Abstract
Like many of you, the beginning of the school year and the first weeks of fall seem to be that amazing time in which life moves both very quickly (thinking of how little time we have before our first concerts, programs, etc.) and also very slowly (will the holidays ever get here?). Life on the ASTA time clock seems to parallel our school years in so many ways—
ASTACAP 2016 is up and running (thanks to the very large and capable team, led by Kelley Johnson), with participation from not only the U.S. but also several other countries;
The ASTA national office is in full conference-preparation mode (register now if you haven't already done so!);
Our ASTA chapters are incredibly busy with fall in-service events, recitals, and preparing for spring conferences; and
The ASTA Executive Board and staff are heavily involved in preparing for ASTAs long-term health and continued growth.
As I look ahead to the remainder of my term (which ends in May 2016, when Brenda Brenner begins her term as president), the following items are at the top of my priority list:
A Successful ASTA 2016 National Conference in Tampa, Florida
There is no doubt that excitement for ASTA 2016 in Tampa is growing. ASTA Past-President, Bob Phillips, and I just returned from a whirlwind visit to several cities in Florida, where we had the opportunity to present clinics to more than 120 teachers from more than a dozen counties. Like many places, Florida has a great tradition of string teaching, and Bob and I were very impressed by the enthusiasm and energy we saw from the participants. I never cease to be impressed by teachers who will spend 10 hours in a classroom and then go to an additional three-hour in-service so they can continue to become even better teachers.
So what does a successful conference look like?
What's missing?
You! The best part of every conference is the community and synergy we have when we all come together. I can't wait to see old friends from across the globe and make many new friends along the way! There is simply no single location where you will find such a broad, diverse, and expert-level of training sessions. The ASTA conference should be on every string teacher's annual pilgrimage list!
A Strong and Stable Future for ASTA
It is the responsibility of every board to help guide the organization, providing strategic leadership for the purposes of securing a strong and stable future for ASTA. With the hiring of our new CEO, Monika Schulz, and seeing the very strong slate of qualified candidates for future board positions, I am convinced that ASTA is headed in the right direction. We have a renewed emphasis on customer service and are working to make important technological and infrastructure improvements to our association. We continue to work to be prudent and conservative in our budgetary planning and are working to ensure the long-term health of ASTA.
Meaningful, Relevant, and Competitive Programs
As most of you are aware, ASTA began a review of its current programs in 2012. We now have a more refined focus on what we offer our organization, believing that our programs must serve our membership well into this century. In addition to the conference, which is one of our premier programs, the following continue to have the largest impact on our overall membership:
The ASTA K-12 Curriculum will continue to be a main source of pedagogical guidance for school teachers;
The ASTA Certificate Advancement Program (ASTACAP) is now an internationally recognized program of excellence in the area of studio teaching and measuring student progress. The online and live components of ASTACAP exams help us address the needs of teachers in not only the U.S., but also in multiple other countries. We still need an increased number of trained examiners;
A priority for the coming cycle is linking ASTACAP to the scope-and-sequence of technique within the ASTA Curriculum. This will be an exciting document, as we seek to find ways for our studio and public school teachers to share common language and vision for our students;
Ongoing publications that are more than niche releases, but critically reviewed and designed to help further our understanding of pedagogy in deep, meaningful ways; and
Ongoing research to help us deepen our understanding of the teaching-learning process and provide relevant information that helps us understand the needs of our members.
Increasing Access
We continue to encourage our membership to engage in service projects and work to bring the joy of string teaching and playing to those who do not have it. This includes the development of new programs in underserved areas, such as those run by ASTA member Judy Evans in Immokalee and Naples, Florida. A second need is highly trained teachers. While we see many wonderful teachers across the country, many string and orchestral programs are taught by non-string players, who are often incredible musicians but don't have the pedagogical knowledge of string instruments they would like. Many of our members now provide clinics and workshops aimed at the non-string player, which is essential as programs grow around the country.
I hope that you will join me in working to advance ASTAs mission!
With kind regards and best wishes,
