Announcements

President’s Message January 2012

I hope you all had a restful holiday season and look forward to a year of great music making in 2012. Many of our members will be headed to Atlanta, Georgia, March 21 – 24, for the ASTA National Conference and we hope you plan to take advantage of this great opportunity. To quote Darol Anger, “This conference is like coming home every year to the biggest family picnic on earth. I don’t ever want to miss one.” The conference features over 175 sessions, master classes, a strings only exhibit hall with 100 vendors and much more. Registration and brochure for the ASTA National Conference are now available at astaweb.com.
We also ask you to peruse our new nyasta.com website and take advantage of our nyastachat link. Members will be able to pose a question, search for music, discuss an issue, etc. We also provide advertisements for vendors who wish to have a link. Thanks to Nancy Strelau, President-Elect, for both of those new initiatives! And remember to visit northportorchestra.org to download your Bach parts for a Bach play in on March 25th, in Huntington. This is a free event for you and your students.
Have you checked out the astaweb.com website lately? There you will see the repertoire list for the 2013 Junior and Senior Solo Competition. In fact, there
are many opportunities for you to investigate, such as the Eclectic Strings Festival, Special Project Grants, the Merle Isaac Composition Contest and the Instrument Outreach efforts sponsored by Coda Bows. Summer study possibilities and the new Studio Teachers Search have also recently been posted. We encourage all private studio teachers to take advantage of this service.
Nancy Strelau has been working diligently to bring you yet another informative summer conference experience in Albany (NYSSMA Conference). We are fortunate to have enlisted Robert Gillespie, a highly sought after and famed clinician. We also have some other very exciting sessions planned for this conference, so mark August 19, 20 and 21 on your calendar.
Lastly, please click here for the survey monkey that allows you to vote for our next President Elect and Secretary. It will only take a moment of your time. Thanks for all you do to promote great orchestra music and see you in Atlanta and Albany!

Respectfully,

Lisa Leonardi
NYASTA President

Some late zone reports:

Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra in concert! > > The Paul D. Schreiber High School in Port Washington, NY is hosting a > concert on Monday, March 12th at 7:30pm.  Pieces being performed are the > Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 and the Barber Adagio for Strings.  This exciting > concert is open to the general public. Admission is free. > > > Mark Wood's Fire & Ice Tour wows Western New York > > The Kenmore East High School orchestra hosted Mark Wood, Laura Kaye & Elijah > Wood for a two day workshop at Kenmore East High School on Friday and > Saturday, October 28th and 29th. This was Mark's second visit to the Ken-Ton > School district.  Gail Bauser, Orchestra Director at Kenmore East HS said, > "Mark's impact on our string program during and following his first workshop > with us here in February 2009 was probably the most positive thing that had > happened to our string efforts in the 12 years I had worked in the district. > Growth in enrollment and excitement and support for the string program from > the administrators, school board and the public was immediate.  The day he > left everyone wanted to know when we were going to have him back."  After > two years of planning and organizing, Mark returned to Kenmore East; this > time with Laura Kaye & Elijah Wood.  Mark spent the two days there working > with string students from both high schools and all 3 middle schools in the > district.  An exciting addition to the experience was the addition of > several of the school's lead brass and sax players from the Honors Jazz band > on several numbers that Mark has arranged for strings and winds. Laura Kaye > worked with Kenmore East's Select Choir on vocals and choreography for > several of the numbers performed on Saturday night.  Elijah wowed the > audience (and the girls in the orchestra) with his rhythmic support and > musicianship on the drum set during the two day workshop and the Saturday > night concert. > > Besides giving the students two days of workshops and experience in > preparing an exciting rock orchestra concert, Mark Wood donated a Stingray > to the school to be raffled off at the concert.  A very excited violinist > from Kenmore West HS was the lucky winner of this beautiful instrument.  The > concert was video taped and a DVD of the event is available for anyone who > is interested in seeing and hearing the final product of two days with Mark > Wood and the Electrify Your Strings Program.  "I highly recommend this > extremely valuable experience to any teacher on the fence about bringing > Mark to their school. He knows how to connect with the students. And having > a world class performer who can really relate to the students is an > invaluable opportunity you don't want to pass up." > -- 

ASTA National Conference March 21 – 24 in Atlanta

Don’t miss this amazing conference!  Click here to register on-line, or you can download a registration form by clicking here.
Click here to go directly to the 2012 National Conference page.

Hochstein Ensemble Chosen for the ASTA Convention

Hochstein Ensemble Chosen for the ASTA Convention

C4, a cello rock ensemble from Hochstein School of Music & Dance in Rochester, NY was selected to perform at the Eclectic Strings Festival, a part of our National ASTA Convention, March 22 – 24, 2012 in Atlanta, Georgia. C4 is coached by percussionist Ivan Trevino, a member of Break of Reality, and cellist Kathy Kemp, assistant principal cellist of the Rochester Philharmonic.  The group applied to attend the annual convention with the chance to have hands on adjudication and competition. In addition they will compete for the Grand Prize – a chance to serve as the opening act for the internationally renowned Barrage, a violin rock ensemble, during the Saturday evening concert on March 24th.  C4 will join Barrage on stage for one of their pieces during the Saturday evening concert.

President’s Message – September 2011

Greetings and good wishes for a great year on behalf of the NYASTA Board of Directors! Welcome to our newest members:

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