Education

The North Sea String Quartet brings string improvisation back into the classroom, offering a range of workshop programs for string orchestras and music schools. Encouraging young string players to put down their sheet music and use their ears instead, the NSSQ will be drawing upon elements from jazz, funk, blues and folk music. Topics to be explored range from ‘how to build a groove together’, ‘how do I improvise on a simple chord progression’ and ‘what is a bass line and how do I invent one’ to ‘question/answer sessions’ and ‘uncommon sounds and techniques on my violin or cello’.

The workshops are designed to let students experience a new sense of freedom and to offer them a fresh, lively and fun approach to music. There’s no sheet music involved, so students learn to trust their ears and react to what’s happening. This way the improvement of sound, rhythm and creativity is greatly facilitated. Because of the nature of our workshops, any student that has basic technical skills on their instrument can participate.

The North Sea String Quartet also performs classroom and family concerts to convey the excitement of live performance and improvisation to young audiences.

Are you a student, school staff member, orchestra conductor or teacher interested in our education program: contact us!