Tarantella

JANUARY 2011
ASTA/NJ BOARD
OFFICERS
ERIKA BORAS TESI
President
FRANCES ROWELL
Past President
LONI BACH
President-Elect
LISA MILLER
Secretary
NAOMI YOUNGSTEIN
Treasurer
DIRECTORS
CHRISTOPHER KENNIFF
Executive Director, Chamber
Music Institute, Webmaster
MARGARET ZUFALL
ROBERTS
Artistic Diector, Chamber
Music Institute
Solo Competition Chair
MICHELLE HATCHER
Membership
LESLIE WEBSTER
Certificate Program
Cadet Teachers
RONA LANDRIGAN
Sharon Holmes Scholarship
Certificate Program
LONI BACH
Quartet Competition
SANDRA DACKOW
Composers Competition
MARILYN LUPCHINSKY
Solo and Ensemble Festivals
MIMI BUTLER
String Symposium
SHEILA MENDEL
Nominating Committee
Private Teacher List
KIMBERLY CHIESA
Student Chapters
EDWIN BLACK
Historian
BARBARA VIERSCHILLING
National High School Honors
Orchestra
KIMBERLY SYVERTSEN
Editor-in-Chief
MARY ANN MUMM
Happy Holidays to all our ASTA/NJ Members! It is
an honor and a pleasure to start the New Year serving
on the board in this new capacity. What a credit to
your resilience and creativity as educators that in spite
of the recession I am able to report on so many
wonderful happenings in string education throughout
New Jersey. As a result, the theme of this issue is
“Pushing Toward a Bright Future.”
We have a fantastic article on the sound production from
our newest board member Kim Chiesa, an interview with one of the Garden
State’s finest, Barbara Tamburro on her upcoming publication, a fresh look at
some of the standard string repertoire through the eyes of veteran musician Ed
Black, insights and wisdom from Betsy Maliszewski, who in the midst of both
doctoral work and a thriving career inspires many as a life-long learner, and so
much more!
As always, kindly consider sharing your sage advice with the NJ String
community by submitting an article for publication. Here’s to a Bright 2011!
Sincerely,
Kimberly Syvertsen
Editor-in-Chief, NJ Strings
P.S. Special thanks to music educator, composer and aspiring photographer
Lester Vrtiak for providing much of the photography used to create the artwork
for this issue.
NJ Strings is published
three times a year, in
January, April, and
October.
To submit an article for
publication, please write to:
[email protected]
njstrings || jan 2011 || 2
There are so many approaches to pedagogy it can be
mind boggling! The articles in this issue help us access
current information and technology available as we lead
our students towards a complete education with heart.
As you read the articles, you will find that
they are united by the goal of creating desire and
inspiration to play uplifting, interesting music well.
In these complicated times we live in, simplicity is a
beautiful thing. The desire to make a beautiful sound
is a pure and simple goal.
Once a student has fallen in love with the voice of their
instrument they will be able to overcome many obstacles
(both technical and emotional). The enthusiasm created
by the wonder of the sound they have discovered in their instrument will carry them through
difficult times of study.
By the same token, when I sit alone with my cello to practice, the troubles of the day fall
away, and the concentration that students mentioned in Ms. Chiesa's article takes me to
that place where it is just me and the sound that keeps bringing me back to play more.
When I can, as a teacher, open that door for my students so that they too can have the gift
of simple pleasure in music I feel successful. Take note of Ms. Chiesa's approach to create
thinking and feeling musicians.
Betsy Maliszewski's article will take you on a tour of internet sites that educate and
excite students’ imaginations. Barbara Tamburro is publishing a book which is a great
resource, and Leslie Webster discusses a bow technique that students love to learn.
Please enjoy the articles and come back to the website frequently as we will be updating
and changing information that I know you will want to be aware of. Also, become a friend
on facebook! Join us at New Jersey ASTA and share what you are doing and thinking!
Sincerely,
Erika Boras Tesi
President, ASTA/NJ
njstrings || jan 2011 || 3
njstrings
Table of Contents : January 2011
An Interview with Dr. Barbara Tamburro
A state treasure in NJ string education shares the details on her new book,
“Great Music for String Orchestra”.
by Kimberly Syvertsen
…page 6
Concerti Grossi
A trio of articles take a closer look at repertoire which will inspire your whole
ensemble and encourage leadership skills in the strongest of student players.
by Ed Black
…page 11
Sound Advice
A young educator takes practical steps to instill the value of tone production in
her students. The results? ---both touching and tangible.
by Kimberly Chiesa
…page 17
Scale-ing New Heights
New Jersey Symphony cellist Fran Rowell tackles with problem-solving panache
the Intermediate All-State repertoire in this special reprint from the winter
String Symposium.
by Fran Rowell
…page 20
String Symposium Impressions
Last year’s attendees share their experiences.
…pages 12, 18
Googling “Violin”
A host of online resources to get the New Year off to a great start.
by Betsy Maliszewski
President’s Message by Erika Boras Tesi
“Something New to Try…” by Leslie Webster
Vivace Assai by Kimberly Syvertsen
Announcements & News
2010 Solo Competition Results
Sight-Reading/Book Release Party/Meeting
National H.S. Honors Orchestra Information
Chamber Music Institute 2011
Sharon Holmes Scholarship, ASTACAP
… page 3
… page 13
… page 25
… page 5
… page 10
… page 14
… page 15
… page 19
…page 24
ASTA/NJ 2010 Solo Competition News
by Margaret Zufall Roberts, Solo Competition Director
Congratulations to our three winners!
