Colorado ASTA Newsletter

January 2021

CMEA 2021 is THIS WEEK!

As you know, CMEA is hosting it's virtual conference, this week: Wednesday, January 27 through Saturday, January 30. We're looking forward to "seeing" you all from the comfort of your work or personal space. Stay safe and healthy!  

CMEA ASTA Headliners

Soon Hee Newbold

 

Live Synchronous Session:

"Addressing the Elephant in the Room: Navigating the Issues of Cultural Diversity and Discrimination"

 

Soon Hee Newbold touches on some of the hot topics of today and challenges some face specifically in the music world. This is an open and safe forum for anyone to express their own thoughts and personal experiences and what we all can do to help each other moving forward. 

Dr. Matthew Spieker

 

Live Synchronous Session:

"The Right Finger on the Right Spot"

 

“Good intonation is easy” he said, “you simply put the right finger on the right spot!” This is how a former professor explained this concept to me. I had about ten years of experience teaching strings and I knew the statement was oversimplified, but it wasn’t wrong. This workshop is packed with my ideas for teaching intonation. Concepts covered will be fingerboard mapping, hand frames, wiggle strings, and more. Bring your string instrument because this is “hands on” work.

 

Pre-Recorded Session:

"The Magic of Music"

 

This is a philosophical talk designed to remind us of music’s magic in a child’s life. We often forget this basic truth and yet it will sustain us and keep us focused and motivated as we do this important work. Our students deserve the opportunity to discover music’s powerful magic and we are given the privilege to introduce them to it.

CMEA 2021 General Membership Meeting

Our state-wide general membership meeting will look different this year. The exact date is yet to be scheduled, but clear your calendars for a meeting to occur sometime between February 4 and February 6. If you have any agenda items you're interested in discussing, please contact Colorado ASTA President, Loni Obluda at coloradoastapresident@gmail.com. 

National ASTA Virtual Conference (March 3-6, 2021)

"Strings Are Essential, You Are Essential"

The National Conference will also function virtually. "The conference agenda will have flexible access to meet your schedule needs. Best of all, breakout sessions will be on-demand for conference attendees to view at their own convenience for 30 days following the conference. Use conference education in your classroom for your students to enhance your curriculum and learn from string experts."

 

A few conference highlights: 
Scott Edgar will be presenting on social emotional learning:

Rachel Barton Pine, along with a panel, will be presenting a preconference workshop on Teaching Musical Diversity: The Step-By-Step Guide
*A separate fee applies pre preconference workshops and it is limited attendance.

Other preconference workshops include:
Healthy Teacher, Healthy Classroom: Wellness Workshop for String Educators
Electric String Extravaganza, Jumpstart Your Career: Virtual Teaching and Career-Building Strategies To Ignite Your Future!

Master Classes - Take a look at the lineup:

New Music Reading Sessions - We have added more sessions to include:
K-12 Orchestra Repertoire by Female Composers
K-12 Orchestra Repertoire for Underrepresented Composers
Applied Studio - Solo and Chamber Music by Female Composers
Applied Studio - Solo and Chamber Music by Underrepresented Composers
Check out all of the sessions:

Over 120 sessions! 

Early bird registration ends Monday, February 1st. Register before the price goes up!

ASTA Conference Registration

Private Teacher Roundtable Discussions (PTR)

CALLING ALL PRIVATE TEACHERS! Are you looking for a relaxed forum where you can discuss ideas for your private studio? Look no further! Phil Ficsor, our Colorado ASTA Private Teacher Liaison, is hosting a biweekly event called, "The Private Teacher Roundtable," or "PTR," for short . These roundtable, virtual events are designed to help you problem-solve and collaborate with other Private Teachers in our state. 

 

To those that have attended regularly, please promote this to members in your area! Also, we are looking to expand our chapter, so if there are teachers in your area that are NOT CASTA members yet, please invite them as guests. The more the merrier!

 

If you have any topic requests or feedback, please contact Phil Ficsor at mountainviolinist@gmail.com. 

CO-ASTA Large Group Festival

You Colorado ASTA Board has decided to continue forward with the Large Group Festival for 2021. Recorded submissions will be due in late April. A specific date will be communicated once it is scheduled. Please watch your email for updates.

CCAP 2021

With much success in moving the event to a virtual format last year, the coordinators for CCAP are excited to announce their tentative dates for this year’s event:

 

Tentative Dates:

March 8 - Coordinators will announce the format of the event (Live vs. Virtual)

April 17, 2021 - Durango

April 24, 2021 - Lafayette


Questions? Contact Margaret Miller: violaco@comcast.net

Newsletter Publication Change

Due to the summer months approaching and the challenges of navigating our day to day world through COVID-19, the newsletter will now be published every other month for the foreseeable future. Thank your for your patience!

Check Your Membership

Please make sure your membership is current! Consider inviting colleagues and local organizations to join so that we can continue offering resources and advocacy throughout our state on behalf of string education. 

Teaching During COVID-19 - ASTA Recommendations
ASTA has posted information on returning to classroom and studio teaching during the pandemic. Check out their research and recommended protocols for ensuring student and personal safety.

    ASTA Teaching Resources

    Job Openings

    As we go through educator hiring season, please check out the website often for new posts. Click here to view current job listings. 

     

    If you know of any current string job openings, or any upcoming anticipated openings (retirements, maternity leave), please let us know. Send us the information and we'll put it on our website.

    Looking to Advertise in the CASTA Newsletter?

    Just a friendly reminder: if you would like to advertise with Colorado ASTA (on our website and in our newsletter), your business or organization must be an institutional member of ASTA. The membership rate is only $175 per year!

     

    Looking to highlight success in the CASTA Newsletter?

    Please send program, area, school highlights, stories, article ideas, etc. to Webmaster leannarutka@gmail.com for our monthly e-newsletter and website. We would love to show-off you and your students!

     

    Additionally, Dr. Joel Schut from CU Boulder is serving as Editor for The American String Teacher Journal. You can send him your ideas at joel.schut@colorado.edu.

    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 leannarutka@gmail.com 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 Leanna Rutka (leannarutka@gmail.com), Colorado ASTA webmaster and newsletter editor, with any questions.

    lobluda@psdschools.org
    970-472-3882

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