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Purchase your online ASTA advertising by contacting Steve DiLauro
at
440/238-5577 or click
here. |
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Membership in ASTA Makes a Great Gift!
Send a gift membership to a student or
colleague this spring. It is a gift that keeps on giving
throughout the year... at a bargain price! For details, click
here.
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ASTA Membership Votes Bob Phillips
President-Elect
Bob Phillips, pedagogue, composer, and teacher trainer, is
ASTA's new president-elect. His term as president-elect runs
from May 2010 to May 2012 at which time he becomes president
of ASTA in a full leadership capacity. Following his two-year
term as president, he continues as past president for another
two years. Other ASTA election results are: Benjamin Whitcomb,
secretary; Martin Norgaard, member-at-large. |
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ASTA National Conference Recap
The ASTA national conference, held this past February in Santa
Clara, California, was a huge success. This is in large part
due to all the hard work, dedication, and enthusiasm of
members, committees, national board officers, and our generous
sponsors. We couldn't have done it without all of you!
The May issue of AST will feature complete post-conference
coverage including all national award winners. |
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Complete the ASTA Member Survey by March 31
By now you should have received an invitation
to participate in our 2010 ASTA member
survey. Completing the survey is important for ASTA
and for you!
If you did not receive the survey, click
here. Please participate and let your voice be
heard by March 31. Thank you.
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Congratulations to State Chapter
Award Winners
The State Chapter awards were presented at the leadership and
business meeting during the ASTA national conference. The
winners are:
Best Newsletter, Maryland/D.C.
Best Website, Texas
Membership Retention, North
Dakota
Most Improved Chapter,
Maryland/D.C.
Most Outstanding Chapter,
Michigan
State Chapter Leader, Cornelia
Watkins, Texas
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NSPC White Paper Now Available
Click
here for the White Paper from NSPC on The Status of
String and Orchestra Programs in United States Schools. You
may also visit their website
here for more information about the paper and the
organization. Among the highlights:
- The number of
school districts offering string instruction has
increased from 18 percent in 1997 to 29 percent in 2009.
- Estimated national shortage of string
teachers in the years 2010-2013 will be 3,000 -- we will
need 1,000 new teachers each year for the next three years!
- In the school year 2007-2008,
90 percent of string teaching positions were filled but
18 percent of those positions were filled by teachers whose
primary instrument was not a stringed instrument.
- An average of 35
percent of string students were reported to be non-White.
Additional highlights of the study may be found in the
Fact Sheet on page two of the paper.
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Register Now for Summer Conferences
Click
here for a complete list of Summer Conferences as
appearing in the February journal. If you're not listed,
be sure and look for mailing packages describing the
advertising program in September. You can also email
maryjane@astaweb.com with questions.
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Great Member Resource; Free
Posters!
As a component of the NAMM grant, Increasing Access to
Strings, ASTA is offering 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 fulfilled
requests from more than 300 teachers. Careers in String
Teaching posters are also available. To place an order for
either poster, 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 May AST is March 30.
Showcase is also featured on ASTA's webpage. Click
here for current AST Showcase submissions. |
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National Orchestra Festival
Accolades
San Domenico Claims Top
Orchestra Spot in U.S.!
Congratulations to all the talented young
musicians who participated in the 2010 National Orchestra
Festival, at the ASTA national conference in Santa Clara,
California. Thank you to adjudicators Steve Benham, Kory
Katseanes, and Ruth Kurtis. And, thanks to clinicians
Michael Alexander and David Littrell, and the many
elective master class clinicians.
For complete rankings of participants in the National
Orchestra Festival, click
here.
Be a part of this extraordinary event! Applications for
the 2011festival, held in conjunction with ASTA's national
conference in Kansas City, Missouri, March 16-19, are
available
here. Submissions are due April 15th.
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Apply for a State Chapter 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, 2010. 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, 2010 and June 30,
2011. Revised guidelines and application forms are
available here.
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Target Stores Grant Program
Target Stores Grant
Program to Support Arts/Culture in Schools
Americans for the Arts "Art Watch" 3/18/10
Through its 2010 Store Grant program, Target
will provide direct support to K-12 schools and
other nonprofit organizations that provide art
experiences. In the Art and Culture in Schools
category, Target will fund in-school arts programs
that enhance student's classroom curriculum by
bringing arts and cultural experiences such as
in-school performances, artist-in-residency
programs, and workshops to schools. Grants in the
amount of $2,000 each will be made for programs
taking place between September 1, 2010 and August
1, 2011. Click
here for complete program guidelines and
application instructions.
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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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Special Tribute to Jerry Kupchynsky
Click
here to read a special tribute to past ASTA president
Jerry Kupchynsky by former student Joanne Lipman from the
New York Times.
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Potter's Violins Instrument Awards
ASTA is happy to announce the winners of the October
round of Potter's Violins Instrument Awards, sponsored
by Dalton Potter, owner of Potter's Violins in
Bethesda, Maryland. Congratulations, and a new
Heinrich Lutiger instrument, go to:
Tatios Kebrab, cello; Rockville,
Maryland
Nathaniel Taylor,cello; Waldorf, Maryland
Daniel Zhou, violin; Shaker Heights, Ohio
Applications for the next round of ASTA's bi-annual
competition may be found
here. Deadlines are April 1 and October 1 each
year. Applications are accepted on behalf of students
(elementary up to high school), from ASTA members who
recommend the musicality, promise and financial need
of a student.
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ASTA Competition Updates
The following two competitions will take place in
conjunction with the upcoming ASTA national conference
in Kansas City, Missouri, on March 17-19, 2011.
Alternative
Styles
National Solo Competition
(finals)
Check the ASTA website and future eNEWS for details as
they become available.
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CodaBows for America Awards
Every year, CodaBow International, Ltd., donates approximately
$5,000 worth of full-size CodaBows 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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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.
American 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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