stringendostringendo autumn 2008 3 o ne of the many benefits of membership in asta is the biannual...

Stringendo Autumn 2008 1

STRINGENDOAutumn 2008 Volume XXV No. 1

Inside this issue:

2 Messages from the President, Editor, and Website Coordinator 3 2009 ASTA National Solo Competition 5 PerformerProfile:JodiBeder,Cello by Jaque Lyman 8 Fraud, Misattribution, and Neglect ACook’sTourThroughtheStrangeWorldofBaroqueSonatas by Helmut Braunlich12 TheJapaneseShamisen:BridgingthePasttothePresent by Jonathan McCollum, Ph.D.16 TheASTACertificateAdvancementProgram(ASTACAP)–ABriefOverview by Lya Stern17 Report on the 2008 ASTA CAP Exams, MD/DC Chapter by Lya Stern18 ASTAMD/DCChapterBYLAWS–Amendedandapproved,May,200821 NewOfficersandBoardofDirectors,MD/DCChapter27 News:FridayMorningMusicClubandPeabodyPrep29 TheLighterSide

Stringendo Autumn 20082

Message from the President

A Note from the Editor

HelloEveryone!Firstoff,IwouldliketotellyoutheresultsofourAnnualMeetingheldonMay

25,2008.OurnewASTAMD/DCofficerswerefirstinducted.Forthenexttwoyears,IamgratefultobeservingasyourPresident,CathyStewartisPresident-elect,andJeanProvineisSecretary/Treasurer.Ourotherofficerscontinuetobe:StringendoEditor,JaqueLymanandMembershipChair,CindiKornhaus.Afterthat,wegotbusy!OurBylawswereapprovedwithatitlechange:weeliminated“withNSOA.”Wefoundthatfinancially,weareinquitegoodshape,withover$11,000inourmaincheckingaccount.Inallocatingoursurplusmonies,wedecidedtoearmarkfundstocontributetoworthycausesinstringteaching,payforanewwebsiteforthechapter,and—pleasenotewell!—sendofficerstotheASTANationalConventions.AllofyouwhoarethinkingaboutworkingforASTA:thisisafabulousperk!

CindySwisswillhandletheNationalSoloCompetitionthisyear;pleaseseeherarticleonthenextpage.Pleasethinkaboutgettingyourstudentsinto this.AftertheAnnualMeeting,Igottoworkonthreemajorkick-offprojectsformypresidency.ThefirstwastochooseaBoardofDirectors.PleaseseethearticleintroducingthenewmembersoftheBoard,on page 21 of this issue. The second project is to get ourchapteranewwebsite,whichisnowinprogress.Thethirdprojectistochoosethreeeventsfor2009thatourchapterwillsponsor.ThiswillbedonebyvotingonideasthattheBoardhasproposed.Youwillbenotifiedoftheeventsthatwerechoseninthenextissue of Stringendo.Itismyhopethatwewillbeavibrantandactivechapter,reinforcingASTA’snationalpurpose,whichis to promote excellence in string and orchestra teachingandplaying.Pleasejoinin! DoréeHuneven

We’rehappytobringyouverydiverseofferingsin this edition of Stringendo—fromastudy

ofBaroquesonatas,byHelmutBraunlich,toanintroductiontotheJapaneseShamisen,byJonathonMcCollum,toaperformerprofileoftheveryversatilecellistJodiBeder.

Butwewouldliketoexpandourexplorationofthestringworldevenfurtherwithinputfromyou, themembersofourASTAChapter.Doyouhavea

topicthatyou’vealwayswantedtoseediscussed?Doyouhaveareactiontosomethingyou’vereadin Stringendo?Wouldyouliketowriteanarticleyourself?Wewanttohearfromyou!

Pleasesendyourcomments,ideas,and/[email protected]!

