Board of Director Bios

President, Jeffrey Solow Email
Cellist Jeffrey Solow‘s impassioned and compelling cello playing has enthralled audiences throughout the United States and Canada, Europe, Latin America, and the Far East in performances as recitalist, soloist, and chamber musician. Born and raised in Los Angeles, he studied with the distinguished cellist Gabor Rejto and earned a degree in Philosophy magna cum laude from UCLA while studying with and then assisting the legendary Gregor Piatigorsky at USC. His concerto appearances include performances of more than forty different works with orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic (also at the Hollywood Bowl), Japan Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and the American Symphony (with whom he also recorded) and he has presented recitals throughout the US and in Europe, Japan, Korea, China, and Central and South America. For ten years he toured as a member of The Amadeus Trio and he has been guest artist at many national and international chamber music festivals. His recordings appear on the Columbia, New World, ABC, Centaur, Delos, Kleos, Laurel, Everest and Telefunken labels and he has received two Grammy Award nominations. Jeffrey is active in other areas of music besides performing. Strad, Strings, and American String Teacher magazines have published his articles and reviews and he is president of the Violoncello Society, Inc. (NY) and editor of their newsletter. Recognized as an authority on healthy and efficient cello playing, he is professor of cello and chair of the Department of Instrumental Studies at Temple University in Philadelphia. Before becoming ASTA’s president, he served as president-elect and he twice chaired the National Solo Competition and served on the Executive Board.

Past President, Mary Wagner Email
Mary Wagner, retired public school educator and studio teacher has a long history of working with ASTA. After having held all offices in the Virginia Unit of ASTA, she chaired the National School Task Force and the Committee for School Orchestras and Strings where the brochure "A Career Invitation" was published. She served on the 1998 - 2000 Executive Board as secretary and served as the chair for Student Chapters. Additional ASTA activities include presenting a variety of sessions at their conferences and chairing the Reno conference. She taught in the Fairfax County Public Schools (VA) for 31 years where she spent one day a week as the Lead String Mentor working with new teachers. Her orchestras consistently receive superior ratings at adjudicated festivals. She recently was a member of the writing team for the Fairfax County Program of Studies, a coordinating strategies book and the Standards of Learning for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Currently, she is a University Supervisor for James Madison University where she supervises string orchestra student teachers. She served as the string representative for the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association for two terms and she adjudicates at their festivals. She was a member of the Music Educators Journal Editorial Board. The ASTA publication Getting it Right From the Start was co-edited by Wagner, and she has had articles published in MEJ, AST and Orchestra News. She contributed to Teaching Music Through Performance in Orchestra and served as a consultant for the FJH textbook, New Directions. Wagner was involved with advocacy issues and co-chaired the Fairfax Arts Coalition for Education as president of the Fairfax County Orchestra Directors Association. She worked as a consultant for the Williamsburg (VA) City Public Schools to develop a new string program. Wagner has a B.M.Ed. from Central Michigan University, an M.Ed. from University of Virginia, and additional studies in school administration and adult education. A cellist, Wagner performed with the Saginaw, Midland, West Bloomfield (MI) and Fairfax (VA) Symphonies. She has a cello studio in her home.

President-Elect, Kirk D. Moss  Email
Kirk D. Moss leads orchestral activities and string education as an associate professor of music at Minnesota State University Moorhead. Under his baton, the University Symphony Orchestra has tripled in size and performed for the 2007 North Dakota MEA Conference. He has appeared as a guest conductor, clinician, or adjudicator in more than 20 states, including presenting sessions for The Midwest Clinic, MENC National Conference, and ASTA's National Conference. 

ASTA has presented him three Citations for Leadership & Merit awards. His service to ASTA includes an elected term on the National Executive Board, chair of the National Orchestra Festival®, and chair of the development committee. He was also president of the Georgia chapter and currently serves on the Minnesota board.

Moss has 12 years of experience teaching elementary, middle, and high school orchestras. One of his former schools honors him by annually awarding a college string scholarship in his name. School orchestras under his direction performed for the Midwest Clinic, Jubilee 2000 ( Italy ), earned the Gold Award at the San Francisco International Music Festival, the Grand Champion Award at the Orlando Festival of Music, and played three times for the GMEA State Conference (including a performance/clinic by the school’s 30 member viola choir). Following his teaching in public schools, he worked for three years as area chair in music education at Valdosta State University , Georgia , where he led the South Georgia String Project.

