The assignment seemed simple enough from my client Grandview Bank: Raise the level of our Partners in Education relationship with our local school, Grandview Elementary School. It helped that my client Robert Stewart is married to Kathrine Stewart, principal of the school.
Businesses provide valuable resources for their school partners whether the official program is labeled Adopt-A-School or Partners in Education. I’ve assisted many clients whose employees volunteered to read in the classroom, gave tours of their manufacturing plants, served as speakers for school events, underwrote school festivals, and more.
This was a different task. Grandview Elementary has a unique program called Zebra Strings, where every third, fourth, and fifth grader plays a stringed musical instrument – mostly violins, but some cellos – for 30 minutes every school day. The Zebra Strings program now includes 300 students, which I understand is the largest such program operated by a public school in Texas, and possibly the nation.
The Zebra Strings program began 24 years ago with 50 violins and now, through local support, the school owns over 100 violins.
“As far as we know, we are the only public elementary school in Texas with this type of commitment to the arts,” says principal Kathrine Stewart.
She adds: “The common trait of high-achieving schools tends to be a strong focus on the arts, so we are enriching the educational experience of our students.”
Now comes the fun part: Elevating the Partners in Education relationship.
In the fall of 2018, I scanned across the TV programs on PBS-TV station KERA/Channel 13 and I saw a concert by Celtic Woman, the internationally acclaimed Grammy-nominated, quartet of women wearing flowing gowns and singing Irish music.
They would be playing in concert on May 1, 2019, at the Texas Trust CU Theatre in Grand Prairie.
One of their members was Tara McNeill, who played the violin as she glided gracefully across the stage.
I wondered how this violin connection could relate to the Zebra Strings, so I called Ms. Stewart. She had seen the same performance on TV and was curious how to connect with Celtic Woman.
After a series of emails and phone calls with the Celtic Woman marketing and facility teams, we arranged for 30 fifth-grade members of the Zebra Strings to meet and play briefly for Celtic Woman.
Talk about an enriching experience for a Partners in Education program!
It was the experience of a lifetime. The students met the Celtic Woman performers in the theatre lobby, visited with them, and played four songs. A generous donor bought the students’ tickets for that night’s performance.
Yet another example of a valuable school partnership.
Then came the “wow” moment: Tara, the violinist, was so impressed with the students that she said, “Perhaps when we return, the Zebra Strings could come onstage and perform with us.”
Everyone involved with the Zebra Strings, from the students and parents to the program director, Vicki Lynn, was thrilled.
Next came the pandemic, which shut down the Celtic Woman tours through 2023.
I stayed in touch with the Celtic Woman marketing team and we arranged a return that took place on Wednesday, May 1, again in Grand Prairie.
This time, the group of 25 fifth graders from Grandview Elementary School’s Zebra Strings took the stage with Celtic Woman during the 4 p.m. sound check for Celtic Woman’s performance.
The students played four songs for the women – violinist Tara McNeill and vocalists Maired Carlin, Muirgen O’Mahon and Emma Warren. The songs were “Rocky Top,” “Highway 40 Blues,” “Amarillo by Morning” and bluegrass favorite “Dusty Ridge and Rocky Ground.”
Next came the highlight of the day with Zebra Strings joining with Celtic Woman for the group’s signature song, “Amazing Grace.” Following the instrumental introduction, Celtic Woman sang the lyrics to the song. Their voices sounded like angels singing from heaven.
Then, the ladies visited with the students, posed for photos, and autographed several of the students’ violins.
“We were blown away with this opportunity to just meet and play for them five years ago,” says Vicki Nichols, program director. “Their violinist, Tara McNeill, invited us to return and she requested the sheet music for ‘Amazing Grace,’ which is our signature song.”
The students attended that evening’s Celtic Woman concert and saw their new friends perform. The ladies even gave them a shout-out from the stage.
The two organizations have something in common: Zebra Strings program director Vicki Nichols was named a semifinalist for a Grammy Award in the Music Educator category this past fall for her dedication to the Zebra Strings. Celtic Woman has also received a Grammy nomination.
Ms. Nichols adds, “We are making Celtic Woman honorary members of the Zebra Strings, complete with T-shirts, and we’re autographing a violin for them. We hope they return next year and perhaps we can host them on their way in and show them some Grandview-style hospitality. You never know unless you ask!”
Celtic Woman is on a tour that takes them across the western half of the United States.
My takeaway: Dream big with your Adopt-A-School or Partners in Education program. Observe connections that could create enriching educational experiences that your students could relish and be impacted for a lifetime.
Perhaps one day in the future, at least one of those Grandview Strings performers will look back and say their meeting with Celtic Woman helped launch their career!
John Fletcher is CEO/Founder of Fletcher Consulting Public Relations in Arlington, where he emphasizes the value of developing strong personal and business relationships. Contact him at john@thefletch.org
