From President Rebecca Jonas: Take Time for Yourself This School Year

Greetings CASTA Members!

As I write this, we’re back in the salt mines. School teachers are back in the classrooms, and private studios are in full swing, with teachers getting new students, planning fall retreats, recitals, and other activities. It’s always an exciting time for us, and it’s a busy time of preparation for everyone.

But, let’s not get too busy. As I read through my social media, my music teacher friends seem to be in a competition of sorts to see who is working the longest and hardest. Ten hour days, twelve hour days, weekends at school, being the only car in the parking lot, being stressed and sleep deprived, and also kind of exhilarated…it’s all part of the job, right?

Let’s take a moment to reflect on our profession, our positions, our roles, our calling to be musicians and music educators. What is our motivation? What is our responsibility? What is important? 

I’m the first to admit that I love to perform. I personally enjoy the feeling of being on stage, and sharing what I do with others. I love putting together a student performance. I love showcasing their progress, and hope to give them a feeling of pride and accomplishment. I love taking my groups to festivals, seeing a talented educator who I respect work with them, and learning a lot in the process. I have high standards for students, and always will. That means a lot of hard work, a lot of hours, a lot of planning, and a lot of running around. And most of us are in the same boat.

It’s hard to balance our lives as musicians and music educators. Many of us feel the need to keep practicing, studying, performing, and expressing ourselves musically. As we should. We need to feed our souls, and the better we are at our art, the better teachers we can be for our students. And the longer we can survive in a very demanding profession. But we feel pulled in many directions, not meeting the needs of students, our families, our friends, and often neglecting our own needs first.

It’s time for us to prioritize ourselves. We need to nourish and take care of ourselves, starting NOW at the beginning of the year. We need to do this to maintain our joy of music and teaching. To stay in the moment, be available physically and emotionally for our students, and prevent burnout. And to model happy, successful, balanced lives for our students.

I am working at this, and some days it goes well, and some days, it seems impossible. Self-care isn’t selfish, it's mandatory. Make time now to put some practices into place that will help sustain you throughout the school year. Take care of your physical self. Sleep as much as you can. Eat as well as you can. Move, exercise, stretch, walk. Take care of the body that allows you to play and teach and live. Make time to create space in your life. Meditate, read, pray, whatever your preference. Don’t neglect your passions outside of music and school, or in their place, you’ll find resentment and fatigue. Turn off work email at night. Give yourself permission to spend time with family and friends. And give yourself permission to focus not on your to do list, but on the important relationships in your life. Including the one you have with yourself.

Thank you for your membership. Thank you for the work you’re doing in creating music and educating kids. Work just as hard to make YOUR life joyful, meaningful, and one you would wish on someone else. Let us know how we can help you navigate this year.

Rebecca

From President-Elect Alison Mayes: Gear Up for the New School Year AND the 2017 National ASTA Conference

Happy September!!!! I just LOVE this time of year! For me, back to school means...meeting new students who are excited to make music, reuniting with colleagues, and getting back to a routine. Take a moment and reflect...what does back to school mean for you? Sure, we all might tend to groan and moan about getting up early and going to work after some much-needed time off. But what makes you passionate about music? What kinds of things about your career inspire and motivate you? I encourage all of you to take some time to think about these things so that you can easily pull them back to the front of your mind when things get rough. Because sometimes, they do. But remember the twinkle in the eyes of a beginning student, or a first year teacher? You were there once, too.

GOING TO THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE IN MARCH??? Would you like to pursue a hotel room-share to save on some costs? If you'd like to help finding a roommate, click on and complete this survey: National Conference Roommate Questionnaire

Here are the details about the conference: 2017 Conference Details

Alison

Westminster High School Awarded 100 Sets of D'Addario Strings

Westminister High School was chosen as the grand prize winner of D'Addario's American String Teachers Association Giveaway. The WHS orchestra received over 100 sets of D'Addario strings, plus stickers and other prizes. D'Addario said, "We're proud to help facilitate these students' continued music education and know they'll do great things with all those strings!" Please join Colorado ASTA in congratulating Michael Linert, Director of Orchestras at Westminster High School, on this accomplishment.

Winifred Crock to Present Workshop on Teaching Reading and Accuracy with Ease

Colorado Talent Development and Boulder Suzuki Strings are sponsoring a course focused on teaching literacy and aural skills in private lessons, group class, string class, or ensemble settings. Both private teachers and those that teach strings in the schools will benefit from the concepts, materials, and discussion involved in these sessions and demonstrations. Please bring your instruments and join Winifred Crock in a thought-provoking weekend filled with new ideas and solutions for your students.

Download this flyer for more information.

