Rethinking Orchestral Education: A Bold Experiment
I just returned from the Western North Carolina Regional HS Orchestra Festival, where I chaperoned my son, Dalton, through two days of music-making with students from across the state.
He had an incredible experience, and I’m grateful to the teachers who made it happen.
Table of Contents
While there, it occurred to me:
What if we tried something different?
A Brave New Idea.
First- Paying Tribute to the Old Idea
As I watched three orchestra concerts during the festival, one thing stood out:
Classical orchestral excellence—done at a high level—is extraordinary.
The music The discipline The social experience The character-building The pursuit of excellence
It’s transformative.
Some of these kids have been practicing daily since they were three. Like elite athletes, they dedicate themselves to a craft that shapes their lives.
This traditional approach to orchestral training is powerful—and I support it.
And yet…
The Brave New Idea: What If We Did This?
What if orchestra programs took ONE month out of the school year and devoted it entirely to non-traditional orchestral learning?
Or one week out of a month.
Or ten minutes out of each class…
Instead of focusing on classical repertoire, students could explore:
Play-along style teaching
Composition & arranging
Breakout student-led projects Improvisation for individuals, small and large ensembles.
Non-classical styles (Jazz, Folk, Latin, Pop, R&B, contemporary…)
This isn’t replacing traditional training—it’s about expanding what’s possible.
Why Is This Idea Necessary?
After visiting 1,000+ orchestra classrooms in over 25 years, one thing is clear:
Teachers work incredibly hard.
They manage huge ensembles, limited resources, and demanding performance schedules—all while fostering a love for music.
But there’s one common challenge:
Most orchestra teachers were never trained in improvisation, composition, or contemporary styles.
Without that training, it’s hard to teach confidently—so these ideas get pushed aside or briefly experimented with but never fully integrated.
WHY GO PAST TEACHING PRESCRIBED PARTS?
- SEL- mindful and diverse ways of thinking and learning
- Represents and prioritizes many cultural forms of music
- Relevant- student-directed learning
- Foster a lifelong relationship with music
- Teach nationally recommended standards
- Confidence– Many classical musicians don’t believe they are creative. You can change this limiting belief.
- The value of creative skills– Companies hire creative problem-solving candidates (not only based on test scores.)
- Functional Musicianship-Your students function in classical situations. Why limit them when you can support their functionality in other styles and capacities.
Who Will Raise Their Hand?
If you’re a teacher, I want to ask:
Who will raise their hand for this idea?
Who wants support in making it happen?
Announcing: the first ever Eclectic Styles Orchestra Teachers Method and Cohort
- Sequential curriculum and lesson plans in eclectic styles, harmony, improvisation, arranging, composition and related subjects for MS and HS Orchestra classroom
- Performance-ready scores;
- Student workbooks and activity packets.
- Designed to support traditional learning objectives.
- SEL framework.
- Personal Support as you implement in your classroom or studio
Yes, after 30 years of testing and development, I’m organizing my method so teachers can easily implement it.
I’m pretty sure it is the first of its kind, i.e., a comprehensive method for teaching harmony, improvisation, composition, and arrangement to string players, with applications in a wide range of eclectic styles.
Several teachers (MS, HS orchestra, and Suzuki) are already “IN”.
*** During this initial launch period, I’ll make this available on a flexible/sliding scale. Budgets will not be a barrier for anyone who sincerely wants to take part.
If interested, email me at chris@christianhowes.com with the subject “brave new idea” and let me know the best #/times to reach you by phone,
or schedule a call with me here.
Let’s push the boundaries together
