Yamaha Strings Artist Christian Howes Brings 12th Annual Creative Strings Workshop and Festival to Central Ohio
Columbus, Ohio (PRWEB) June 19, 2014 -- One of America’s most celebrated jazz violinists, Christian Howes, a Yamaha Strings Artist, will host the 12th annual Creative Strings Workshop and Festival from June 29 to July 4, 2013 at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio. The event is expected to attract more than 100 string players and luminaries from across the globe and will present up to thirty live musical performances, transforming the Greater Columbus area into an international hub of brilliant music.
The workshop and festival, an intensive and inspiring week filled with educational clinics and live performances, provides string players of all ages with the opportunity to learn from and play alongside world-class teaching and performing artists, including Howes, Billy Contreras, Nicole Yarling, Jason Anick, Alex Hargreaves, Jeremy Kittel, Andy Reiner, Robert Anderson and Greg Byers.
"Developing musical creativity is as much about performing as it is practicing,” said Howes. “What truly sets the Creative Strings Workshop apart is the opportunity for students to perform alongside seasoned veterans.”
Creativity is encouraged through the use of electric string instruments, along with amplifiers and effect pedals common among electric guitarists. Yamaha, a major sponsor of the event, loans SILENT electric violins, violas, and cellos for use by campers.
Throughout the week, string players ages 9-60 will take part in workshops and master classes in improvisational jazz, fiddle styles, blues, rock and more. The event’s educational component is split into two programs, one for teachers, advanced players and professionals, and the other for local middle school and high school string players.
”Beyond serving adults seeking continuing professional development, we provide local students with an opportunity to keep their chops up during the summer break while expanding their horizons through contemporary styles and new skills like improvisation,” said Howes. “This reinforces the fun element of playing orchestral strings and keeps them motivated to stick with it.”
During the workshop, participants focus on improvisational music in a variety of styles and perform in clubs, restaurants, assisted living facilities, libraries, parks and other venues. With a faculty-to-participant ratio of 1 to 3, the level of interactivity between teachers and students at this event is unparalleled.
The Creative Strings Workshop is operated by a 501(c)(3) cultural, educational organization, Camille Catherine, Inc.
Prospective participants can register at christianhowes.com/education. For more information and interview requests, please contact Christian Howes at 614-332-8689 or at chris(at)christianhowes(dot)com.
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About Christian Howes
As an educator, performer and composer, Christian Howes has gained notoriety and respect from critics and fellow musicians alike. Recently voted #1 in the Downbeat Critics Poll ("Rising Stars/Violin"), the Minneapolis Tribune called Christian “arguably the most intriguing young violinist in jazz.” His recent release on Resonance Records, “Southern Exposure” earned recognition in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Downbeat, Jazz Times, as well as a six night run at Lincoln Center in April, 2013. In May 2014 he conducted educational outreach in Kansas as a recipient of the Residency Partnership Award through Chamber Music America. A former associate professor at the Berklee College of Music, the Columbus native is widely regarded as a leading music educator. Howes, who conducts master classes around the world, is the founder of the Creative Strings Academy, an online school for improvising string players with hundreds of subscribers worldwide. He endorses Yamaha violins and D’Addario strings.
Mark Ferris, Giles Communications, http://usa.yamaha.com, +1 (914) 798-7121, [email protected]
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