Strings Project
Strings for Kids
This free music education and instruction program offers violin classes to students in public schools and community centers in traditionally underserved and economically disadvantaged areas.
TFO Strings for Kids provides
- Free instruments and repairs
- Free individual instruction taught by professional musicians
- Mentorship and support for students and families to remove economic barriers and encourage accessible, inclusive participation.
The program is rooted in measurable Florida state standards, and encourages transferrable life skills such as discipline, collaboration, confidence and character building.
Partners:
Fairmount Park Elementary School
Lakewood Elementary School
Sandy Lane Elementary School – Conservatory for the Arts
Seventy-Fourth Elementary School
Town and Country Elementary School
Apply to become a partner site: Strings for Kids Partner Site Application
Detention Center Strings
TFO’s Detention Center Strings is an innovative outreach partnership that engages vulnerable youth with classical music.
Through this unique program, TFO provides 8 to 10-week sessions of string instrument instruction (violin and cello) to youth detained at Department of Juvenile Justice facilities in Hillsborough County, Florida.
The sessions culminate in youth performances within the facilities and lobby performances in collaboration with TFO. By introducing these young people to the intricacies of classical music, we seek to enhance their self-efficacy, broaden their cultural horizons, and positively impact their self-concept during a critical time in their lives.
Community Strings Project
During the summer, students engage in holistic music making through string instruction, yoga stretches, visual art, story-telling, and breathing exercises. Partnering with community partners, the Florida Orchestra String Specialists work with students in their community to discover their selves through music.
2026 Community Partners: Jackson Springs Community Center, Seventy-Fourth St. Elementary School, Boys and Girls Club: Royal Theater Club, Boys and Girls Club: Mort Elementary School, and Lakewood Elementary School
Storytelling Module
The Storytelling Module is an innovative interdisciplinary project where students combine writing, visual arts, music, and narration to create original films from start to finish. Through a series of interactive sessions, students are encouraged to explore the connections between different artistic mediums and to think beyond traditional boundaries—especially in how they create and experience sound. Our string specialists partner with schools, teachers, and young artists to develop these movies that inspire storytelling, spark creativity, and strengthen collaboration within classrooms and communities.
String Specialists
Luz Vasquez is a multidisciplinary artist and educator who studies how different art mediums, be it music, painting, or dance, can influence an individual and affect how they express themselves. Luz earned her performance degree at the University of Houston and her graduate degree in performance and chamber music from the University of South Florida. She is a founding member of the Up Beat Music Festival in Houston, Texas, and the Classical Mile movement, which brings music and visual art immersions to the community free of cost. Luz is a certified Yoga for Kids instructor and a Suzuki-trained violin teacher.
As an educator, Luz introduces music and movements via fun games that involve physical dexterity, breathing exercises, targeted stretches, and meditation. She uses visual arts and musical elements to develop human connections and to create a sense of community.
Bethany Thompson teaches violin/cello programs to youth in detention facilities and to foster-involved children. She also spent four years teaching in the Philippines, has published research on music’s impact on detained youth, and been featured in media outlets including the Tampa Bay Times and ABC Action News. She earned a doctorate from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro.
“I enjoy teaching because it allows me to connect with students in vulnerable seasons of life, give them the opportunity to succeed, and equip them with tools for their future.”