Jennifer Kessler
Assistant Concertmaster
JENNIFER KESSLER has been a member of the music education faculty at the Crane School of Music since 2005. She teaches foundational and upper-division courses and is a mentor for the general music practicum experience. She is also the director of the National String Project at Crane, which is a program that provides authentic learning opportunities for string education majors and local community children, offering weekly instrumental lessons and ensemble experiences.
Ms. Kessler obtained her B.M. from the Crane School of Music and her M.A.Ed. from the College of William and Mary. Additionally, she attended the Boston Conservatory. She has studied with violinists John Lindsey, Stephanie Chase and Jennie Shames. Ms. Kessler holds a New York State K-12 certification in music. She was the first strings educator hired for the Williamsburg-James City County school system and remained there for 5 years, teaching grades 3-6. While in Virginia, she also served on the board of directors for the Williamsburg Youth Orchestra. For the next 4 years, she was employed in New York State teaching grade 5-12 strings, PK-6 general music and elementary choir. Ms. Kessler has taught violin privately and has provided string ensemble instruction at Crane Youth Music since 2011.
In addition to her course instruction at Crane, Ms. Kessler has been a festival guest orchestra conductor, facilitated music education workshops and has been an adjudicator for state solo festivals. Professional development endeavors include multiple collaborative panel-discussions on topics of cultivating personal musicianship, student-centered string instruction, educative mentorship in the student teaching experience and culturally relevant pedagogy. Her writing has been published in the American String Teaching Association Journal.
Ms. Kessler enjoys actively performing in the region and is a member of the Orchestra of Northern New York, the St. Lawrence University String Orchestra, The Carriage House Quartet and her band, String Soulstice.