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ASSOCIATION &
CHAPTER NEWS
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Need
an ASTA
Publication?
Buy Now and
Get 20 Percent
Off!
For
a limited time
only, until May
15, all ASTA
publications and
products are on
sale at 20 percent
off. Go to the
bookstore link at www.astaweb.com
to view all
publications.
Please note that
the prices listed
reflect the 20
percent discount.
To add even more
value to this
offer, a special
"combo pak"
of the popular
Ultimate Strings,
Vol. 1:
Alternative Styles
and Ultimate
Strings Vol. 2:
Classical
Virtuosity can be
purchased for just
$5 when you spend
$25 or more.
(These cds
normally sell for
$9.95 each.) What
a DEAL!
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ASTA's
Buzzin' About
Its Newest Book,
Honey Bee's
Song
Honey
Bee's Song,
written by Cynthia
Swiss and
colorfully
illustrated by
Judy Leyshon, is a
children's story
about a little
girl named Karen
who busily
practices her
violin in a lovely
garden filled with
lavender bushes,
butterflies,
and
bees. Of course,
one of the bees is
special and
becomes her
friend. She
composes a piece
of music for all
of her new bee
"friends"
called "Honey
Bee's Song."
Read how music in
the garden was a
perfect expression
of joy and
friendship for
Karen and the
bees. According to
Swiss, "I
want this book to
be an inspiration
to all young
musicians."
Order this book
online at www.astaweb.com
for just
$8. (This includes
the 20 percent
discount.)
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ASTA
Thanks Sponsors
for Success of
National
Conference
The
four-day 2008 ASTA
National
Conference in
Albuquerque, New
Mexico was a great
success. Held, for
the most part, at
Albuquerque
Convention Center,
the conference
featured nearly
200 informative
sessions and
showcases, a
strings-only
product exhibit
hall, the National
Orchestra
Festival, the
National High
School Honors
Orchestra, a
variety of
outstanding
performances, and
much more! See our
special conference
highlights section
in the May issue
of American
String Teacher.
Thanks
to all who
attended. Special
thanks go to our
conference
sponsors, who
played a huge role
in the success of
the event. Please
see the upcoming
May issue of AST
for a complete
list of sponsors.
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Call
For Showcase
Would
you like to have
exclusive
placement of your
company's new
products,
services, or
information
"showcased"
in American
String Teacher
(AST) and on our
website? If the
answer is
"yes"
please send all
releases, not more
than 300 words, to
maryjane@astaweb.com.
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 nearly
11,500 potential
buyers. Space is
limited.
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Fill
That Position by
Posting It on
ASTA's Website
An economical and
highly visible way
to fill that
position at your
company, studio,
or school is by
posting it on
ASTA's "Job
Posting"
section of our
website. For only
$75 and an
unlimited text
description
available, you can
advertise your
available position
for 60 days! Click
here to
take advantage of
this fabulous deal. |
ASTA
Offers New
Membership
Rate for
Students
The
ASTA Board of
Directors passed a
motion to lower
student dues to
$30 from $44,
effective July 1,
2008. The new rate
reflects an online
version of the American
String Teacher
(AST) journal
versus a hard
copy. According to
students at the
conference, an
online version is
preferred.
Students and all
members will be
able to access
this online
version of AST
behind the
"Members
Only" area of
our website at www.astaweb.com
for the August
AST.
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End-of-Year
Student Award
Certificates
Available
The
end of the school
year is the
perfect time to
recognize your
students, and ASTA
has created a line
of award
certificates for
that purpose. The
certificates are
printed on
high-quality
parchment index
paper and are
suitable for
framing. With the
presentation of
these attractive
and affordable
awards, your
students'
achievements are
formally
recognized by ASTA.
Certificates are
available in five
categories,
including Most
Improved and
Student
Leadership, and
are offered in
packs of 25 for
the member price
of $12.95 ($14.95
nonmember). Two
combination packs
are also
available. To
order, visit the
bookstore at
www.astaweb.com. |
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ASTA
Memberships Make
Great Gifts for
College
Graduates
With
graduation right
around the corner,
why not give the
gift that keeps on
giving? Continue
your student's
growth with a gift
membership to ASTA.
For information
about the
different types of
memberships
available and the
many benefits
enjoyed by ASTA
members, visit
www.astaweb.com. |
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Membership
Dues to Mirror
Annual Rate of
Inflation
The
national ASTA
Board of Directors
passed a motion in
2006 to raise
membership dues
annually by at
least the rate of
inflation in order
to remain
financially sound.
In
accordance, as
July 1 begins our
new fiscal year,
the rates will
increase to the
following amounts,
which reflect the
2.8 percent rate
of inflation.
