ABSTRACT
Whether a person sets out to become a string teacher from the very beginning, or has found one’s calling later in one’s education, or was called upon to teach strings after having started a career in a different discipline, the gift of teaching strings is a truly unique experience. In the words of master luthier Anton Krutz, “the uniqueness of the violin family is that even though they are wood boxes with synthetic strings the sound produced, at least on the very top level instruments, resembles a voice quality more than any other type of instrument.” Strong programs need to have many students at many levels, and high-quality teaching and playing are a must. There also needs to be much visibility of the program in the community. Perhaps the true mission of a string teacher is to work tirelessly to foster string education in the pursuit of providing the greatest positive influence on students to last a lifetime.
