Electric Violin Labs
Schools & Educators — Electric Violin Labs
Electric Violin Labs — Schools & Educators

Bring Electric Strings
into Your Orchestra Program

Expert-led workshops and professional development for music educators — designed by an EdD-credentialed educator who performs with the instrument she teaches.


Sound familiar?
"I want to add electric violin, viola, cello, and bass, but I don't know where to start with the gear."
"My students are bored with traditional repertoire. I want something that actually excites them."
"I found some YouTube videos that help, but nothing built for orchestra classrooms."

Electric Violin Labs was built for exactly this moment. Our workshops and professional development give orchestra educators a clear path — from equipment basics to full ensemble performance — without the guesswork or the guitar-forum detours.


Who it's for

These workshops are for you if…

  • Orchestra Directors

    You want to modernize your program and retain students by making the orchestra room feel relevant.

  • Music Dept. Chairs

    You're looking for PD that translates directly into classroom practice — not a conference lecture.

  • School Administrators

    You want arts programming that integrates 21st-century skills, technology, and verifiable outcomes.

  • Students (6–12)

    Players who want to move beyond classical repertoire and discover what their instrument can do with effects and loops.

No prior electric violin experience needed — for teachers or students. We bring everything you need to get started.


Professional Development

Workshops for Music Educators

Hands-on training designed so teachers leave with the skills, confidence, and materials to implement immediately — no follow-up guesswork required.

01
Half-day · $750  |  Full-day · $1,400
Teaching Electric Strings in the Classroom
Foundations — integrating electric strings into your existing music program
+

Confidently integrate electric strings into your existing music program — without overwhelming your budget, your schedule, or your classroom management system. This foundational professional development experience equips music educators with the knowledge, tools, and implementation strategies needed to introduce electric strings and basic music technology into orchestra, general music, or STEAM settings. Participants leave with practical plans, equipment guidance, and ready-to-use curriculum frameworks.

  • Budget-conscious equipment strategies ($300+ entry points)
  • Essential signal chain basics (pickup → pedal → amp)
  • Classroom management for tech-based instruction
  • Standards-aligned lesson integration
  • Starter curriculum maps for ensemble or exploratory models
  • Grant language templates and funding pathways
02
Half-day · $750  |  Full-day · $1,400
Electric Strings Rock Band
Collaborative ensemble — student-driven music-making and arranging
+

Reimagine ensemble learning through collaboration, arrangement, and student-driven music-making. This hands-on professional development experience models how electric strings can function inside a modern ensemble setting. Educators experience the process themselves — choosing repertoire, assigning roles, arranging collaboratively, and performing — so they can replicate the structure with their own students.

  • Student-driven song selection models
  • Ensemble role design (rhythm / bass / melody / texture)
  • Simplified arranging frameworks
  • Balancing acoustic and electric instruments
  • Rehearsal strategies for collaborative settings
  • Performance-ready ensemble structures
03
Half-day · $750  |  Full-day · $1,400
Creative Assessment & Technology Integration
Program design — building sustainable, standards-aligned music technology pathways
+

Move beyond equipment and effects into intentional program design. This advanced professional development experience is designed for educators who want to build sustainable, standards-aligned electric strings and music technology pathways within their schools or districts. Participants explore how to assess creative work, integrate music technology across ensembles, and design programs that balance artistry, rigor, and innovation.

  • Assessment models for improvisation, composition, and sound design
  • Rubrics for creative + collaborative work
  • Project-based learning structures
  • Integrating electric strings across orchestra, band, and general music (including budgeting options for sustainable growth)
  • Cross-curricular STEAM connections
  • Building vertical program pathways (middle → high school)
  • Communicating value to administrators and boards

Student & General Programs

Workshops for Your Students

Interactive, hands-on sessions that bring modern music technology into the orchestra room. From large-group assemblies to intensive lab experiences — every format is interactive, standards-aligned, and adaptable.

01
Assembly · $250  |  Workshop · $400  |  Lab · $750
Electric Strings Sound Lab
Experience the science and creativity of electric strings
+

Learn the science of sound through hands-on electric string exploration with electric violins, violas, and cello. Guided rotation stations introduce signal flow, basic effects, and sound design in an accessible, structured format. Participants try electric instruments and have the opportunity to experiment with effects pedals and their impact on sound.

  • Zero electric instrument experience required
  • Up to 4 hands-on rotation stations
  • Genre showcase: classical, pop, rock (you can submit requests)
  • Electric string instruments, effects, amps, and cabling provided
02
Assembly · $250  |  Workshop · $400
Own Your Tone: Intro Gear Lab
Take control of your gear to build your unique tone
+

This interactive workshop helps musicians demystify their electric setup and build a clear, powerful tone from the ground up. Participants learn how pickups, impedance, preamps, EQ, pedals, and amplification interact, and how small adjustments can dramatically improve clarity, control, and confidence.

  • Signal chain fundamentals (what goes where — and why)
  • Impedance & gain staging explained simply
  • Building a clean tone foundation
  • EQ shaping for bowed strings
  • Pedal order logic & effect interaction
  • Troubleshooting common tone problems
03
Workshop · $400  |  Half-day · $750  |  Full-day · $1,400
Freedom In Sound: Improv Zone
Build creative confidence through structured improvisation
+

An interactive, beginner-friendly workshop designed to help musicians break through improvisation fear using guided frameworks, creative and technical constraints, and collaborative musical dialogue. Great for mixed-ability groups.

