Thursday, October 1, 2026
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Shelby, NC (WNN) - Over the years, Cleveland County Schools has produced hundreds of string musicians. This separates it from surrounding counties, as many lack string orchestra programs. However, many people are not aware of when this legacy began. In 1997, after attending Gardner-Webb University, Peter Strickland founded the strings program at Crest and Burns Middle Schools.
Despite the hundreds of students in these programs today, Strickland recalls that in the program's infancy, it was challenging to get the word out to students to join the program. Since these early roots, the strings courses are now an option for students from 6th to 12th grade at both schools. In one of his last collaborative concerts with Gardner-Webb, you could see how many people Strickland had reached as Crest Alumni flooded the stage to speak with him.
Strickland plans to retire at the end of the 2025-2026 school year, stating that he believes he owes it to the final group of "covid year" students to see them to graduation. He is a firm believer in music holding more importance than simply playing. When discussing the benefits of music, he noted that it has been proven to enhance mental health. Those benefits are exponential for those who play. He encourages anyone, regardless of age, to get involved in music.
Strickland's influence has led to many opportunities for his students with other local programs. His students regularly perform with the Gardner-Webb Orchestra, with 33 total concerts since 2002. Two of these performances were at the North Carolina Music Educators Conference, featuring pieces such as "The Planets" by Gustav Holtz and "Pictures at an Exhibition" by Modest Mussorgsky. Speaking on these complex pieces, GWU's orchestra conductor, Patricia Sparti, had this to say:
"I know no other high school orchestra who can play that repertoire. Peter is an extraordinary educator who has brought them to that level. All of his students read extraordinarily."
Many of Strickland's students play in the annual Rutherford Symphony Christmas Concert at Isothermal Community College, also conducted by Sparti. This leaves these students learning over 30 pieces in one semester, excluding any additional pieces they may have learned in class.
To honor everything he has brought to local music, for his final combined concert, the world premiere of the original piece "Harmonia Cordium" by R. Christopher Teichler was dedicated to Strickland. The name, meaning "The Harmony of Hearts," was seen as fitting the lessons he instilled as an educator.
Strickland held many vital roles in his 28 years of teaching. He has been recognized as Educator of the Year, received the Hoyt and Anne Dover Bailey Teaching Excellence Award on three occasions, received the Western NC Orchestra Teacher of the Year in 2017, judged for All-County and All-State Orchestras, developed a music recording curriculum for high school students, and worked with Maggie and Mark O'Connor at their string musician workshops. Despite holding various technical roles, Strickland also played a significant role as a mentor to his students and many future educators.
When asked what they thought of Strickland, his alumni resounded with "Mr. Strickland was the best teacher I ever had. I loved every minute of orchestra; he taught me way more than music." They went on to state that Strickland taught them lessons on being a good person first. When asked what life lessons he wanted students to take away from his tutelage, Strickland responded, "It's not that you can't, it's that you haven't done it yet. Hard work pays off and makes the impossible possible."
This is mirrored not only in his high school students but also by the various student teachers he guided into their own careers. Many students from the program he founded have returned to the Cleveland County strings program due to the love of music it has instilled in them. One such student-turned-educator, Billy Norton, spoke about his time under Strickland as a student teacher.
"During high school and college, I knew that I wanted to become a high school music teacher, but I had no real experience in the classroom until I was able to student teach with Mr. Strickland. I had heard great things about him beforehand, but no real relationship with him."
Norton goes on to explain how being barely older than the students left him feeling nervous. Strickland was able to quickly settle these feelings by providing his valuable feedback, including expert advice on aspects of the job Norton hadn't imagined as a prospective student teacher. He was also amazed by the fact that, despite grading homework, teaching, and administering tests, he was able to form a fast friendship with Strickland. Norton sees Strickland as the goal post for what a good teacher should be, noting, "I would not be the teacher I am today if I weren't able to have such a solid foundation thanks to Mr. Strickland. He is an amazing teacher, a great coach, one of the best colleagues, and now a friend."
The opportunities Strickland forged have enabled his students to perform alongside professionals, college students, and community members alike. However, his pride in his students doesn't end there. He claims that he is always proud to see his students becoming successful adults, knowing the role music played in their growth.
His advice to his successors is to set the standard high and to play as much music as possible. He believes reading music is like reading books, with more exposure leading to deeper understanding and comprehension. He also wants educators to keep in mind that "Busy students don't have time to make trouble," demonstrating his belief that music benefits multiple aspects of life. These sorts of ideals are the legacy Strickland has left for hundreds of students and will continue to go on as long as there are string musicians in Cleveland County Schools.
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