From Colorado ASTA President Rebecca Jonas

Happy Holidays from Colorado ASTA Board! We consider ourselves so fortunate to be able to work with you and for you, and for all the great string teaching and playing going on in the state. We hope that the month of December provides you with fun musical experiences and that you also have some time to rest and re-connect with family. Thanks and Happy Holidays!

Register Now for CMEA 2018

The 2018 CMEA Clinic/Conference will take place January 25-28, 2017 at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs. Registration is now open on the CMEA website. Early registration pricing ends January 2nd. The Broadmoor is also undergoing extensive construction, so if you are planning to stay on site, we encourage you to make your reservations ASAP.

The 2018 conference will feature Dr. Andrew Dabczynski as the string headliner. Here's a list of some of the great educational string sessions you can expect this January. 

Put a Bow on It: Why Bowings Matter | Courtney Strauss

Fixing Broken Baroque: Approaching the Baroque in the Beginning and Intermediate String Class | Dr. Andrew Dabczynski

Repertoire, Rehearsals, and Representation | Dr. Lindsay Fulcher

Reflective Practice: Continuous Professional Growth | Alison Mayes

Of Course You Can Teach Strings! Strategies for New String Teachers | Dr. Andrew Dabczynski

"Chopped": Improv & Comp String Warm-Ups | Tom Nugent

Bach and Beyond: Baroque-Style Performance Practice | Dr. Margaret Berg

Andrew Dabczynski Music Reading Session | Dr. Andrew Dabczynski

The Classic Style: What It Is and How to Get It | Wes Kenney

DIY String Instrument Repair | Mi Vida Strings

Practical String Warm-Ups That Work | Jessica Chen

The Unconventional String Ensemble | Dr. Lindsay Fulcher

Orchestra New Music Reading Session

Colorado ASTA General Membership Meeting

And congratulations again to the orchestras that will be performing at the 2018 conference: 

Boltz Middle School Orchestra | Melissa Claeys, Director

Centennial Middle School Orchestra | Anne Paulu, Director

Denver School of the Arts Full Orchestra | Enrique Lasansky, Director

Fort Collins High School Chamber Strings | John Hermanson, Director

Lakewood High School Chamber Orchestra | Bryce Melaragno, Director

University of Colorado at Boulder Symphony Orchestra | Gary Lewis, Director

Want to Play in the Reading Session at CMEA? Consider Joining the New CASTA Teacher Orchestra!

After listening to member feedback, the CASTA board has come up with a new format for the new music reading session at CMEA 2018. We are inviting any interested Colorado string teachers (both currently teaching and retired) who are planning to be at CMEA to perform in the reading session orchestra. However, in an effort to provide the highest-quality performance possible, we are asking interested teachers to attend a rehearsal, during which we will preview the selections to be performed at CMEA. Please see the details below. If all goes well, we hope to expand the teacher orchestra in the future. 

First Ever CASTA Teacher Orchestra Rehearsal:

Preparation for Reading Session at CMEA 2018

WHO? Any interested CASTA members. You don't even have to commit to performing all of the music. Perhaps you're not a native string player but would still like the challenge? Learn as much (or as little) of the music as you are comfortable with!

WHAT? Teachers who are interested in playing for the reading session at CMEA will get a chance to rehearse the music ahead of time. 

WHEN? Saturday, January 13th, 10:00am-12:00pm

WHERE? Overland High School (12400 E. Jewell Ave., Aurora, CO 80012), in the instrumental music room. Contact Hannah Smith, OHS Orchestra Director and CASTA Webmaster, with any questions.

WHY? Because it's a great opportunity for teachers to make music together!

The 2018 CMEA conference will also include a second reading session featuring the compositions of our headliner, Dr. Andrew Dabczynski. This reading session will follow the "old" format where any interested members can bring an instrument and simply sight read during the conference. 

