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What is Strings for Kids?
Strings for Kids was started by Mary Kay Hoffman, Cecilia Berger, and Anna Wetherby at Artspace Community Arts Center in Greenfield in 2008, and is now a partnership program between the Greenfield Public Schools and the Pioneer Valley Symphony. The goal of Strings for Kids is to ensure that EVERY child in Greenfield has the opportunity to learn to play a string instrument. The program starts with a summer workshop week (July 29-August 2, 2024) or fall weekend intensive (Sept 7-8, 2024), then two weekly lessons during the school year.
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Our year begins on September 9th, with a full afternoon program on Mondays AND Fridays. GPS will bus participants from all three elementary schools to Greenfield Middle School where we will hold classes until 5:30 on Mondays and until 4:30pm on Fridays, with an optional 5:30pm late pickup.
COST: This program has sliding scale tuition of $20-$120 per month. Strings for Kids is partially subsidized by GPS to enable us to offer this sliding scale model. Additional scholarship is available through the Mary Kay Hoffman Fund: no child will be turned away for financial reasons.
Instrument rental is included in the Strings for Kids program at no additional cost to the student.
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Through Strings for Kids, hundreds of students have learned cello and violin.
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There are many benefits of Strings For Kids.
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We have made it a primary goal to be a steady force in the lives of our students and provide stability and continuity through whatever life throws at us/them.
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We address societal concerns with our students, having gone through challenging times together and explored what it looks like to think, be, and learn as a musician and an appreciator of other musicians.
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We work to expand our students' musical horizons in all kinds of ways, talking about difficult parts of history, and helping them to discover music and musicians they may not otherwise learn about.
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We build community among our young musicians and see that our students come together and support each other in remarkable ways.
Strings for Kids is open to students, grades 3-7 in the Greenfield Public Schools and we accept new students each Summer/Fall. Registration is now closed for 2024-25.
Interested in starting a string instrument but are not a Greenfield Public Schools Student? Please visit our Education Programs Page​ and fill out the Private Lesson Registration Form.
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Interested in learning more? Fill out the form below, and program staff will get back to you!