Viola, Violin, Cello
Mr. Tom Strauch began playing the viola when he was 9 years old. He played all through junior high and high school, making Region and State Orchestra. He was also principal viola through junior high and high school. While in high school, he taught himself to play violin and read treble clef. He attended UTSA on a music scholarship, majoring in Music Performance and Education. He studied viola with Allyson Dawkins, principal viola with the San Antonio Symphony and also with Terry Franco of the San Antonio Symphony. He performed with the UTSA Symphony, and was the viola player for the UTSA String Quartet.
He started teaching private lessons to beginners while still in college at a private school. He continued teaching private lessons after college and had several students win prizes at local competitions.
Currently, he is the principal viola for the Galveston Symphony Orchestra for the past 5 years. He has also been principal viola for the Texas Chamber Symphony Orchestra since 2017 and plays gigs regularly with the Texas Medical Center Orchestra and the Brazosport Symphony. He also plays many string quartet gigs including weddings and stage shows. He has also played with the Baytown Symphony, the Brazosport Symphony, the Houston Civic Symphony, the Austin Civic Orchestra and was principal viola with the Starlight Symphony Orchestra for over 10 years. He has also played in pit orchestras performing various works including The Nutcracker, Fiddler on the Roof, and Les Miserables to name a few. He also has a great passion for music arrangements and orchestration, having made hundreds of arrangements for string quartet and other chamber music combinations, as well as some fully orchestrated symphonic works. He currently has well over 200 works published in all genres including classical, pop, rock, country, folk, musical theatre, EDM, and jazz.
As far as teaching, he believes that everyone has their own individual journey and style, and he likes to find that special spark in each individual that makes them unique. Communication and understanding are key components to any lesson, and he believes he learns as much from the student as they learn from him. "No two students are alike, so no two lessons will be alike. Let's explore possibilities together!"