Whetstone Valley Strings hosted a violin and cello student recital on May 17 at Valley Baptist Church. According to instructor Elizabeth Schulte, their original... Elizabeth Schulte’s Strings Students Host Recital

Whetstone Valley Strings hosted a violin and cello student recital on May 17 at Valley Baptist Church. According to instructor Elizabeth Schulte, their original recital date was canceled, based on the imposed guideline of limiting public gatherings to less than 10 people. Schulte says, “With churches opening up these past couple of weeks, I asked for feedback from families, and several of them were excited about a live recital.” Seven families attended; three students participated online.

The students have been taking virtual lessons. Schulte says, “Technology, however, does not take the place of live lessons. We’ve had struggles tuning, diagnosing bowing and left hand technique issues, being disconnected mid-lesson, and trying to read music and assignments on a screen.” She says, “With the sound delay, communication takes longer; I have allowed 45 minutes for a typical 30-minute lesson to accommodate all the extra challenges.”

During the recital, Joseph and Traci Tschetter shared their arrangement of the hymn Speak, O Lord. Their sister Megan accompanied them on piano. Nicholas and Veronica Fonder teamed up with Joe and Rachel Schulte to play Lord of the Dance. All students joined in two orchestra numbers by Sioux Falls composers Dan and Heidi Goeller, including Viva La Twinkle, an arrangement based on the rhythm of Coldplay’s Viva la Vida.
Students were also recognized for achievements thus far in 2020: Twinkle Graduation – Jessica Wipf and Teaneashea Vogel; Half Book Review – Anika Olson, Joseph and Traci Tschetter; Book 1 Graduation Recital – Krista Gingerich and Jewel Waldner; Participation in Milbank’s Solo/Ensemble Contest – Nicholas and Veronica Fonder, Caitlyn Frerichs, Anika and Rosa Olson, and Joe and Rachel Schulte; and Selection to the 2020 South Dakota Middle School All-State Orchestra – Nicholas and Veronica Fonder and Joseph and Rachel Schulte.

Photo: Front: Teaneashea Vogel, Fischer Hawley, Joseph and Traci Tschetter, Leading-Elizabeth Schulte 

Center: Jessica Wipf

Back: Joe, Rachel, and Elizabeth Schulte, Nicholas and Veronica Fonder, Megan Tschetter, Krista Gingerich

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