At the ESTA Netherlands 53rd Annual Conference, May 28 – June 1, 2025 in Amersfoort, The Netherlands, Jeanne Porcino Dolamore and Gerianne Wigboldus gave a workshop: “Teaching and performing with beginning violinists: The Flying Fiddles Series© (2023) and The String Chorale Concept©(2006).”
Their book Flying Fiddles©, Book 1, edition two (2023) was at the center of this explorative session, focusing on guiding young violinists to connect with their inner musical voice. Flying Fiddles embraces the philosophy that “if you can sing it, you can play it,” empowering students to internalize music and transmit their joy in violin playing from the inside out. Attendees were introduced to a variety of effective materials, including flying violin and flying bow activities, tune patterns, and progressing finger tunes designed to foster successful music-making from day one and promote positive playing habits that last a lifetime.
The presentation also touched upon The String Chorale Concept© (2006) which is an ensemble approach that urges directors to “think choir, teach strings,” and reimagine rehearsals to ensure that their student’s inner musicians lead the way – by inspiring, not demanding practice; and by arranging performances at all stages of development.
The ‘story’ behind Flying Fiddles began with the father of Jeanne Porcino Dolamore, Chet Porcino, and his attendance at a Kato Havas workshop in 1975. This ignited a 30-year collaboration and mentorship that deeply influenced his work as a string educator and led to the publication of the Flying Fiddles string teaching series in 1985. The second edition of Flying Fiddles (2023) represents the culmination of over two decades of pedagogical refinement and creative collaboration during our shared experience as public school string teachers between 1981 to 2008. Flying Fiddles is one of two beginner/intermediate violin teaching series rooted in the teachings of Kató Havas, who has been honored for her “New Approach to Violin Playing” by the American String Teachers Association (1990) and the European String Teachers Association (2013) and was awarded the OBE by Queen Elizabeth for her unparalleled service to Music in 2002.
The spirits of Chet Porcino and Kató Havas have not only guided the publication of Flying Fiddles (2023) and inspired The String Chorale Concept (2006), but can be imagined clapping and singing along with every conference participant, teacher, or student whose music has been carried from his/her ‘flying fiddle’ to grateful audience members around the world!