Newsletter

We had our first NE-ASTA board meeting May 29 and have some exciting events planned for the coming year. Remember, this is the year for Central States Workshop. It will take place again at UNO the weekend after Labor Day. You will find information regarding the workshop within this newsletter. However, I am very pleased to announce that Phyllis Young will be our featured clinician for the Saturday/Sunday workshop. She will present two sessions on Saturday and one on Sunday. Whether you teach elementary or secondary strings or you teach private lessons, if you've never been to one of Phyllis' workshops then you owe it to yourself to attend. And if you have seen her in action she always has new and creative ways of teaching a wide range of string playing concepts. So mark your calendar for September 8-9 and be sure and tell all your string-teaching friends, as well as students, about the Workshop.

News Flash We are changing the day and time in which our NE-ASTA with NSOA membership meeting will take place at the NMEA conference. Instead of 7 AM Saturday morning, we will meet Friday evening, November 22 at the Cornhusker Hotel (room TBA) after the NMEA Banquet. A social time will begin at 8:30 PM and the meeting will take place 9:00 - 9:30 PM. This change was approved at our membership meeting last November with the hope of increasing attendance. Immediately following the meeting we will do something else new--we'll have a string teachers reading session for about 30 minutes. That means, not only do you have the opportunity to attend the meeting, but you also have the good fortune of making beautiful music with other string teachers from throughout the state. So plan to bring your instrument and we'll read a couple of obscure works for string orchestra.

If you have any ideas you'd like to share regarding the role and activities of our organization, please don't hesitate to contact me. The best way to reach me is via e-mail: kbecker2@unl.edu. By the way, if you have an article you'd like to have printed in a future newsletter, please send it to Debby Greenblatt. More than likely the entire membership will benefit from you insight into playing/teaching. In the meantime I hope you have a wonderful summer. Be sure to do something fun. Life is too shrot not to have fun!

Sincerely,Karen Becker, President, NE-ASTA with NSOA

PRESIDENT-ELECT'S MESSAGE

Several years ago when the number of string students at one of my schools increased from 4 violins to 25 in one year I saw an opportunity to begin a string ensemble at that site. Before that time string students had one small group lesson during the week, but could not play in a large ensemble until they could master flat keys and play with the band. Beginning a string ensemble allowed string students to have an outside the school day ensemble of their own, and gave me a second contact with them each week.

The challenge to me was how to make a multi-age string ensemble work. Some students had just begun their instruments, while others were beginning their second or third year of playing. Here are a few of the things that have worked well for me in this setting.

The first thing I considered was seating. Though it made sense to seat the shorter (younger, less experienced) students in front and the taller ones in back, I chose the opposite, putting my third year students in the front row, second year students in the middle, and beginners at the back. The advantages to this set-up are that the younger students can always see the older ones, and the older students are encouraged to be excellent role models for playing position and rehearsal expectations. They would be the leaders. After all, in most orchestras the more accomplished players do sit up front near the conductor. As the years went on I found I could also count on my front-row players to sympathize with the younger kids since they remembered sitting in the back when they were beginners. For example when the orchestra is not playing together I can point out how difficult it is for the folks in the way back to hear and follow those up front, and then ask my front-row players if they remember when they had trouble with the same thing while sitting in the back. Of course they can, and they let the younger ones know that. Another advantage I've discovered is that the younger students look over the shoulders of the older ones and see the more difficult parts they are playing. More than once I have had first year students come to me and ask to be allowed to play the second year players' parts because they have learned them by observing the second year players and watching their music. I am quite happy to oblige, and the students' self-esteem is bolstered as well.

As the string ensemble grew from 25 to 45 players the beginnings of rehearsals were becoming a challenge because of the necessity of tuning so many students quickly enough that there was still time for rehearsal! I began using my third year students as helpers. As soon as they are capable of tuning their own instruments I allow them to begin the string ensemble rehearsal by working the room tuning everyone else. In the group everyone has a job--they are either a "tuner" or a "timer", and the goal is to see how quickly we can get everyone tuned. Wow, what a help!

Not only does the job get done more quickly, but the "tuners" get really good at tuning instruments with all that practice, and the "tuners" and "timers" alike recognize the necessity and respect the rule about no playing or talking during tuning time (well, most of the time they do!). The younger students look up to the older ones in awe and are delighted to have the older ones tune their instruments. Of course any unusual tuning problems are handled by me. By the end of the year I find I am tuning only the "problem" instruments--the ones that needed peg tuning or are severely out of adjustment. My helpers take care of all the rest. At one rehearsal one of my helpers even took on the teacher role when she found a student had a broken string. Seeing that I was busy with someone else, she went to the instrument room, found one of the loaner instruments, gave it to the owner of the stringless violin and assured the youngster it would be okay to play that one for the rehearsal, and went on tuning. I didn't find out about the arrangement until well after the rehearsal was over, at which time I replaced the broken string.

We all know how great it is for students to practice scales. They are great warm-ups and once learned can be used to practice excellent playing position, pitch, rhythmic patterns, bowing styles, and so on. In our group once we are seated and tuned we warm up with a series of scales which all students learn as soon as they can put three fingers down on their violin strings, or four on cellos and basses. By the end of the first quarter all students know their D, G, and A scales, and by January even some beginning violinists are handling the C scale easily as well. We play these scales in four-part rounds using a variety of rhythmic patterns on each note, and the sound fills the school hallways so that I often getcomments from the school staff about how good the string ensemble sounds! Of course the first year players learn their scales much more quickly when they hear what a wonderful sound they make as a large group. Second and third year students are encouraged to play a different octave than the one starting on the open string. Mid-year I get out my Giant Dice, two cardboard box cubes with scale names on the faces of one, and rhythmic patterns on the faces of the other. Students roll the dice and everyone who can play the designated scale (B-flat and F are added as a challenge for the second and third year players) plays it using the designated rhythm. Of course every student wants to be the one to get to roll the dice!

Finally we are ready to play literature. But how? With beginners and third year students in the same group how do we challenge the older students without demoralizing the younger ones? Sometimes we play pieces that lend themselves to the use of a simple bordun or ostinato (an idea I shamelessly borrowed from Orff pedagogy) which the beginners play while the more experienced players perform the printed parts. Sometimes, especially near the beginning of the year, I write a simple open string bass line part, notating either on the staff or just using letter names, for the beginners. This works really well on blues pieces and fiddle tunes. When choosing literature I look for pieces that have either a simplified part for less experienced players or a more advanced part for the more experienced players. And I am always willing to simplify a given part so that students can be successful and the entire group sounds good. To offer a challenge to the really good students I try to do at least one piece that involves improvisation or the opportunity to solo in some fashion if they so choose. As a general rule, though not ironclad, the third year players play the first violin parts, second year players play the second and third violin parts, and first year students play simplified parts or second violin parts. (Often the third violin parts double the viola part, including notes on the G string, which beginners don't encounter in the method book we use until late in the year).

Some of the benefits of having a single multi-level string ensemble, as opposed to separate grade-level groups (besides not having ensemble practices before and after school every day of the week!), include better retention of students who can see every week where they are headed if they stick with the group, students who challenge themselves to keep up with and surpass the others in the group, and overall great self-esteem among the string players who know their ensemble sounds good. Recruiting is easy in the spring because the string ensemble kids are excited about playing and are more than willing to share that enthusiasm with the up and coming classes.

Over the past six years the string ensemble has grown in size and quality. What began almost as an experiment turned out to be a wonderful success for the string program at the school and for the students involved.

The workshop will be held at the Strauss Fine Arts Center on the campus of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Saturday and Sunday, September 7 and 8, 2002

This is your chance to join dedicated ASTA colleagues from the seven-state area of Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Kansas, North and South Dakota in a special day and a half long workshop held on the campus of the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Friendship and Fellowship are important aspects of this workshop.

The workshop will include social hours and a Saturday evening dinner as well as all the after hour schmoozing you might want or need. There will be a performance by the internationally recognized Avila String Quartet on Friday at 7:30 PM. Workshop members will receive complimentary tichets to this special UNO event. Sessions will begin on Saturday morning and conclude at mid-afternoon on Sunday.

College credit (one) will be offered at this year's workshop. One hour graduate credit is being offered through the University of Nebraska-Omaha. The cost, in addition to the workshop fee is $127.00 for Nebraska residents and $334.00 for non-residents. Please contact the registrar's office at (402) 554-2527 for information.

