CHAMBER MUSIC FOR THE PRE-COLLEGIATE STUDENT: VIOLIN QUARTETS AND TRIOS

Hannah Monk

Data is provided by the student.

Abstract

In both private string studios and school orchestra programs, pre-collegiate students need more opportunities to study chamber music. One of the barriers string teachers face when establishing a chamber music program for children is instrumentation as there are often more students who play the violin than the viola and cello. While the string quartet dominates the strings chamber music genre, there is a large body of underperformed repertoire written for violin quartets and trios that provide a variety of pedagogical benefits to students and teachers alike. This project establishes the pedagogical value of some of these pieces and places each piece within several of the major strings grading systems. Each piece is graded based on the American String Teachers Association Grading Scale, Suzuki Volume Level, and Royal Conservatory Certification Grade Level. These methods were chosen to provide recognizable scale systems for public school directors and private teachers alike. The project also contains a brief description of the three pedagogical methods as well as charts comparing these grading systems to one another for reference.