Starter Strings

Starter Strings is a tuition-free program enabling students to begin learning violin and viola at their neighborhood school. Launched in 2021 as a pilot program, it now serves more than 120 fourth-grade students attending Oakhill, O’Neal, and—new in 2025-26—Dundee Highlands Elementary Schools.

While music education is meaningful and valuable to everyone, access to high-quality music education is not always equal across our communities. Recognizing that disparity, EYSO teamed up with the U-46 school district in July 2020 to begin addressing these challenges. Over the course of the year, wildly ambitious dreams and careful planning came together at Oakhill Elementary to increase access by removing many of the traditional barriers to instrumental music education: transportation, tuition, and instrument rental.  

Each week, 120+ students receive group instruction from Starter Strings Director Tracy Dullea, who leads the students on their string-playing journey. In addition to weekly instruction, Starter Strings students are invited to attend EYSO concerts and events free of charge, and they get to interact with both students and teachers from across EYSO. Each year culminates with performances by Starter Strings musicians in their spring school music concerts.