JaqueLyman

Yes,I’mwearingadifferenthat!Makethata new hat. While attending the 2008 ASTA

Conference, MD/DC Chapter President Dorée Hunevenmetwiththerepresentativesofacompanythatspecializesinwebsitesformusicians.ThankstotheinitialeffortsofDoréeandJonasMusicServices,MD/DCChapterwillsoonhaveanewwebsite.Ourpresent one has been in place for about a decade, andit’sdefinitelytimeforamakeover.Recently,the

Presidentaskedforvolunteerstoserveonthewebsitecommittee.Fiveofusendeduponthecommittee:MarkPfannschmidt,DoréeHuneven,LyaStern,LaurienLaufman,andyourstruly,LorraineCombs.IwaschosentobeWebsiteCoordinator.Forthepastseveralweeks,inadditiontolayingoutthisissueofStringendo,I’vebeentheliasonbetweentheothercommitteemembersandoursoon-to-be-websitehost

A Note from the New Website Coordinator

(cont. on page 29)


OneofthemanybenefitsofmembershipinASTA is the biannual solo competition. Theeligibleinstrumentsareviolin,viola,

cello, bass, classical guitar, and harp. All applicants mustbeamemberormuststudywithateacherwhoiscurrentlyanASTAmemberintheprofessionalcategory.StudentswhowinthiscompetitionreceivenationalrecognitionandtheopportunitytoperformattheASTANationalConference.Previouswinnersareallowedtocompeteagain. Thecompetitionisatwo-stepprocess.ThefirststepistomakeagoodqualitycassetteorCDrecordingoftherequiredrepertoirelistedbelowforthecorrectagecategory.TheJuniorDivisionincludesstudentswhoareundertheageofnineteenasofMarch18,2009.SeniorDivisionapplicantsareagenineteentotwenty-fiveasofMarch18,2009.Acopyofanofficialdocumentprovingbirthdatemustaccompanytheapplication.Studentsmayentereitherintheirstateofresidency,orinthestatewheretheyarestudying,butnotboth.Therecordingissentto the state chapter competition chairperson, and selectionswillbemadetosendtothenationalsemi-finals.Allapplicationformsareavailablefromwww.astaweb.com.Clickon“Competitions”andthenon“NationalSoloCompetition.” Oncetheselectionshavebeenmadeonthestatelevel,thewinnerswillbenotified.Thestatechairpersonwillrequestanentryfeeof$75.Oncethisfeeisreceived,therecordingwillbesenttothenationaloffice.ApplicantswhoarechosenforthefinalsinAtlanta,Georgia,willbenotifiedandwillfollowthisschedule:

March18–rehearsalsMarch19–rehearsalsandcompetitionMarch20–competitionMarch21–recitalwithcompetitionwinners.

Allpieceswillbeperformedfrommemory.

Teachers,pleasereviewthefollowingrepertoireandenteryourstudentswhocanqualifyforthiswonderfulopportunity.Pleasesendrecordingsnolater than October 15, 2008, to:

CindySwiss4403 Falls RoadBaltimore,MD21211-1225Pleasecalloremailwithanyquestions:410-889-8325,[email protected]:www.astaweb.com.

REPERTOIRE LISTJUNIOR DIVISION

VIOLIN:Bach:AnymovementfromtheSoloSonatasor

PartitasJohanSvendsen:Romanze,op.26forViolinand

Piano(7Min.)Anypieceofcompetitor’schoiceVIOLA:Bach:AnymovementfromtheSoloCelloSuitesJohannNepomukHummel:FantasyforViolaand

Piano(8Min.)Anypieceofcompetitor’schoiceCELLO:Bach:AnymovementfromtheSoloCelloSuitesHaydn:DivertimentoforCelloandPiano-All3Mvts.

(Arr.Piatigorsky,Elkan-VogelEdition)(8Min.)Anypieceofcompetitor’schoiceBASS:Bach:AnymovementfromtheSoloCelloSuitesShostakovich:Adagiofromtheballet“Unforgettable

1919”(transcriptionbyHalRobinson)(5Min.)LucianoBerio:PsyforSoloDoubleBass(Universal

Edition)(1.5Min.)Anypieceofcompetitor’schoiceCLASSICAL GUITAR:Bach:Amovement(ormovements)fromanyofthe

