Strings in Schools to Celebrate 10th Anniversary with Concert at UA

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Strings in Schools will celebrate its 10^th anniversary with a concert Monday, Dec. 7, at Moody Music Building on The University of Alabama campus.

The anniversary concert, which is free and open to the public, begins at 7:30 p.m.

The milestone mark for the program reflects tremendous growth of what began as a grassroots funding effort that featured 18 students in its first year. Close to 315 students, from middle school to high school, are currently members of Strings in School, marking the first time the program has crossed the 300-member mark.

“I was so discouraged that first year,” said Dr. Anne Witt, UA instructor of music education in the College of Arts and Sciences and founder of Strings in Schools. “The second year, we had 28 students … I was even more discouraged.

“It seemed to be growing so slowly, despite our best recruiting efforts. Then, finally, when we got to 80 students, those 80 had neighbors, brothers and sisters, friends, who noticed, and then we really started to grow.

“It’s just wonderful to see what it’s become.”

Strings in Schools students are in grades six through 12 in Tuscaloosa City Schools. The program began in 2005 with beginner’s classes offered at all three middle schools and just one teacher.

A second teacher was added a year later, and two more were added in 2012. The district hired its fifth strings teacher in 2013. The increase in faculty has directly impacted instruction, both in lessening the workload for teachers and increasing the number of students the program can handle.

“The extra 100 students came when (TCS Superintendent) Dr. (Paul) McKendrick approved the hiring of the other teachers,” said Thomas Furlough, who is in his eighth year with Strings in Schools. “I don’t have to be at four schools in one day. Once we got back to one teacher for every two schools, the growth started moving forward again.”

The additional faculty has also created additional time to organize more concerts and educational trips for students, like a class from Westlawn Middle School that went to jazz, symphony and rock concerts in Memphis last year.

“We now have more concerts and higher-level music, and they’re participating in competitions, both out of state and in the state,” Witt said.

Furlough said many of his former students continue to play for fun, either individually or in a group. Some students have taken a more focused path in higher education, as six Strings in Schools graduates are currently studying music education, including two at UA: Trey Hedgemon, a Bryant High School graduate, and Kaitlyn Duren, a Northridge High School alumna.

“Strings in Schools played a huge role in shaping me into who I am today,” Hedgemon said. “The program gave me the opportunity to meet a lot of interesting people who taught me valuable lessons that I have carried with me to this day.”

The program has experienced numerous milestones over the last 10 years, including the formation of the All-City Middle School Orchestra and the Strings in Schools Scholarship in Music Education at UA being fully funded.

Additionally, Rock Quarry Middle became the first school orchestra to play for the Alabama Music Educators Association and the school, along with the high school orchestra, has won honors at Disney’s annual competition.