Let the Violin Family’s Middle Voice Sing in School Orchestras
5 ways to unlock the viola’s potential for your students
Whatever did the viola do to offend? Ever since the student-orchestra movement of the 1920s through the 1930s, the viola’s been the black sheep in the violin family. It’s been treated by some American string teachers as a second-class citizen behind the more-often played violin and bass, and perhaps overlooked by young musicians choosing an instrument for the first time, according to composer and master pedagogue Bob Phillips, co-author of the String Clinics to Go book and DVD series.
Yet a director can “subtly shape the direction of choice” toward the viola, Phillips says, resulting in a proper-sounding orchestra.
Here are a five ways to ensure that your school string section is fully rounded, fully sounded, and not viola deficient.
This article, "Let the Violin Family’s Middle Voice Sing in School Orchestras," is part of the Strings Archive, which you can access with a paid site subscription.
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