Professional:
$99
Senior:
$70
Dual:
$138
High
School Chapter:
$66
Library
Subscription: $82
Library
Subscription (Ad
Agency): $74
Institutional:
$301
String
Industry Council:
$176, $246, $339
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New
Chapter Rebate
Structure
Earlier
this year, the
national ASTA
Board of Directors
passed a motion to
increase the
rebate from a
nominal figure
(note to myself,
ask Jody) to a
percentage basis.
Starting July 1,
20 percent of
individual
membership dues
will go directly
to your state
chapter. This will
ensure that as
dues increase due
to inflation each
year, the state
chapter's refund
grows as well.
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ASTA
Announces
Special
Membership Rate
for Graduating
Students
ASTA
is pleased to
announce a new
membership
initiative for
graduating
seniors. We
will be offering a
discounted
professional
membership rate of
$75 for first year
teachers. This
is a savings of
more than 20
percent off the
regular
professional
membership price! This
transitional
membership rate
will also allow
first year
teachers to
register at the
2009 ASTA National
Conference at the
discounted student
rate.
To
qualify, students
must be a current
ASTA student
member that will
graduate in 2008
(spring, summer or
fall semesters). Students
must join between
April 1 and June
30, 2008 by using
the ASTA
Transitional
Membership Form.
The
national office
will mail forms
offering this
special rate to
qualifying
students.
Please send
complete contact
information of
your graduating
students (name,
ASTA ID#, address
and email address)
to kari@astaweb.com.
Please be sure to
pass this email on
to any other graduating
students who could
benefit from this
discount.
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ASTA
Announces
Winners of the
2008 Merle J.
Isaac
Composition
Contest
ASTA
is proud to
announce the
winners for the
2008 Merle J.
Isaac Composition
Contest. The
winner in the
Junior Division is
Kevin Hartnett of
Lee Summit,
Missouri for
"Indignation."
In the
Senior Division,
the winner is
Susan Day of
Littleton,
Colorado for
"Shores of
Ireland."
ASTA thanks
Robert McCashin,
chairman of the
committee, from
James Madison
University in
Harrisonburg,
Virginia for all
his time and
effort to ensure
the success of
this contest.
Note:
The Merle J. Isaac
Composition
Contest deadline
is January 15.
Additionally,
please remember
that the Senior
Division is open
to both full and
string orchestra.
The Junior
Division remains
string orchestra.
Initiated in 1959,
this contest is
held annually to
encourage the
composition,
publication, and
performance of
quality music for
school orchestra
programs. Please
check the ASTA
website for
complete contest
details at http://www.astaweb.com/competitions/MerleIsaac.htm.
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Kudos
to the 2008
National
Orchestra
Festival
Congratulations
to all the
talented young
musicians who
participated in
the 2008 National
Orchestra Festival
at the ASTA
national
conference. Thank
you to
adjudicators John
Clinton, Kathleen
Horvath, and Ray
Ostwald. And,
thanks to
clinicians Bob
Phillips and James
Kjelland, and the
many elective
master class
clinicians.
Final
Results
Middle
School String
Orchestra
1.
Las Flores Middle
School String
Ensemble,
Las Flores,
California--Steve
Benefield,
conductor
High
School String
Orchestra
1.
Virtuoso Program
Orchestra da
Camera,
San
Anselmo,
California--George
Thomson, conductor
2.
Punahou Symphony
Orchestra Strings,
Honolulu,
Hawaii--Craig
Young and Jonas
Carlson,
conductors
3.
Iowa City West
High School
Symphony String
Orchestra,
Iowa City,
Iowa--Wayne
Thelander,
conductor
High
School Full
Orchestra
1.
Las Vegas
Academy
Philharmonic
Orchestra,
Las Vegas--Karl
Reinartz, and Brian
Downey, conductors
2.
Springville High
School
Philharmonic,
Springville
Utah--Sam Tsugawa,
conductor
Grand
Champion
Virtuoso
Program Orchestra
da Camera, San
Anselmo,
California--George
Thomson, conductor
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Apply
for a Special
Project Grant
ASTA
Special Project
Grants are
designed to
provide financial
assistance to
projects planned
at the state
chapter level.
Funding is
available for new
projects that will
advance the ASTA
mission and
increase the
strength,
visibility, and
activities of your
state chapter.
Only one project
per state may be
funded but states
may submit more
than one project
for consideration.
Grants of up to
$850 will be
awarded.
The
postmark deadline
to apply for a
Special Project
Grant is June 1,
2008. Special
Project Grants
will be awarded to
finance projects
or events that are
new to a state and
are scheduled to
take place between
July 1, 2008 and
June 30, 2009.
Revised guidelines
and application
forms are
available at http://www.astaweb.com/foundation/AwardsGrants.htm.
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SAVE
THE DATE!
2009
ASTA National
Conference
March
18- 21
Atlanta,
Georgia
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ASTA
eNEWS is
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updates on
what's happening
within ASTA and
in the string
music industry.
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phone:
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fax:
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