Early Bird - Noah Lee, a 10-yr-old cellist from Oakland playing the Haydn Cello Concerto and the Bach Suite No 1, Courante
Junior A - Katie Liu, a 12-yr-old violinist from Budd Lake –
playing the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto and Bach Sonata in G Minor
Junior B - Brannon Cho, 16-yr-old cellist from Short Hills –
playing Bartok Rumanian Dances, Bach Suite V, Allemande, and Kodaly Sonata op. 8, mvt. III
Thanks to everybody who contributed to the Solo Competition this year! The judges were Craig and
Mary Ann Mumm, Margaret Roberts and Yen Yu.
Thanks to our sponsors!
The Early Bird Prize was donated by The Violin Doctor, Inc. of Allenwood, NJ.
The Junior A Prize was donated by Things 4 Strings, LLC, and Karin Menzel Violins, Inc.
The Junior B Prize was a bow donated by Robert Ames Fine Violins and Bows.
Thanks to Robert Ames and the Maywood Public Library
for donating their auditorium for the Winners Recital,
which will be at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 15, 2011.
There were 9 Early Birds, 10 Junior As, and 6 Junior Bs. There were no Seniors.
Of these, Brannon Cho submitted a CD that met the requirements for the National ASTA Solo
Competition. His application, as well as Violetta Norrie’s were sent in. Violetta, a harpist and past
Honorable Mention winner, also met the requirements of the National ASTA competition.
(From Left to Right: Noah Lee, Katie Liu, and Brannon Cho. Credit: Christopher Kenniff.)
njstrings || jan 2011 || 5
by Kimberly Syvertsen
After peeling off a busy Morris County
road one crisp, December afternoon
and entering the Tamburro residence, I
the fortunate guest am at once
transported to a place of calm. My host,
Dr. Barbara Tamburro, who I’ve oft
heard of as a prominent voice in string
education but have never crossed paths
with before, is so gracious that I’m
instantly put at ease. After a beautiful
meal of home-cooked Italian fare and
some bonding over teaching (and
laughing over Montclair State
memories--- we’re both alums!), we
settle into the topic at hand: Barbara’s
upcoming book, Great Music For String
Orchestra, to be released later this
month. My questions and commentary
throughout the interview are few, as the
intelligence, honesty and perspective of
this gifted woman speak for themselves.
Enjoy!
K: Tell us about “Great Music for String Orchestra”.
B: Great Music for String Orchestra is a detailed reference that assists conductors, musicians, teachers
and music librarians in the selection of string orchestra repertoire. It is particularly useful in designing a
well balanced concert program. A significant focus is placed on choosing music that is not only
appropriate for the performance level of the string orchestra but also considers the type of performance
venue and audience that will be in attendance.
The 100 works represent all genres and styles composed and arranged for string orchestra. Each piece is
graded on a ten-point scale indicating the level of the technical and stylistic challenges which helps the
reader in choosing music that is appropriate for a specific performance group. The meter, key structure,
historical period and/or style are listed as well. “Performance Notes” are offered in order to familiarize
the conductor or teacher with each piece. Included in the program notes are bowing suggestions,
interpretive comments, left and right hand technique, thematic design, form and stylistic
considerations. Errors in the parts and scores are listed where applicable. In short, the performance notes
save the conductors countless hours of score preparation as they are essentially complete lesson designs.
njstrings || jan 2011 || 6
“Program Notes” are included with each of the 100 works and may be reproduced with full permission
of the publisher for use in printed programs, lesson plans or lectures. The program notes include
historical references to the composer, the musical work, and in some cases, interesting facts that were
provided by the composers and arrangers. For example, I had an interview with the wife of the late
Leroy Anderson, who was kind enough to provide me with information about his career as a composer
and his unique relationship with the Boston Pops Orchestra.
Perhaps the most useful aspect of this reference book lies in the thousands of titles of string orchestra
works that accompany each of the 100 annotated pieces. For each work, there are lists of similar
repertoire related to either the composer, arranger, style, or form which may be programmed as an
alternate work. For example, 21 additional titles of movements from the Nutcracker Ballet are listed
under the annotated work, Mother Ginger. If a conductor wanted to program several movements of the
ballet for a winter concert, the publisher is listed next to each title thus eliminating the need to peruse
through publisher catalogs on websites. The Holberg Suite by Edvard Grieg is accompanied by 27
alternative pieces by the composer. The most interesting find during my research was a website that
exclusively distributes dozens of authentic tangos from South America transcribed for string orchestra.
Finally, Great Music for String Orchestra includes comprehensive listings of music from the
Renaissance period which are adaptable for string orchestra, a list of patriotic music, music for sightreading that may be appropriate for a string orchestra setting, and titles of music folios that may be used
for a performance. Publisher contact information including address, telephone, email and website is
listed for all of the companies represented in the book.
K: Speaking as a conductor of youth orchestras, this is an unprecedented resource and huge timesaver. I’ve never heard of a book like it! You provide solid pedagogical advice in the
“Performance Notes.” The inclusion of “Program Notes” is really fantastic and allows us as
teachers (especially those of us who are less inclined to write or simply don’t have the time) to
focus on our most important gifts--- educating and leading our charges in the engaged, thoughtful
pursuit of music!
B: Upon reviewing Great Music for String Orchestra, one of my colleagues stated that “this book will
make it easy for me to do one-stop shopping.”
K: What inspired you to write “Great Music for String Orchestra”?
B: Throughout my career, I was asked the same questions after performing at an adjudicated event--How did you choose such a perfect program? Where did you find that unusual music? How did you
teach your students to play jazz? Who is Francis Feese? Where did you find such a unique arrangement
of opera arias?
I spent years researching music in print for string orchestra and building an extraordinary music library
and I felt that I could make a contribution to string educators by sharing my vast knowledge of this
unique repertoire.
K: Who else might benefit from this book?
B: The first person who comes to my mind is the college music major. If I had a book like this which
outlined the organization and development of a string orchestra program, my job would have been much
easier, especially during those first few years of teaching. The non-string major would find this book an
invaluable resource if faced with having to conduct a string orchestra.
