The East Texas Youth Orchestra (ETYO) has partnered with Tyler ISD to introduce the Afterschool Strings Club, an initiative designed to provide elementary students with early exposure to stringed instruments. The program launched at Dr. Bryan C. Jack Elementary School in September 2024 and recently expanded to Bell Elementary School in January 2025, with plans for further growth.
“Research and data clearly demonstrate the overwhelming impact learning an instrument has on a student's development,” said Phil Ketcham, ETYO Executive Director. “We have expanded our mission with a program to come alongside schools in our area to help students see the possibility of their playing a stringed instrument. Our goal for this program is to increase the number of students enrolled in middle school orchestra programs.”
The Afterschool Strings Club provides a structured learning experience for fifth-grade students, a pivotal time before middle school elective choices are made. Each session begins with a snack, followed by 30 minutes of music reading instruction and 45 minutes of violin training. A key element of the program’s success is parental involvement. Parents are required to attend the final 15 minutes of each session to receive guidance on how to support their child’s progress at home.
While the primary goal is to introduce students to the violin, the program also emphasizes performance opportunities. The Jack Elementary Strings Club has already showcased its progress at the ETYO concert and performed for their peers during a school lunch. They are set to perform again at the ETYO concert on February 23 at Tyler Junior College.
The program is entirely free for participating families, thanks to the generous contributions of the Rea Charitable Trust, Women’s Symphony League of Tyler, and the East Texas Communities Foundation’s Evans Merrick Music Fund. These organizations share ETYO’s vision of expanding access to musical education in East Texas.
The Bell Elementary club is under the direction of violin instructor Andrew Striley, orchestra director at Moore Middle School. The Jack Elementary club is led by Sam Pasqualetto, ETYO Coordinator of the Afterschool Clubs program and orchestra director at Three Lakes Middle School and Hubbard Middle School.
With the successful implementation of these first two clubs, ETYO is actively working toward establishing a third location, further expanding opportunities for young musicians in East Texas.
For more information, contact Jennifer Hines at Jennifer.Hines@TylerISD.org.