Starkville Strings School, a music school located on North Jackson Street by Your Extra Closet, has officially opened to provide string instrument lessons for children in the area.
Starkville Strings School executive director and teacher Shandy Phillips provides private lessons and group practices weekly, ranging from 20 minutes to an hour, for children as young as five.
“Because we only have 22 students right now, there is a limited number of things we can do with them,” Phillips said. “So everyone gets a private lesson, because you can’t really learn without someone helping you one-on-one. Step two during the week is we all go into a group.”
Phillips said the groups are split up, depending on age and skill level of the students.
“Those who play in groups have to learn to play together, and that’s a whole different skill than playing by yourself by a teacher,” she said.
Phillips said she puts a lot of stress on leadership, and she lets students as young as five lead the group during some songs.
“It’s fun to feel like for a little bit you can control the situation,” she said. “I switch them out and let them lead for a little bit.”
Currently, Phillips is the only teacher as Starkville Strings School. She teaches violin, viola and cello, but she hopes to hire one teacher specialized for each instrument.
“As we grow as a school, part of our goal here is to get more help here as teachers so that we can expand and offer things that pre-college kids around here just don’t have access to, such as music theory classes,” she said.
Phillps said she hopes to expand students’ music theory skills to they are ready to perform at a college level.
“They don’t necessarily have to go on to pursue music at all, but they are well-educated by the time they get there,” she said.
After students learn the basics, Phillips said she also tries to help students focus on channeling their emotions through their music.
“That’s where the art is and the self-expression,” she said.
Prior to finding the building to rent on North Jackson Street, Phillips was teaching and giving lessons in the living room in her home.
Starkville Strings School, a 501(c)(3) organization, also provides a scholarship program and financial assistance to those who qualify.
Currently, a 20-minute session is $20, a 30-minute session is $30, a 45-minute session is $40 and an hour session is $50. The school will switch to a contract by semester system in August.
Students can sign up for the Starkville Strings School at any time online at www. starkvillestringsschol.org