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Purchase your online ASTA advertising by contacting Steve DiLauro
at
440/238-5577 or click
here. |
2010
ASTA National Conference
February 17-20,
Santa Clara, California
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Membership in ASTA Makes a Great Gift!
Send a gift membership to a student or
colleague this holiday season. It is a gift that keeps on
giving throughout the year... at a bargain price! For
details, click
here.
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Attend ASTA's 2010 National
Conference
Attend ASTA's national conference in Santa Clara, California
from February 17-20 and experience the spectacular scenery of
the region while reaping the benefits of the best educational
string conference in the U.S. Register before December 1st for
the early-bird discount. Click
here for conference information and to register.
Additionally, participants registering on or before December 1
are automatically entered into a drawing for a bow from
CodaBows. The November issue of the American
String Teacher also contains a full conference preview. |
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Essentials of Adjudicating; Special Pre-Conference Session
As a new member benefit, ASTA has created a special
pre-conference session that is designed to prepare ASTA
members to adjudicate at festivals, competitions and
ASTACAP exams.
All members who complete the session can have their
photos, biographies, and contact information placed on
this special page on the ASTA website. This site can be
accessed by schools, organizations, camps and others
looking for string educators to assist with their
program. The next session will be offered at the 2010 ASTA
National Conference in Santa Clara, California. For more
information, email Libby Dietrich at
libby@astaweb.com.
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Call for Conference Session Presiders
ASTA is still accepting volunteers to be session
presiders. As a presider, you will introduce the
presenter(s) of the session, sign the attendees'
professional development forms, and complete a short
evaluation of the session. For more information about
volunteering, please contact Deanna at
deanna@astaweb.com. Sessions will be assigned to
presiders randomly unless you have a specific request.
(Please include names or sessions in your email to
Deanna.) Those volunteering by December 20, 2009 will be
included in the printed program book.
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"Yes You Can" Vote Electronically
in the Board Officer Election
Beginning with the last election of national board officers,
ASTA offered its members the opportunity to vote
electronically; the response was outstanding! We would like to
remind members who may not have regisitered at that time of
its availability. If you have already signed up and/or voted
electronically in last year's election, you are all set. If
you want to vote electroncally for this election, enrolling is
easy: 1) send an email to
beth@astaweb.com with your full name, id number if
available, and email address with subject line of evoting or
2) call the national office at 703/279-2113 and we will
register you.
All members, eligible to vote in the election and enrolled in
evoting by December 4, 2009, will receive a link and
instructions on accessing the special voting website. This
site is secure and managed outside of ASTA in order to protect
the integrity of the election. If you have any questions,
please do not hesitate to contact the national office for
details.
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Call for Nominations; String
Research Journal Editorial Board
ASTA is calling for nominations for
three positions (2010-2016) to the String Research
Journal Editorial Board. The String Research
Journal (SRJ) is the juried string research publication
of ASTA. Any individual interested in serving on the SRJ
Editorial Board should submit an electronic copy (in PDF or
Word.doc format) of his/her curriculum vitae (CV) no later
than February 1, 2010 to: Michael L. Allen, editor SRJ,
email
mallen@fsu.edu.
In addition to self-nomination, any ASTA member may nominate
an individual (with permission of the candidate) for
consideration. An electronic copy of his/her CV, in the
format described above, shall be submitted to the editor of
the SRJ (mallen@fsu.edu)
no later than February 1, 2010. For qualification
information, responsibilites, and more details click
here.
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Great Member Resource; Free
Posters!
As a component of the NAMM grant, Increasing Access to
Strings, ASTA is able to offer free recruiting posters to
teachers. The large color poster is an attention getter and
features a diverse group of kids playing a stringed
instrument. It also lists some great reasons to play a
string instrument and join the school orchestra. The posters
are proving to be extremely popular and ASTA has gotten
requests from more than 200 teachers. To place an order,
contact Mary Jane Dye at
maryjane@astaweb.com. |
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Traveling Tabletop Display
Available
As part of the Increasing Access to Strings NAMM grant,
a tabletop display with detachable photos is available
to ASTA members. It was created in concert with the
recruiting poster that hundreds have already ordered.
The traveling display is available on a first-come,
first-served basis. ASTA will pay for the initial
shipping but you must pay for the return shipping. The
display has its own sturdy shipping case. If you are
interested in this valuable promotional tool, please
send your name, address, and how you will be using the
display to promote strings, to
maryjane@astaweb.com.