Finally, for music librarians, this book is a great reference.
njstrings || jan 2011 || 7
K: What was the most interesting part about writing your book?
B: Writing a book is, in essence, a journey. As I carefully chose each piece that I wanted to feature, I
began to recall my personal experiences conducting and performing these musical masterpieces. I
thought of cathedrals in Europe that I played in and the musicians and conductors I toured with as a
professional violinist. The faces of hundreds of students began to surface and, in quiet moments, I was
able to actually recall certain performances. I realized how fortunate I was to have such a fulfilling
music and teaching career.
K: Speaking of memories, which NJ string educators do you admire the most? Is there anyone in
particular who made the greatest impact on you as a teacher?
B: As a young student, from Samuel Applebaum [author of the String Builder series] I learned the
importance of creating an organized and balanced lesson. As an adult, I transferred his method of
teaching violin to the orchestra rehearsal.
K: I’m constantly amazed (and pleasantly surprised) by how the strength of one’s overall
musicianship ---especially on their major instrument--- translates to working effectively as a
conductor.
B: As an adult, I transferred his method of teaching violin to the orchestra rehearsal using his metaphor
of the “balanced diet”. I instinctively organized my rehearsals to include many different activities
beginning with a warm up, rehearsing concert repertoire, isolating a left or right hand technique, then
ending with either a sight-reading passage or the introduction of a new work.
From my high school conductor Frank Scocozza, who was the concertmaster of the New Jersey
Symphony, I learned that there was no gray area when playing music. He also taught me that the child
sitting in the last row of the second violin section was as important as the concertmaster.
As a college student, I learned from Dr. Jerome Landsman that every musician has unique strengths, and
in order to be an effective teacher I had to understand how each of my students learned and processed
information. Through example, he taught me to be a compassionate educator and that each time I gave a
lesson to a student, I would learn and grow as well.
K: Having reflected on the mentors who guided you, what advice might you offer to young string
players starting out in their teaching careers?
B: Have your students perform in public as much as possible, because the more you are visible in the
community the more support you will receive for your string program.
Make your students feel important. If you are a new teacher with a very small string program, the most
important challenge is to give your students confidence and a sense of self-worth as musicians.
K: What are some of the hallmarks of string education in New Jersey? What can we do better?
B: I think some of the greatest things we have to offer in New Jersey are the numerous fine youth
orchestras throughout the state. We have excellent private teachers in every county, affording the public
school string teacher the opportunity to send their students to exceptional string pedagogues. The
numerous professional and amateur orchestras give our students the chance to hear great live music. We
offer adjudicated orchestra festivals throughout the state, and in the past ten years we have begun to
offer workshops for string teachers.
njstrings || jan 2011 || 8
As for areas to improve in as a state--- NETWORK. Organize sight-reading sessions, share information,
have more seminars for novice teachers, and offer more outreach programs that connect public and
private school string teachers and conductors to aspiring string teachers from our NJ colleges and
universities.
K: It’s true that the proximity to both New York City and Philadelphia has afforded us New
Jerseyans rare opportunities, and I think you make a good point on both accounts--- with the
excellence that abounds, we have a responsibility to feed what on many levels still has room to
grow quantitatively and qualitatively. Hopefully the release of “Great Music for String Orchestra”
will be a voice and a venue for future networking and musical growth in our wonderful state.
On March 5th, ASTA/NJ will be hosting a sight-reading session and a “Great Music for String
Orchestra” book release party at Tenafly Middle School in Tenafly, NJ. (For those who are
interested in ordering it right away, please read the important information below.)
Thanks so much, Barbara. It was so delightful talking with you today, and thanks for the amazing
lunch!
B: It was such a pleasure to meet you. It is so good to see a young person have such a passion for
important things in life--- things like music and teaching.
K: Yes, it was wonderful meeting you too. I’ve learned so much from you today about teaching
and conducting, and I can’t wait to make “Great Music for String Orchestra” a part of my own
library!
.............
For advanced copies of the book, please place an order by calling JW Pepper at 1 800 345 6296. For
more information about "Great Music For String Orchestra," you may contact Meredith Music
Publications (www.meredithmusic.com) or Hal Leonard (www.halleonard.com).
njstrings || jan 2011 || 9
ASTA/NJ READING SESSION PARTY AND BOOK
RELEASE PARTY FOR DR. BARBARA TAMBURRO!
SAVE MARCH 5TH, 2011!
March 5, 2011, Saturday, 8:30 – 12:30pm
Room 106, Tenafly Middle School
10 Sunset Lane
Tenafly, NJ 07670
CONTACT: Erika Boras Tesi [email protected]
WHEN:
WHERE:
COST:
$10 for ASTA members
participant joins ASTA on that day)
$20
for
non-members
(refunded
if
CREDIT HOURS: All participants will be given a certificate of participation from
ASTA/NJ with a value of 3 credit hours.
DOOR PRIZES!!! We have multiple donations of full scores and parts of new
publications from Kendor Music, Lucks Music, Latham Music, Hal Leonard, Kjos
Music Co., Carl Fischer, FJH Music and Tempo Press. These complete sets of
music will be awarded (in door prize form) to participants at the end of
the session. Don’t miss this opportunity to choose the musical selections on your
next program by actually playing the music! Use this day to network and get
acquainted with other music educators in New Jersey, discuss your program with
like-minded teachers or increase the size of your private studio by meeting area
school orchestra directors.
8:30AM – BAGELS AND COFFEE MEET AND GREET/ CHOW AND CHAT/ MUNCH A BRUNCH (YOU
GET THE IDEA)
9:00AM – We play – don’t forget to bring your instrument – the school also has instruments to
lend if you want to switch to a plywood model!!
10:15 - Coffee break and presentation of “Great Music For String Orchestra” by Dr.
Barbara Tamburro
10:45 – We play - Reading session continues
12:00 - Music give away followed by luncheon honoring Dr. Barbara Tamburro.
