By Nicarlyle Hanchard / Jambar Contributor
With a musical effort in community outreach for middle and high school students, the Dana School of Music offers free lessons to area students taught by Youngstown State University students and professors.
For four years, Dana’s String Project is an initiative for students in grades four through 12 at Youngstown City School District and surrounding area schools that offers private and group music lessons on string instruments.
Carlie Geyer, coordinator of the YSU String Project, said the feedback from parents and students is enthusiastic as they engage in lessons.
“They really appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with students from different schools,” Geyer said. “Some students don’t have a string orchestra or any kind of string program in their schools, so they really appreciate being part of something like this.”
The instruments of focus in the project are the bass, violin, viola and cello, which are part of the program’s chamber group and string orchestra.
The program’s private lessons are one-on-one with a group session on Saturdays. Geyer said the private sessions are between 30 and 60 minutes.
In addition to the private and group lessons, students have the opportunity to engage with industry professionals.
“We’ve had visiting string quartets and our violin professor [teach] master classes, so students get a lot of high-level education in their instrument that they might not be able to receive in their daily life at school,” Geyer said.
Josephine Solitto, Austintown Fitch High School senior and violinist, said she’s been a member of the String Project for approximately three years and has enjoyed her time in the program.
“It’s provided me with a wonderful opportunity to play with many [new] people I’ve met. I’ve been able to learn tons of new music and I’ve grown as a musician because of it,” Solitto said. “Growing as a chamber ensemble and learning how to play with other musicians as well as learning how to play by myself, it’s really a beautiful program.”
With the program entering its fourth year, Geyer said she is looking to grow the String Project’s attendance after the graduation of some student musicians.
“We have a relatively decent amount of students participating,” Geyer said. “We’re trying to expand and invite more students to participate in this really awesome program that is part of an accredited university’s school of music.”
Geyer also said the program will take a new approach to recitals this semester with the separation of group and individual performances.
“This semester is our first where we will be having two recitals,” Geyer said. “The first will be the chamber music and orchestra recital. The following week we’ll have solo performances.”
Geyer said she believes music is foundational in creating well-rounded citizens. She also said she is happy to see the growth students have undergone in the String Project and the friendships they have made.
“It’s been really cool to see students from different areas, from all different schools, come together based on their classes and shared interests in books and movies,” Geyer said. “[The program] has also brought out a lot of personality and leadership [in them].”
Geyer, who was previously a graduate assistant with the program and is now in her second semester as String Project coordinator, said she is grateful for the opportunity and looking forward to the future.
“[Joseph] Carucci in the [Dana] School of Music has been a huge supporter of this program, all of the teachers and grad assistants we’ve had in the past, and of course the parents and students who attend,” Geyer said.
