🎻 Episode 161 — From Zero to Orchestra: Building a Program That Lasts with Rachel Peña What does it take to build an orchestra program from absolutely nothing? Rachel M. Peña Cardona knows. A violinist, conductor, educator, and program builder originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, Rachel has founded four student orchestras throughout her career. In 2021, she became the founding orchestra director at Bearden Middle School in Tennessee and began building a program from the ground up. In this episode, Rachel shares the strategies, challenges, and relationships that helped transform that program into a thriving orchestra community—and how she has secured nearly $80,000 in grants and donations along the way. We talk about grant writing, community partnerships, building an instrument inventory, recruiting and retaining students, working with administrators, collaborating with other music teachers, and making sure students have equal access to music during the school day. Rachel also shares some of her favorite classroom strategies, including “Dark Mode,” Secret Quartet, the Sixth Grade Instrument Ceremony, multi-level orchestra experiences, and creative ways to help students learn how to recover when they get lost. Most importantly, Rachel's story is about starting somewhere. You don't have to have everything figured out before you begin. Sometimes you simply have to see the need, tell your story, build relationships, and take the first step. A great conversation for anyone starting an orchestra program—or anyone looking to grow the one they already have. About Rachel Peña Rachel M. Peña Cardona is a string educator, violinist, conductor, and program builder with 22 years of experience in education. Originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, she has taught music, orchestra, violin, French, and Spanish in Puerto Rico and Tennessee. She earned a bachelor's degree in Violin Performance from the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico and a master's degree in String Performance from the University of Tennessee. She has performed with ensembles including the Puerto Rico Philharmonic Orchestra and University of Tennessee Symphony Orchestra and has served as a concertmaster and soloist. Rachel has founded four student orchestras throughout her career and currently serves as the founding orchestra director at Bearden Middle School in Tennessee. Her greatest goal is to help students develop not only musical skills, but a lifelong love of music and the confidence to continue making music throughout their lives. #OrchestraTeacher #StringEducation #MusicEducation #Orchestra #MusicTeacher #StringTeacher #OrchestraDirector #MusicEducationPodcast #TheOrchestraTeacherPodcast — SPONSORS AND REFERRAL LINKS — Looking to plan a great orchestra trip? Kaleidoscope Adventures has been planning performance travel beyond expectations for more than 30 years. https://www.kaleidoscopeadventures.com Want to find some classic repertoire or looking for something different and new? Check out Keiser Productions! https://www.keiserproductions.com Looking for things on Amazon? Use my referral link: https://amzn.to/3RkfRLk Do you keep a monthly budget? If not, try You Need a Budget! It’s a great app/website that helps keep your finances on track. https://tinyurl.com/TheOrchestraTeacherYNAB Do you have cable? Cut the cord and check out YouTube TV! It works on mobile, Smart TVs, the web and more! https://tv.youtube.com/referral/r22irzcuy7jshi Resources and more information at www.orchestrateacher.net