Hotel rooms have been set aside at a discounted group rate of $60.00 for a single room and $65.00 for a double room. Please contact the Comfort Inn, 402-343-1000 by September 1 for these special rates. Mention ASTA to insure the discounted rate. The Comfort Inn is near UNO at 8736 W. Dodge Road, and is next door to the bar, Billy Frogs. Further information can be found be e-mailing Dr. Christopher Stanichar at cstanichar@mail.unomaha.edu

PHYLLIS YOUNG (yes, That Phyllis Young), author of Playing The String Game, and recipient of the 2002 Paul Rolland Award, will be sharing her expertise with us. She is Professor of Cello and String Pedagogy at the University of Texas at Austin, holds the Parker C. Fielder Regents Professorship in Music and serves as head of the String Division. Internationally acclaimed as a string teacher, she has recently presented workshops and master classes in 30 countries on six continents. She has served as national president of ASTA and was the recipient of its 1984 Distinguished Service Award. In addition to teaching cello performance majors, for thirty-five years she directed the University of Texas String Project, a large teacher training program which has been a model for many of the string programs throughout the United States and abroad.

SUSAN YOUNGHANS, MME, will be here courtesy of the ZETA Music Systems. Susan is an accomplished string teacher and performer in the Dallas area, with more than 20 years experience. Most recently, she served as Director for Lewisville ISD middle and high-school string programs. Under her direction, these programs experienced unprecedented growth and recognition. In addition, her private studio regularly produces award-winning students in state and local competitions. Ms. Younghans is in much demand as an adjudicator and clinician. She performs regularly with the Texas Chamber Orchestra and the Wichita Falls Symphony.

Also courtesy of ZETA, will be DEBORAH PERKINS, Ph.D. Deborah has more than two decades of experience in string education. Her experience includes building and rebuilding successful public school orchestra programs as well as teaching string methods at universities in Florida and South Carolina, and Texas. Dr. Perkins presently teaches at SMU and is in much demand as a freelance clinician. Currently president of the Texas chapter of ASTA w/NSOA, Dr. Perkins has served in leadership positions throughout her career. A frequent guest-conductor, adjudicator and clinician. Dr. Perkins is also a certified clinician for United Musical Instruments Corp.

The AVILA STRING QUARTET, Quartet in Residence at the Cincinnati String Academy, will be performing, and conducting a workshop session. This Venezuelan group, winners of the Ohio Latin American Association's 2000-2001 Performing Group of the Year, share an ongoing interest in introducing chamber music to young and upcoming musicians here and in Venezuela.

For more information, and early registration, contact Dr. Christopher Stanichar, (cstanichar@mail.unomaha.edu). Tell him Debby sent you.

8:00--COFFEE/ROLLS/REGISTRATION
8:30--NEASTA MEMBERSHIP MEETING
9:00--PHYLLIS YOUNG WORKSHOP
10:30--AVILA STRING QUARTET MASTER CLASS
12:00--LUNCH (On your own. If you have ever been President of a state ASTA chapter, you can sign up for the Past President's Pizza Party on your registration form.)
1:00--AVILA STRING QUARTET MASTER CLASS
2:00--PHYLLIS YOUNG WORKSHOP
4:00--DEBORAH PERKINS & SUSAN YOUNGHANS ZETA WORKSHOP
5:00--SUPPER (courtesy of Dr. Christopher Stanichar)
6:30--AMERICAN MUSIC COMPANY'S NEW MUSIC READING SESSION
7:30--CONCERT BY AVILA STRING QUARTET

Once upon a time, a very long time ago, there was a little girl named Alice who heard someone play on the radio. She asked her mother what that pretty sound was, and her mother told her that it was a violin. Soon after that, a lady came to her church and played a real violin, and from that day on, she was determined to have one of her own. The dream came true on her seventh birthday, and a very nice lady began teaching her how to play.

During that time, there were no school programs in the town in which she lived, so she needed to travel to other towns for violin lessons. After she finished high school, she went to college, and finally was able to enjoy playing her violin with other people. When she discovered how much fun that was, and thought about all the children who might like to play music with other children, she decided that she would learn how to teach music to children.

She did learn to teach, mostly through experience and a lot of help from other teachers who shared with her their secrets of imparting knowledge to children. She ended up right here in Nebraska and enjoyed quite a few years teaching boys and girls to love their instruments and to have the joy of music in their hearts.

Just when she thought she was through with her career, another opportunity came along to help young people who also wanted to become music teachers. When she learned of a conference being held in South Carolina to develop more interest in helping young music teachers, she decided that she would like to go. Some of the same people who had helped her learn to teach supported her and helped her to go to the conference.

