New York American String Teachers Association
Zone 3 NEWS!
Here is the most recent news from Broome, Cayuga, Cortland, Onondaga, Tioga and Tompkins Counties...
West Genesee's Fiddle Groups were busy playing
this year. Note 56 (the fifth and sixth grade fiddle groups
under the direction of Kristen Panzetta) performed at West Genesee
High School for the New York State Board of Education breakfast.
They recently performed their final concert for the year and enjoyed
their fiddle music along with movie themes. "High Strung" (the
seventh through twelfth grade fiddle group under the direction of
Steve Frackenpohl) also recently completed their last concert and
performed at the West Genesee Senior Center for the Andrea Morelli
art auction and also the Erie Canal volunteer dinner. They had a
great time with new music and especially enjoyed Steve Frackenpohl's
arrangement of "Pinball Wizard".
For the 2nd year Camillus Middle School string program and Mrs.
Panzetta has taken a new approach to solo festival. She hires
judges and/or past teachers to come in and judge the string
students. Mrs. Panzetta also judges them at the same time.
They perform the usual scales and their prepared solo. Their
final grade is an average of all of the judges' grades. They
receive multiple judging sheets that very often pinpoint the same
strengths and weaknesses in the student's playing. The kids seem to
enjoy this atmosphere and the parents appreciate it happening during
the school day. The student also receives an extra credit
point if they bring back the adjudication sheets with their parents’
signature - implying their parents have seen and read the grade and
comments.
From Baldswinsville, Jennifer Bearup reports a new daughter was
born, Emma Rose, on November 28, 2008 weighing 9 lbs. 1 oz.
Her rock string group competed at the Darien Lake Music Festival and
won first place for their division.
2009 has been a busy year for the Skaneateles High School Orchestra.
In January of 2009, we traveled to Washington D.C. January 16-20th
to compete in the Heritage Festival's Inaugural Festival held at
George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. The Orchestra was
awarded 1st place out of 110 ensembles for their overall score: a
gold rating, a special adjudicator's award for ensembles that
demonstrate superb musicianship and an invitation to a "Festival of
Gold" (performance in a major concert hall) in 2010. After
participating in the music festival, the orchestra arose at 5:00 A.M
the following day to attend the 2009 Presidential Inauguration and
were fortunate enough to find a spot on the National Mall after a
two-hour walk. It was a trip we will never forget.
On March 31 and April 1st, the Skaneateles
Orchestras were visited by rock violinist Mark Wood, who skillfully
worked with orchestras at each level during a two-day workshop, and
presented a concert including 4-5th grade, middle school and high
school orchestras, featuring soloists on the "viper" violin by
violin students at all three levels. Mark and the orchestras
played to a nearly sold-out audience of 900 in the Skaneateles High
School auditorium.
At Fayetteville-Manlius High School (Carlos Mendez director) the
"Turtle Island Quartet" performed before a large audience in March,
2009. The quartet also worked with the chamber orchestras from
the high school, Wellwood Middle School and Eagle Hill Middle
School. They performed one piece altogether at the concert.
Wellwood Middle School Chamber Orchestra (under the direction of
Jackie Darvill) competed at the Darien Lake Music Festival in May.
They were awarded lst prize in the middle school orchestra division
and were also GRAND CHAMPIONS of all orchestras performing.
Eagle Hill Middle School chamber orchestra (under the direction of
Kevin Giordano) participated in NYSSMA MAJORS at Cortland and
received a GOLD rating in level III.
Christian Brothers Academy (Muriel Bodley, director) first year
string program ended the year with a program featuring a
professional fiddle player. They all performed "blues"
together. Muriel Bodley was also invited to direct a Fairfax,
Virginia area select orchestra in a two day festival outside of
Washington D.C. in January of 2009.
Submitted by Muriel Bodley - Zone 3 Representative