130. Building Community Through Strings — From Appalachia to Nigeria with Liz Dinwiddie

In Episode 130 of The Orchestra Teacher Podcast, Dr. Charles Laux
welcomes Liz Dinwiddie, Director of Strings at Rabun
Gap-Nacoochee School in the mountains of Northeast Georgia, for a
powerful conversation about access, community, and joy in string
education.





At Rabun Gap, every student from age three through fifth grade is
required to take strings. Yes — every student. Liz shares how she
structures this unique program, including cardboard starter
instruments, singing-based instruction, floor staff games,
color-coded finger systems, and creative approaches to teaching
clefs and note reading that make learning accessible and fun.





Serving a diverse student population that includes local
Appalachian families and boarding students from over 50
countries, Liz discusses how she builds a culture where music is
not just about performance — it’s about life skills, belonging,
and exposure to beauty.





But the story doesn’t stop in the Blue Ridge Mountains.





Liz also shares her extraordinary experience traveling to
Onitsha, Nigeria, where she helped launch and grow a youth string
program connected to a local parish. From crash-course string
pedagogy workshops to coaching students preparing excerpts from
Messiah, her work demonstrates the global power of music
education to connect cultures and expand opportunity.





In this episode, you’ll hear:


• How to structure a required elementary strings program


• Practical tools for teaching 3–10 year olds successfully


• Using movement, singing, and visual mapping for early note
reading


• Managing mixed socioeconomic communities with intentional
culture


• Building student ownership and leadership


• Launching and sustaining international string outreach





This episode is a reminder that whether you’re teaching in a
rural mountain town or halfway across the world, strings can be a
powerful vehicle for connection, growth, and joy.





— BIORGRAPHY —


Liz Dinwiddie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Viola Performance from
Boston University, a Master’s from the University of Colorado
Boulder, and a Specialist Graduate Degree Certificate from
Indiana University focused on Music Education and Community Music
Schools. She has performed with the Boulder Chamber Orchestra,
Greeley Philharmonic, Fort Collins Philharmonic, and the Prague
Multicultural Music Project, and has presented nationally at ASTA
and multiple state music educator conferences.





Contact: www.lizdinwiddie.com





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