September 15, 2021

Learn 24

DC Strings Workshop operates from the belief that all people, particularly young people, should experience the joy of music, and access to quality music instruction.

The DC Strings team advocates at the local, state, and national level for public and charter schools to develop strong music programs and works with community partners to expand access to high-quality music programs, particularly in underserved areas.

Each summer, with generous support from the Deputy Mayor of Education, DC Strings facilitates three unique virtual music camps for children ages 5 to 16 throughout the Washington, DC. This special camp is called Learn 24.

Reaching approximately 50 students in each session, the Summer Camp offers an intensive six-week program with a broad curriculum that gives each child the chance to try a variety of instruments—piano, strings and percussion—to determine which best suits them. Pre-pandemic, DC Strings led music programming with DC Parks and Recreation serving more than 200 students through four-weeks of instruction.

The Music Camps bring children together from communities all over the DC area to bond over the love of music and forge friendships that can last a lifetime. To confront any existing trauma, students also participate in group therapy focused on addressing the impact of adverse events and building resilience. This program seeks to use music as a bridge to equip students with new tools to process and safely heal from these experiences.

Recognizing that most schools in the DC Public School System have not prioritized or cannot afford to have a dedicated teacher on staff, DC Strings Workshop also reaches youth and others through masterclasses, private lessons, workshops, presentations, and performances. Each year, DC Strings Workshop provides free instruments to students and underwrites thousands of private lessons.

September 15, 2021September 15, 2021

DC Strings changing the community through musical representation, education and inspiration

Founded in 2017, DC Strings Workshop brings the love of classical and other music to all parts of the Washington, DC region and to people of all ages.

Highlighting the beauty and diversity that exists in classical music, DC Strings Workshop realizes its mission to share and present music to communities that often are overlooked through a mix of performances, education, and dynamic masterclasses and workshops.

DC Strings Workshop is led by renowned musicians, educators, and artistic administrators and draws on a diverse group of talented musicians to bring the beauty of classical music to communities throughout the Washington, DC region.

DC Strings engages diverse audiences, supplies instruments and music education to deserving students, and exposes students and adults alike to music by underrepresented women and people of color.

Partnerships throughout the region include those with the Anacostia Business Improvement District, DC Department of Parks and Recreation, DC Public Schools, The Kennedy Center and WPFW 89.3 FM, among many others.

As DC Strings Workshop continues to bring the love of classical and other music forms to diverse communities and individuals throughout the DC region, we need your philanthropic support to help us to continue this important work.

Through our programs:

DCSW serves and reaches +200 young people annually and provide lessons, instruments, and instruction to youth throughout the city with a focus on youth East of the River;
Has presented over +50 concerts of the orchestra and various ensembles in neighborhood churches, schools, community centers, and public libraries reaching over 10,000 people annually;
Uses the power of our voice to speak up and speak out about the lack of quality music education programs in DC Public Schools As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, your donation is fully tax-deductible. Thank you for your support and being a part of our community.

September 15, 2021September 15, 2021

DC Strings instrumental in music education through virtual Learn 24 summer camp

DC Strings Workshop (DCSW) is committed to bringing music education, outreach, and supporting stronger music programs in public and charter schools, especially in underserved areas of the District.

Each summer, with generous support from the Deputy Mayor of Education through Learn24, DC Strings facilitates three unique virtual music camps for children ages 5 to 16 throughout Washington, DC.

Reaching approximately 50 students in each session, the summer camp offers an intensive six-week program with a broad curriculum that gives each child the chance to try a variety of instruments—piano, strings, and percussion—to determine which best suits them.

Pre-pandemic, DC Strings led music programming with DC Parks and Recreation serving more than 200 students through four weeks of instruction.

The music camps bring children together from communities all over the DC area to bond over the love of music and forge friendships that can last a lifetime. To confront any existing trauma, students also participate in group therapy focused on addressing the impact of adverse events and building resilience.

This program seeks to use music as a bridge to equip students with new tools to process and safely heal from these experiences.

DCSW reaches young audiences through – master classes, private lessons, workshops, presentations, and performances. To-date DC Strings Workshop has donated over 20 instruments to students in need and paid for over $10,000 of private lessons.

September 15, 2021

DC Strings orchestrating diversity through classical music

DC Strings is one of the most diverse classical music organizations in the District of Columbia. As artists of color, the choice to pursue education and careers in classical music is rare.

Additionally, opportunities to thrive in the classical music genre are even fewer and far between. Research indicates that 88.41% of artists in American orchestras are white, compared with only 1.83% of African Americans, 2.42% of Latinos, and 7.34% of Asians.

According to the study, “Making the Case for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Orchestras,” conducted by the League of American Orchestras, “Orchestras have a long history of discrimination, and data on their recent past reveals no change in the representation of Black musicians in orchestras for 25 years, hovering at 1.8 percent,”

The lack of artists of color in classical music advances the false narrative that these communities are disinterested or unable to perform this ‘complex musical form’ at a high level. Not surprisingly, this allows orchestras and classical music to appropriate cultural art and music forms without providing a true appreciation for their origins in spiritual or indigenous folk music.

DC Strings mission is to change this statistic through representation, education and inspiration.

The DC Strings Concert Series and East of the River School Initiative breaks down this barrier by training a new generation of artists and other youth of color who, while musically inclined, do not have access to affordable and quality music education programs.

By selecting a wide range of musicians from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds, DC Strings provides participants an opportunity to perform alongside up-and-coming artists. This side-by-side experience builds confidence and allows students to further hone their skills and techniques in playing an instrument.

Through education on the significant contributions and achievements of communities of color in classical music, participants learn about new genres of music and instruments they might not access otherwise.

DC Strings is proud to have engaged women conductors, as so often women have been left out of orchestra leadership, along with opportunities to perform and lead ensembles as conductors and solo artists.

Leveraging diverse music instructors, teaching artists and instruments provides students with an expanded view of classical music and opportunities to learn and connect with musicians who better relate to and understand the communities in which participants live.

Music is a universal feature of the human experience. The act of making music is an expression of our humanity, which is located more in our commonalities than our differences, according to ALO.

“ Increasing the diversity of conductors and artists on stage brings a richness of perspectives, broader repertoire choices, and new ways to program, all of which will inspire a broader audience base and increase our relevance to communities.”

September 15, 2021

Healing Notes: DC Strings provides comfort during the pandemic

During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and civil and social unrest, DC Strings served as a force for calm and support, operating from the belief that music is a unifying and positive outlet for the entire community.

During this critical time, the musicians of DC Strings tuned and polished their instruments and continued to play in uncertain times.

The organization hosted more than seven concerts in-person and outdoors, as well as virtual performances, to help communities cope with stress, isolation, and anxiety.

Additionally, DC Strings safely trained more than 150 youth through private lessons, masterclasses, and group therapy.

DC Strings convened critical conversations with musicians, artists, educators, and social activists to discuss the future of music education, the orchestra as an institution, and how to create more inclusive environments.

For many of the musicians, it was also a healing source.

“After almost 30 years of playing, I’m as grateful as ever for the gift of music!,” said violinist Mijin Paik. “During the pandemic, in particular, being able to play music safely was a real saving grace for me and my sanity.”

Founded in 2017, DC Strings Workshop brings the love of classical and other music to all parts of the Washington, DC region and to people of all ages. Highlighting the beauty and diversity that exists in classical music, DC Strings Workshop realizes its mission to share and present music to communities that often are overlooked through a mix of performances, education and dynamic masterclasses and workshops.