Hey there, fellow teachers!
If you’ve been in the string world for a minute, you know that we are standing at a pretty incredible crossroads. We’ve all felt that specific kind of tension in the classroom, the one where we’re trying to teach a beautiful piece of string orchestra literature while our students are quietly hum-singing the latest viral track they heard on a gaming stream, trying to see if they can figure it out by ear or find the sheet music online.
For a long time, the way we do things in music education has felt set in stone. Right now, though, we are witnessing the rise of what I like to think of as the Third Wave of string education, and honestly, it’s the most exciting time to be a string player!
At Electric Violin Labs, we spend a lot of time thinking about how to bridge the gap between important elements of traditional string education and the educational and engaging elements of modern and popular music. Let’s take a walk through where we’ve been and where we’re going in the Third Wave of string education.
The First Wave: The Foundation of the Craft
We all know the First Wave. This is the bedrock of our work. It’s the traditional classical pedagogy that most of us grew up with. Think Suzuki, Galamian, Schradieck, and the heavy focus on notation, orchestral standards, and correct posture and technique.
The First Wave is beautiful because it gives us a common language. It’s about discipline, tone production, and the mastery of an acoustic instrument. Without the First Wave, we wouldn’t have the technical facility to do anything else. But, as many of us have seen in our own programs, the First Wave can sometimes feel like a closed loop.
If a student doesn’t see themselves as a classical musician, they often feel like there’s no place for them in the orchestra room once they hit high school.
The Second Wave: The Eclectic String Movement
Then came the Second Wave, the Eclectic String Movement. This was the big opening of the gates. Twenty or thirty years ago, we started seeing more jazz, rock, fiddle, and mariachi styles entering the curriculum.
This is when I entered the music teaching profession, and it was exciting! At music education conferences, we started talking about improvisation, playing by ear, and exploring multiculturalism. Icons in our field pushed the boundaries, showing us that a violin can be a lead guitar or a rhythmic engine in a bluegrass band.
This was a massive step forward for student engagement. It helped us make strings visible outside of classical music. Our students could see their musical skills on display in a variety of environments.
But even in the Second Wave, we were still mostly focused on the style of music rather than the tools used to create it. We played rock and jazz songs on acoustic instruments. It was a bridge to the world our students inhabited, but the digital r/evolution pulled our students into an entirely new space.
The Third Wave: Technology and Digital Integration
This brings us to where we are now: The Third Wave. Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
Before we go any further, I want to say this clearly. The Third Wave doesn’t replace what came before it. It exists because the first two waves gave us the foundation and the courage to expand. Our pedagogical foundations and explorations of multiple genres of music will continue to grow and expand.
If anything, technology and digital integration is the next logical step for young musicians, one that helps today’s students stay connected to strings in a world that’s already digital.
We have the First Wave to thank for our pedagogical roots. So much of what we still teach every day traces back to innovators like Shinichi Suzuki (through the Suzuki Association of the Americas) and Paul Rolland (and the work carried forward through the Paul Rolland String Residency). They gave string education practical, repeatable tools that will always matter: setup, physical integration, sequencing skills, and the belief that every child can learn.
If the first wave is our foundation, the Second Wave is our creative hall pass. This leap came from pioneers who refused to keep the violin in a single lane. Mark Wood and his “Electrify Your Strings” program, along with Christian Howes and his Creative Strings Academy, have helped normalize the idea that violin belongs wherever music lives. They didn’t just add “fun” repertoire to string education. They’ve changed what students envisioned was possible with the instrument.
(Personal note: I actually studied privately with Chris for a year, and I’m a member of Creative Strings Academy. Through Creative Strings Academy, Chris continues to be both a mentor and business coach. It was through that work I found the confidence and the vision to start Electric Violin Labs. That’s community over competition in real life, and Chris is a massive champion to many string educators this way).
The Third Wave builds on all this deep work. We keep the technique, the musicianship, and the stylistic freedom. We add the tools (electric instruments, pedals, DAWs, looping, collaboration) that extend musical creativity into digital, collaborative spaces.
The Third Wave is about musicianship THROUGH technology. The instrument is a gateway to, and mediator of infinite sonic possibilities. This is where Electric Violin Labs lives. We believe that integrating technology isn’t just a “fun extra” for a Friday afternoon. It’s the key to keeping some kids engaged in string programs during high school and participating in music creation throughout their adult lives
When a student learns how to use a loop pedal or record themselves into a DAW like BandLab or Soundtrap, they go beyond performing somebody else’s music into the worlds of producer, creator, engineer, and designer.
