CMEA and CASTA Feedback Survey

Please consider sharing your thoughts on the sessions and clinicians from the 2020 CMEA Conference. We want to continue ensuring that we provide the best information to Colorado string teachers! 

A Message from Loni Obluda, CASTA President

Dear esteemed colleagues and friends,

Like I said at our general council meeting, I am SO thrilled to be stepping into this leadership role for this outstanding organization. Again, I am SO incredibly humbled to be filling the shoes of Alison Mayes and Rebecca Jonas; two women I look up to with the utmost admiration. My hope for our organization is that as we grow in membership, we can begin to integrate and expand upon the ideas and creativity of our past and present board members. As a family of musicians, I’m excited for the opportunities we have to capitalize on our relationships with future collaboration. As an assembly of educators, my hope is that we will continue to strive and to share our ideas, passions, tips and tricks to battle the growing issues of teacher “burnout” and shortages our nation is facing today. That being said, I hope to see many of you at our Summer conference and at the social gatherings we will set-up throughout the year.

Humbly and with much gratitude,

~Mrs. Loni E. Obluda

Colorado ASTA President

Member Spotlight - Joshua Greiner

SAVE THE DATE - 2020 National ASTA Conference

March 4-7, 2018 in Orlando, FL

View the full schedule available below

Colorado Presenters:

Lindsay Fulcher (UNC)

Thursday, March 5, 9:45-10:45 AM

Work-Life Balance: Strategies for Constructing a Healthy Life

Saturday, March 7, 8:15-9:15 AM
Math, and Science, and Orchestra -- OH MY! Cross-Curricular Strategies for STEAM Approaches in the String Class

Gregory Walker (CU Denver)

Thursday, March 5 9:45-10:45

Music by Black Composers: A Treasure Trove for Expanding Your Repertoire

Margaret Berg (CU Boulder)

Saturday, March 7, 8:15-10:30 AM

Bringing Teachers and Students to the Next Level through Effective Assessment

Rebecca Jonas (HRHS)

Saturday, March 7 2:45-3:45 PM

Mental Health is More than a Day Off: Real-Life Strategies for Managing the Mental Health of the Music Educator

Colorado ensembles performing in the 2020 National Orchestra Festival
at the National ASTA Conference:

Jennifer Poole, Cherry Creek High School Orchestra

Friday, March 6 at 10 AM

Sara Miller, Widefield High School Orchestra 

Saturday, March 7 at 1 PM

Congratulations to our Colorado presenters and performers for representing our state at the National ASTA Conference! 

Music For All National Festival, March 2020

We are honored to have two Colorado Orchestra programs selected to perform at the MFA Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana!

Congratulations to:
The Fort Collins High School Symphony Orchestra - John Hermanson, Director

The Lesher Middle School Advanced Chamber Orchestra - Loni Obluda, Director

Bravo to these directors and their hard-working students! 

SAVE THE DATE - 2020 Summer CASTA Conference

 July 13 and 14, 2020 at Metro State University, King Center

String educators are full of experience and expertise!

Maybe you have pedagogical strategies or games that you have implemented into your program? Maybe you have technique tricks that work well with your students? Maybe you have some ideas on better work/life balance? Maybe you have resources to better support new educators? Maybe you have a topic that you would like to share and discuss within our profession?  

Please share your knowledge with new and veteran educators at the Summer CASTA Conference to encourage and support string education in Colorado! 

CBA Members attend FREE with proof of CBA Summer Conference registration!

Large Group Orchestra Festival - FULL!  

Regional Events:

Monday, March 2 at Parker Performing Arts School
Tuesday, March 3 at Fort Collins High School
Wednesday, March 4 at Longmont High School

State-Level Event (Invitational)

Monday and Tuesday, April 13 and 14 at CU Boulder

*Due to a surge in demand, 2021 will likely expand to four regional sites.*

Please contact John Hermanson at castafestival@gmail.com.

2020 CASTA Certificate Advancement Program - NEW Info!

Date and Locations listed here. Registration is OPEN! Fee rates are included in the registration link.

Please direct any questions to Margaret Miller, CASTA CAP Chair, violaco@comcast.net

This program is a member benefit for ASTA members. The new handbook will be on the ASTA website soon.

Saturday, April 25 at Parker Performing Arts School

Saturday, April 25 at Angevine Middle School in Lafayette
Saturday, April 25 at Fort Lewis College, Durango

Saturday, May 2 at Front Range Community College, Ft. Collins

Job Openings

If you know of any current string job openings, or any upcoming anticipated openings (retirements, maternity leave), please let us know so we can add it to our website.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.

Upcoming Events and Important Dates

March 2-4, 2020: Regional Large Group ASTA Orchestra Festivals

March 4-7, 2020: National ASTA Conference in Orlando, FL

April 13-14, 2020: Colorado ASTA State Orchestra Festival @CU-Boulder

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.