1:30 - ASTA/NJ board meeting, members invited to stay and observe!
RSVP –
[email protected]
Subject of email, RSVP ASTA READING SESSION
Please tell us your name, instrument and the level of music you are
interested in reading. (Level 1, 2, 3 or 4)
njstrings || jan 2011 || 10
Concert
Concerti
certi Grossi
Grossi
by Ed Black
The Twelve Concerti Grossi Opus 6 of George Frideric Handel
Here are twelve gems for training a growing string section. I have used all twelve over the course
of my tenure at Belleville and Lakeland Symphony. They are all in practical keys for strings and
cover a variety of challenges from #1 in G to #11 (A Major) and #12 (b minor). The tempi range
from a ripping Handel Allegro to the beautiful Affetuoso that opens the #4 in a minor. The Fugue
in the second movement of #4 is challenging but playable, and the students have a real feeling of
accomplishment when they conquer it. The other point is that the students are playing the original
music and not some arrangement for school orchestra.
When they listen to the recorded performances they will see their music. All twelve are recorded
by the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, the Northern Sinfonia of England, and The Academy
of Ancient Music.
The instrumentation is for solo violins 1&2, solo cello, and a ripieno string section including a
continuo part. The bass is separate as a continuo part from the cello. With computer keyboards of
today we can have a “super harpsichord” sound without distortion. Some of the concerti have
difficult solo violin and cello parts in various movements, while other movements of some concerti
are without any solo parts whatsoever.
The Italian Christmas Concerti
Many of us are familiar with the Corelli “Christmas Concerto.” However, there is a “Bolognese
School of Composition” that produced Giuseppe Torelli, Francesco Manfredini, and Pietro
Locatelli as well. (The music, not the cheese.) These Concerti Grossi are beautiful gems that
should be heard more often. All are published.
When I taught in Belleville we did a different one on each Christmas (or winter) concert. I also
did one on the Lakeland Symphony concerts. Students looked forward to which one I would
njstrings || jan 2011 || 11
select for our winter concert.
Often these Concerti were performed as separate pieces and not in entirety. For High School
teachers it is a great way to train students to “play out” if they have one of the solo parts. (And
they will practice like crazy to get one of those solo parts!) They are all scored for violins one
and two, viola, cello-bass and continuo. The only exception is the Locatelli which has two
viola parts. The concertino has violins one and two, and a solo cello part. Three have specific
sections labeled “Pastorale” referring to the shepherds in the Nativity. Recordings of these exist
by I Musici, and I Solisti Italiani.
The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
This group was founded by Sir Neville Marriner and was started as a group of London
musicians who got together for fun to play the mostly Baroque music that they loved. They met
in the church of St. Martin off Trafalgar square to play. The church is so old that it was literally
in the field when founded. The city of London grew to encompass the church eventually. At night
the church brings the disadvantaged inside to give them a bowl of soup and a place to sleep. The
Academy started giving concerts to raise money for the soup kitchen and as they say: “the rest
is history”.
There is a beautiful film of about 60 minutes called “The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
at Longleat House”. The Academy performs at one of the old English manor houses that would
have existed in Handel’s time. The music ranges from Handel to Grieg and includes many shots
of the house interior and grounds. There is also an interview with the present owner by Sir Neville
Marriner.
Ed Black, ASTA/NJ historian, played violin for 4 years in All-State Orchestra and horn for 2 years in All-State Band.
He continued in the U.S. Navy playing horn in the NATO band, the Norfolk Symphony, and violin in the NATO cocktail
trio. He has a BA from Montclair State and an MA from the Teacher’s College of Columbia University. He also holds
a state supervisor’s certificate. Ed played 10 years with the New Jersey Symphony and 25 years at the Paper Mill
Playhouse. He has taught 40 years in the schools and colleges of New Jersey, and has conducted Region Band and
Orchestra. He plays horn with the Orchestra of Saint Peter by the Sea, The Festival of the Atlantic, and the Plainfield
Symphony. He currently plays violin and viola with Garden State Wedding Music, a group that plays weddings, banquets,
and corporate events.
.............
Symposium Impression #1
Symposium Impression #2
What a wonderful day it was! Fantastic clinicians
and a wide variety of subjects- something for
everyone. I think it is possibly the best clinic to
attend for string teachers in the state. The quality
and variety for strings only was really wonderful,
as always. Thanks to everyone who worked so
hard to make it happen! I know we all enjoyed it.
I, too, spent a pleasurable time at the
Symposium. I thought Mary Ann [Mumm’s]
session was wonderful; she is very inspiring in
her intelligence and verve. And how lovely to
see Joseph Gingold's bowings and fingerings of
the Vitali! Ruth Brons had wonderful ideas she
uses to excite and retain students in her
program. I came away with valuable ideas and
was eager to apply some of these to my
teaching.
-Loni Bach, Sparta Public Schools
-Leslie Webster, private studio teacher
Something to try…
by Leslie Webster
Bariolage is a special effect enthusiastically played by students of all ages; it looks flashy and
sounds virtuosic, but is not difficult to perform once certain techniques are in place. Most music
dictionaries define bariolage as a rapid oscillation of the bow between 2, 3, or 4 strings. The
Harvard Dictionary of Music stipulates that the lower strings produce the relatively higher tones,
and indeed, we all know of excerpts where this occurs, but in the interests of this discussion, the
more general definition will be employed.
hand:
Left hand
The fingers should be positioned and remain in place for the entire oscillation, both for clarity
and good intonation. If the fingers must change during the oscillation, each change must occur
before the bow sounds the string. The easiest way to teach this in two-string oscillations is to have
the students play the passage super slowly, making finger changes in half time between the sounded
notes. It’s helpful to say “and” when each finger lifts or drops. In three- or four-string oscillations,
the finger changes can be made any time the bow is away from the involved strings. Planning
exactly when to make the changes and practicing them in is essential.
hand:
Right hand
All of the standards that are set for the legato bow stroke apply here: good contact point, straight
bow, a selected arm weight, and an appropriate bow speed.
