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Message 2025 String Project Spring Concert featuring The University of South Carolina String Project OrchestrasMonday, May 5, 20257:00 p.m.Koger Center for the Arts

2025 Spring Concert | 1A WORD FROM THE DEANI think I speak for all of us associated with the USC School of Music when I say that our pride in the accomplishments of the USC String Project is profound. Each of the directors of the Project —especially the two most recent, Robert Jesselson and Gail Barnes — have assured that the program remains a national model for achievement in string instrument pedagogy and musical experience in each of its ve decades. Thousands of students and families have benetted from their involvement in the USC String Project in ways not entirely imaginable and impossible to calculate, and this includes the legions of great young string music teachers we have brought up as USC School of Music undergraduate and graduate instructors-in-training in the program whose expertise has been spread internationally upon graduation.The impact of the String Project is not only felt statewide through its distinctive role in seeding string programs in a number of public school districts and select private schools, but in its regional, national and global reach, serving as the model for such pedagogical and instructional methods for other American college and university music schools. Indeed, one would be hard-pressed to identify any program in any American collegiate music school that has done more for the signicance of music in society, and the shaping of community values of hard work, perseverance, sensitivity, teamwork and personal expression for young people of all ages thorough unique instruction and experience in music as has the USC String Project. When considering the extent to which the String Project both manifests and inspires the very vision of the USC School of Music to be the nation’s model public school, one is le moved by its place in the rmament of great community-focused programs at Carolina and in all of higher education nationally.I hope you will join me in both enjoying the commitment of these young people to study a meaningful cra and to saluting their devotion to something so vital to our world as making music. Forever to Thee, USC String Project.– Tayloe Harding Dean, School of Music Ira McKissick Koger Professor of Fine Arts University of South Carolina

2 | The University of South Carolina String ProjectPROGRAMSilver Strings 1 OrchestraGabriela McWethy, Nicole Bedoya andElizabeth Sutherland, ConductorsOde to Joy Ludwig von BeethovenGroovin’ Grandma and Grumpy Grandpa Traditional American TuneViol Boogie Kenneth Henderson and Albert StoutamireSilver Strings 2 OrchestraCaitlyn McDonald and Esais Jones, ConductorsStegosaurus Stomp Perry HolbrookRock the Bow Baby Frank RodgersConcertino OrchestraTristan Groscost, ConductorInto the Sky! Brian BalmagesJoy Ride Doug Spata

2025 Spring Concert | 3PROGRAMAdult Continuing OrchestraTristan Groscost, ConductorSahara Crossing Richard MeyerViolets Tango Doug SpataVoyager Soon Hee NewboldCapriccio OrchestraSarah-Iyuna Spencer, ConductorTango D’Amour Susan H. DayWhen The Summer Comes Susan H. DayRed Pepper Jerey S. BishopIntermezzo OrchestraDr. Gail V. Barnes, ConductorSururu Na Cidade Zequinha Abreu arr. by Steve OlsonElegy Jack JarrettWaltz Dmitri Shostakovich arr. By Paul LavenderStardust Hoagy Carmichael & Mitchell Parish arr. by Rob GunningNew World Symphony - Movement IV Antonín Dvořák arr. By Deborah Baker Monday

4 | The University of South Carolina String ProjectSS1 ORCHESTRAVIOLINViktor BaldwinCharlotte EsherickGloria EsherickEunice KumJared PalleroHenry CampbellLeoni DiopLyssette HuntGracie (Gigi) MartinTempy RussellAurora VanDeusenEssie CarlsonMary Caroline GazaEllison MacleodTucker McMillanAngela SandersIdaliz TorresJordyn WilkesAmanda AdamsEden CrawleyMary Ashton LeMoineHarrison PrezzyMason PrezzySidney XiangCharlotte WolfeVIOLAAlana DavisAlayna DavisHarlan HuntMatthew LewisCimorene WebbKennedy DavenportMia ElyAlexander AdamsCELLOLeila WilliamsKeiden AguirreCaleb CooperMercy RussellAnn MaynardGrady MillerRowdy MillerAva WatsonSS2 ORCHESTRAVIOLINLevi BialaszewskiAngel CantrellVivian EvansZion GarrickJoshua LiuAdelaide NormanBenjamin RiceMacie Jane SnipesGeorge ThomasSolomon WarrenEmber WebbVIOLAReegan FichterSarah LeeCELLOGreyson CannonYixin ChenAmaia GarrickJaMarley GarrickJeremiah LyonsLydia LyonsSarah MajorEdgar McBrideJude NormanNed SnyderHenry Thomas

