she was a Special Lecturer in Violin. In Sonoma County, California, Ms. Albers developed a full string and ensemble program at the Sebastopol Charter School, a public Waldorf School. She also directed the Summerfield Waldorf High School orchestra. Traveling as a musician-facilitator for professionally guided whitewater rafting adventures, Ms. Albers enjoyed a decade of summers playing classical and folk music and improvising “water music” along the shores of the Rogue and Klamath rivers.

Ms. Albers holds a Master of Music degree from the Indiana University (Jacobs) School of Music. She lives in Coupeville, offers private instruction from her home studio, and leads the nonprofit educational program, Island Strings.

Island Strings (co-sponsor of this course) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating opportunities and access to stringed instrument education for Whidbey Island students of violin, viola, cello and double bass. https://islandstrings.org