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Spotlight on New Products and
Services
Council members are encouraged to take advantage of the AST
journal Showcase section to "spotlight" new products or
services. Please send all releases, not more than 300 words,
to maryjane@astaweb.com.
You may also include graphics with a resolution of 300 dpi.
This extraordinary benefit is offered to
String Industry Council members
only. Don't let this opportunity pass you by to advertise
for free to a targeted audience of potential buyers.
Deadline for submissions for the February AST is December
11. Showcase is also featured on ASTA's webpage. Click
here for current AST Showcase. |
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Shop and Support the National
Foundation
Visit any of the prominent retailers in our affiliate
shopping program and a portion of the sale will be donated
to ASTA and support the National Foundation programs.
Participating companies include Amazon.com, Sephora, Audubon
Strings, Macy's, Apple, Target, and many more! Click
here for a complete list of our partners. The National
Foundation only gets a percentage if you access the
retailer's website from ASTA's website. No additional costs
are incurred by you for using the affiliate shopping program
on our website. It is a win, win for ASTA and you! |
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Seasonal Discount on ASTA
Publications
To celebrate this holiday season, ASTA is offering you 20
percent off of your next purchase from the bookstore. This
promotion is valid from Friday, November 20 through Friday,
December 11. As an extra enticement, we will give you a
lavender ASTA gift bag along with your order. Click
here to browse our catalog of publications and read
complete book, DVD, and CD descriptions. Please use the
online purchasing that is available on our secure website
for a speedy transaction. If you have any questions, please
contact
sky@astaweb.com.
We appreciate your business, and hope you will shop with us
again! We look forward to meeting you at the national
conference, February 17-20, in Santa Clara, California.
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String Teacher's Cookbook;
Well-Done!
This savory book is a collection of insightful strategies in
one easy, quick-to-read source. According to the publisher,
contributors to the book were even eager to get a look at each
other's ideas. With outstanding records of performance,
workshop clinics, recordings, research, composition,
leadership, and teaching, the 57 authors provide their
favorite "recipes" that range from overviews of successful
programs to specific topics intended to inspire all levels and
types of ensembles and performers.
The cookbook is published by Meredith Music and distributed by
Hal Leonard with royalties generously donated to ASTA. This
book can be purchased online at
halleonard.com for just $24.95. It is edited by Joanne
May. |
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Plan Now for Summer Conference
Advertising
Save money on advertising your summer conference with ASTA's
special package offers! A detailed Summer Conference packet
mailed in mid-September. Information is also available
here. The deadline to be included in the February Summer
Conference section of AST is December 12. The deadline for
inclusion in May's section is March 5. Summer conferences and
workshops have proven to be among the most revitalizing and
worthwhile projects for string and orchestra teachers. We
encourage you and your colleagues to provide this significant
service.
Several different summer conference economical advertising
packages are available. For more information and to download
application forms, click
here. |
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Barry Manilow Saves Strings Program
Forty-five elementary school students will learn to
play the violin thanks to Barry Manilow. He donated
the violins through his Manilow Music Project to
students at Hawthorne Elementary in Everett and
Tulalip Elementary on the Tulalip Reservation in
Washington state.
Due to the $36,000 donation, the Everett School
District will have a strings program for the first
time in 25 years and the tribal school will have its
first strings program ever. Ron Friesen, Everett
Symphony Orchestra assistant conductor, has
volunteered to teach students at both schools twice a
week. ASTA thanks Friesen for his devotion to music
education and has extended a special ASTA honorary
membership to him.
ASTA also recognizes Manilow for his extraordinary
efforts to enrich elementary music education through
his partnership with the GRAMMY Foundation® and his
own foundation called The Manilow Music Project.
ASTA is honoring Manilow at the upcoming national
conference by awarding him the ASTA Philanthropy
Award. We are sending him a congratulatory letter
along with an invitation to attend the award ceremony.
"Barry Manilow should be commended for his dedication
to music education. His commitment helps children
realize the joys associated with playing an
instrument," said Donna Hale, ASTA executive director.
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The Mark Wood Experience Television
Special
 Mark
Wood, ASTA national board member-at-large, made his first solo
public television debut on August 12 on WLIW21 in New York.