My, how happy she was to discover that there are people all over the world who have a burning desire to make sure that children have the opportunity to learn to play their instruments and make beautiful music. Why, it was almost like a revival meeting, with people giving testimonies about their teaching, and sharing their secrets of how to impart knowledge to other teachers.

Everyone at the conference seemed so happy, and she thought that surely it must be because of the joy that music brings into the hearts of those who experience teaching it to children. Some of those at the conference were just beginning their careers, and some had been teaching for a very long time. One who had been teaching for many years was a lady named Phyllis Young, who started one of the very first String Projects. She spoke to all of us at a very nice banquet about her career and how the String Project at the University of Texas was started.

When Mrs. Young finished her speech, everyone rose and gave her a long ovation. Several people had tears in their eyes. Eighteen of the people in the audience were former students of hers who now are teaching in colleges and universities all across the country, one of whom is right here at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Dr. Karen Becker.

There were some young student teachers attending the conference with Dr. Jane Palmquist, who teaches at Brooklyn College in New York. One was from Serbia, one was from Greece, and one was from Haiti. It was very interesting to talk with them and to hear how passionate they are about learning to teach music to children. There was a lady who came all the way from Manchester, England, and one who came all the way from South Africa. Now, when Alice saw that so many people from so many places had the desire to teach music to children, and to teach young people how to teach, she just was so overjoyed that she could hardly speak.

The people in Nebraska who are involved in teaching string music are the ones who made it possible for Alice to attend the conference in South Carolina, and she is very grateful to them: for, you see, they not only provided the means for her to go, but they have also inspired her all along the way, in many ways. Dr. Michael Palumbo, who at one time taught at Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska, was at the conference. He now teaches at Weber State University in Utah. They are getting all geared up for the Olympics. Dr. David Littrell, who teaches at Kansas State University, will be the next national president of ASTA with NSOA. He is quite excited about taking over the reins from Dr. Bob Jesselson.

These same people in Nebraska who are involved in teaching string music should feel very proud and confident about the work they are doing. We are very fortunate to have some dedicated people who are working very hard to see to it that children like Alice are able to achieve their dreams.

The Nebraska String Project at UNL is well on its way to becoming a success. Eight aspiring young student teachers along with one doctoral student are very busy teaching about 100 3rd and 4th grade students. Anyone who would like to come and see what is going on is welcome to come to Westbrook Music Building on Monday or Wednesday between 4:30 and 6:30 to watch all the little students learn to play their instruments. There's even one there named Alice!

The Tri-City Youth Symphony will again be conducted by Dave Klein and Dan Schmidt. The first concert will be strings only. Wind and percussion players will join the strings in January.

The Tri-City Junior Youth Symphony that will be conducted by Jodi LaChance and Christa Speed is in its second year, and is a string orchestra.

Last year, nearly 100 students participated! For further information, contact Christa Speed (cspeed@esu10.org).

Use your imagination to color the cover for folk/pop legend DONOVAN's newest album and WIN a copy of his new "Pied Piper" CD and an autographed poster! 15 lucky artists of any age will win!

No purchase necessary. Winners chosen at random from all entires received. Void where prohibited by law. Winners notified by mail and announced on web site on or around August 15, 2002. All entries will become the property of Music for Little People.

ASTA WITH NSOA offers members a number of benefits and services. To learn more about these items, contact the National Office at 803-476-1316 or visit the association's web site at www.astaweb.com.

Visit the web site (www.astaweb.com) for a complete list of the member services and benefits.

For the first time in its history, ASTA WITH NSOA will hold a stand-alone conference at The Ohio State University March 27 through 29, 2003. Conscious of the diverse demographics of its constituency, ASTA WITH NSOA will have clinics and performances that address the needs of private studio teachers, elementary and secondary string and orchestra teachers, university string teachers in both applied and music education areas, string students, Suzuki teachers, professional classical and non-classical performers, non-string performers who teach strings in schools (band directors, choir directors), and administrators.

Sessions will address the following areas: traditional pedagogy, string and full orchestras, classical and alternative styles of performance; university-level training of future string teachers; non-string players who teach strings; use of technology as it applies to playing and teaching strings; and the music industry. A call for session proposals will be announced in Spring 2002.

Those attending the conference will hear the NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL HONORS ORCHESTRA, a new Alternative Styles Performance Contest, solo recitals and chamber music performances, elementary - high school orchestras, and university orchestras.

Officers & Membership

Private String Teachers

Forms/Applications

PRESIDENT-ELECT'S MESSAGE