Scientific Advancements for String Instruments with Dr. Cathleen Jeffcoat

String players throughout the world have struggled with the effects of climate on their instruments, particularly on their strings and pegs. With the use of advanced technology:

  • Thomastik-Infeld has created strings  that settle within one hour of stringing  an instrument and provide a stable, crystal-clear concert any student or professional can enjoy.
  • Knilling Music Instruments has  developed pegs which utilize a special  cog system which sustains exact intonation  levels without an instrument being affected  by variables such as weather or temperature  change.

Both products also offer  teachers – whether in the studio or in the group classroom – the ability to tune instruments quickly and precisely, which allows them more time to teach and significantly reduces time wasted on addressing instrumental difficulties.
This 60 minute hands on instrument session has been successfully presented at the 2007 American String Teachers Association (ASTA) National Conference in Detroit, Michigan, USA with full sponsorship endorsement from the companies of Thomastik-Infeld and Knilling Music. For the Australian String Teachers Association (AUSTA) National conference 2009, this presentation was proudly sponsored by Simon Veitch, Twofolds Media and Knilling Music, USA.

Viva Vibrato! with Dr. Cathleen Jeffcoat

This sixty-minute lecture presentation has been designed to address the instructional needs of string teachers teaching vibrato from the private string studio and public level to the college level of instruction. The introduction of vibrato to a string player is an important part of their technical and artistic development. Participants may interact in this session with or without musical instruments, and will acquire general and specific knowledge of progression from basic to advanced techniques of vibrato, including the use of the method Viva Vibrato! by Gerald Fischbach and Robert Frost (Kjos Music Press). 
This session has been successfully presented at the 2004 Maryland Music Educators Association (MMEA) Annual In-Service Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, the 2005 American String Teachers Association (ASTA) National Conference in Reno, Nevada, USA (sponsored by Kjos Music Press) the 2006 Music Teacher National Association (MTNA) in Austin, TX, USA and the 2009 Australian String Teachers’ Association National conference in Perth, Australia.

Preparing for Orchestral Auditions with Dr. Cathleen Jeffcoat

This session is designed for string players to learn the techniques in preparation orchestral excerpts in general and also specifically for All County and All State Orchestras. Dr. Jeffcoat is currently an All State judge for Maryland and shares her judging experience along with her decades of playing professionally in orchestras around the world.

String Sectionals with Dr. Cathleen Jeffcoat

Dr. Jeffcoat is the Director of the Howard Community Chamber Ensemble and has been Guest Conductor for the Charles County All County High School Orchestra in 2006. She is available to provide master class sessions to both string orchestras and symphonic orchestras on repertoire which schools are preparing for school concerts and tours, and available to help prepare orchestras for All County and All State Orchestra Festvials.


Tell Us What You Need

If there are specific matters that you would like our faculty to help you with, please let us know.  Our instructors have many years of experience with a diverse range of styles and genres.  We can assist by providing master classes, clinics, sectionals, or coaching sessions with your jazz groups, concert bands, orchestras, choirs, or chamber ensembles.  Contact Dr. Kyle Coughlin at kcoughlin@howardcc.edu with any questions.

Return to the Master Classes and Clinics page.