(It was rebroadcast in mid-October!) In this half-hour
performance special, Wood performed original compositions with
vocalist Laura Kaye and his electric string orchestra. Songs
included "Vivaldi Rocks," "World Vision," "Hoedown," and
"Hands Across America."
Wood is an Emmy award-winning composer and acclaimed electric
violinist. He embraces the power of rock, the diversity of
world beat, and the elegance of classical music - all while
playing his Viper electric violin. Click
here for more information. |
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Midori Is New Inductee to the
American Music Hall of Fame
The Board of Trustees of the American Classical Music Hall
of Fame is pleased to announce the slate of new inductees
for 2009. The inductees are international violinist Midori,
Los Angeles Opera conductor James Conlon, composer John
Adams, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the League of
American Orchestras.
Inductees to the Hall of Fame are nominated by a specialist
field of musicians, music educators, leaders in the music
industry and its living inductees. Nominations are made in
six categories: composer, conductor, performer, educator,
performing ensemble and institution devoted to music.
Nominations are reviewed by the distinguished National
Artistic Directorate members who recommend a final slate for
endorsement by the Board of Trustees of the American
Classical Music Hall of Fame. For more information about the
2009 inductees, visit
www.americanclassicalmusic.org. |
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MusiciansWay.com Awards Prize Money
for ASTA's National Solo Competition
ASTA thanks
MusiciansWay.com, and its owner/founder Gerald
Klickstein, for becoming a major sponsor of the Junior
Division for ASTA's biennial National Solo Competition.
"We are very fortunate that Jerry has become a champion
for the Junior Division of this competition, with
dedicated prize money to inspire more young musicians to
compete," says Donna Hale, ASTA executive director.
"Jerry's support is no surprise - he has served in many
volunteer roles for ASTA and is currently a
Member-at-large on ASTA's national board and a
contributor to AST."
ASTA's National Solo Competition includes junior and
senior divisions. The Junior Division contestants, all
under the age of 19, first compete at the state level.
The state winners then enter a national semifinal round.
The final competition takes place at the ASTA national
conference, March 16-19, 2011, in Kansas City, Missouri.
Approximately three finalists are chosen in each
instrumental category of violin, viola, cello, bass,
harp, and guitar. At the finals, contestants perform
before the public and a panel of distinguished judges.
Detailed competition information is available
here.
MusiciansWay.com and ASTA extends an invitation to
other companies and individuals to sponsor prize money
for this biennial ASTA competition. For more
information, contact Libby Dietrich at
libby@astaweb.com. Donations to ASTA are tax
deductible to the extent permitted by law.
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Alternative Styles Awards
Competition
The next Alternative Styles Awards Competition will take
place in Kansas City, Missouri, March 17- 19, 2011. This
biennial event is held in conjunction with the ASTA
National Conference and seeks to identify, celebrate,
and encourage young practitioners of alternative string
styles, such as (but not limited to) all folk music
traditions, jazz, fusion, and rock music. More
information on the upcoming competition is available
here.
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CodaBows for America Awards
Every year, CodaBow International, Ltd., donates approximately
$5,000 worth of full-size CodaBow Aspire bows to deserving
schools and studios. Violin, viola, and cello bows are
awarded. Applications are accepted from ASTA members on behalf
of schools or studios that outline the particular worthiness,
promise, and need of their program.
Click
here for more information on the award or to download an
application. The next postmark deadline for this outreach
program is April 1, 2010. |
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Elizabeth A.H. Green Award Nominations Continue Until
December 15
Nominations are currently being accepted for the ASTA
Elizabeth A.H. Green School Educator Award. The award is given
annually to a school string teacher with a current and
distinguished career in a school orchestral setting. Past
recipients include Steve Reed, Susan Ellington, Mary Lou
Jones, Jan Garverick, Michael Alexander, Pamela Tellejohn
Hayes, and E. Daniel Long along with a host of other
distinguished string educators.
The postmark deadline for nominations, which should be sent to
the ASTA headquarters, is Tuesday, December 15. Late forms
will not be accepted. To download forms, click
here. |
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ASTA eNEWS is a free service and an official
publication of the American String Teachers Association. It
is designed to give you quick updates on what's happening
within ASTA and in the string music industry.
Americian String Teachers Association
4153
Chain Bridge Road
Fairfax, VA 22030
Phone: 703/279-2113
Fax: 703/279-2114
NOTE: Constant Contact is a
service that ASTA uses to distribute eNEWS to its members.
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