Creative Strings Youth Classroom Clinics
- Students PLAY the entire class
- Improvising in eclectic styles
- Learn Harmony, Rhythm, Technique, and Arranging
- Tune in from your classroom
- Donation-Based/ PWYC
host or JOIN US at ONE OF OUR UPCOMING EVENtS
Date and Time
Thurs, March 10th at 9:05 am Eastern US
Level:
Advanced High School (Pre-college level)
Options:
Host or Join a Zoom Play-Along Class
Creative Strings received support from the National Endowment for the Arts for a round of live Zoom play-along classes this spring.
If you teach middle school or high school orchestra, you’re invited to host a class for your students or join one that’s already on the calendar.
How to Participate
To host a class
Email chris@christianhowes.com with your preferred date/time and whether your group is middle school or high school.
To join an existing class
Email chris@christianhowes.com and ask to be added to the invite list.
Current Scheduled Classes
Thursday, April 2
8:30–9:27 a.m. Pacific — Intermediate High School Strings
9:34–10:31 a.m. Pacific — Advanced High School Strings
Thursday. May 7th,
8:45-9:35 Mountain Time — 6th Grade (advanced)
1:00-1:45 Mountain time — 8th Grade (advanced)
Friday, May 8
11:10-12:10 Mountain Time- 7th Grade (advanced)
Host your own middle school or high school class in April or May.
Open Dates for Hosting
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April 1–12 (except April 2)
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April 19–20
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May 7–10
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May 16–19
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May 23–31
Flexible Pricing
Creative Strings uses a flexible contribution model to reduce barriers to access. Schools and individuals are invited to contribute what they can.
Whether you host a class or join one hosted by another teacher, you can name your price.
Email Examples
Email chris@christianhowes.com with a message like:
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I want to bring my class on April 2, May 7, or May 8
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I want to host a different date in April or May
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I’m not associated with a school but would like to participate
Why These Classes Matter
These sessions help students go beyond note-reading and build broader musicianship through guided participation with rhythm, groove, listening, improvisation, stylistic awareness, and practical musical decision-making.
Classes are tailored to students’ levels and designed to strengthen ensemble playing, confidence, creativity, engagement, and musical independence.
This kind of learning can also support:
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social-emotional learning
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inclusion and respect for diverse learning styles
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student-directed learning
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lifelong engagement with music
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teach recommended standards, including improvisation, composition, arranging, music theory, et al
Interested in future classes? Leave your email below to receive notifications OR help us schedule them by requesting another time now.
ps: Please after you click the button, check your inbox and/or spam folder to confirm your subscription.
Nicole Yarling
Nicole Yarling is an acclaimed vocalist, violinist, songwriter, recording artist, teacher and an
Assistant Professor and Director of Popular Music at Florida Memorial University.
Nicole has worked with some of the greats in music, from Joe Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy
Buffett and Dr. John. She fronted the band Little Nicky and the Slicks, which gained great
acclaim.
With her creativity, performance, teaching and encouragement she has helped young players of
all instruments prepare for college and careers as musicians.
The Jazz Journalists of America acknowledged her efforts when she received the Jazz Hero
Award for 2015. In 2016, Yarling was inducted into the South Florida Jazz Hall of Fame.
Nicole Yarling
Nicole Yarling is an acclaimed vocalist, violinist, songwriter, recording artist, teacher and an
Assistant Professor and Director of Popular Music at Florida Memorial University.
Nicole has worked with some of the greats in music, from Joe Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy
Buffett and Dr. John. She fronted the band Little Nicky and the Slicks, which gained great
acclaim.
With her creativity, performance, teaching and encouragement she has helped young players of
all instruments prepare for college and careers as musicians.
The Jazz Journalists of America acknowledged her efforts when she received the Jazz Hero
Award for 2015. In 2016, Yarling was inducted into the South Florida Jazz Hall of Fame.