Why the Third Wave Matters for Student Retention
Let’s get real for a second. We’ve all seen the middle school drop-off. Kids start playing in 4th or 5th grade with excitement, but by the time they get to 9th grade, the allure of sports, gaming, or social pressure starts to pull them away from the commitment required to grow their skills.
Sometimes, they quit because they don’t see how the violin fits into their identity. They listen to lo-fi beats, electronic dance music, or heavy metal, and they don’t hear a violin in those spaces (even though it’s often there, hidden under layers of production!). Even when they do hear it, they don’t know how to engage with their instrument to make the same kinds of music.
By introducing Third Wave concepts, we show our students that their instrument is relevant to the music they love and the way that music is created. When we show a student how to use a distortion pedal to get a “crunchy” rock sound, or how to use a delay pedal to create ambient soundscapes, we’re speaking their language. We’re giving them a reason to keep that case open and extending the range of what’s possible.
If you’re looking for a way to bring electric strings, music recording, and music production into your classroom, checking out our for schools page is a great place to start. We love helping teachers figure out how to make this work without panicking over technical glitches or budget shortfalls.
“But I’m NOT a Tech Person”
I hear this a lot from fellow teachers: “Jess, I can barely get my Zoom to work. I don’t even know how to plug in an amp. How am I going to teach this?”
Take a deep breath. I promise, you don’t need to be a sound engineer to start. You just need to be curious.
One of my favorite “bridge” pieces of gear is something like the Boss ME-50 (or its modern equivalent, the ME-80/90). Why? Because it’s tactile, with knobs you can actually turn. It’s not a confusing menu on a screen; it’s a physical board that shows you exactly what it’s doing to your sound. It’s extremely durable, widely available used for a low price, and contains all of the major components necessary to understand electric effects on string instruments.
For educators who are nervous about introducing electric strings, a multi-effects pedal like the Boss ME-50 is a game-changer. You plug in, you turn a knob that says “Delay,” and suddenly the room is filled with echoing notes. The look on a student’s face when they hear that for the first time is magical (and sometimes pretty hilarious – they are generally pretty surprised!).
From there, you can start exploring things like:
Recording: Using a simple interface to get sound into a computer.
DAWs: Using platforms like Soundtrap for collaborative songwriting.
Electric Instruments: Transitioning from an acoustic with a pickup to a dedicated electric violin for high-volume environments.
Practical Steps to Ride the Wave
If you’re ready to start but aren’t sure where to jump in, here are a few low-stakes ways to bring the Third Wave into your studio or classroom:
The “Groove” Session: Have students improvise over a digital backing track. Use something modern: a hip-hop beat or a synth-wave track. Let them explore what “fits” by ear.
The Effects Corner: If you can get your hands on one pedal (even a cheap one!), set up a station where students can try it out for five minutes after they finish their scales.
Digital Composition: Encourage students to use tools like Sibelius or Noteflight to write their own 8-bar melodies. Hearing the playback immediately is a massive confidence booster. Or, have students improvise and record into a DAW using notes from a specific scale, a melodic idea from a piece you’re working on, or another constraint that sparks musical creativity.
Explore Resources: You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. We have a get started guide and a bunch of free resources specifically designed to help you navigate this transition.
The Global Stage
One of the most powerful aspects of the Third Wave is collaboration. In the old days, you played with the people in your zip code. Now? Our students can collaborate with musicians across the globe. They can record a track in their bedroom in New Jersey and have a cellist in London add a part to it by the time they wake up the next morning.
This digital connectivity breaks down the walls of the practice room. It makes music a social, global experience. That is the world our students live in, and we want them to thrive.
Join the Movement
The Third Wave isn’t about replacing the First or Second Waves. We still need the beauty of the acoustic sound and the freedom of eclectic styles. By adding the digital layer, we complete the picture. We enable musicians who are versatile, tech-literate, and deeply engaged in music throughout their lives.
If you’re feeling inspired (or even just a little bit curious), come hang out with us. Whether you’re looking for workshops or want to join our Electric Violin Labs Studio, we’re here to help you navigate the gear, the software, and the pedagogy.
Keep playing, keep exploring, and I’ll see you in the Lab. Jess
Want to dive deeper? Check out our about page to see the mission behind the music, or contact us directly if you have questions about bringing the Third Wave to your school!.