Sarah Lenhart
Sarah Lenhart, Middle School Orchestra Director at Hudsonville Public Schools in Michigan, was previously a beginning strings teacher in Greenwich, Connecticut and Naperville, Illinois. She also taught high school orchestra in Livonia, Michigan and 7th–12th grade strings in New York where her ensembles consistently earned first division ratings. These experiences have provided Lenhart with insight in applying string pedagogy to a wide variety of teaching situations.
A graduate of the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Music Education, and of Western Connecticut University with a Masters of Education, she has presented numerous times at the National ASTA Conference and the Michigan Music Conference, was conductor of the Ann Arbor School of the Performing Arts Youth Orchestra, has guest conducted throughout Michigan, and has been the music director at many alternative styles camps and the MASTA Strings Camp. Lenhart co-authored a book titled Sound Differentiation for Beginning String Orchestra published by Alfred Music.
Clinic Offerings
Building a Culture for Successful Recruiting and Retention
YOU can successfully build your program, get students excited about starting music, and keep students motivated! Learn how to build a culture of success, enthusiasm, and excellence! Look at examples of practical structures and methods for recruiting and retaining students. Come hear from a teacher who has built large programs in several locations. Hear how to build culture, elements of effective recruiting, practical examples of effective recruiting, and structures for the weeks before students sign up for classes.
Creative Warm-Ups for Orchestra
Learn to use your warm-up time effectively to enhance your curriculum. Specific ideas for extending technique for elementary through high school. Leave with a list of resources, ideas for various structures, and inspiration that you can implement immediately in your classroom! Consider why effective warmups are crucial, see examples of structures for warm-ups, and gain strategies for rhythm, intonation, tone, and musical development. Increase student motivation and engagement with simple competitions, games, activities that work on technical skills away from the music.
Differentiation: Helping All Students Learn
Examine different types of learners, how to provide access points into the content, and how to develop content for various learners. See examples of higher-level thinking questions and strategies. Use concepts and ideas you already have in your classroom to increase student motivation, engagement, and skill development through differentiation.
Eclectic Styles 101
Come learn how to incorporate Eclectic Styles into your orchestra classroom on Monday! No experience necessary! Learn the basics of teaching aurally and explore new styles of music with your students at any age level to enhance their musicianship and technique. Learn how to create arrangements, incorporate other instruments, teach chords and theory skills, and teach improvisation.
Rehearsal Strategies to Energize Your Students
Come be inspired while learning 30 rehearsal strategies to incorporate immediately into your orchestra classroom. Increase motivation, student engagement, performance ability, and musicality with effective rehearsal techniques for any age level. Consider these practice ideas of planning, purposeful Warm-Ups, chunking strategies, fixing strategies, listening strategies, motivational and musical strategies, strategies for beginners, and differentiation strategies which all impact classroom management in a positive way.