EVENT: Saturday, November 1, 2025 - 9:30AM to 11:30AM (PT)

Who This is For: Composers and arrangers who have works for strings or want to improve their string-writing knowledge (especially those in earlier to intermediate and developing stages or who are non-string players). Full Participant and Auditor Spots available.

Examples of Applicable Works: String compositions or works that include strings, especially: string (or chamber or full) orchestra, string or string-combination ensembles (duo, trio, quartet, etc), solos

Great For Finding Out: What the bow can and cannot do; what the player(s) can and cannot play (or can, but at various skill levels and development from beginner through professional levels); technical and musical choices that do or do not make sense as idiomatic or appropriate for the instrument; etc. No in-depth bowing questions will be discussed here, as that is a deep topic that will also be addressed as separate information in future session(s).

Virtual Event on Zoom!

Join in and work with JoAnna, a seasoned and professionally trained conductor and string player with over 30 years string performance experience, over 20 years music teaching and mentoring background, and a conductor who frequently studies, prepares, and executes scores in various conducting roles with all levels of ensembles—-someone who can help guide your string-writing dilemmas.

~ This is only the beginning. We will be holding similar future sessions for composers, conductors, and other musicians in dealing with strings, string rehearsing and performance, and other string-playing tips! ~

Up to 10 Registrants Accepted as Full Participant. If applying as a Full Participant, Submit up to 2 PDF scores with or for strings, with up to 5 spots marked or questions included on specific areas of the score or other technicalities. Score or score excerpt between 1-4 minutes long, file allowable up to 10 MB. Submit/upload via this form below.

Select Full Participant on the form, and make a payment for that selection. The form will not allow you to make a payment if all 10 spots have been taken. These payments must be submitted at the same time or date as your file submissions, or your submission will not be accepted.

The number of composers who submit scores will determine the length allotted to each participating composer, which will likely range from 8 to 20 min each. If the questions have been covered and there is remaining time left, we can cover additional questions or spots and recommendations on the score until the end of the time slot.

Scores selected will be shown in a master class style setting, on a shared screen via Zoom; Demonstrations may be possible depending on excerpt. Audio is requested for submission when possible, but likely may not be used during the session sharing and explanations and due to time constraints.

Questions posed during submission will be addressed. Any remaining time per slot will be open for further discussion, explanations, or other questions related to the scores to help each composer. If questions coming in from the cohort are F(requently) A(sked) Q(uestion)s and repeated, they will be addressed as a FAQ at the end of the session if it has not already been covered by then. Auditors may submit questions with their registration.

Schedule. There will be a short (~ 5 min) break near the middle of the session or between half of the composers’ scores. The final 10 minutes will be used as a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) session. The session will look something like this:

Intro and First half or 3/4 scores addressed (~ 1 hr)

Short Break (~ 5 min)

Second half or 1/4 scores addressed (~ 45 min)

FAQ (~ 10 min)

DEADLINE to submit all scores and all payments to reserve your spot in this session and receive the masterclass link:

Wednesday, October 29th - End of Day (Pacific Time)

EVENT:

Saturday, November 1, 2025

9:30AM to 11:30AM (PT)

This will NOT be recorded. It is a live, one-time session! Make sure you can attend to get the best, synchronous experience!

REGISTRATION FORM

ALL Auditors and Full Participants must fill out this form and make a payment to receive a link. These payments must be submitted at the same time or date as your registration, or your submission will not be accepted.

Sorry, there are no refunds for this event through 2 Batons. If you cancel or back out, your fee will be forfeited, to allow the educational opportunity to continue to run for other attendees who have paid, registered, and plan to attend. If you are a Full Participant and have to back out at any time, your slot will also be opened and offered to another person if waiting.

If for any reason the session is cancelled by 2 Batons, you will be notified by Friday, October 31st and refunded your registration fee. If event is postponed, you will be notified of an option for a refund or to apply your submission to the next event.

Inspired by a narrative pattern traced in mythology by Joseph Campbell, the monomyth, a “Hero’s Journey,” is the basis of this free, interactive mini-workshop. This tool is sometimes used by coaches, and in our workshop at 2 Batons led by JoAnna, our activities are uniquely formulated for musicians of all kinds who want to explore their own Musical Quest under the guidance of an experienced mentor.

This Zoom mini-workshop will go over the several steps in the creative quest to coming full circle on our unique, individual musical goals. We begin in the Ordinary World, travel to and through the Special Quest World, and return to the Ordinary World, transformed. Through professionally guided step-by-step activities, attendees will have the opportunity to think about overcoming their personal musical hurdles or discovering other yet-to-be-known musical quests. Come prepared with a writing utensil and paper or access to typing or writing on your device. A worksheet will be sent out by email prior to the session for you to use as well if you wish.

