Exploring the String Chorale Concept©
Overview – Strategies – Engagement – Permissions – Connect
© 2011 Jeanne Porcino Dolamore. The String Chorale Concept© excerpts filmed between 1999 & 2008. All rights reserved.
Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this video is prohibited.
The String Chorale Concept© is an ensemble approach that focuses on investing in our youth through music while giving back to our communities through performance. It urges directors to “think choir, teach strings,” reimagining rehearsals so that students’ inner musicians lead the way and every young player has a meaningful musical role. Based on a flexible “chorale” framework, the approach uses SATB (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) voicings and layered harmonies to create string ensemble arrangements that truly sing.
Jeanne Porcino Dolamore’s development of The String Chorale Concept© as a written pedagogical model dates to 1999. The concept was later published in Teaching Music in the Urban Classroom (2006) and featured in Messengers of Music: The Legacy of Julia E. Crane (2011). Beyond the classroom, Dolamore’s highly acclaimed community string ensembles have included culturally and economically diverse groups of young musicians—the longest-running of which was aptly named The Flying Fiddlers String Chorale™.
Five Fundamental Strategies:
The five fundamental strategies that shape The String Chorale Concept© provide a distinctive approach to music-making, helping directors cultivate ensembles that are artistically vibrant, technically strong, and meaningfully connected to their communities through purposeful performance opportunities.
- Think Choir, Teach Strings
- Embrace Cultural and Economic Diversity
- Maintain High Musical Standards
- Captivate the Audience
- Enlist a Community-Wide Effort
The result? Exemplary string ensembles that inspire students, captivate audiences, and nurture confident performers who become engaged, contributing members of their communities.
Workshops & Professional Learning
More information about The String Chorale Concept© is available through workshops, clinics, virtual sessions, and conference presentations for string educators, school districts, universities, and community ensembles. Sessions can be customized for beginning teachers, experienced directors, or full department teams, and include demonstrations, hands-on strategies, and adaptable materials for immediate classroom and ensemble use.
Copyright & Permissions
The String Chorale Concept©
© Jeanne Porcino Dolamore. All rights reserved.
The String Chorale Concept© is a proprietary pedagogical framework. All materials, concepts, and language associated with The String Chorale Concept©, The Flying Fiddlers String Chorale©, and related instructional content are protected by copyright. Unauthorized reproduction, adaptation, or distribution is prohibited.
Names, titles, and pedagogical frameworks associated with BuildingBridges.Music, including The String Chorale Concept© and The Flying Fiddlers String Chorale™, are used as identifiers of original works and educational approaches. Trademark applications are pending or forthcoming.
Continuing the Conversation
If you would like to learn more about the String Chorale Concept© or explore how this approach might support your ensemble or teaching context, I would welcome your inquiry.