  • Beginner-friendly improvisation and sound-design entry points (no prior experience required)
  • Call-and-response frameworks for ensemble communication
  • Improvising within creative constraints (limited notes, rhythms, textures, loops, pedals)
  • Listening and reacting in real time
  • Developing musical risk-taking in a supportive environment
Full-day extension includes
  • Modal and tonal improvisation frameworks
  • Groove-based and texture-based improvisation
  • Solo and small-group performance labs
  • A repeatable improvisation framework participants can take home
04
Workshop · $500  |  Half-day · $900  |  Full-day · $1,600
Loop & Layer Jam
Create, loop, layer, improvise, and compose
+

An interactive workshop introducing the fundamentals of live looping and layered performance. Participants learn how to use loop pedals to construct full arrangements — from rhythmic foundations to melodic lines — and perform confidently as solo artists or ensemble members. For extended sessions, the workshop expands into guided composition and arranging.

  • Electric instruments, loop pedals, and amps provided
  • Loop pedal signal flow and timing fundamentals
  • Constructing layered arrangements (rhythm → harmony → melody)
  • Building bass lines and supporting textures
  • Smooth transitions between sections
  • Creative looping techniques (reverse, half-speed, overdub control)
Full-day composition extension includes
  • Developing musical motifs and themes
  • Arranging for layered solo performance
  • Form design (ABA, through-composed, groove-based forms)
  • An original layered composition or structured arrangement to keep
05
Workshop · $500  |  Half-day · $900  |  Full-day · $1,600
Sound Design for Electric Strings
Tone sculpting, signal flow, and genre-based sound development
+

An interactive workshop exploring the foundations of electric string tone design. Participants learn how signal flow, gain structure, EQ, and effects processing shape amplified sound, and how to intentionally craft tones for a variety of contemporary performance contexts. Designed specifically for bowed-string instruments, this workshop bridges traditional technique with modern sound engineering principles.

  • Understanding signal chain order and signal flow
  • Gain staging and tone sculpting fundamentals
  • Overdrive vs. distortion: sound, feel, and musical application
  • EQ strategies specific to electric bowed strings
  • Managing dynamics and articulation in amplified settings
  • Performing with backing tracks and live amplification
Full-day extension includes
  • Multi-effects vs. individual pedal comparison
  • Building and saving tone presets
  • Genre-specific tone construction
  • Small-group performance with structured feedback
06
Workshop · $600  |  Half-day · $1,000  |  Full-day · $1,800
Music Production & Recording
Modern studio skills for electric strings
+

An interactive workshop introducing musicians to the fundamentals of recording, live-streaming, and producing electric and acoustic string instruments in modern performance environments. Participants learn how signal flow, microphones, pickups, audio interfaces, DAWs, and streaming platforms work together to capture professional-quality sound. This session bridges traditional string training with contemporary music production literacy.

  • Signal flow from instrument to recording platform
  • Acoustic vs. electric capture strategies
  • Microphone types and placement for strings
  • Direct input (DI) and interface fundamentals
  • Gain staging and monitoring basics
  • DAW workflow for beginners (Mac & PC)
  • Live-stream setup essentials (OBS / audio routing basics)
  • Creating balanced mixes for string instruments
Full-day extension includes
  • Recording short performances and layering strings in a DAW
  • Building a simple live-stream routing setup
  • Basic mixing and EQ for clarity
  • Integrate backing tracks, loops, and social media performance

Coming in 2026
Coming 2026

Year-Long Electric Violin Curriculum

A comprehensive, standards-aligned curriculum for middle and high school orchestra programs — sequenced across a full school year, with everything you need to teach it with confidence.

📚 Complete Lesson Plans

Sequenced units for an entire school year, ready to open and teach

🎯 Standards-Aligned

Meets NCCAS and state requirements — easy to justify to administration

📊 Assessment Tools

Rubrics and student worksheets included at every unit

💻 Digital Delivery

Online access for easy implementation — no binders required

Get Notified When It Launches

Why it works

Why school districts choose
Electric Violin Labs

EdD-Credentialed Educator

Doctorate from Teachers College Columbia University. Curriculum design isn't an afterthought — it's the foundation.

Active Performing Artist

Professional violinist who performs with the same techniques she teaches. No gap between theory and practice.

Published Author

Author of Python Projects for Kids. Writing and teaching are inseparable for Jess.

21st-Century Skills

Music technology, STEM integration, and creative problem-solving — all embedded in the instrument work.

Turn-Key Delivery

Complete materials, equipment guidance, and hands-on instruction. Ready to implement — no prep required.

Proven Student Engagement

A modern approach that keeps students in the program and excited about playing.


Logistics

How it works

📍

Format

In-person at your school. Sessions range from a single class period to full-day residencies.

Equipment

We bring everything needed or advise on district purchases. No gear required in advance.

📅

Booking

Start with a free 30-minute discovery call to match the right workshop to your program's needs.

Ready to bring electric violin
to your school?

Schedule a free discovery call to discuss your district's needs and find the right fit for your program.

No obligation. Just a conversation about your program.