Grisham Middle School eighth-grade student Cassie Beauchamp created eight hand-crafted violins as part of her International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) community project in an effort to provide access to music for children who cannot afford professionally made instruments.
Cassie created the violins out of paper mache newspapers, 3D printed tuning pegs, laminate flooring fingerboards and wood tailpieces. Traditional violin strings were added to the violins. She worked on the instrument prototype last summer and said she was inspired by her father’s creation of a build-your-own instrument club for underprivileged youth.
“I’ve been playing the violin for four and a half years now so it’s a big part of my life,” Cassie said. “I want to give kids the same opportunity because they may not be able to afford a $300 violin. I want to give them an opportunity to learn something new so they have something to do in their free time.”
Eighth-grade students in IB MYP were required to complete a community project, which challenges students to create self-driven projects that focus on service learning. Students at Grisham worked throughout the semester on the project and held presentations in early March.
“Cassie’s unique project is an excellent example of student-driven learning, benefiting our community and students,” Grisham IB Coordinator Doriane Marvel said. “The violins are beautifully crafted and I believe they will inspire other students to begin learning music.”
