Welcome to Creative Strings
Creative music education for string players and teachers
Free lessons for creative string players and teachers
Get play-alongs, improvisation lessons, and teaching resources delivered to your inbox.
How can we help
Choose how you want to learn, grow, or bring Creative Strings to your community.
Attend a Creative Strings Workshop
Join ensemble coaching, classes, jam sessions, and concerts spanning jazz, rock, world, fiddle styles, and more—for students, professionals, and teachers.
Bring Creative Strings to Your School or Orchestra
Invite Christian Howes and Creative Strings for workshops, residencies, and collaborative concerts for K–12, university, and community programs.
CREATIVE STRINGS PODCAST
Exploring intersections between creativity, music education, string playing, DIY music business, and culture.
Our Mission
Creative Strings helps string players and teachers improvise, explore contemporary styles, and build more creative, connected music-making communities.
Get Involved
There are many ways to help our cause
Donate
Contributions can be directed towards use for scholarships, guest artists, outreach activities, promotion, or operating costs.
Latest News
Creative Strings is dedicated to the advancement of contemporary string education through a variety of resources. Here you will find materials to further your playing, through podcasts, educational videos, case studies, and more.
Founder
Christian Howes is a widely-respected jazz violinist, and a Suzuki-trained, accomplished classical violinist as well. His dual background enables him to connect with traditional orchestral players with curriculum that is relevant to their needs.