2025 Spring Concert | 5ADULT CONTINUING ORCHESTRAVIOLINChristine DiStefanoElizaveta KorunovaMaren MacConnellIvette MedinaDianne MirmowPaul MunnSally WestonMarsha Myers-JonesDonna SimmonsKatherine SimpsonLinda SuleskiCristiana SwearingenJohn Meynard TengcoVIOLAEmily DunnCarol PelsterBASSChris RobnettCONCERTINO ORCHESTRAVIOLINLela BellAnne Catherine EmpleoClara FaulkenburyBrianna HudsonBrielle JohnsonCara LewisAmellia SpainAnnieka MitraEleanor SchmidtAnna SikirzhytskiSavannah VitolloAhditya LaRocheVIOLAAbigail JacobsJoseph KnappJoseph LingCELLOMadelyn ChisolmDrake OjedaAudrey VennJuniper WilsonCELLOTasha BrewsterMary Kay ElsasserAisha HulweEunhye KimRicky LeonardDeborah LoweryTammie MaddockDennis PinnellAndrea WhetstoneAntona Wilson

6 | The University of South Carolina String ProjectCAPRICCIO ORCHESTRAVIOLINZoey AndersonEmeira BetheaMolly BrutonSelena CasanaCristian GarciaMarbella GarciaMollie GunnCaleb JenkinsXavier KnappLaura LawsonAbigail LloydAmanda MartinClara McFarlandTrista MontgomeryKrisis PengDaisie ReeseArbion SakajJames ShealyMicah SimmonsSallee WestonNyah WhiteAlyona ZheltovVIOLAEmerson BetheaGaven LukityGrant LukityLuke NicholsChandler ParkLeah PolizziAubriana WoodsCELLORayan BoutaharMatthew MaGeorge PetroJoseph RaSarah SloanLore Ann StablerParker VaughanBASSJasper FergusonINTERMEZZO ORCHESTRAVIOLINVirginia AyersAlee BaileyBethany BinglerCourtney BookertLuke BrowerJohn DennisJamilatou DiedhiouHannah GaldamezDasha HutchesonCourtney JollyCaroline KnappJoanna LingTitus MooreCollin NicholsRobert Grant O’NeilAmy OverbaughRutledge SavitzAlexandra (Sasha) ShinkarevaJackson SwansonLeif TollefsenElizabeth (Elsa) WalkerVIOLAKimberly BookertWilliam O’NeilWilson RussellClaire ShealyMariama TollefsenCELLOAbigail ChristianEe ColemanRyan McCallKendal RobinsonRocco ScandrolJane ZheltovBASSAsa AdlerHenry Holton

2025 Spring Concert | 7STRING PROJECT TEACHERSMrs. Vira AdamsMs. Nicole Bedoya*Ms. Tiaryca GreenMr. Jacob GroetschMr. Joshua GroscostMs. Amanda HarrellMr. Kyle HumphriesMs. Ella JohnsonMr. Esais JonesMs. Kayla MathisMs. Caitlyn McDonald*Mr. Finn McGregorMs. Gabriella McWethyMs. Miranda RamirezMs. Katie RojasMr. Brendan ShortMs. Elizabeth Sutherland*Ms. Lanycia TaylorMr. Mac TollefsenMr. Sebastian VisserMs. Sadie WoodDr. Gail V. Barnes, DirectorMrs. Morgan Owen, Interim Associate DirectorMr. Tristan Groscost, Co-Assistant Director*Ms. Sarah-Iyuna Spencer, Co-Assistant Director**Graduating 2025

