String Explorations is a music performance and music education project led by Chris Coyle. Education-wise, Chris and his collaborators seek to inspire young music students (primarily violin/cello/guitar/bass students ranging from college to middle school levels) and encourage them to develop practice approaches and skills found outside of the traditional "orchestra" and classical experience. Through demonstrations, conversations, and shareable resources made available to students, we model jazz learning and diverse styles (folk, fiddle, Latin, funk, and much more) for strings and help students take steps towards improvisation and self-guided creativity. The goal is not to convert students to jazz learning exclusively, but to help them see the connections and possibilities that diverse study offers. We want students to feel like they can create their own musical path.

We have offered this content and experience in formal settings, including at the Jazz Education Network's national conference in 2025 and at college music programs such as Temple University and Ursinus College. Our work can be most impactful at smaller schools and organizations that often lack a budget for guest artists or specialized programming. We want to reach students even when program budgeting proves difficult, and this is where Awesome Fund can help.

We are seeking modest stipend funds to cover teaching work done by our team at local/regional schools or organizations. This compensation is equivalent to just a fraction of what we are (sometimes) paid by private schools and colleges, but it makes it possible for us to prioritize the time and effort. Again, working in these settings can be even more impactful than serving students at well-resourced schools and organizations.

While this is surely a niche project, we have a ready-to-roll plan in place to engage young students with our work. Documenting this proposed work can lead to more opportunities for project support.