For two-string oscillations, keep the arm movement relaxed but minimal and use a gentle waving
of the hand to execute the string change. If the notes are slurred, the right hand will trace an
undulating wave. It the notes are separate, the lower note is generally down bow, the upper note
is generally up bow, and the hand traces a circle.
In slurred three- and four-string oscillations the entire arm comes into play. To avoid bumping
(thus falsely accenting each string) the student can envision the right elbow rising and falling like
an elevator. The wrist is relaxed but not active. The elbow regulates the speed and evenness of
the string changes. It helps for the student to focus on the elbow and ignore the hand and wrist.
The hand will trace an arc.
In cases, such as the Preludio of Bach’s Partita # 3, where the bow keeps returning to the middle
string, the hand will trace a figure eight. Have the student map this motion out slowly; once
grasped, the motion will be smooth and relaxed.
njstrings || jan 2011 || 13
Etudes and pieces to try…
The following etudes and pieces have substantial enough passages in bariolage to be
worthy of study:
Bariolage: two-string oscillations
Telemann, Violin Concerto in G (4)*
Durand, Chacone from Violinists Contest
Album (6)
Vivaldi concertos (5+)
Viotti, Concerto #23 (7)
Bach, Concerto in E (8)
O’Reilly, Fiddle Magic (1+)
Wohlfahrt, Op. 74 #38; Op. 45 #50, 55 (4+)
Kayser, Op. 20, #10 (3+)
Dont, Op. 37, #18 (7+)
Kreutzer, 42 Studies, #13, 30 (8+)
Dont, Op. 35, #5 (9+)
Bariolage: three-string oscillations
Mollenhauer, Infant Paganini (4)
Telemann, Fantasia #5 (Twelve Fantasias) (8)
Saenger, The Lost Chord, from Violinists
Contest Album (6)
Bach, Concerto in Am (7)
Bariolage: four-string oscillations
Mollenhauer, Boy Paganini (5)
Kabalevsky, Concerto in C, 3rd mov. (9)
Mendelssohn, Concerto in Em, 1st mov. (10)
Saint-Saens, Intro and Rondo Capriccioso
(10)
* ASTACAP examination level
O’Reilly, Fiddle Magic (1+)
Casorti, Op. 50, #16 (8+)
Fiorillo, 36 Etudes, #36 (8+)
O’Reilly, Fiddle Magic (1+)
Mazas, Op. 36, Bk. 2. #37 (7+)
Dont, Op. 35, #19 (9+)
Leslie Webster received her bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College and Master’s degree from Harvard
University. She has performed as concertmaster, lecture-recitalist, chamber player, and as a soloist in the
tri-state area and abroad. She currently specializes in pedagogy, having studied in particular the methods
of Paul Rolland, Kato Havas, Mimi Zweig, Louise Behrend, and Margaret Pressley. Mrs. Webster is a
past-president of ASTA/NJ and is currently a co-chair of the ASTA/NJ Certificate Program. She offers a
summer Cadet Teacher course for pre-college students who want to teach and teaches violin to private
award-winning students in regular and accelerated pre-college programs in Madison, NJ.
.............
National High School Honors Orchestra
The 2012 NHSHO will take place in Atlanta, Georgia in correlation with the National
Conference. This is a great program that gives students from New Jersey the opportunity to
participate in an orchestra made up of students from across the country with one thing in mind--making great music and learning from each other! ASTA already has the audition repertoire
posted on its website (with applications soon to follow):
http://www.astaweb.com/Content/NavigationMenu/Competitions/
NationalHighSchoolHonorsOrchestra/AuditionRepertoire/default.htm
Applications are due by June 15th and should be mailed to the state chairman, Barbara
Vierschilling at: 225 North Avenue, Fanwood, New Jersey 07023 . If you have any questions,
please do not hesitate to contact Barbara at ( 908-322-958) or [email protected]
njstrings || jan 2011 || 14
CMI Students prior to Gala Performance in Enlow Hall, Kean University, August 7, 2010.
THE SEVENTH ANNUAL ASTA/NJ CHAMBER MUSIC INSTITUTE:
EXCELLENCE & FUN IN PERFORMANCE FOR STRING PLAYERS,
HARPISTS & CLASSICAL GUITARISTS!
Union, New Jersey
Session I: July 31-August 6, 2011
Session II: August 7-13, 2011
Kean University in Union, NJ, will host the seventh annual American String Teacher’s Association of
New Jersey Chamber Music Institute (CMI). CMI is a residential classical music camp focusing on the
study of chamber music performance. Under the guidance of world class teaching artists, CMI students
rehearse with a trio, quartet or quintet throughout the week and perform in master class, performance
workshops and a gala concert at week’s end. Included in CMI is a concert series featuring renowned
professional ensembles. Enrollment for ASTA/NJ CMI in ongoing. Online application and program
information is available at http://www.astanj.com/chambermusic.php.
In addition to intensive emphasis on music practice & performance, CMI also features daily workshops
for all participants in composition, alternative styles (e.g. jazz, world music), music technology, music in
context and the Alexander Technique. A variety of social activities are included in the schedule of daily
activities and students have access to Kean University’s marvelous facilities during free periods.
The CMI Concert Series features renowned professional chamber groups in performance. The Voxare
Quartet, JACK Quartet, the Dalí Quartet and the Kean University Concert Artist Ensemble will perform
for students and the general public in Kean University’s glorious new performance space, Enlow Hall.
The Voxare Quartet, Kean University Concert Artist Ensemble and JACK Quartet will also present daylong performance workshops and a master class for student participants.