Opportunities to group-share in an intimate community of musicians will be possible in this session, but with no pressure to do so. The more people that share as we go along the quest, the more interactive and fun the activity is, and the more accountable we become!

This Zoom session interactive activity is best-suited for musicians ages 18 +. Musicians might include: conductors, performers (ensemblists or soloists), composers, educators, aficionados, writers, and more!

Event: Thursday, October 23rd

4:00pm (45-60 min) PT / 6:00pm CT/ 7:00pm ET

Deadline to sign up: Tuesday, October 21, 2025 (End of Day - PT)

Image by upklyak on Freepik

Part I: Addressing Study & Practice

Part II: Addressing Performance

Performance anxiety affects many musicians! This special session is divided into two segments, with a short break between them.

This session is not focused on the drills, music, or technical, mechanical, and musical issues of practicing.  Rather, it is focused on what goes on ‘behind the scenes’ in a musician’s mind and being. These approaches include some research behind them from one of the 2 Batons directors, but also include a real basis from successful outcomes from the many years of musicianship mentoring and performance experience behind them. Several approaches from various psychologists, other experts, and work from 2 Batons’ professional experiences will be shared.

Part I will include a deep discussion about and examples from various psychologically and philosophically-based approaches to studying and practicing, including how one might approach their individual study and practice sessions better by knowing themselves better. It will include some practical applications for practice sessions.

~break~

Part II will include an application of Part I as it relates to performance, and dive into some ways musicians can prepare themselves for the high-pressured experience of performing.

Event: Saturday, July 26, 2025

10:00am - 11:45am PT (with a short break) / 1:00pm-2:45pm ET

Deadline to sign up *EXTENDED 1 DAY TO: Wednesday, July 23, 2025 (End of Day - PT)

Musicians! Are you trying to figure out how to develop a practice and/or study routine on your instrument? Do you have a lot of repertoire to go through and not sure how to manage it? Not sure how to divide your practice time? Is your schedule really difficult for getting practice time in during the week? Or maybe you have more time on some days than others…

Whatever your situation, you will likely benefit from this session, or perhaps at least find another perspective! Come to this short (30-45 min) free session to explore various models of allotting your practice and study time, with some time for questions.

Event: Tuesday, July 15, 2025

4:00pm (30-45 min) PT / 7:00pm ET

Deadline to sign up: Sunday, July 13, 2025 (End of Day - PT)

Original practice concepts from one of our directors and formulated by both imagination and from training and experience as well as using psychologically based concepts of learning through spiral and sequential analysis—which proved effective over and over again—this session’s topics were regularly featured in the instrumental musicianship mentoring by JoAnna. The two concepts used were individually published in the American String Teachers Journal (2014) and Stringing Along, the Nebraska Chapter of the American String Teachers Association Newsletter (2014).

Whether you are completely new to developing practice habits or are more experienced and looking for reminders and a refresh on your approach to studying, practicing, and internalizing your instrument’s repertoire, or you are working towards memorization skills or are teaching others, this session will provide support and guidance with many ideas and examples. While this event will be led from a stringed instrument perspective, there are many applicable or transferable angles for addressing practice that are relative to all musicians. Attendees will also receive the handouts from the session.

Saturday, June 7, 2025

9:30am - 10:30am PT/12:30pm - 1:30pm ET

Deadline to register: Thursday, June 5th (End of Day - PT)

UPDATE: This event has been cancelled due to under-enrollment. Please stay tuned for future sessions!

Group Study and Discussion Session on Repertoire

Come and share your own insights, guided by 2 Batons Director JoAnna, and share in a group discussion and inquiry about the work(s) in question. Through participating in this antiquated tradition yet an incredibly beneficial forum-like experience, we also gain insights to other ideas in the room and enhance our own skills and knowledge. This first Mastermind Session will allow us an opportunity to practice engaging in an accessible online group discussion about the scores, history, and performance of them.

Repertoire for this session: “Storm Music”

As time allows, for this first session we will use and compare up to four short theatre orchestra scores on “Storm Music” as well as the Fourth Movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, which can be found on IMSLP:

Each of Otto Langey’s, Domenico Savino’s, and John Zamecnik’s Storm Music and Herbert Haines’s Storm or Fire Music and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, IV. Thunder. Storm.

Tuesday, June 3, 2025

4:00-5:00 PM - PT / 7:00-8:00 PM - ET

Deadline to register: June 1st (End of Day - PT)