When:             Sat. Oct 8, and Sun. Oct. 9, 2016

Where:           Saturday, Lakewood United Church of Christ

                       1st and Carr, Lakewood, CO 80226

                       Sunday, Rockley Music                                                                                

                        8555 W Colfax Ave., Denver CO 80215

Times:            Sat: 9-12 AM, 1:30-4:30 PM

                        Sun: 10-12 AM, 1:30-3:30 PM

Fee:                 $135 for all classes

                        (SAA Enrichment credit available for all teachers)

Civic Youth Orchestra: A New Youth Orchestra Opportunity in South Denver, Made Possible by the Arapahoe Philharmonic and Avanti

Dear Orchestra & Band Directors, 

I hope you had a great summer and are off to a wonderful start in this new school year! I wanted to reach out, as I have worked with many of your amazing orchestras throughout the past few years. Many of you and your students have asked about the AP youth orchestra. I am super excited to say that we are partnering this year with Avanti to start the Civic Youth Orchestra in the south metro area.

For more info and to sign up for an audition, go to www.avantimusic.org/civic-youth-orchestra-south

The Arapahoe Philharmonic has a long tradition and history of participation in education and outreach programs in our community. The Civic Youth Orchestra will connect professional musicians with student musicians, young with old, and players of all levels will come together with the sole purpose of artistic excellence and building community through music-making. We are also presenting a unique opportunity for youth orchestra musicians to participate in fully staged operatic productions (this year the Magic Flute). Young musicians will be coached by adult mentors with the Arapahoe Philharmonic, and will be immersed in the culture of great music-making and classical music education.

We are planning to have you two levels of orchestras, and I would ask that you please encourage any of your students participating in orchestra/band who you think would benefit by and enjoy this unique musical experience to please sign up to audition. I can be reached by email if you have any questions, and I look forward to seeing many of you again and working with you to bring our kids these amazing opportunities.

Very best,

Devin Patrick Hughes

Music Director & Conductor, Arapahoe Philharmonic

director@arapahoe-phil.org

Arapahoe-Phil.org

Colorado Bluegrass Music Society Offers Educational Outreach Program

Interested in incorporating improvisation and jamming in YOUR classroom? 

The Colorado Bluegrass Music Society Bluegrass Educational Outreach Program is offering matching funds to bring bluegrass and improvisation to YOUR classroom in the 2016-2017 school year! Featuring a performance ensemble of renowned musicians and a curriculum that can be adapted for all levels of orchestra classrooms, this is a GREAT way to get your kids CREATING music! 

There is a $250 fee to bring the CBMS ensemble into your classroom for a half day, and they are even available to provide you with orchestral arrangements of familiar fiddle tunes to use with your ensemble! If arranged in the next few weeks, the ensemble is even able to accompany your students in performance--making for a truly unique Fall Concert! 

Contact Annie Savage at savagefiddler@gmail.com to get samples of workshops, sample scores, and to arrange the time and date of your visit! Go to http://savagefiddler.com/tools-for-teachers/ for more information! Secure your matching funds today! 

Colorado ASTA Dates for 2016-2017

We hope your school year's gotten off to a great start. Please "save the date" for some great Colorado ASTA events happening in the spring. We hope to see you and your students there! More details about these events, along with information regarding registration, will be distributed once available. 

Colorado ASTA Large Group Festival

March 8, 2017 (Northern Colorado)

March 9, 2017 (Denver)

CCAP

April 22, 2017 (Northern Colorado)

April 29, 2017 (Denver)

Congratulations to the 2017 CMEA Performing Groups

Congratulations to the following schools and directors, whose orchestras were selected to perform at the 2017 CMEA Clinic/Conference!, which will take place January 25-28, 2017 at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs.

Bell Middle School

Barbara Casanova, Director

Lesher Middle School

Loni Obluda, Director

Coronado High School

Paul Jacobson, Director

Highlands Ranch High School

Ryan Woodworth and Kevin Larsen, Directors

Silver Creek High School

Paul Trapkus, Director

Upcoming Events and Important Dates

October 2, 2016: Rocky Mountain String Bass Festival @ CU Boulder

October 8-9, 2016: Winifred Crock Workshop

October 17, 2016: Fort Lewis Honors String Orchestra Festival

November 3-5, 2016: Western States Honor Orchestra Festival

January 25-28, 2017: CMEA Clinic/Conference

February 9-11, 2017: Colorado All State Orchestra

March 1-4, 2017: National ASTA Conference in Pittsburgh

March 8, 2017: Colorado ASTA Large Group Festival (Northern Colorado)

March 9, 2017: Colorado ASTA Large Group Festival (Denver)

April 22, 2017: CCAP (Northern Colorado)

April 29, 2017: CCAP (Denver)

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.