Nicole Yarling
Nicole Yarling is an acclaimed vocalist, violinist, songwriter, recording artist, teacher and an
Assistant Professor and Director of Popular Music at Florida Memorial University.
Nicole has worked with some of the greats in music, from Joe Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy
Buffett and Dr. John. She fronted the band Little Nicky and the Slicks, which gained great
acclaim.
With her creativity, performance, teaching and encouragement she has helped young players of
all instruments prepare for college and careers as musicians.
The Jazz Journalists of America acknowledged her efforts when she received the Jazz Hero
Award for 2015. In 2016, Yarling was inducted into the South Florida Jazz Hall of Fame.
Christian Howes
Nicole Yarling is an acclaimed vocalist, violinist, songwriter, recording artist, teacher and an
Assistant Professor and Director of Popular Music at Florida Memorial University.
Nicole has worked with some of the greats in music, from Joe Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy
Buffett and Dr. John. She fronted the band Little Nicky and the Slicks, which gained great
acclaim.
With her creativity, performance, teaching and encouragement she has helped young players of
all instruments prepare for college and careers as musicians.
The Jazz Journalists of America acknowledged her efforts when she received the Jazz Hero
Award for 2015. In 2016, Yarling was inducted into the South Florida Jazz Hall of Fame.
Nicole Yarling
Nicole Yarling is an acclaimed vocalist, violinist, songwriter, recording artist, teacher and an
Assistant Professor and Director of Popular Music at Florida Memorial University.
Nicole has worked with some of the greats in music, from Joe Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy
Buffett and Dr. John. She fronted the band Little Nicky and the Slicks, which gained great
acclaim.
With her creativity, performance, teaching and encouragement she has helped young players of
all instruments prepare for college and careers as musicians.
The Jazz Journalists of America acknowledged her efforts when she received the Jazz Hero
Award for 2015. In 2016, Yarling was inducted into the South Florida Jazz Hall of Fame.
Austin Scelzo
Nicole Yarling is an acclaimed vocalist, violinist, songwriter, recording artist, teacher and an
Assistant Professor and Director of Popular Music at Florida Memorial University.
Nicole has worked with some of the greats in music, from Joe Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy
Buffett and Dr. John. She fronted the band Little Nicky and the Slicks, which gained great
acclaim.
With her creativity, performance, teaching and encouragement she has helped young players of
all instruments prepare for college and careers as musicians.
The Jazz Journalists of America acknowledged her efforts when she received the Jazz Hero
Award for 2015. In 2016, Yarling was inducted into the South Florida Jazz Hall of Fame.
FAQ:
Classes are 45 minutes. Students will be engaged, with instruments in hand, playing for 40 minutes. We leave 5 minutes for q and a.
We’ll do activities like the ones demonstrated in these videos above.
Your students will play in a variety of styles. They’ll practice rhythm, improvisation, ear training, technique, and more.
Clinicians and private lessons are costly.
We’re making an innovative guided practice method accessible to all by using a pay-what-you-can model so every student can attend regardless of what district they live in. It’s like Uber ride-sharing for orchestra classrooms.
Yes! Some online classes are boring or hard to tailor to students of different levels and musical backgrounds. But our classes engage students without the need for a shared repertoire.
Modifications are offered for all ability levels so no student gets lost or bored.
How it works:
- Teachers (or parents!) fill out the form below.
- When we have interest in a particular time slot, we’ll schedule a class above.
- We email letting you know that we’ve added more classes.
- You register and contribute what you can (if you can-otherwise it’s Free).
- We send you a Zoom link to join the class.
Got more class times to give us? Have special circumstances? Email us at clinics@creativestrings.org or set up a 15-minute exploratory call and we’ll make it work.
Can’t make a class but want to
support our programs?
****Share this page with colleagues. If you both choose the same times/days, we will try to schedule a class at that time/day.
Christian Howes
Executive Director: Creative Strings
www.creativestrings.org
chris@christianhowes.com
614-332-8689
Sponsored by:
