Newsletter

Dear Fellow String Teachers,
A few weeks ago I was at the ASTA with NSOA Convention in Columbus, Ohio. In my opinion and that of many other string teachers I spoke to, the convention was a huge success and had something to offer everyone. In fact, the difficulty was being able to attend all the sessions I wanted to attend, which I guess is a very good problem. Kudos to David Littrell and the planning committee for all their hard work! In addition to the hundreds of daytime sessions and concerts, the evening concerts were outstanding, including the recital given by violinist Brian Lewis on Friday night and the National High School Honors Orchestra performance the following evening.
Nebraska was well represented, with teachers from Omaha, Lincoln, Fremont, Kearney, and even five UNL string students. And Jennifer Rothenberger, violist from Kearney High School, played in the National High School Honors Orchestra. In fact, in this issue of Stringing Along you will find a write-up submitted by Jennifer describing her experience in the NHSHO. And I asked UNL violin student, Nissa Evenson, to submit an overview of her experience participating in the Alternative Styles portion of the convention. Like I said, the convention offered something for everyone!

While in Columbus, I found out that the Iowa chapter of ASTA with NSOA will be sponsoring a workshop this fall, which is an off year for Central States Workshop. Hopefully I'll be receiving more details very soon, including dates, and will be sure to keep you posted. I do know that Bob Phillips will be one of the clinicians.

And now just a few reminders. Remember to send Debby Greenblatt information about upcoming events (well in advance) so they can be included in the next Stringing Along. Please feel free to write an article for Stringing Along. Just send it to Debby (see her e-mail and snail mail addresses in the front of this newsletter). We are very interested in learning new teaching techniques and hearing stories from our members, so don't delay, write something today! In the meantime, best of luck as you prepare for end-of-the-year performances!

The judges are busy at the moment figuring out who wins the First Annual NEASTA Fiddle Tune Composition Contest ! Winners will be announced as soon as decisions are made, and the awards will be formally presented during the Monumental Fiddling Championship on May 25 at the National Homestead Monument in Beatrice, Nebraska. The winning compositions will be performed at the Monumental Fiddling Championship, and printed in Stringing Along,

The first place composition will be awarded $100.00, the second place composition will be awarded $50.00, and the third place composition will be awarded $25.00.
Thanks go to our sponsors, for helping to make this event ever so special:

We would like to invite you to participate in a wonderful event!! On June 6 & 7 we're having a concert to honor Bettelee Lewis for all she has done. As an educator, musician, and friend, we all know she is quite an amazing lady. The weekend will be a unique opportunity to reunite and share our own stories about Bettelee as well as our love of music (and even a little golf). This celebration will include a chorus, directed by J. Rodney Wendell, and an orchestra, directed by myself. We plan to include a selection combining both the orchestra and choir. The schedule looks something like this:

All rehearsals and the final concert will take place in the UNK Recital Hall. If you have any ideas of what you think would be appropriate for us to perform, let me know ASAP. Also, if you would like to conduct a piece, please let me know. If you would like to play or sing, please email me at dklein@esu10.org or drop me a note at Dave Klein, Kearney High School, 3610 6th Ave, Kearney, NE 68847. If you would like it ahead of time, I would be happy to send you the music. I am not planning on doing anything too crazy, so don't worry, be happy, and just practice scales for now. Please pass this information on to anyone that you think might be interested in this event.

EXTRAORDINARY PERSON: LARRY MAUPIN
Coda draws near for longtime Grand Island strings teacher
By Harold Reutter

Larry Maupin had to use his vocal chords to become the strings instructor for the Grand Island public schools 38 years ago. Maupin had gotten all the way to his senior year at Nebraska Wesleyan before he realized just how few school districts had a strings orchestra program. "You could probably count them on two hands," he said.
All of a sudden, Maupin said, he had visions of teaching band in a small rural school system where he would never have an opportunity to give string instrument lessons. So he was thrilled when he got the opportunity to teach in the Grand Island school district, even if through his teach schedule included teaching five high school vocal music classes and elementary school band. Maupin said he show grade school students how to play most band instruments pretty well, with one exception. "I passed out when I played the flute," said Maupin, who said that was only a slight exaggeration. He noted the first time he tried to demonstrate the instrument for a student, he got light-headed and how to sit down. "The kids thought that was funny," he said. Maupin, though, was willing to teach vocal music and even try to play the flute because Grand Island also gave him a chance to direct orchestra and give string music lessons at the elementary level. He asked for the opportunity and was given the chance to teach orchestra. He said there were not enough students playing string instruments to justify a full-time strings teacher when he first began working in Grand Island. "There were 14 kids in orchestra," said Maupin, who noted he also gave string instrument lessons in just one elementary school. Today, Maupin directs the high school orchestra and also teaches string instruments to students in seven elementary schools. Christa Speed teaches orchestra in the three middle schools and the remaining seven elementary schools.
Now, Maupin has just two concerts remaining in his teaching career, Spring String Fling on April 15 and the very final high school orchestra concert on May 6. The Spring String Fling demonstrates the growth of the string program over the past 38 years. It also shows the musical growth of students as it progresses from performance groups that include younger students all the way up through Senior High.

At the very end, all 225 students play as a single orchestra. It can be a challenge to meld so many different ages and talent levels into a single cohesive group, although that's not really the point. "It doesn't always go the greatest, but it's always the hit of the year," Maupin said. Grand Island Senior High junior violinist Leah Dodendorf said Maupin works on getting students interested early in learning how to play a string instrument, even to the point of resorting to false premises. "When he was recruiting students in the fourth grade, he said the instruments could play such a high pitch only a dog could hear it," Dodendorf said. "That wasn't true, of course." Dodendorf said she's stayed with the violin because of Maupin's enthusiasm for the instrument. Fellow junior and violinist Lindsey Shoemaker agreed: "He just loves his work. Teaching and playing is his passion. It inspires me to play every day. He emphasizes that music is something you will always have. No matter how old you get, you will always have music in your life. He proves that."

During his career, Maupin also started the Tri-City Youth Symphony in 1972. He believed that by pulling together the best string players from Grand Island, Kearney and Hastings, young musicians would have an opportunity to play music whose complexity and challenges were over and above what the typical high school orchestra might play. Despite its name, the Tri-City Youth Symphony has always drawn many students from other Central Nebraska schools and communities. "Some students came from three hours away," Maupin said. He noted he didn't know if the youth symphony would continue past its first year, but it persevered even during the years of gas shortages and high gas prices. Maupin conducted the symphony for 25 years and is pleased that the Kearney High School orchestra teacher is teaching the group. "It's in its 31st year," he said.

The big question for Maupin is what he will do in retirement. His first response answers the opposite question. "What I won't do is roll out of bed at 5:45 a.m. every day like I have for the past 38 years," he said. Maupin said there is another thing he will not miss. "I feel like I got my masters in moving chairs and (music) stands," said Maupin, who noted his wife, Judy, has often been right there beside him when he's done that chore. Judy is often a fellow van driver for student musicians who need to concerts or other events. "She's been an amazing helper," Maupin said.

During his teaching career, Maupin had a number of summer jobs, but the one that has stuck has been being a bus driver for Arrow Stage Lines. He's also done short, weekend charter trips on during the school year to complement the much longer trips during summers. "I've been to 48 states and four Canadian provinces," Maupin said.
He plans to do a lot more driving for Arrow Stage Lines in his retirement and hopes Judy can come along on some of those trips when the rules allow. Maupin said he and Judy likely will travel on their own as well. Plus, they are about to become grandparents for the first time, which will affect retirement plans. His retirement plans also include playing as a musician in both symphony and small-group formats.

Maupin, who said he likely will continue giving private lessons, reflected on today's students. "Kids today work just as hard and are just as good as they ever were," Maupin said. In fact, the main difference is high school students today are so much busier with so many activities. That makes it gratifying when they start out in orchestra as fifth-graders and continue through their senior year. But now it is time for retirement. "I've worked with the children of students I once had," Maupin said. "If I work much longer, I'm going to end up working with their grandkids."

(Thanks to Harold Reutter, hreutter@theindependent.com, for giving us permission to re-print this article which was originally published by the Grand Island Independent on Monday, March 31, 2003.)

Last fall Principal Pat was so impressed that my fourth and fifth grade String Ensemble students were rehearsing after school on FRIDAYS that he offered the kids a reward in the form of a Pizza Party at the end of the term. No one objected (big surprise, eh?)! So Principal Pat's Pizza Party was scheduled for the Friday following the winter concert. In true teacher form, I couldn't let the occasion pass without injecting some educational value, so I told the kids to bring their instruments and we would play some music for Principal Pat in exchange for our pizza. After all, musicians have been performing for their meals for centuries, right? Then I set out to structure the music we would play so there would be some learning going on.

Our first Priority was to Pass in the music we had played at the winter concert. To warm up we played Pizza Scales, our usual major scales in rounds played using Pizza Rhythms--"pepperoni pizza", "ham-burger pizza", "cheese pizza", "anchovy pizza" (eighth-quarter-eighth syncopation), and of course the beverage of choice, "pop or soda" (dotted quarter, eighth, quarter, quarter). At least one of the scales had to be played Pizzicato. Then we segued into sight reading a little two-part Passemezzo (Italian dance) by Susato that I had arranged for the group, to be programmed on our spring concert. There is some dispute that pizza might not have originated in Italy, but these kids were willing to pretend it did for my sake, and they quickly caught on to the connection.

By the time we finished playing our pieces the pizza had arrived, so we packed up our instruments, put away our music, chairs, and stands, and proceeded to the tables to accept our praise and pizza from Principal Pat. All in all, a very good time was had by all persons involved. From the pupils' perspective getting paid in pizza for playing their pieces was pure pleasure!

MONUMENTAL FIDDLING CHAMPIONSHIP
to be held at Homestead National Monument of America

The annual Monumental Fiddling Championship will be held on May 24, 2003, at Homestead National Monument of America west of Beatrice. A workshop will be held in the morning and the competition begins at 2 p.m. with the championship round starting at 7 p.m. This popular event celebrates music from the homesteading period. Music was a common thread among pioneers of all ages. The Monumental Fiddling Championship is an opportunity to highlight this historic activity and heighten the awareness and enthusiasm of fiddling.

A new addition to this event is a fiddle tune writing contest sponsored by the Nebraska Chapter of the American String Teachers Association. The winning tune will be announced at the competition. For more information on the writing contest, contact Debby Greenblatt (g-s@alltel.net)

Fiddlers, young and old, are encouraged to participate. Greenblatt and Seay will conduct a free morning workshop which will allow fiddlers to gain some new skills and fine tune current skills. The afternoon and evening competition will include fiddling performance in junior and senior divisions. The youngest and oldest fiddlers, best left-handed fiddler, hottest fiddler, and the best jam group will also be recognized. There is no participant or registration fee, but early registration is encouraged. " This event is one that has really grown over the past years and is a great family event," said Mark Engler, Superintendent of Homestead National Monument of America. "It has something for everyone. It's a lot of fun and also lets visitors get a look at a form of entertainment enjoyed by homesteaders and settlers on the Great Plains. We're very lucky to have the team of Greenblatt and Seay back for another great year."

For further information about times, registration or other questions, please contact Homestead National Monument of America at (402) 223-3514 or visit us at www.nps.gov/home. The monument is located four miles west of Beatrice, Nebraska on State Highway 4. The monument is open 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Admission to all programs, exhibits and events is free of charge.

The Jordan Fundamentals Grant Program was established to recognize outstanding teaching and instructional creativity in public secondary schools that serve economically disadvantaged students. The program is presented by the Jordan, a division of Nike, Inc. The deadline is June 15, 2003. The program awards funding to teachers or paraprofessionals who work with students in grades six through twelve in a U.S. public school. Applicants must develop an original lesson plan or thematic unit. Unique teaching methods and projects are encouraged. Up to 400 grants of $2,500 will be awarded annually. Guidelines and applications can be downloaded from the program's Web site. RFP Link: http://www.nike.com/nikebiz/nikebiz.jhtml?page=26&item=jordan

My experience at the National High School Honors Orchestra was one that I will never forget. Having the opportunity to practice and perform with outstanding young musicans from around the United States was certainly a privilege. Our conductor, Jose Serebrier, who is a nationally known professional, provided a demading repertoire. His energy and enthusiasm made the long rehearsals fun and entertaining.

In addition, the opportunity to see the sites of Colombus, particularly Ohio State University, was another adventure in itself. I am greatful for the financial support that I received from the American String Teachers Association of Nebraska. I am also greatful for the guidance from my private teachers. They include: Alice Johnson, Mischa Johnson, Clark Potter, Dave Klein, and the late Dr. James Johnson. Without their dedication and teaching, I would not have been able to have acheive this honor.

The next Lucy Weed string competition is for Friday and Saturday, October 10 and 11, 2003, at Mt. Marty College at Yankton, SD. I am assuming at this point that we will follow the same format as last year, which was violas and cellos on Friday evening (possibly beginning late afternoon), violins beginning Saturday morning, and basses Saturday afternoon. A winners' recital will be held on Saturday evening. The Lucy Weed competition is the official junior division state level competition going towards the national ASTA Solo Competition for those three states. For more information, contact David Elder, Chairman, Lucy Weed String Competition, 2014 Walnut St., Yankton, SD 57078, (605) 665-4353, delder@ysd.k12.sd.us

When reading the itinerary for the 2003 ASTA National Convention, I was immediately struck by the variety of genres in the Alternative Styles Track. It tipped the scale in my decision for attending the convention. My plan of attack for "Celebrating Strings: All Together Now!" was to go to half of the "regular" workshops and half of the "alternative styles" workshops. My plans quickly changed as I found myself compelled every time to keep going back for more in the alternative track. So, one might wonder, what is an "Alternative Style"? As a classically trained violinist, to me, it is any style deviating from the prescribed genre of the typical Western music most trained musicians focus on. However, there are many traditional kinds of music not typically explored in the public/private settings of education.

