| Dates | Ages | Location | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall, Spring & Summer Sessions | 4–18 | Music Building | uwm-stringacademy@uwm.edu |
Students at the UWM String Academy learn to use their minds, ears, and bodies to express themselves through music. Through this journey, each child learns valuable lessons in problem solving, concentration, consistency and discipline, developing self-confidence, perseverance through challenges, an appreciation for beauty and artistry, and the joy of making music as part of a larger community.
Programs
The UWM String Academy offers students between the ages of 4 and 18 a comprehensive musical education with a focus on the violin and viola. Highly qualified artist faculty provide musical instruction based on the methods and philosophies of Mimi Zweig, Shinichi Suzuki, and Paul Rolland. The special training, experience, and expertise of the String Academy faculty in the musical training of young people results in students playing with technical ease and musical sensitivity.
Under the careful guidance from faculty and parents, students engage in a challenging course of study that includes private and group instruction, daily home practice, frequent solo and ensemble performances, master classes, and music theory and ear training study. String Academy alumni who have taken the path of becoming musicians are now performing and teaching throughout the world. While some may choose music as a career, all String Academy students can develop a lifelong appreciation for the joy and beauty of music.
Violin Beginner Program (June 19–July 28)
Get your budding violinist off to a great start with instruction designed for youngsters who have never played a string instrument. Price for this six-week program is $310 per student.
| Date | Time | Details |
|---|---|---|
| June 19-23 | 4:30–5:30 p.m. | Daily group lessons with Jamie Hofman and Heather Barker |
| June 26–July 28 | 30 minute sessions | Weekly private lessons scheduled independently with Heather Barker |
| June 29–July 27 | 4:30–5:30 p.m. | Thursday group lessons with Heather Barker |
Private Lessons (June 19–August 12)
In-person instruction (unless otherwise requested) taught by Jamie Hofman, Heather Barker, or Heidi Barker.
| Three Lessons | Six Lessons |
|---|---|
| 30 minutes: $125 | 30 minutes: $250 |
| 45 minutes: $170 | 45 minutes: $340 |
| 60 minutes: $215 | 60 minutes: $430 |
The academic year program includes individual lessons which vary in length, and weekly group lessons ranging from 1 to 3 hours (scheduled between 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday). For advanced students, a music theory class is offered. Group concerts, solo recitals, and other performance opportunities take place throughout the year.
Fall Semester Dates
- 17 weeks of instruction: August 28 – January 20
- No instruction: November 20–25 and December 18–January 6
Spring Semester Dates
- 17 weeks of instruction: January 22 – May 25
- No instruction: March 18–23
| Program | Cost (per semester)* |
|---|---|
| Beginner Program | $820 |
| 30 minutes (Lessons + Group) | $920 |
| 45 minutes (Lessons + Group) | $1,235 |
| 60 minutes (Lessons + Group) | $1,495 |
| 90 minutes (Lessons + Group) | $1,725 |
The Urban Students in Arts Outreach Program (USAO), which provides violin instruction, was developed to help meet the needs of musically talented low-income and minority students who are deserving of professional instruction. The program creates a positive educational experience for disadvantaged students, and helps develop discipline, self-confidence, self-esteem, aesthetic awareness and cultural appreciation in students whose lives can be altered with serious music study.
The USAO trains 10-20 students per year via outreach at Escuela Vieau K-8 elementary school in Walker’s Point, and are working to expand into Milwaukee Academy of Chinese Language and the Milwaukee High School of the Arts this year. Students are taught by UWM String Academy staff as well as by Master of Music in String Pedagogy students from UW-Milwaukee. USAO families pay a nominal fee for weekly private lessons and participate in all group and performance activities of the String Academy.
If you are interested in bringing UWMSA instruction to your school, please contact us!
Instructors
- Teaching Faculty III, Violin and Viola
- Director, UWM String Academy
- hofman@uwm.edu
- Music Building 271
- Associate Professor, Violin
- Area Head, Strings and String Pedagogy
- Chamber Music Coach
- bzinck@uwm.edu
- 414-243-2884
- Music Building 441
Registration
Staff will contact all current String Academy families with registration details for the 2023-2024 year. Staff will also contact prospective families, have a conversation to verify fit with programming, and share registration details. The financial aid form will also be distributed upon request.
| Payment Schedule | Fall Due Date | Spring Due Date |
|---|---|---|
| Full Payment | September 2 | January 27 |
| Installments | September 2, October 14, November 18 | January 27, February 24, April 6 |