He has written for Teaching Music Through Performance in Orchestra––Volumes 2 and 3, Journal of String Research, American String Teacher, Music Educators Journal, and Music Educators Journal Editorial Committee for MENC.

Moss holds a Ph.D. in music education, conducting emphasis, from the University of Florida (Gainesville); a master of music, with a cognate in string pedagogy, from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music as a graduate teaching assistant for Gerald Doan, ASTA past president; and a bachelor of music, with high distinction, from the University of Michigan guided by Robert Culver, ASTA past president. He and his wife, Deb, recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. They have three children, Bethany, Luke, and Lydia.

Secretary, Judy Weigert Bossuat Email
Judy Weigert Bossuat, currently the String Project master teacher at the University of California, Sacramento received a bachelor of arts in music education from the State University College, Crane School of Music in Potsdam, New York, graduating magna cum laude. She is a 1978 graduate of the Talent Education Institute in Matsumoto, Japan where she studied with Shinichi Suzuki, returning in 1982 to do post-graduate work. Bossuat has been teaching strings, conducting orchestras, and training teachers for more than 30 years; 16 of them at the “Ecole de Musique Suzuki” in Lyon, France. Many of her former students have attended prominent conservatories and are pursuing professional careers soloing and playing in leading orchestras worldwide. 

Bossuat’s career has included faculty positions at the University of the Pacific - Stockton, California; California State University - Sacramento; and the University of Oregon – Eugene, as well as private and public school teaching and youth orchestra conducting. Bossuat currently serves on the national board of ASTA and on the national board of the National String Project Consortium. She is an authorized Suzuki Method teacher trainer for the Suzuki Association of the Americas and the European Suzuki Association, and an honorary life member of the European Suzuki Association, and the Association Musicale Suzuki en France. She has served as president of the California chapter of ASTA and orchestra representative of CMEA Bay Section.Recently named the “2007 Graduate of Distinction” by the Victor Central School District in New York, Bossuat has also received an “Eminence Credential” from the California State Credentialing Board and been named to Who’s Who of American Women 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, Who’s Who in American Education 2006, 2007, and Who’s Who in America 2006 and 2007.

In addition to her current university work and private studio teaching, Bossuat is a frequent lecturer, conductor, and teacher at workshops in Europe, Canada, and throughout the United States. She has had numerous publications including articles, compositions, and orchestral arrangements. Particularly popular is her theatrical piece for two rappers and beginning orchestra titled “Beginner’s Rap,” her two “Takataka Concertos” (one on E and one on A) for beginners and young string orchestra or piano, and her books, Left Hand Development for the Violin and Learning to Sight Read on the Violin.

Publications Chair, Marilyn Seelman  Email
Marilyn Seelman is assistant professor of string education at Georgia State University in Atlanta. Prior to this appointment, she served for 12 years as an orchestra teacher in Atlanta public schools and Dekalb county schools. She is past president of Georgia ASTA and has served on a number of ASTA national committees. Seelman conducts the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra of Atlanta which in 2006 was invited to perform in Beijing, Nanjing and Shanghai by the U.S.-China Cultural and Educational Foundation. MYSO-Atlanta has also performed at the Mid-West Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Piccolo Spoleto in Charleston, South Carolina, Carnegie Hall and the Georgia Music Educators' Conference in Savannah. Her private viola studio has produced prize-winning students, most notably the 2005 first-prize winner of the Primrose Competition. Many of her students have gone on to win admission to major conservatories such as Curtis, Juilliard and the New England Conservatory. She has presented viola master classes at Vanderbilt University, East China Normal University and presented a session on viola pedagogy at the 2004 ASTA National Conference. Her Member to Member article, From Technique-Driven Sound to Sound-Driven Technique was included in the February 2005 issue of the American String Teacher journal.  In addition she has presented string pedagogy sessions at the 2005 Georgia Music Educators' Association entitled, "From Alpha Beta Alpha to Serenade for Strings: A Sequential Approach to Conducting Public School Orchestra Works" and in 2006 presented "Choosing Music for your First School Orchestra." She was a clinician at the 2008 Music Educators' National Conference in Milwaukee. She has conducted the Georgia All-State Orchestra along with East-Tennessee and Alaska All-State Orchestras. Seelman has served on the faculties of Trinity University in San Antonio and the University of New Mexico – Albuquerque as director of orchestra and violist. She received her doctorate of musical arts in conducting from the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, her master of music in viola from Boston University, and her bachelor of arts in music from Humboldt State University in Arcata, California. She is a frequent guest conductor and clinician and continues to perform in Atlanta area orchestras and chamber ensembles.