The workshops in the "Alternative Styles" track explored various fiddle styles including old-time, traditional, and post-traditional with Bruce Molsky; Mexican with Paul Anastasio; Irish with Liz Carroll; Klezmer and Gypsy with Yale Strom; traditional and Cajun with Jay Ungar; contemporary techniques and improvisation with Julie Lyonn Lieberman; and Matt Glaser seemed to do a little of everything.

On top of the fiddling styles, there was Indian, Arabic, Asian, Latin (with Jesus Florido), Mexican, Irish, Scandinavian, swing, and jazz (with Cristian Howes). I even attended a rock n' roll jam featuring Mark Wood. All of the alternative styles used a variety of violin effects/techniques and improvisation.
The conference allowed participants the opportunity to mingle, observe, participate with, and absorb all the wonderful things these different traditions have to offer any musician.
Not only were there many veterans/clinicians of these alternative styles, but the convention brought in the finest youth to share and compete with each other their individual musical styles. There was an "Alternative Styles Competition" which is like the National Honors Orchestra, but not that style. I even got the opportunity to hang out and jam until 3 in the morning with these student competitors.

From attending this convention, I gained three important things. I have a new outlook on using the bow as a rhythmic device. I learned how to do "the chop." I have now truly been exposed to the violin and all of its glorious cultural developments. However, I cannot express in words how I grew prospectively, as a musician.
What an amazing experience!NEBRASKA ASTA WITH NSOA

STRING TEACHERS OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Each year the Nebraska Unit of the American String Teachers Association recognizes two outstanding string/orchestra teachers in Nebraska by presenting an award to one school orchestra director and one private studio teacher. Below are forms to be used for nominations. We urge you to consider submitting the name of a person whom you believe to represent outstanding teaching in one or both areas. Send nominations to: Deborah Greenblatt, The Old Schoolhouse, PO Box 671, Avoca, NE, or e-mail g-s@alltel.net.
The deadline for nominations for the next awards is November 1, 2003. A decision has been made by the Executive Board of Nebraska ASTA that past winners will not be eligible until ten years after their last award.

PAST WINNERS: 1990 - Bettelee Lewis; 1991- Larry Maupin; 1992 - no awards given; 1993 - Carol Work (private) and Christa Speed (school); 1994 - Morris Collier (private) and Patty Ritchie (school); 1995 - Carol Work (private) and Alice Johnson (school); 1996 - Valerie Knowles (private) and Del Whitman (school); 1997 - David Low (private) and Molly Moriarty (school); 1999 - no awards given; 2000 - Gerald Fees (private) and Dave Klein (school); 2001- Mischa Johnson (private) and Maribeth Lynn (school); 2002 - no awards given
.......................................................................................................................................................................
NE-ASTA TEACHER OF THE YEAR NOMINATION
Schools-Strings/Orchestra
Nominee_________________________________ Phone_______________
School________________________________________________________
Address____________________________________Zip_______________
Person Submitting Form_____________________Phone_______________
Address____________________________________Zip________________
Signature (must be a NEASTA member)_____________________________
Comments_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
.......................................................................................................................................................................
NE-ASTA TEACHER OF THE YEAR NOMINATION
Private Studio Teacher
Nominee_________________________________ Phone_______________
School________________________________________________________
Address____________________________________Zip_______________
Person Submitting Form_____________________Phone_______________
Address____________________________________Zip________________
Signature (must be a NEASTA member)_____________________________
Comments_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

ASTA WITH NSOA PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
To learn more about these items, contact the National Office at www.astaweb.com.

The Classics for Kids Foundation will donate instruments to ASTA with NSOA state chapters, studios, and school programs that do not have the financial resources to purchase instruments. [Next deadline: May 1]

CodaBows for America Community Outreach Program:donates approximately $5,000 worth of CodaBow Aspire bows annually. Applications accepted from ASTA with NSOA members on behalf of schools or studios that outline the particular worthiness, promise, and need of their program. [Next deadline: Oct 1]

Officers & Membership

Private String Teachers

Forms/Applications

Spring 2003

Volume 17, Issue 1

Officers & Membership

Private String Teachers

Forms/Applications

Spring 2003 Volume 17, Issue 1

Spring 2003

Volume 17, Issue 1