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String Sprouts

Free Music Education for Children Ages 3-9

The String Sprouts is a free music education program for children aged 3-9 in under-resourced neighborhoods. It is a 32-week curricula developed by Ruth Meints (Executive Director, Omaha Conservatory of Music) with original repertoire by Dryden Thomas Meints.

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The String Sprouts Program provides:

  • Free instruments
  • Free weekly group lessons
  • Free weekly parent/caregiver education sessions
  • Opportunities to perform

What do String Sprouts Learn?

  • Hold the violin and bow correctly
  • Play beginning-level repertoire
  • Play games that develop leadership and attention
  • Engage in dexterity exercises
  • Apply basic music theory concepts

 

The String Sprouts Musical Journey

Five years of music instruction before school programs typically become available in fourth grade.

  • Begins at age 3-5 with violin, viola, or cello
  • Adding string bass soon!

String Sprouts also requires mandatory caregiver involvement.

Empowering the Vulnerable

String Sprouts closes ability gaps and begins to break the poverty cycle for under-resourced children.

Sprouts showed significant improvement in:

  • Vocabulary
  • Initiative & self-control

Kindergarten-bound Sprouts showed:

  • Trends to higher scores related to the number
    of years they were in the program.
  • Strengths in the areas of flexibility and attention.

Family outcomes showed:

  • Significant increase in closeness in the parent/child relationship
  • Significant decrease in conflict