Fresh from ASTA 2026: Turning Classrooms into Jam Sessions

Flexible Fiddling: Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What if my instrumentation is not a complete string orchestra?
A: You don’t need a perfect group to start! Simply divide your students into three groups: Melody, Backing (chopping), and Bassline. You can assign these by section (e.g., violins on melody, violas on backing) or even let the students vote on who plays what. To keep everyone in time, I highly recommend using a backing track. Strum Machine (free for two weeks) and iReal Pro are excellent tools that keep the energy up and the rhythm steady.

Q: Can I use these materials with students who play non-string instruments?
A: Definitely. Flexible Fiddling is designed to be inclusive. Students can bring in guitars, mandolins, or banjos to cover the backing parts. Even ukuleles work beautifully (with a quick tuning adjustment). While band instruments might find the keys a bit more challenging at early levels, they are always welcome to join the jam!

Q: How do I manage a very large ensemble with this method?
A: The secret is teaching everyone the “building blocks”: the melody, the backing, and the bassline. Once the whole group knows all three parts, you can “pass the melody” around the orchestra. If the basses are playing the tune, have everyone else play the chords quietly on the downbeat so the melody can shine. Add a “kickoff” to start and a “tag” to end, and you’ve created a professional-sounding arrangement together.

Q: I’m nervous about teaching improvisation because I don’t feel like an expert myself.
A: We all had to start somewhere! By being a little bit vulnerable and learning new skills alongside our students, we model exactly what it means to be a musician. You don’t have to be perfect; you just have to open the door. We use “Micro-Improvisations” through call-and-response: you play a line, and they echo it. Then, make one tiny change—a different rhythm or a new note in the last measure. When they copy you and change it slightly, they’re improvising! This gives them permission to make mistakes and helps develop lifelong learners.

Q: How can I help students build soloing confidence without making them feel “exposed”?
A: Use the “Small Group” approach within your classroom. While the whole group plays the backing parts, one student takes the lead on the melody. If they’re comfortable, they can change the melody (improvising); if not, they can play it as written. Because the rest of the group is still playing, the student feels supported,  making it a low-pressur way to build confidence.

Do you want happy and engaged students?

Flexible Fiddling is a kid-tested program that takes the guesswork away.  Everything is spelled out and kid-tested. Your students will love it.

Orchestra students learn how to play fiddle tunes authentically. Yet they won’t just learn the tunes.

They create bass lines, accompaniments, and play the melody. They tell their friends that orchestra is cool, making your job of recruitment and retention easier. They reach out to younger students and show them how to play the cool music they learned in orchestra.

And they have fun!

Each arrangement includes:

• Lesson plans with links to teaching videos.
• Student parts for Building Blocks and an Orchestra Arrangement
• Parts are double-sided – One side has alpha noteheads to help the youngest students. The other side has standard music notation.
• Conductor’s score of the Building Blocksﾠpage.
• Conductor’s score of the Orchestra Arrangement.
• Mp3 recordings of backing tracks to use in your classroom
• Links to Strum Machine backing tracks that you can slow down or speed up to use in your classroom