Executive Summary of the Evaluation of the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival’s Strings in Our Schools Program by Southwestern University’s Dr. Raquel Sáenz-Ortiz, Aminadab Corral Arras, and Rebecca Ramirez 

Executive Summary

In late May 2023, Southwestern University’s Education Department and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival began an initial evaluation of the Festival’s Strings in Our Schools (SiOS) elementary violin program. The students in this program attend two 50-minute violin classes every week—1 in person and 1 online—at either the beginner or intermediate level. They also perform in 2 concerts every school year. This program is available for students in grades 3–5 at 4 elementary schools in the Santa Fe area (Tesuque Elementary, Pecos Elementary, Ramirez Thomas Elementary, and Sweeney Elementary).

The goal of this research was to evaluate the impact of the program according to current students, alumni, music teachers, classroom teachers, and parents of students in the program. In total, we spoke to 36 stakeholders in the program. We asked individuals about their relationship with music and how it changed over their time in the program, what they liked about the program, how they believe the program impacted them, any suggestions they had about the program, and what aspects of the program should be evaluated in the future. The following research methods were used:

• Focus groups: 2 focus groups with parents and 3 focus groups with current students
• Interviews: 7 interviews with alumni, 4 interviews with elementary teachers (who previously or currently taught SiOS students), 1 interview with an alumni parent, 1 interview with an elementary music teacher, and 1 interview with the SiOS teacher

Through this research, we were able to identify key areas where the program has impacted students, in both the long-term and the short-term. As reported through the interviews and focus groups noted above, the most significant areas of impact for SiOS program participants were:

• Socio-emotional skills
• Academic skills
• Relationships
• Music immersion

Recommendations from stakeholders in the program demonstrate a desire for expansion of the SiOS program. Key areas that research participants highlighted when asked about what could be improved in the program were:

• General expansion (e.g., additional teachers, classes, and schools)
• More class time per week (e.g., two in-person classes)
• Additional performances
• Additional instruments for study (e.g., cello)

A primary finding that emerged from the research was the desire for the program to have more in-person time. Overall, there seemed to be strong support to keep SiOS as an in-school program as opposed to making it an after-school one.