We offer original music for strings ranging from elementary school beginners to high school musicians. Repertoire is thoroughly tested in the classroom, and most pieces are supplemented with invaluable concept maps providing unique shortcuts for lesson planning.
Fun tunes like “Saddles and Spurs” and “Arizona Rodeo” combine Southwestern charm with techniques carefully designed to improve specific skills. These versatile compositions adapt easily to teacher preferences in articulation, rhythm, tempo and style as integral building blocks in the string classroom, offering differentiated instruction aligned to state and federal music education standards. Lower strings receive equal attention thanks to the composer’s background as a cellist.
String Riffs spotlights the engaging music of composer Karen Koger, an experienced professional educator and performer. As a lifelong musician Koger has been teaching private cello lessons for more than two decades and most recently instructed fourth- through eighth-grade students in Arizona’s Mesa and Tempe Public School systems, maintaining a long relationship with the American String Teacher Association. She actively plays in chamber, orchestral, studio, instructional and theatrical ensembles.