Member-at-Large, Beth Gilbert Email
Beth Gilbert, a 25-year veteran string teacher, has taught in the Mesa, Arizona Unified School District since 1983. She earned a master’s degree in music education from the University of Arizona in 1981. An active music educator, Gilbert has served as secretary and president of Arizona ASTA, as well as vice president of the Arizona Band and Orchestra Directors Association. For ASTA, she served on the planning committee for the 2005 National Orchestra Festival. In the past, she has served on the Committee on School Orchestras, the Special Project Grants committee, the 1998 National Conference planning committee, and the School Task Force. She co-authored Getting Started with Strolling Strings. Gilbert received the O.M. Hartsell Excellence in Teaching Award from the Arizona Music Educators Association in 1995. Her orchestra and strolling string groups have performed at numerous AMEA conventions as well as at several national MENC conferences. In 1994 both groups performed at the Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Clinic and in 1999, they represented Arizona at the American Musical Salute in Washington, D.C.

Member-at-Large, Kristin Turner Email
Kristin Turner joined the music education faculty at Ball State University School of Music in the fall of 2001. Turner holds a bachelor of arts in education (music) from Western Washington University, a master of music (music education) from the University of Oregon, and a Ph.D. from Ohio State University. While at Ohio State , she served as graduate assistant to Dr. Robert Gillespie and received the Joseph A. Leeder Award. At BSU she teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in music education and supervises student teachers. She is primarily responsible for string/orchestra education at Ball State . She also serves as director to the Ball State University/Cornerstone Center for the Arts String Project and advises the East Central Indiana Youth Orchestra and the BSU student ASTA chapter. Outside of Ball State University, she is president of the Indiana chapter of ASTA and a past chairman of ASTA's 2006 National Conference. Turner has presented sessions at IMEA, OMEA, the Northwest and Eastern Divisions of MENC, ASTA, College Music Society, and the Midwest String Teacher Workshop. She served as a guest conductor for the All-Region Orchestra Festival in Fishers, Indiana, and the Evergreen Music Festival in Olympia, Washington.  She has frequently served as a consultant or clinician with school districts in Indiana and other states. Turner’s research interests include new teacher induction and mentoring, orchestral literature for school use, string teacher training methods, and pedagogical issues in string teaching. Her publications include articles in the American String Teacher, Voice of the Washington Music Educator, The Indiana Musicator, and contributions to Applying Research to Teaching and Playing Stringed Instruments and both volumes ofTeaching Music through Performance in Orchestra published by GIA.

Member-at-Large, Mark Wood, Email
In an industry where originality is a highly prized commodity, recording artist, performer, producer, inventor and Emmy-winning composer Mark Wood is truly an original. He began his career with a full scholarship to the prestigious Juilliard School in New York and had the privilege of studying under Maestro Leonard Bernstein at the Tanglewood Music Program.

Wood is a highly acclaimed international recording artist who has released six CDs of his highly original music, showcasing his unique approach to the electric violin playing with his own line of patented instruments and has sold more than five million records. He is also lead electric violinist, string conductor, and an original member of the multi-platinum-selling symphonic rock group Trans-Siberian Orchestra. He has toured and recorded with Celine Dion, Billy Joel, Lenny Kravitz, and Everclear, among others.  He is currently starring in a national television ad campaign for Pepsi. The music track is a Kanye West produced hip hop version of "The Devil Went Down to Georgia ."

He received his first Emmy Award for music he composed for CBS-TV’s coverage of the 2002 Tour de France bicycle race, and has received three additional Emmy nominations; one of his commissions was from the Juilliard School, who enlisted him to compose a piece for their electric string quartet – “Nest of Vipers” has its world premiere at Lincoln Center in New York City. As an inventor, he established Wood Violins, a company whose mission is to make his incredible instruments available to the general public.

Wood's “Electrify Your Strings” (EYS) series of music education programs have become enormously successful and in demand. EYS has really captured the media’s attention and has been featured on several national broadcasts of CBS Evening News, along with segments on ABC-TV, NBC-TV, CNN, and others. EYS has been brought to hundreds of schools in the U.S., including the Berklee School of Music, the Juilliard School, Oneonta University, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and many others. In addition, along with such formidable colleagues as, Isaac Stern, and Yo Yo Ma, he is an instructor at the annual Mark O'Connor Fiddle Camps. He is working on a definitive method book for the electric strings, published by Cherry Lane Publishing.