Teaching strings to any level in the classroom can be an overwhelming experience. Usually a music education graduate, whether or not they are a string player, runs a class in how to teach strings. Of course, no amount of studying can ever quite prepare one for when they actually stand in front of their class. However, as a supplement to classroom teaching, Karel Butz’s excellent book Achieving Musical Success in the String Classroom aims to be an exhaustive resource for the string orchestra teacher.
It’s obvious that Butz is working from a wealth of experience on his own, and the opening chapters are rich in material designed to shape the reader’s own teaching philosophy. No one would argue that nuts-and-bolts technique isn’t important in learning a stringed instrument, but should that be the main focus, or is there a larger picture to keep in mind? Butz has plenty to say on that topic.