About
|
The LHS Strolling Strings were founded in 1991 by Sue Rolá, who guided the group until her retirement in 2014. The current director is Tara Kizer, herself a former Lindbergh student and Strolling Strings member.
The group is comprised of students in ninth through twelfth grades who have likely been studying string instruments since the fourth grade in the Lindbergh District. Members audition on a yearly basis. They rehearse together weekly and play 2-4 shows a month during the school year. The group's repertoire is a mix of musical genres including Celtic, Pop, Bluegrass, Irish, Appalachian, and even Rock. The Strolling Strings typically perform around the St. Louis area, but they have traveled to a variety of cities including: Orlando, FL; Branson, MO; Memphis, TN; Chicago, IL; Nashville, TN; New York; NY, Louisville, KY; and even to the country of Scotland for performances at the Stirling International Arts Festival. The group has had the honor of performing at numerous National Strolling Strings Conventions and was recognized by Missouri Governor Matt Blunt in 2007 for their performance at the National Festival of States. While their gigs pay for maintaining equipment and uniforms, it does not cover the travel costs for these amazing trips. Our Annual Trivia Night is the main fundraiser for them. In 2019, the group went to Washington DC for a music and history-filled week. They had performances in front of the Lincoln Memorial, at Gettysburg, and for the residents of the Veterans Administration Medical Center on D-Day. The students were also able to watch a rehearsal of the US Army Strings and listen to and meet with the US Army Strolling Strings, a group that is set up quite similarly to themselves. Other musical highlights of the trip included a tour of the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts as well as attending an concert by the National Symphony Orchestra. The group still had time to fit in trips to Mount Vernon, the US Capitol, the Smithsonian Institution, Arlington National Cemetery, and an Illuminated Monuments Tour. |