CMI is held in two consecutive week-long sessions. Session I runs from Sunday, July 31 through
Saturday August 6, 2011; Session II runs from Sunday, August 7 through Saturday, August 13, 2011.
Students may attend one or both sessions. The public is invited to concerts presented by students and
featured guest artists. For a comprehensive listing of ASTA/NJ CMI events, please visit
http://www.astanj.com/chambermusic.php.
To learn more about ASTA/NJ, please visit www.astanj.com.
njstrings || jan 2011 || 15
Pictured above: CMI 2010 Artist Faculty, Yen Yu, working with CMI participant in a violin master class.
Pictured below: student ensemble rehearsing Antonin Dvorak’s American Quartet during CMI 2010.
njstrings || jan 2011 || 16
by Kimberly Chiesa
What is a good sound?
One of the most important aspects of becoming a
musician is to play with a tone that is pleasing to
the ear. In many cases, the goal in a young
musician’s beginning career is to play in tune with
perfect posture and good rhythm. Too often, the
idea of playing with a decent tone is overlooked,
or is not properly explained or demonstrated.
When teaching my beginning cello players how to use the bow for the first time, I told them to make a
“good sound” with their bows. After making that request, a student asked me what a good sound was.
That question inspired me to create my “What is a good sound?” project.
This project started with two different parts. The first part involved my 5th grade students receiving a
chart with 12 different words that could easily describe the sounds they can make with their bow. In the
next few lessons, we played certain passages of music and then picked what words best described their
sound. They also had the opportunity to choose any word they wanted, and then had to play a scale with
bows that matched the sound word. After discovering how to make certain sounds (and how to avoid
other sounds,) I helped guide students towards picking certain sound words for their concert music, and
taught them how to listen to their bows to get that sound for each different song.
Once my students started listening to what they were doing, I thought it would be helpful to give them
solid examples of world-class musicians whose playing demonstrated the same sound words on their
chart. I gave them a list of string players and told them to pick one musician that plays their particular
instrument, as well as one other musician (or group) from the list. The requirement was to find a
recording of each musician from any resource (youtube was the most suggested.) I also gave them a
worksheet with two spaces--- one to write down words from their sound chart, and the other for
comparing the sound words they heard. The cool part came with the open-ended questions that I asked
each student! Each student had to say what their favorite part about listening was, and they also had to
tell me what they learned.
It was amazing to see that beginning string players listened to Yo Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Jacqueline
DuPre, Alisa Weilerstein, Isaac Stern, Steven Isserlis, Mtsislav Rostapovich, David Oistrach, Anne
Sophie Mutter, Hilary Hahn, the Ying Quartet, the Emerson Quartet, and the Shanghai Quartet. Not
only did my students enjoy listening to these musicians, but the answers they gave me were fairly
sophisticated and got them thinking about their own musicianship. Here are some of my favorites:
njstrings || jan 2011 || 17
“My favorite part [of listening] was just how wonderful the sound was. It was so graceful and
elegant and warmed my heart.”
“I liked listening to the recordings because I love listening to music and it makes me happy.”
“My favorite part [of listening] was getting to learn by watching professionals, and learning how
to play better on the violin.”
“My favorite part of listening to these recordings was when I could think to myself: How can I
sound like them? Because it told me that to sound like them would take lots of practice.”
“My favorite part [of listening] was hearing the smooth, peaceful sounds of the violin and cello.
It relaxed my mind and showed me how to focus my mind.”
“My favorite part was listening to the two different instruments I picked. I liked that part because
I liked seeing the differences in them.”
“My favorite part of listening to the music was seeing how focused they are because it makes
you want to be as concentrated as they [the musicians] are.”
The change in the sound at the next rehearsal was incredible. These students started listening carefully
to their own sound, and even started trying to match the sounds of the other students around them!
The amount of musical sensitivity that they had in their approach to the concert pieces was at a
sophisticated level I didn’t know was possible for a 5th grade orchestra. It proves the point that young
musicians can think critically at any level as long as you help guide them.
Kimberly Chiesa recently received her Bachelors degree in Music Education from Montclair State University, where she
was an active member of the ASTA@MSU college chapter. She has been teaching at the Montclair Preparatory Center
for the Arts for nearly five years, and has been teaching privately for the past four years. She has received Suzuki
Teacher Training for Books one to three on violin. Kim also just began her career as an Elementary Strings teacher in
the Randolph School District, and will be doing some managing work with the Region I junior and high school orchestras
this year.
.............
Symposium Impression #3
Pedagogy
Corner
What piece of advice do you most frequently
offer students who are taking auditions? Share
your answer with us by April 1, 2011 and you
might end up in the next issue of NJ Strings!
......
To participate, please e-mail:
[email protected]
The symposium this year was an uplifting event. The level of
expertise of every presenter was inspiring and the warmth and
sincerity of their delivery made each event a pure pleasure. The
highlights for me this year were getting real insights into bass
pedagogy with presenter Kevin Brown and also our cellist
clinician Nancy H Torrente who introduced me to the Rick
Mooney series on position pieces and thumb position. (I
immediately ordered them, have been using them in my classes
and am having wonderful, cheerful results with my students!) I
must also mention the wonderful discussions we had in James
Sadewhite's conducting seminar. I was very affected by some
of the discussions and have been working to improve my stick
technique in ways inspired by that clinic. Kudos to asta/nj for
such a wonderful symposium - we are so lucky to have such
hard working board members and such dedicated musicians in
our midst.
– Erika Boras Tesi, Tenafly Public Schools
njstrings || jan 2011 || 18
The 2011 Sharon Holmes ASTA/NJ Scholarship
Sharon Holmes was a violinist, teacher and a tireless advocate for the value of string education in New Jersey. She was a
longtime member and friend of the New Jersey Chapter of the American String Teacher’s Association, serving as treasurer
and membership director. Sharon taught in the School District of the Chathams for seventeen years, where she built up a
successful string program. She was also a violinist with a number of New Jersey’s professional orchestras including the
Colonial Symphony, the New Jersey State Opera Orchestra, the Paper Mill Playhouse, the Princeton Symphony and the
Westfield Symphony.
