High-Quality Foundations

For Thriving & Equitable String Education

We are a social entrepreneurship with a mission to close disparity gaps in String Education

StringRise is driven to create equity and remove barriers that keep historically underserved students from accessing high-quality string education. We believe high-level beginning string programs rooted in equity open pathways for students to rise up with confidence, agency, and hope.

What We Do

StringRise products support string students in their first three years of playing violin, viola, cello, or bass.
StringRise supports educators and string students in their first three years of playing.
StringRise provides products and resources for disability and inclusion.
StringRise provides resources and professional development for trauma-informed music classrooms.
StringRise partners with symphony orchestras to support education and outreach programs.
StringRise provides products and resources for STEAM education.
StringRise provides professional development, workshops, and training for string educators.
Founder Nicole Melrose and the StringRise team are inspiring keynote speakers and presenters for your music education conferences and events.

How Our Innovative Products are Used

  • StringRise supports educators and students to produce high-level sound for violin, viola, cello and bass.

    High-Level Tone Production

  • StringRise provides products and resources for inclusion educators working with students with disabilities.

    Disability and Inclusion

  • StringRise supports string teachers for trauma-informed music classrooms.

    Trauma-Informed Pedagogy

  • StringRise's innovative products are utilized for STEAM education.

    S.T.E.A.M. Lessons

  • StringRise partners with symphonies and other nonprofits for education and outreach events that make a meaningful impact.

    Outreach Events

  • StringRise products are used by educators for recruitment and retention of students beginning in string education.

    Recruitment for Strings

Contact Us

Who We Work With

  • Symphonies

  • Schools & Districts

  • El Sistema Programs

  • Universities

  • Non-Profits

  • Music Educators

Contact StringRise

Connect With StringRise

Who We’re Working With

StringRise is a partner with the Black Violin Foundation.
StringRise is a partner of University of North Texas (UNT), providing lectures and workshops, and hosting internships for college students.
Onyx Lane is a StringRise partner for recording.
StringRise has partnered with the McKinney Philharmonic Orchestra
StringRise has worked with The Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma.
StringRise partners with Clayton County Public Schools.
StringRise partnered with D-Composed Chicago
StringRise partners with the Oklahoma Philharmonic Orchestra
Texas Methodist Foundation (TMF) has partnered with StringRise to provide string education with underserved students in Dallas, Texas.
StringRise partners with Inner Ear Foundation to provide box instrument kits.
StringRise has partnered with Fair Park First in Dallas to provide city outreach events.
StringRise has partnered with Biederman Redevelopment Ventures for educational community outreach in Dallas Fair Park

Featured In

StringRise was featured in the Washington Post article about Annie Ray's disability string programs. Annie Ray uses StringRise products to support inclusion students.
StringRise CEO Nicole Melrose (formerly Melki) is featured in this Dallas Morning News article about starting Ubuntu Music Project in East Dallas. Her early work with underserved students was the foundation for what is now StringRise.

Our Story

Nicole Melrose is Founder and CEO of StringRise. Nicole's early life was transformed by the violin and by the support of a music teacher. This led her to start StringRise.

The moment Nicole touched the violin at 11 years of age, a ringing sound of hope was produced. Coming from a background of socio-economic hardship and experiencing the struggles of a first generation Arab-American, the violin provided Nicole with a way to express herself and hope for a bright future. At the age of 15, she knew she wanted to start a program for children like herself who could not afford access to high-quality string programming. In 2013 she started her first program with historically underserved students in East Dallas where her innovative work began to unfold….

“Educating is always a vocation rooted in hopefulness.” 

— bell hooks