Late Summer Newsletter

Dear ASTA Members,

I hope you have all had time to relax, and also, to play and listen to great music this summer! I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the President of the MA-ASTA Chapter for the 2010-2012 cycle. I am entering my fourth year as Orchestra Director in the Belmont Public Schools, and also beginning a new chapter of my life with the birth of our daughter, Roisin, this past spring. My husband and I are taking bets on which instrument will be her first choice!

As the MA-ASTA Board prepares for another year of service to our members, I'd like to mention several of our ongoing initiatives at the state level, and also invite you to give us your input and ideas!

• Host the Semi-Annual ASTA Solo Competition, this year held on Sunday, Oct 24, 2010 at Boston Conservatory, contact Scott Lesser: ma.asta.competition@gmail.com. Full performance requirements are listed here.
• Host auditions for the Semi-Annual NHSHO (next held in Spring 2011)
• Provide professional development workshops at the annual MMEA All-State Conference, Please send workshop and clinician ideas to Chris Memoli
• Studio Teacher Forums, facilitated by Joan Ellersick
• Implementation of the ASTA/CAP , facilitated by Jody Harmon
• Present Annual ASTA member awards for: Studio Teacher and Orchestra Director of the Year (nominations by colleagues should be made in January 2011)
• Using our member e-mail listserv to provide information on performance, teaching, and professional development opportunities

We are always looking for more ways to serve our colleagues, and are considering the following ideas for this year:

• Providing professional development during the District Festival rehearsal times
• Working with the All-State Board to develop a comprehensive string repertoire list for annual audition rotation

Additionally, we have funding available for special projects—PLEASE INQUIRE! We want to be of service to our members, and all it takes is a quick email to one of our board members.

Lastly, we are always looking to recruit string teachers to be a part of the ASTA community. Maybe you have a colleague or string teacher on your private teacher list who's membership has lapsed. I know for me, the MA-ASTA and National ASTA has provided great networking, resources, and professional development opportunities I wouldn't have had access to otherwise—the All-State conference is always great, but the National Conference and summer sessions are incredible, too! If there's someone who should be a part of ASTA, but isn't--talk to them! Or, pass their name along and our Board will contact them personally.

We are currently looking for more Board members, especially representatives from Western and Southeastern districts! Meetings cover event topics, networking, membership issues, and planning for special grants and initiatives. Your first dinner is on us! This year's meeting dates (held from 6:30-8pm at the Green Papaya Restaurant in Waltham, MA, directly off Exit 27 on Rt 95/128):

Thurs, Sept 30
Thurs, October 21
Thurs, Nov 18
Thurs, January 20
Thurs, March 24 (Annual Mtg at All-State)
Thurs, April 28
Thur, June 16

Thanks again for sending along your input and ideas for this coming year! I look forward to sharing them with the Board at our first meeting in September.

Sincerely,

Margot B. Reavey

margot.reavey@gmail.com

Hi All, I am looking to put together a more complete list of past awardees. If you have received an ASTA or NSOA award in the past or know someone who has please send me an email and I will add them to the web page. Thanks, Ken Culver MA-ASTA President

Paula Zeitlin taught us Jazz Improv skills in such a simple and comfortable way, that the following day, we had a ball playing with a professional Jazz Trio. Louis Bergonzi lit up our inspiration and energy to raise up our rehearsal techniques and communication with our players. Pamela Tellejohn Hayes shared basic teaching techniques to solve common technique problems with our young string players.

Congratulations to our ASTA award recipients Christopher Memoli and Andrew Marks.

At our annual meeting, we voted in Ken Culver as next year's President and Margot Reavey as the President-Elect.  Three points were announced that we all should be reminded about:  
1.  Encourage the studio teachers that you know to join ASTA.  (It qualifies them not only for workshops for teachers and students, but makes them eligible for awards)
2.  Ideas for workshops and student enrichment activities are always welcome. Just contact someone on the board.  Our state chapter is also willing to fund master classes, guest conductors or relevant string activities at your school.

Thank you to Johnson Strings for providing wonderful string instruments for us to play at our sessions, and for providing the food and refreshments at our annual meeting. FInally, thank you to Chris Memoli, for putting together wonderful sessions for us.

-Jane E. Ezbicki, MA-ASTA President

Greetings to all of the string and orchestra teachers of Massachusetts! Anyone is welcome at our dinner meetings held monthly in Waltham at the Green Papaya, to share ideas or help out with special events or just to see what is going on in our organization. Read More...