For the eighth year in a row, Columbus native and renowned jazz violinist Christian Howes brings the Creative Strings Festival back to town. The festival marries a week of workshops for student string players (violin, cello, viola) with daily performances throughout the city for enjoyment by a variety of audiences, including many free performances at a number of venues. The premise is to pair student musicians (both youth students and aspiring semi-pro adults) interested in jazz, rock, classical and improvisational music with established masters from around the country. The pairing doesn’t stop at the classroom- performances include the student-teacher dynamic as well, where instructors impart technical expertise and real-life gigging musician experience. A full schedule of events, including a stint at ComFest this weekend, be found here.