Violin/Viola Starr Advancement Program

A Journey Through the Planets

The Violin/Viola Starr Advancement program takes students of all ages on a comprehensive musical journey where they start as a young protostar and then fly from planet to planet in the Solar System until they reach the sun and become a shining Violin, Viola, or Cello “Starr”.  As each student completes a level, they are awarded a certificate and ribbon to attach to their case.  This advancement program is equally beneficial to young and adult students as it is modeled after nationally and internationally acclaimed methods and programs.  Below are the different levels of progressions:

The Pedagogical Approach of the Program

The Violin/Viola Starr Advancement program stems off of Dr. Starr’s pedagogical research and experience combining elements of the American String Teachers Association Certificate Program and Royal Conservatory Violin/Viola Syllabus with the strengths of methods by Barbara Barber, Evelyn Avsharian, Kurt Sassmannshaus, Shinichi Suzuki, and numerous others.  In addition, Dr. Starr incorporates technical exercises from multiples pedagogues such as Henry Schradieck, Otakar Ševčík, Harvey S. Whistler, Franz Wohlfahrt, Gaylord Yost, Rudolph Kreutzer, Simon Fisher, Carl Flesch and many more.  Music theory is taught early in the method to help students become self sufficient in learning and sight reading music on their own along with having a more complete understanding of the music they are creating.  Repertoire choices vary based off of the student’s level in the program along with their technical and musical strengths, needs, and personal goals.  Dr. Starr offers a foundation in the different eras of classical music along with an exploration of other genres such as fiddle, film, rock, jazz, and pop as these are often requested in multiple situations for string players.  When students complete this program successfully they will be at a comparable level to a student completing the American String Teachers Association Certificate Program or Royal Conservatory Violin/Viola Syllabus as it is modeled off of these programs.