By Mary Owen
Julie Preston’s passion for orchestral music is catching fire with students at Willamette Valley Baptist School in Aumsville.
“I decided to start Cascade Strings Academy because I realized that in both the Cascade School District and also the North Santiam School District, there are not any string programs,” said Preston, who is the band/orchestra teacher at Willamette Valley Baptist, where she attended from sixth to 12th grade. “There are bands, but no string orchestras. Because of this, I saw an opportunity to start a strings program in Aumsville.”
Cascade Strings Academy offers an after-school program designed to get more fourth-to sixth grade students in the Aumsville/Stayton area involved in music, Preston said.
Preston will host a demonstration of the string instruments at a few schools on Sept. 5 and 12. A meeting for parents and potential students will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 16 in the music room of WVB. The first class will be at 4:15 p.m. on Sept. 23.
“The Cascade Strings Academy will function very similar to that of the orchestra program in the Salem/Keizer School District,” said Preston, who also teaches computers/yearbook and is the graphic designer for WVB.
“If a student were to start the beginning strings class in fourth grade and eventually move to Salem, he or she would be right on track with the Salem/Keizer public school orchestra program.”
Preston uses her expertise to help her students gain a functional understanding of playing violin, viola, cello or upright bass. She has given private violin lessons for about 12 years and group string lessons at WVB for two.
Preston attended Pensacola Christian College as a music education major, but switched to commercial art. She graduated with a bachelor’s in commercial art with a minor in music. She is currently working on a master’s of music degree from West Coast Baptist College.
Using the Essential Elements Strings Method, her goal is to have a first-year strings class this year, followed by a first- and second-year strings class, and possibly a first- through third-year strings class the third year.
“After that, it would be beneficial for students to take private lessons, but there is also a possibility of having a junior high level orchestra after the third year, if there is enough interest,” Preston said.
“Some of the challenges to teaching in a group setting would be that of teaching violins, viola, cello and basses at the same time,” she added. “The highlight to teaching in a group setting is that students stay way more motivated to keep playing than that of taking private lessons. It is fun because they are taking lessons with other kids their own age.”
Preston’s start in orchestra began in fourth grade under the direction of Bruce Purdy. While in high school, she studied the violin under Stephanie Johnson, and had the opportunity to play in the Salem Youth Symphony for two years. She also played in the Salem/Keizer All City Honor Orchestra in the first violin section during her senior year in high school. In college, she played in the PCCymphony as well as in the Rejoice Orchestra at the campus church, a televised church service. While in college, Preston studied the violin with Dr. Alberto Jaffee. Currently, she plays in the Salem Philharmonia Orchestra in the first-violin section.
Preston plans to hold two concerts a year with her young students, one during the Christmas season and the other at the end of the school year.
“Ever since my early orchestra days, my passion for music never left,” Preston said. “There were a few years that I thought I would move in a different direction and be a graphic designer or an illustrator, but when I became a music teacher two and a half years ago, I knew that was what God’s will was for my life.”
For information, call Preston at 503-999-6602, or visit www.cascadestrings.com.
