From President Rebecca Jonas

May is always a whirlwind of emotions and activities. With recitals, concerts, graduations, and preparations to make for the Summer and Fall, most of us start the month moving at 100 mph, and drag our feet to the end of school year, ready for well-deserved Summer Vacation. I encourage everyone to try and even out the pace a bit. Slow down a little and enjoy all the celebrations, the ceremonies, the achievements, and the lazy days too. Maybe don’t worry about picture perfect program notes or making sure that the music is getting filed back in the library in score order. Take time to enjoy your students, colleagues, and your job. Reflect on the year, the ups and downs, and take time to appreciate all you’ve accomplished.

Registration Now Open for Colorado ASTA Summer Conference

The 2017 Colorado ASTA Summer Conference will be held Thursday, July 27th and Friday, July 28th at the King Center on the Auraria Campus in Denver. Registration is now open!

Attendee Registration Form

Exhibitor Registration Form

Dr. Michael Hopkins from the University of Michigan will be giving sessions, and session proposals from local members are now being accepted (see session proposal form). Additional details, including hotel information, can be found on the Colorado ASTA website. 

Nominations for Lifetime Teacher and Teacher of the Year Close This Wednesday

The nomination period for the Colorado ASTA Lifetime Teacher and Teacher of the Year Awards has been extended to THIS WEDNESDAY, May 17th. Criteria for each of the awards can be found here. Please consider nominating one or more of your outstanding colleagues; to do so, fill out the appropriate form below.

2017 Lifetime Teacher Nomination Form

2017 Teacher of the Year Nomination Form

It is also time to nominate yourself for the Exemplary Award. Anyone can submit an application to receive this award, which will be presented at the summer conference. We have Exemplary Awards for private teachers, elementary, middle, and high school orchestra teachers, and university professors. To nominate yourself, please fill out the apporpriate form below and supply all requested documentation.

2017 Exemplary Private String Teacher Nomination Form

2017 Exemplary Elementary String Teacher Nomination Form

2017 Exemplary Middle School String Teacher Nomination Form

2017 Exemplary High School Orchestra Teacher Nomination Form

2017 Exemplary College/University String Professor Nomination Form

Please visit the Colorado ASTA website for more information.

CMEA Session Proposals and Performing Group Auditions Due May 20th

If you or a colleague would like to apply to present or perform at the 2018 Colorado Music Educators Association (CMEA) Conference, the deadline is May 20th. Appropriate forms can be accessed on the CMEA website: Session Proposal Form, Performing Group Application. 

Check Out the New and Improved National ASTA Website

The National ASTA website recently got a complete makeover. The website is now much more user-friendly and easier to navigate. It also includes many valuable member-only resources once users log in. Check out the new website today: https://www.astastrings.org/. 

Congratulations to the 2017 Summer Camp Scholarship Recipients

Due to a successful silent auction at the 2016 Summer Conference and generous contributions from the Colorado ASTA membership, Colorado ASTA is able to help six students pay for camp expenses this summer. Congratulations to Matthew Wiest (Mountain Vista High School) who will be attending the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival; Andrea Liu (Cherry Creek High School), Erika Liu (West Middle School), and Anna Neznamova (Denver School of the Arts) who will be attending the Lamont Summer Music Academy; and Campbell Taylor (Parker Performing Arts School) and Joey Wilkie (Angevine Middle School) who will be attending Camp Con Brio, String Camp of the Rockies. 

Audition Materials for 2017-2018 Western States Honor Orchestra and All State Orchestra Now Available

Due to the collaborative efforts of All State Orchestra Past-Chairs Alison Mayes and Kyle Rupley, All State Orchestra board member Paul Trapkus, Director of Orchestras at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) Dr. Russell Guyver, and the UNC faculty, audition materials for the 2017-2018 Western States Honor Orchestra/All State Orchestra website are now posted on the All State Orchestra website. Encourage your high school students to start practicing now!

Kansas ASTA Summer Conference (6/23 - 6/24) to Feature Dr. Robert Gillespie

Kansas ASTA is holding a summer conference on June 23rd and 24th that will feature Dr. Robert Gillespie of The Ohio State University. The Kansas ASTA chapter has invited interested Colorado members to register for the Kansas conference. Please visit the Kansas ASTA website for more information.

String Job Openings

It's job application season! If there's a job opening you'd like to share with the Colorado ASTA membership, please email Hannah Smith at hsmith26@cherrycreekschools.org. We will post it on the Colorado ASTA website. Check back regularly for updates!

Register Now For Local Summer Camps - Application Deadlines Approaching

Camp Con Brio, String Camp of the Rockies

Camp Con Brio is gearing up for another great summer at the Golden Bell Camp and Conference Center in Divide, CO. The middle school camp will take place June 21-24, 2017, and the high school camp will take place June 26-July 1, 2017. There are still lots of high school openings!!! Please visit campconbrio.com for more information. 

CU-Boulder Summer Music Academy

Registration is now open for the 2017 CU-Boulder Summer Music Academy. The High School camp will take place from June 18-23, 2017; followed by the Middle School camp from June 25-30, 2017; and our Jazz camp July 16-21, 2017.

Each of the three week-long camps offers a great ensemble experience plus master classes and sectionals by CU faculty. Each week culminates with a performance in Grusin Music Hall (Old Main Auditorium for Jazz). This is a fantastic opportunity for students to connect with musicians from across the state and country.  This year’s Jazz Summer Music Academy features violinist Christian Howes, offering an outstanding opportunity for strings musicians to explore jazz.

Here is a video showcasing what the week of camp looks like: youtube.com/watch?v=LWb-w3CsaC8

More information about student registration can be found on the website: colorado.edu/music/summer-college-music/summer-music-academy

Students who were selected for the 2017 Colorado All State Orchestra will receive a $150 discount on the registration fee.

If you have any questions, please contact us at musicacademy@colorado.edu. 

String Summer Camp Offerings Across the U.S.

It's time to start gearing up for summer camps! Check out this great list on the National ASTA website of various string-related summer camps offered throughout the country. 

Upcoming Events and Important Dates

May 17, 2017: Deadline for Lifetime Teacher and Teacher of the Year Nominations

May 20, 2017: CMEA Session Proposals and Performing Group Applications Due

June 16, 2017: Deadline for Summer Conference Session Proposals

June 18-23, 2017: CU-Boulder Summer Music Academy (High School)

June 21-24, 2017: Camp Con Brio (Middle School)

June 25-30, 2017: CU-Boulder Summer Music Academy (Middle School)

June 26-July 1, 2017: Camp Con Brio (High School)

July 10, 2017: Early Registration Deadline for Colorado ASTA Summer Conference

July 27-28, 2017: Colorado ASTA Summer Conference

November 2-4, 2017: Western States Honor Orchestra

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

February 8-10, 2018: Colorado All State Orchestra

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

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.

Thank you to the following organizataions for supporting Colorado ASTA.