Cecile Vashaw

Cecile L. Vashaw (23 August 1909 – 1 January 1985) was an American composer, conductor, and music educator who is best remembered today for her string method books and for founding and conducting the Toledo Youth Symphony.

Vashaw was born in Toledo, Ohio, to Benjamin Hezekiah and Edna M. Schnieder Vashaw. She graduated from the Toledo Conservatory of Music, then earned a master's degree at New York University. for band, chorus, and narrator, which was commissioned by U.S. Navy Band director Lt. Cmdr. Anthony A. Mitchell. They also collaborated on Sails Aloft: Overture for Band, and on The Work and Play String Method, several volumes for violin, viola, cello, and bass. Their music was published by Theodore Presser Company.

Smith and Vashaw worked much of the time via telephone and the postal mail system, Vashaw participated in workshops on music education and wrote at least one article, Solving the String Study Problem in Toledo, Ohio, for Etude magazine. She influenced many generations of public school music students.