A group of Bay area music students are enjoying a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from world-renowned violinist Sarah Charness.

  • Electrify Your Strings works to encourage and empower
  • Charness hosting two workshops for Seminole Middle and High students
  • For more information: electrifyyourstrings.com

Charness, a violinist since the age of four, is now working to encourage and empower students who play string instruments as part of the "Electrify Your Strings" program. She and her signature pink violin will host two workshops for Seminole Middle and High School students, during which students will not be playing typical classical pieces.

"We're going to be playing some Ozzy Osbourne, some Beatles, some One Republic," Charness said. "We're trying to break the stereotype of sort of the band "geek" and really get outside of that, because string instruments are awesome and they can do so many things."

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Seminole High School Senior Skyler Hamilton said string instruments inspire him.

"It offers a bit of a different look at music," said Hamilton. "This provides more of a classical interpretation of music."

Hamilton and his classmates spent the day exploring alternative styles of orchestral playing, and worked on their performance skills. Seminole Middle School Orchestra instructor Keely Werly said music and the arts play a key part in a student's education.

"I find over the years that sometimes it is the arts programs that get the kids going to school," said Werly. "It's what they love and enjoy. When they have something they enjoy doing at school, their attendance is up, their focus is up."

At the conclusion of the two-day workshop at Seminole High School, students will perform a concert, open to the public, with all proceeds benefiting the Seminole Middle and High School Orchestra programs. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m.

For more information on the Electrify Your Strings Program, visit: www.electrifyyourstrings.com.