K2K Strings is short for Kid to Kid Strings, an organization that brings together student instructors with students who need instructors. We cannot imagine our lives without music in it and we want to help other kids improve their skills and increase their enjoyment of playing music
Study after study has shown that music education improves concentration, happiness and ... test scores. In these crazy times right now we feel we really need the first two very badly.
Want to learn with us?
If you are a string student who needs a teacher this year, please contact us. Our summer model was (and always will be) to offer free virtual lessons, especially for Title I students. During the school year some of our high school Ambassadors have agreed to stay on to teach for a nominal fee. In these times when part-time jobs are hard to come by, we hope you will understand and support the dedication and time put in by our experienced Ambassadors.
Please note: we are not a substitute for your regular teacher. If you can take lessons with your private teacher, please do! That is their livelihood and we believe that the very best way to learn music is with a trained teacher if at all possible.
Our program is to bridge a gap that is there now due to these trying times. We don't want financial instability to affect a child's ability to learn music.
Want to teach with us?
Please contact us if you are an experienced string player and want to join our team of Ambassadors.
Keshav is a Junior at LASA and is Concertmaster of the LBJ Honors Orchestra. He has been first violin in the Region 18 Full Orchestra for the past 5 years. He has qualified for State Solo and Ensemble and was AISD's Best in Class two years running. He plays with the Austin Youth Symphony Orchestra and was a member of the TMEA All-State Symphony Orchestra. Last spring Keshav was named as a 2020 Texas Young Master by the Texas Commission on the Arts and the Texas Cultural Trust. Last summer he was immersed in music at the Heifetz International Music Institute studying with Mr. Jan Sloman. The Young Master grant also enabled him to study with Dr. James Stern (UMD) and continue studying advanced repertoire with soloist Mr. William Hagen. Keshav was recently named a 2021 National YoungArts Winner as well as a member of the 2021 National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA).
Kavya is a Junior at St. Andrew's and has been a member of the Region 18 Full Orchestra every year since 6th grade. She plays with the Austin Youth Symphony Orchestra and has been a member of the TPSMEA All-State Orchestra. She had her first solo recital in February 2020, just before Covid made us all homebound. This summer Kavya attended the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, studying with Prof. Carolyn Huebl. Kavya leads the Austin chapter of Harmonies for the Elderly with Keshav.
Lessons will be held on Zoom once a week for 30 mins and they will be FREE! We have a curriculum to follow for techniques, loosely following the Suzuki books and scales books. If you have orchestra music or Region cuts for next year that you would like to work on, that's great, too.
At the end of each lesson the parent & student will get
Lessons will be held on Zoom once a week for 30 mins and they will be FREE! We have a curriculum to follow for techniques, loosely following the Suzuki books and scales books. If you have orchestra music or Region cuts for next year that you would like to work on, that's great, too.
At the end of each lesson the parent & student will get the video recording of the class as well as detailed notes on what was covered and what to practice.
We are starting this off as a Summer 2020 program, but are willing to keep it going through the school year if it will benefit our students
Since K2K involves kids teaching kids, we have policies in place to ensure everyone is safe and comfortable online. All lessons will be recorded and the student's parent/guardian will get a copy of it following the lesson. If you prefer to have a joint lesson with your friend from orchestra, that can be arranged, but we need to be in touch with them and their guardians, too.
We are undertaking this project with the guidance of four local middle and high school orchestra directors. We are happy to provide references.