Seventeen leaders from across the nation met in Dallas, Texas, on March 14, 2004, to identify-in their opinion-the most pressing problems facing strings in America in the next decade and to determine strategies for ASTA's role in solving them. Those present represented every facet involving strings in America. Included were urban and suburban school string teaching, K-12 private teaching, Suzuki instruction, university studio teaching, print music publishing, professional string journals, state unit ASTA presidents, national ASTA presidents, the ASTA national office, K-12 school administration, professional conductors, the musicians union, string instrument manufacturing, chamber music, ASTA string projects, alternative music styles incorporating strings, professional music advocacy, and professional performers.

Participants were asked to respond in writing to both of the following questions in preparation for the Summit:

• In your opinion, what are the two biggest challenges facing string teaching and playing in the United States?
• Financial considerations aside, how do you think ASTA should go about focusing its efforts to address these challenges over the next 10 years?

Participants identified six key problems facing strings: lack of equal access to school string/orchestra instruction in America, lack of public support for classical music, lack of in-depth and available university string teacher training, shortage of school string teachers, difficulty of private teachers to earn an adequate living wage, and the philosophical division between classical and non-classical string teaching and playing.

Each issue was discussed. Participants were challenged to select two areas for ASTA to begin to address in the next decade and to suggest strategies for doing so. K-12 string and orchestra school access was selected first. The second selection was termed string teacher opportunities and included the shortage of K-12 string/orchestra teachers and college string education majors, and training for them.

Solutions for ASTA to undertake to begin to solve the two key issues were discussed. It was decided that ASTA should develop an action plan to address each issue. An 11-point action plan was developed for each issue.

Research indicates that only one in every five children currently has access to strings/orchestra instruction in the schools. ASTA's action plan would include 11 components:

• Offer regular sessions at its conferences (summer and national) and school in-service sessions to band directors, music supervisors, and school administrators to assist them in creating string programs.
• Offer sessions and performances at national meetings of elementary and secondary school administrative national meetings and parent/teacher organizations to show them the values of string programs and give them strategies for creating them.
• Attempt to partner with other professional music associations and conferences to incorporate full orchestra in band programs so that instrumental music instruction includes strings/orchestra.
• Dialogue with and lobby K-12 accrediting agencies to include strings/orchestra in the required music curriculum.
• Work with the music industry to provide the loan of string instruments, music, and complimentary instrument repair services and supplies to new strings/orchestra programs.
• Work with the music industry to subsidize staff development in-service sessions and mentoring for those creating and teaching in new strings/orchestra programs.
• Encourage the ASTA leadership in each state to target school systems without string/orchestra programs and to provide staff support and training for beginning new programs.
• Obtain grants to underwrite in-service support, mentors, clinicians, staffing, and related expenses involved in starting new programs.
• Develop short- and long-range professional advocacy plans to market the values/benefits of string instrument playing.
• Offer large-group teaching training to private teachers at national and summer conferences to encourage them to consider a career in school strings/orchestra teaching.
• Obtain grants to conduct research that clearly identifies the values/benefits to children who play string instruments. This research could serve as the basis for a marketing campaign jointly funded by various music advocacy groups to show that music education is core to the school curriculum and that a music curriculum is not complete without string/orchestra instruction.

Summit participants recommended an 11-point action plan for ASTA to undertake to address issues relating to string teacher opportunities involving working toward solving the shortage of K-12 string/orchestra teachers and college string education majors, and increasing string/orchestra teacher training opportunities. The action plan would include at least the following 11 components:

• Continue to work with the accrediting agency of university music departments (NASM) to increase the extent and improve the quality of the pedagogical training of all music education and string performance students.
• Dialogue directly with music-degree-granting universities and conservatories to strengthen and develop their string/orchestra teaching curriculum.
• Work with state departments of education to require more extensive string/orchestra teaching training for licensing music education students to teach in the schools.
• Secure grant, foundation, and industry support for presenting materials and teaching strategies to current high school teachers designed to attract their students to the school string/orchestra teaching profession.
• Develop a publicity campaign to encourage and mentor high school string/orchestra directors to understand and act on their important role in recruiting their students to enter the string teaching profession.
• Continue to promote and develop ASTA string teaching projects to give university students who are prospective school string/orchestra teachers training and trial teaching experiences prior to entering the profession.
• Determine and present valuable rewards for those school string/orchestra teachers whose students choose school teaching as a career.
• Create a data base of current string/music education majors in colleges and universities and provide for them a special e-newsletter, website, events/sessions/recognition at ASTA state and national meetings, and financial support for participating in the meetings,
• Develop leadership through the ASTA Committee on School Orchestras and Strings (CSOS) to develop materials and strategies to work with local private teachers to encourage their students to choose string/orchestra teaching in the schools as a career. Encourage dialogue between the ASTA Committee on Studio Instruction and the CSOS committee to collaborate in helping solve the national string teacher shortage.
• Secure funding to support current non-string music K-12 music teachers to attend workshops and events to develop teaching skills and interest in string/orchestra teaching,
• Develop and present sessions at parent organization meetings on the values and opportunities for careers in school string/orchestra teaching.

What's Next?

The ASTA National Board, at its meetings in June 2004 and January 2005, will discuss the results of the Summit. The general membership will be asked to respond to the Summit recommendations. The Summit document will be posted on the ASTA website, included in the monthly ASTA e-newsletters between now and the 2005 national conference, and published in the Autumn 2004 issue of the American String Teacher journal. If the general membership and the board support the recommendations from the Summit, the two key issues identified will become priorities for the direction of ASTA as it carries out its mission to promote excellence in string and orchestra teaching and playing.

Bob Gillespie, President
American String Teachers Association