Session Proposals

Mary Sensabaugh is a dedicated music educator entering her sixth year of teaching. She has taught students across elementary, middle, and high school levels, with the majority of her career focused on string orchestra. Originally trained as a flute player, she earned her degree from Old Dominion University in 2020 in Music Education and is passionate about supporting educators transitioning between band and orchestra teaching.

Music education is facing a nationwide shortage of qualified string orchestra teachers; as a result, more band directors are taking the podium to an ensemble composed of instruments they were not trained for in-depth. With more and more band directors taking over for our string orchestra programs, there is a learning curve that can feel more like a curveball.
This session is designed to give an overview of what to expect in your first string classroom as someone with a wind or percussion background. This session will help expand on current understanding in string pedagogy and teaching, current literature, what to look for in the literature, and strategies that can translate from the band world into the string world.
This session will give you a road map to navigating your first orchestra class as an educator with a wind or percussion background. Participants will explore the bow and why it is, arguably, the most important component of sound production in string orchestras. Participants will leave this session with a foundational repertoire list for their own classroom, a list of resources to support their journey, and a deeper understanding of string vocabulary that may otherwise be confusing.
Let’s give all our educators the tools they need to succeed in the orchestra classroom and to help our orchestra programs thrive.

• Orchestra - Middle School
• Orchestra - Secondary
• Mentorship/Beginning Teachers