July 6-17, 2026
Weekdays from 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM
South County Middle School
8700 Laurel Crest Drive; Lorton, VA
2026 STAFF
Mr. Johnson-Stawarz, Co-Director
Austin Johnson-Stawarz has studied at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, the University of South Carolina, and George Mason University. Austin has taught and performed internationally, including two residencies as a guest artist-teacher in Haiti. Austin currently serves as the Board President of the Fairfax Arts Coalition for Education, the membership coordinator for the Virginia Music Educators Association, the treasurer of the Virginia String Teachers Association, and is a co-director of the SoCo Summer Strings.
Mrs. Plumer, Co-Director
Mrs. Plumer has served as a strings teacher for Fairfax County Public Schools for 11 years, spending the majority of her tenure as the orchestra director at South County Middle School and Laurel Hill Elementary School. She currently maintains a private cello studio and is glad to be able to continue to serve the South County community through this camp. Mrs. Plumer holds a Master’s Degree in Music Education from Ithaca College and a Bachelor’s degree and Performance Certificate in Cello from the University of South Carolina, where she taught in the USC String Project, a nationally recognized teacher-training program. She resides in Chantilly, VA with her husband Kevin, children Emma and Phillip, and chocolate lab Savannah.
Mr. Chang, Teacher
Mr. Chang is in his second year as the strings teacher at Hybla Valley ES and Mt. Vernon Woods ES. He graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education. Mr. Chang has a private violin studio that has been running since he was in high school (11 years!), with students ranging from elementary to middle school. He also has been going on mission trips to other countries to teach violin and hopes to travel all parts of the world to teach others!
Ms. Choi, Teacher
Ms. Choi currently serves as an assistant principal with the Alexandria Symphony and performs regularly with National Philharmonic and Maryland Symphony. With years of experience in both education and performance, she has taught in a variety of settings, including Prince George's County Public Schools, Howard County Public Schools, and the Peabody Preparatory of Johns Hopkins University. Trained in the Suzuki method, she is passionate about fostering musical growth in students of all ages. Currently, she teaches with Fairfax County Public Schools, continuing to inspire and educate the next generation of musicians.
Ms. McCormick, Teacher
Taryn holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education and a certificate in Violin Performance from the Conservatory of Shenandoah University, providing her a solid foundation for teaching string instruments. With three years of experience teaching elementary strings in FCPS, she nurtures her students’ musical development and enthusiasm for strings by fostering a fun, supportive and engaging learning environment. Taryn actively engages in the music community as a member of the local ensemble, NVCO, and she continually works to hone and improve her performance skills.
Ms. Suchecki, Teacher
Ms. Suchecki (soo-het-ski) is in her 6th year of teaching orchestra for Fairfax County Public Schools. She graduated from Florida International University with a Bachelor of Music Education degree in 2015. Prior to teaching orchestra in FCPS, Ms. Suchecki taught general music in Miami-Dade County Public Schools for 3 years, and for one year in DC Public Schools. She is the former treasurer of the Dade-County Music Educators Association, and secretary of the Fairfax Arts Coalition for Education.
Ms. Susens, Teacher
Miller Susens is a cellist andmusic educator originally from Dallas, Texas. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the Jacobs School of Music with a focus in string pedagogy. For the past eight years, she has served as an elementary orchestra director in Fairfax County Public Schools, and she also maintains an active private lesson studio and coaches sectionals for the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras. Miller has broad experience as both a performer and educator, with a background in orchestral and chamber music. She performs regularly with SONOVA and the Northern Virginia Community Orchestra and enjoys working with students in
summer music programs. Her past work includes Vienna Summer Strings, SoCo Summer Strings, and the IU Summer String Academy.2025 Guest Artists:
Bridging the Gap
Students will get to enjoy a special performance by Bridging the Gap during camp!
2025 Camp Sponsors
Silver Level Sponsors
Platinum Level Sponsor
Photos from Summer 2023