8 | The University of South Carolina String ProjectTHE USC STRING PROJECT IS PROUD TO HOST STUDENTS FROM THE FOLLOWING SCHOOLS:Arrows AcademyBallentine ElementaryBlythewood Middle SchoolBrennan ElementaryCarolina Springs Elementary Carolina Springs Middle Caughman Road ElementaryCayce ElementaryCenter for InquiryCenter of KnowledgeCrayton Middle SchoolDent Middle SchoolDreher High SchoolDutch Fork Middle SchoolEast Point AcademyEL Wright Middle SchoolExcelsior AcademyForest Lake ElementaryFulmer Middle SchoolGray Collegiate AcademyGreen Charter School of the MidlandsHand Middle SchoolHarbison West ElementaryHopestone AcademyIrmo High SchoolKeels Elementary SchoolLake Carolina Elementary Upper CampusLake Murray Elementary SchoolLakeside Middle SchoolLAW @ E.L. WrightLMESLogan ElementaryLongleaf Middle SchoolLonnie B Nelson ElementaryMeadow Glen ElementaryMeadow Glen Middle SchoolMeadoweld ElementaryMidway Elementary SchoolMontessori SchoolPolo Rd Elementary Ridge View HighRiver Blu High SchoolRosewood ElementaryRoundtop ElementarySaint Joseph Catholic SchoolSatchel Ford Elementary SchoolSC Connections AcademySC Virtual Charter School SCAIHSSpring Hill High SchoolSpring Valley High SchoolSt. John Neumann Catholic SchoolSt.Peter’s Catholic SchoolWayne Shealy HomeschoolWG Sanders MiddleWhite Knoll Middle SchoolJOIN US NEXT YEAR!Click here to register for Fall 2025 online, or contact the USC String Project at 803-777-9568 or uscsp@mozart.sc.edu.

2025 Spring Concert | 9ABOUT THE USC STRING PROJECTFor 51 years, we have provided consistent service to the community and pre-service experience for our string education majors. In the last 28 years, we have built on the foundation created by Dr. John Bauer and Dr. Robert Jesselson, who modeled our program on that of the University of Texas at Austin. As with the other 36 String Projects that are part of the String Project Consortium, we have evolved to meet the needs of our community and of our majors. We have a wealth of musical opportunities in our area, including a well-developed youth orchestra organization and a ourishing Suzuki Program, yet we have continued to grow. We have expanded our program to include adults and that has been a wonderful addition, both for school-aged children and for our pre-service teachers. These adults embody life-long learning to the school-aged children in the program. Our teachers learn about inter-generational education, and we hope they will incorporate adults into community programs with which they may be involved in the future.During the past 28 years, we have established a curriculum with detailed skills, repertoire and rubrics. We not only wish to provide access through our low tuition, but we also wish to provide a quality music experience for both students and teachers. We have increased the amount of feedback teachers and students get. This has been aided both by a dedicated building, provided by the university, and by evolving technology. In our facility, there are two observation rooms with one-way glass which facilitates monitoring private lessons. All large classrooms have Apple TV’s and projection tools.We have had consistent success with grants. For the last several years, we have had a successful partnership with Keels Elementary. This partnership is important for two reasons—maintaining not only ethnic diversity but also economic diversity and teaching our undergraduates to be eective teachers with students from varied backgrounds. I have loved every minute that I have been Director. I have worked with the best young people and seen them have an impact on their communities. I have enjoyed the support of the parents and the students who trust all of us with their musical education. I rest easy knowing I leave the program in the very capable hands of Dr. Lani Hamilton. – Dr. Gail V. Barnes, Director of the USC String ProjectCLICK HERE TO DONATE TO THE INAUGURAL GAIL V. BARNES STRING PROJECT SCHOLARSHIP FUND.

A special thanks to: Dean Tayloe Harding The Faculty of the University of South Carolina The parents of our student musicians