ABOUT
Chamber Music Essentials is a unique fundamentals workshop designed by Jill Schultz Ed.D. for string players new to chamber music who want to improve their ensemble techniques. Chamber Music Essentials is fun, upbeat, non-judgmental, and always supportive.
Participants receive preparatory information in advance of the workshop, ensuring everyone is fully prepared for a rewarding experience. Expect to leave this workshop with lots of new information and new friends.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Building Skills
Topics Include:
We work together to build technical skills, chamber music savvy, and tricks of the trade that will make future chamber music encounters fun and rewarding.
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How to Prepare a Piece
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Organizing your music
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Listening with the score
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Tone Practice
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Bow control
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Bow Technique
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Division, strokes
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How to “fake it till you make it”
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Rhythm and left hand speed issues
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Playing in tune
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Daily sight-reading practice
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Working with an audio recording of your performance
Custom Repertoire
The repertoire is carefully chosen to limit technical hurdles so these new skills can be applied immediately.
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Faculty Concerts
Three Summertrios ProAm and Jazz Faculty Concerts in Barshinger Hall
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ProAm Participant Concerts
Hear participants from the ProAm Workshop perform their works alongside Summertrios Faculty.
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Nightly Activities & Receptions
Food, drink, and time to socialize after that evening’s activity or concert, including an Open Mic Night.
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Final Sharing Experience
The week concludes with a sharing experience and repertoire suggestions that participants can take home to build a library of music to play with others.
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Meet Jill Schultz
Hello and welcome!
I’m delighted to meet you here even if only virtually. I’m excited to share my many years of experience as a string teacher with you. I started out playing the violin myself in a public school program and remain to this day grateful that there was such a program in my school to capture my imagination and spark a lifelong interest in the violin. I know how challenging and rewarding it is to play an instrument, and how being in the world of music can foster lifelong friendships.
I moved to New York City from my home in NJ for its vibrant music scene and was fortunate to perform with many groups in the city. I realized early on that I preferred teaching, to performing, so I began to study string pedagogy at School for Strings, with Burton Kaplan, Kato Havas, Darcy Drexler who has championed the work of Paul Rolland.
I had the great good fortune to work with the Opus 118 String Program (founded by Roberta Tvaras) in Harlem and later worked in the Scarsdale (NY) school district. Through all these influences, I developed my own style of helping students reach high standards but have a lot of fun along the way. I believed strongly in trying to weave other disciplines into performance as a way to enrich the experience. My goal was always to help as many students as possible to experience the unique discipline and rewards of instrument study - as far as I could tell, it always helped them be better students, better learners, better friends, as well as better equipped to keep music in their lives.
I have also been fortunate to travel to other countries to observe their educational systems and play music. I am a strong advocate for these kinds of joyous cross-cultural encounters that have enriched my life and given me unique and important perspectives on education.
As the mother of two lovely young women, I know the challenges of working, raising a family and helping children practice and learn. Besides my music and my family, and all the richness of New York City culture, I enjoy swimming, cycling, and ballroom dancing.
I want to share as much expertise as I can with you and wish you much joy with music!
REGISTRATION
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There is no formal audition, but participants should be able to play a Suzuki Book 3 or 4 piece at a moderate tempo with comfort. Participants should have some knowledge of shifting and vibrato.
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Participants who are new to the program will have an introductory conversation with Jill Schultz before the Workshop to assess their needs and goals.
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New participants should take a look at the below repertoire list of pieces played in the past to aid in their understanding of the technical level of the program.
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Capacity is 20 participants with a minimum of 6 needed in order for the workshop to occur.
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Cancellation – No refunds after May 6, 2026. Purchase protection (recommended) may be purchased from an independent vendor on the registration page. Summertrios does not administrate purchase protection.
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For music questions or concerns, please email Jill Schultz at jschultz10026@gmail.com
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For all other questions, please visit our FAQ page or email our Administrative Director, Matt Buttermann, at matt@summertrios.org
Repertoire from Previous Years
Rhosymedre - Vaughn Williams/ arr. Foster
Grieg op 34 - The Last Spring
Haydn - op 76 # 3 - Theme and Variations
Schubert- Minuets and Trios
Pleyel- Cuarteto op. 34, no. 1
Handel - Concerto Grosso op. 6, no.1
Beethoven-Quartet op.18, no. 5, Minuetto