The Sharon Holmes ASTA/NJ Scholarship Fund has been set up in her memory to help young New Jersey string students
pursue a career in string teaching. An award of $2000 will be given annually to a New Jersey student in his/her senior year
of high school planning a career in string education. The award will be presented in 2 installments. The first installment of
$1000 will be presented in June of 2011 at the ASTA/NJ Awards Luncheon and the second installment upon completion of
the first year of study, providing the candidate maintains a B average or better. The successful candidate will also receive a
year of ASTA membership.
The full application is available on-line at www.astanj.com as a pdf file download. Interested applicants should complete
the application, compose the essay and submit a CD of their playing by April 8, 2011.
For more details contact Rona Landrigan at [email protected].
.............
ASTA Certificate Advancement Program (ASTACAP)
ASTA CERTIFICATE ADVANCEMENT PROGRAM HANDBOOK UPDATED & AVAILABLE!
The latest edition of the ASTA Certificate Advancement Program Handbook was released in 2010. Most notable was the
addition of Harp Curriculum lists. Violin, Viola, and Cello teachers, please check out the changes in solo memory
requirements for Level 8. This version of the Handbook will be the only version accepted for examinations in 2011. To view
the Handbook, go to www.astaweb.com - member resources link.
ASTACAP Examination Sites
ASTA/NJCAP examination sites and dates
will be posted as they become available:
• Calderone School of Music, East Hanover
• Montclair State University, Upper Montclair
• The College of New Jersey, Ewing
• The College of Saint Elizabeth, Morristown
• Maestro Studios, Haddonfield, NJ
Application Dates & Deadlines
The postmark deadlines for each of the
locations are:
East Hanover – April 10, 2011
Postmark Deadline: March 12, 2011
Upper Montclair – May 1, 2011
Postmark Deadline: April 4, 2011
Ewing – TBA
Morristown – June 4, 2011
Postmark Deadline: May 7, 2011
Maestro Studios, Haddonfield, NJ - TBA
Questions?
For information regarding the ASTA/NJCAP or setting exam dates and sites, please contact: Leslie Webster.
Any questions about an individual site examination schedule should be addressed to the appropriate examination site
coordinator:
East Hanover:
Dr. Stephen Copeland ([email protected])
Upper Montclair:
Dr. Marla Meissner ([email protected])
Tenafly, Morristown & Haddonfield:
Leslie Webster ([email protected])
Ewing:
TBA- see website
njstrings || jan 2011 || 19
All-State Intermediate Solo and Scale Preparation
for William Squire’s Tarantella
by Fran Rowell
How many of us have had the following exchange with our students as they
work to prepare their auditions for All-State?
TEACHER:
“The Tarantella is coming along very well. Good work. Now let’s hear
your scales.”
STUDENT:
“Um….I kinda…like…well……..I didn’t have time to get to those.”
TEACHER:
“{Sigh}”
For this year’s ASTA/NJ Symposium sessions devoted
to All-State audition preparation I went on the offensive.
I took some of the more complex bowing issues from
William Squire’s Tarantella and used them in a series
of scale studies. Why not make the student fluent in the
required bow technique BEFORE turning them loose
with the piece? Hah!!!
If any of you use this material I would love to hear
your feedback. Happy New Year to all. May 2011 be
a year full of great joy and much music making.
- Fran
Rowell
A versatile and enterprising cellist dedicated to musical outreach, Frances Rowell received Bachelor’s and Master’s
degrees from the Juilliard School. Ms. Rowell has been a member of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra since 1995.
She is on the adjunct faculty of New Jersey City State University and William Patterson University and served as
President of the New Jersey Chapter of the American String Teachers Association in 2008-2009. An inventor as well
as a cellist, Ms. Rowell received a United States Patent for a portable endpin resonating platform for the cello.
.............
ASTA/NJ is online!
Find us on the web at:
http://www.astanj.com
or facebook – ‘NJ ASTA’
njstrings || jan 2011 || 23
by Betsy Maliszewski
Googling “violin” produces 28,500,000 hits ranging from a YouTube video of a robot playing Pomp
and Circumstance to a site that details famous Dutch violinmakers of the 16th century. Interesting
stuff, but not exactly what I or my students are looking for. When evaluating a website, I look for
reliable information, intelligent discussion on their blog or conversation pages, links to other topicappropriate websites, minimal or non-pervasive commercial advertisement and free downloads.
While most websites have some commercial component through advertisements, links, or online
stores, for the purpose of this article I have tried to stay away from purely commercial sites.
A good place to start for basic information and downloads are the http://violinonline.com,
http://violaonline.com, and http://celloonline.com/ websites. These sites, all linked together, provide
an easy to navigate tutorial of sting instrument basics, printable exercises and scales, and listening
links. String instrument specific sites, such as www.theviolinsite.com, www.viola.com,
www.cello.org, and www.doublebassguide.com offer resources, articles, tutorials, historical
information, instrument information, and links for their specific instrument. Another violin site,
www.violinist.com/, provides ongoing pedagogue blogs and discussion threads in addition to
resources and articles.
Two large commercial sites worth visiting for their extensive string resources sections are
www.theviolincase.com and http://beststudentviolins.com/resources.html. The student resource area
of www.theviolincase.com offers free downloads of string articles, printable scales, online flashcards,
ringtones, and printable orchestra crossword puzzles. The website http://beststudentviolins.com,
while the most commercial of the sites reviewed in this article, contains links to hundreds of free
internet resources for violin/viola students.
Links to these websites can be found at www.astanj.com. Happy web surfing in the New Year!
