Register Now for the Colorado ASTA Summer Conference 

The 2019 Colorado ASTA Summer Conference will be held on July 15th and 16th at The Lamont School of Music (University of Denver). We have reduced the cost of conference registration, as well as waived any credit card processing fees, so please register today!

ASTA Professional Members, $50

ASTA Student Members, Retired Members, and Professional one-day conference, $25

CBA Members attend FREE! Just simply submit your CBA Summer Conference Registration confirmation! All attendees can enjoy complimentary breakfast and coffee, we well as refreshments throughout the day. Please join us for our add-on lunch banquet at Little India on Monday July 15 for just $22 (includes a buffet lunch and non-alcoholic drink).

Colorado ASTA Seeks Session Proposals for Summer Conference

The Summer CASTA conference will be held at the University of Denver on Monday, July 15 and Tuesday, July 16, this coming summer. This conference has a strong tradition of giving string teachers a community and forum to teach and learn from one another in a supportive and fun environment.

We welcome seasoned string pedagogues, as well as new teachers, and ESPECIALLY new-to-strings teachers. Also as an added bonus, because this is the same week as the CBA summer conference, we have a special registration deal for those of you that would want to attend both conferences. Please join us for this wonderful event!

On a similar note, if you have unique ideas, warm-ups, ways of teaching technique, etc. that you would like to SHARE with your fellow instructors, we WELCOME your ideas and expertise. Please fill out the following form to apply as a presenter for this awesome conference!

Private Teacher Interview: From Slovenia With Love - A Profile of Katarina Pliego

After a one month hiatus, we’re back with an interview of our newest member of ASTA Colorado, Katarina Pliego, with whom I had the pleasure of speaking this past week. Being part of this growing ASTA-CO community is one of the reasons Katarina was interested in becoming an ASTA member (that and the instrument insurance!).

As we began our discussion, and perhaps to Katarina’s annoyance, I immediately noticed her accent and asked her about it. “I’m originally from a small town in Slovenia (Laško), where I received my primary training as a music student.” Having spent some time studying music in Eastern Europe myself, the conversation inevitably veered towards educational comparisons between the US and Slovenia or in a broader sense, Central Europe. “Yes, I think there is a lot of Germanic influence in the Slovenian/Central European educational system. In primary [or what we would refer to as elementary/middle school] school, students enrolled in music programs would have their music studies after the school day, in the afternoon. I had two cello lessons a week, two theory classes and orchestra.” She found it surprising that students enrolled in music college here in the States would sometimes struggle to identify basic things like intervals, saying “here in the US it is the cello teacher’s job to not only teach cello but also rudimentary theory.” But there are some really good things about the educational system here, primary among those she says are that “all students must take an instrument. In Slovenia, if you didn’t want to study music, you didn’t have to, but here the appreciation for what it takes to be really proficient on an instrument is much broader...”

Colorado ASTA 2-for-1 Club Level Rockies Tickets

Purchase your 2-for-1 Coors Field Club Level seats here! $30 per ticket! It's a STEAL! Sections 244 and 245, you can purchase one or more tickets at this price.

Monday, July 15 at 6:40 PM Colorado Rockies vs. San Francisco Giants. Wear your ASTA and Rockies PURPLE!
 

Tickets must be purchased by July 1st. We hope you'll join us for some peanuts and Cracker Jack!

Follow this link for more information!

Congratulations to the Orchestras That Performed at the State-Level ASTA Large Group Festival

The following orchestras performed at the first ever state-level ASTA Large Group Festival on April 23rd at Macky Auditorium at CU-Boulder. Congratulations to everyone involved!

Golden High School
Grandview High School
Boltz Middle School
Fort Collins High School
Highlands Ranch High School
Arvada West High School
Loveland High School
Cherry Creek High School
Lesher Middle School
Kinard Middle School
Windsor High School
Rocky Mountain High School

Thanks you again to our State Festival adjudicators and clinicians:

Russell Guyver (University of Northern Colorado)

Frank Diaz (Indiana University)

Peggie Willett (Northern Ohio Youth Orchestras)

Kirk Moss (University of Northwestern)

Gary Lewis (University of Colorado at Boulder)

Save the Dates for the 2020 ASTA Large Group Orchestra Festival

Add the dates for the 2020 ASTA Large Group Orchestra Festival to your calendar for next year. 

Regionals:

Monday, March 2nd: Denver Metro Site

Tuesday, March 3rd: North Site at Fort Collins High School

Wednesday, March 4th: Denver Metro Site

State:

Monday & Tuesday, April 13 & 14, Macky Auditorium @ CU

National ASTA Conference in Orlando, Florida

SAVE THE DATES - March 4-7, 2020

Registration opens September 2019

CMEA 2020 Performance Group Auditions and Session Proposals Due May 31st

Auditions for performing groups and proposals for educational sessions at the 2019 Colorado Music Educators Association (CMEA) conference are due on May 31st. Please visit the CMEA website for more information. Here is a link to the performing group application, and here is a link to the session proposal form. 

CMEA 2020 Performance Group Audition Information

Auditions for performing groups at the 2019 Colorado Music Educators Association (CMEA) conference are due on May 31st. Please visit the CMEA website for more information. 

Upcoming Events and Important Dates

May 20, 2019: Summer Conference Session Proposals Due

May 31, 2019: CMEA Performing Group Auditions and Session Proposals Due

July 15-16, 2019: Colorado ASTA Summer Conference @ DU

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.