Registration for CASTA Large Group Festival is Now Closed

We are incredibly excited for the CASTA Large Group Festival this coming April. Unfortunately, both days of the festival are now at capacity, and registration is closed. We are excited to expand in future years to possibly include more than one day at each site.

Congratulations to the CASTA President-Elect Nominees

The nomination period for CASTA's new president-elect is now over. Congratulations to the following nominees: Philip Ficsor and Loni Obluda. Their bios and headshots will be posted on the Colorado ASTA website soon, and voting will open on January 1, 2018 (concluding at the CASTA General Membership Meeting at CMEA 2018).

Combined League Honor Orchestra Audition Deadline Approaching

CLHO is a terrific organization that gives students, especially those who don't make All-State, the opportunity to play in a high-quality ensemble.  It is open to students in grades 9-12 who are North of I-70 and East of the Continental Divide. This year's conductor will be Dr. Lindsay Fulcher, Assistant Professor of String Education at the University of Northern Colorado. The event will take place on February 22nd, 2018 at the Union Colony Civic Center in Greeley, CO.  Auditions are taken from the Colorado All-State/WSHO Materials with cuts for each instrument.  These cuts and more audition info can be found on the CLHO website at http://combinedleague.org/orchestra/.  Auditions are due on December 8th, 2017 and should be submitted via Dropbox. If you do not have a Dropbox shared with you, please e-mail Chris Pilsner (christopher.pilsner@weldre4.org) to get one.

Colorado Composer Susan Day's Compositions to Be Featured at Upcoming Midwest Clinic in Chicago

The Midwest Clinic will be held in Chicago, Dec. 20-23, 2017.  This is the 71st year of this largest (20,000) international band/orchestra clinic, featuring wonderful educational sessions and performances by selected groups from around the world.

Susan Day, local composer, will have 3 of her compositions performed this year!  “Whirligig” will be performed on Dec. 20th by the Bishop Carroll High School Virtuosi Strings from Calgary, Canada, under the direction of Christina Visy.  “Farewell for a Friend” will be performed on Dec. 21st by the Hyde Park Middle School Orchestra from Las Vegas, NV, under the direction of Jeremy Woolstenhulme.  “Sailors of the Blue” will be performed on Dec. 22nd by the Green Valley High School Symphonic Strings from Henderson, NV under the direction of Shelly Burger.

Save the Date: CCAP 2018

Colorado ASTA will once again be sponsoring the Certificate Advancement Program in Spring 2018. Here are this years dates and locations:

April 21, 2018

Rock Canyon High School

 5810 McArthur Ranch Rd

Lone Tree, CO 80124

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April 28, 2018

Front Range Community College

4616 S. Shields Street
Fort Collins, CO 80526

Ongoing Colorado ASTA Fundraisers

Please consider supporting Colorado ASTA's ongoing fundraisers. Follow the links below for more information. 

Upcoming Events and Important Dates

November 2-4, 2017: Western States Honor Orchestra Festival

November 4, 2017: General Membership Meeting @ WSHOF, 10:00am

January 24-27, 2018: Colorado Music Educators Association (CMEA) Clinic/Conference

February 8-10, 2018: Colorado All State Orchestra

March 7-10, 2018: National ASTA Conference (Atlanta, GA)

April 3, 2018: Large Group Festival (Northern Site)

April 4, 2018: Large Group Festival (Denver Site)

April 21, 2018: CCAP (Denver Site)

April 21, 2018: CCAP (Northern Site)

Thank you to the following businesses for supporting Colorado ASTA!

Do you have an article, announcement, or other information you'd like to share with the Colorado ASTA membership? If so, we'd love to include it in our monthly newsletter! Please send your newsletter submissions to hsmith26@cherrycreekschools.org by the 20th of each month, and we will be sure to add them the next newsletter, which is published at the beginning of each month. Contact Hannah Smith (hsmith26@cherrycreekschools.org), Colorado ASTA webmaster and newsletter editor, with any questions.