SBO+: We are pleased to begin an ongoing partnership with ASTA to bring expert string-focused content to our readers.
The ASTA National Conference, Building a More Inclusive Community, will occur March 15-18 in Orlando, FL. The conference features over 216 educational sessions, ten masterclasses, seven new music reading sessions, sessions for high school students, mini sessions on wellness and eclectic styles, and more!
Keynote speakers Julie Duty (founder of United Sound) and Constance McKoy (coauthor of Culturally Responsive Teaching in Music Education) will talk about creating more inclusive musical spaces. Evening and keynote
performances will include violin virtuoso Adrian Anantawan and the Howard W. Blake High School Symphonic Orchestra under the direction of Jason Jerald; the Marian Anderson String Quartet; and freestyle fiddler Darol Anger. Evening jam sessions will be led by Jeremy Kittel and Julie Lyonn Lieberman.
Mini-sessions will prepare participants to jump into jam sessions or increase awareness of wellness strategies. Masterclasses featuring collegiate and pre-collegiate students will showcase the talent of our students, performers, and invited clinicians. New music reading sessions, in collaboration with the Institute of Composer Diversity, will highlight music from historically excluded composers to expand the repertoire taught in studio and school orchestra settings.
The National Orchestra Festival engages middle and high school orchestras from across the United States. Conference attendees can attend the performances and the competition winners will perform at the closing concert Saturday afternoon. High school students interested in pursuing a career in strings can register to attend a curated series of sessions chosen by our advocacy committee to help them explore a future in music! We look forward to seeing you there!
Lynn Tuttle is executive director of American String Teachers Association
