“I founded Winterfield Strings at the end of the 2007 school year,” said Hollenbeck. “I brought my violin to school to teach my class the difference between pitch and volume in a science lesson.  One of my students fell in love with the violin and told her mom she wanted to play.  The following day her mom asked if I could teach her how to play the violin.”

This request got Hollenbeck thinking. She wanted to create an opportunity for more than just one student to have the chance to learn to play a musical instrument. Hollenbeck became involved in music and band at a young age through her school. She wanted students at Winterfield to have the same opportunity. She began to buy instruments and recruit students to be a part of the program.

Over the past few years, the program has grown to serve students at Winterfield in second through fifth grade. Winterfield Strings has also developed a partnership with the Charlotte Symphony. They have performed together and the symphony has been a great resource for the program. They have written grants for Winterfield Strings to receive instruments, instructors and free tickets to see the symphony.

Winterfield Strings performs throughout the school year at different events and concerts. They are currently planning their end of year concert for June.