When veteran music teacher Matthew Valenti took over the strings program at Torrington Middle School five years ago, he had a major problem on his hands. He'd give students the music, but they would not practice.
Then he had a stroke of genius -- make the music accessible -- and the expanded the repertoire to music the students not only knew but wanted to play.
He added "Viva La Vida" to their Vivaldi and Journey's "Don't Stop Believin" to Beethoven.
All of a sudden, "strings" were cool.
"When I gave them music that they would recognize, not only do they hear it because they can match it better, but they also will practice it," Valenti said.
"We still do classic pieces, but we've been working on Lady Gaga, so it's fun," eight grade violinist, Emma Thomas, said.
Access to the instruments is important as well.
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Torrington has hundreds of violins, violas and cellos for rent at just $30 a year. Right now, all the violins are rented, but that's the kind of problem a strings teacher like Valenti dreams about, and it goes a long way to preserving the program.
"It's not out there on the Memorial Day parade, it's not out there on the football field, it's mostly a concert thing and one of the things boards tend to cut," he said about the strings program.
Violinist Danielle Berry said orchestra is her passion.
"I feel like, when I play, it's kind of my own world and it's just here and nothing else matters," the eighth grader said.
She gets at least some of that passion from her teacher, and it's the main reason why an old classic like Matthew Valenti still isn't ready to take the final bow of his teaching career.
"I love my job. I have a lot of fun with the kids. I don't think I'd be staying this long if I didn't have the fun I was having."