Betsy Maliszewski is a String Specialist with the West Orange Public Schools. In addition, she teaches the string
methods classes at Rutgers University and Caldwell College. Betsy is a doctoral candidate at the Mason Gross School
of the Arts, Rutgers University with a primary research interest in string intonation and elementary strings.
.............
Call for submissions
njstrings is looking for aspiring writers and photographers
who might be interested in reporting on “all things strings” in the
Garden State. Please consider sharing your talents with us by submitting
an article for publication to: [email protected]
njstrings || jan 2011 || 24
For the 12,000th time…
a tale of Elgar, Exposure, and Education
by Kimberly Syvertsen
(reprinted from the blog, http://mskimberly.wordpress.com)
This year I will probably be about the 12,000th person to conduct the Elgar Serenade for Strings
in e minor, Op. 20 with youth orchestra. My greatest hope is that there will be another 12,000 after
me! It is thrilling knowledge that we'll be able to pass along our art in one of the most invaluable
ways---through making live music.
I mean to encourage all you educators and performers today as we start the New Year. We don't
have to feel overwhelmed by the past precedent with interpretations. It’s easy to fall in the trap of
"There will never be a better recording of this than the one by so-and-so" or "Who really wants to
hear my high school band play this piece, when it was premiered so beautifully last year by the
local college's ensemble?" All of this is worth repeating, every second of it ---be those seconds of
pristine execution from a professional ensemble or the heartfelt quirkiness of a middle-school
choir. If we never said "I love you" to people just because the Hollywood actors and actresses
present it so beautifully on the silver screen, imagine what a loveless place the world would be.
If we didn't have children because we realized that we might pass on our high cholesterol or
allergies, how quickly might the human race disappear?
This is probably a good time to briefly discuss the above mentioned "Serenade for Strings", as it
has likely origins in the piece Elgar wrote for the Worchester Ladies' Orchestral Class (who were
amateur musicians, by the way.) Titled "Three Pieces for String Orchestra", these lyrical, pastoral
(and in the composer's own words, "stringy") movements were originally dubbed Spring Song,
Elegy, and Finale respectively. Upon hearing the work, Elgar's wife composed beautiful poetry
for each movement. (I've managed to get small snippets of the poems from program notes, though
I would love to read them in their entirety.) Even the intensely self-critical Elgar proclaimed in a
letter to his dear friend C.W. Buck, dated 8 July 1888: "I like 'em (the first thing I ever did!)"
For such a piece of music to inspire poetry and produce rare satisfaction in the composer bespeak
the quality of the work. Its probable current incarnation as the "Serenade for Strings" has been
well-loved for years.
Interestingly enough, the "Three Pieces" manuscript was lost, and the "Serenade" was first billed
by music publisher Novello as "unsaleable". Amazing that something so precious to us today
might have never been brought to light given such a precarious beginning. Eventually the
"Serenade for Strings" as we know it today was published by Brietkopf & Hartel in 1892, with the
first complete performance of the work not until 1905. (That's right, 1905. How's that for
threadbare entry into the market?). Someone had to make it heard in order for it to become an
oft-performed staple of the string orchestra repertoire. History ended up being kind to the work
because people made it kind. The bottom line is that this music had to see the light of day in order
to become viable. It had to be performed again. And again. And again.
njstrings || jan 2011 || 25
While the tale of Elgar’s Serenade is sobering, I suspect the summation of our situation as
educators and evangelists for classical music lies in two places with two very different quotes--one hopeful, one cautionary. In the words of Sir Francis
Darwin--- "But in science the credit goes to the man who
convinces the world, not to the man to whom the idea first
occurs." We get to convince the world of the beauty of
classical music, simply by carrying on this tradition with
all our heart. For if we fail to continue it because we're hung
up on comparing our humble offerings to the Berlin
Philharmonic, then we doom ourselves to extinction. As
Henry Demarest Lloyd wisely said, "Monopoly is Business
at the end of its journey." Recordings alone cannot rouse our
hearts as live performances can; highest-quality live
professional performances of classical music cannot
possibly reach everyone, as demographics, financial reasons,
and exposure show. I know many who may have never been
consumers in the classical music market, buying recordings
or concert tickets, if not for first being exposed to the noble
art through their kids playing it--- my own parents included!
Take heart; there is room for all of us. You all have so much
to offer the world through classical music, not only for the
th
12,000 performance, but especially for the 12,000th performance.
.............
Bibliography:
Anderson, Robert. “Elgar and his Publishers.” The Cambridge Companion to Elgar.
Eds. Daniel Grimley and Julian Rushton. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2004. 24-31.
Brown, Svend. Serenade for Strings. Programme Note. <http://www.sco.org.uk/content/serenade-strings?print=1>
6 Jan 2011.
Elgar, Edward. Letters of Edward Elgar and Other Writings.
Ed. Percy Young. 2nd ed. Westport, CT: Hyperion Press Inc, 1979.
Grimley, Daniel M. “ ‘A smiling with a sigh’: the chamber music and works for strings.” The Cambridge Companion to
Elgar. Eds. Daniel Grimley and Julian Rushton. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2004. 120-138.
Harper-Scott, J.P.E. Elgar: An Extraordinary Life. London: ABRSM Publishing, 2007.
Kimberly Syvertsen is in her fifth year as director of the youth symphonies at Montclair State University, where she conducts
the Youth Orchestra, Junior Orchestra and Chamber Sinfonia. She received her B.M. in violin performance from the
Peabody Conservatory and her Artist Diploma from MSU, where she was a scholarship student teaching the string methods
class. During her tenure as student chapter president, ASTA@MSU was awarded most outstanding in the country for 2007.
Kimberly also conducts the Overture Strings (Youth Orchestras of Essex County), the Thurnauer Philharmonia (JCC on the
Palisades), and the Lower School Strings at the Dwight-Englewood School.
njstrings || jan 2011 || 26