Solo Suites or Partitas, or a Prelude and Fugue originallywrittenfortheLute

JuliánOrbón:PreludioyDanza(5Min.)Anypieceofcompetitor’schoiceHARP:Bach:AnymovementfromtheFrenchorEnglish

KeyboardSuitestranscribedbythecontestantCarlosSalzedo:CommunionfromtheFivePoetical

Studies for Harp Anypieceofcompetitor’schoice

2009 ASTA National Solo Competitionsubmitted by Cindy Swiss


SENIOR DIVISIONVIOLIN:Bach:AnymovementfromtheSoloSonatasor

PartitasSarasate:JotaNavarra,op.22,no.2forViolinand

Piano(4–5Min.)Anypieceofcompetitor’schoiceVIOLA:Bach:AnymovementfromtheSoloCelloSuitesMax Reger: Suite No. 1 in G Minor for Solo Viola—

EntireSuite(10–11Min.)Anypieceofcompetitor’schoiceCELLO:Bach:AnymovementfromtheSoloCelloSuitesGinastera:PampeanaNo.2forCelloandPiano(9

Min.)Anypieceofcompetitor’schoice

BASS:Bach:AnymovementfromtheSoloCelloSuitesRheinholdGlière:Tarantella,op.9from“Four

Pieces”forDoubleBassandPiano(6Min.)DavidAnderson:Serenade(2Min.)andCapriccio

(3Min.)fromtheFourShortPieces”forSoloDoubleBass

Anypieceofcompetitor’schoiceCLASSICAL GUITAR:Bach:Amovement(ormovements)fromanyofthe

Solo Suites or Partitas, or a Prelude and Fugue originallywrittenfortheLute

LeoBrouwer:“FandangosyBoleros”movementfromSonata(1990)(6–7Min.)

Anypieceofcompetitor’schoiceHARP:Bach:AnymovementfromtheFrenchorEnglish

KeyboardSuitestranscribedbythecontestantMarcel Tournier: SonatineAnypieceofcompetitor’schoice

e


Performer Profile: Jodi Beder, Celloby Jaque Lyman

Ontheweb,onecanwatchavideoofJodiBederperformingasPrincipalCellistofthePrincetonSymphonywithsopranoSarah

Pelletier(MilleniumStageOnlineArchive2004)andseeapetite,silvered-hairedwomanwhofitsthestereotypeoftheclassicalmusician:dressedelegantly,seriousdemeanor,technicallyprecise.ShealsoplaysfortheNationalPhilharmonic.ButBederisaperfectexampleofwhystereotypingisdangerous:ascellistfortheoff-the-wall,description-defying“cabaretrock”bandZenforPrimates,sheplaysanamplifiedcellonamedZiziwithahauntinglyintensepurplefacepaintedonit,and,well,sherocks.

BlasphemyforaclassicallytrainedmusicianwithaPh.D.inTheory?

Notreally,accordingtoBeder.Infact,othermembers of the cello section of the Philharmonic are alsoinvolvedwith“alternativestyles”music.Whiletheviolinhaslongbeenanactivefolkinstrumentinmanydifferentculturesallovertheworld,thisrolecamerelativelylatetothecello.Bederfirstencounteredthecelloinnon-classicalmusicinthe Paul Winter Consort in the late sixties. And it wasaroundthenthatshebecameinvolvedintheWoodstockmusicscene(theplace,notthefestival),wheresheoccasionallyplayedinstudiosessions.Butshedidn’thavetherolemodelsthatyoungviolinplayershad—untilshemetAbbyNewtonofthePutnamStringCountyBand,whohadalsoplayedasaduowithJeanRedpath,theincomparableScottishfolk singer. TohearBedertellthestory,itwasalongandgradualtripfrombeingayoungwomanwhohadneverevenplannedonbeingaprofessionalcellistatalltoonewhohasplayedanincrediblevarietyofmusicalstyles—anditwasatripthathingedonhertendencytosimplysay“yes”whenofferedachallenge.

Inhindsight,Bederseemeddestinedtobeinvolvedwithmusic.Hermotherwasextremelymusical,withagreatearbutnotmuchtraining,andtherewasmusicinthehouseallthetime:classical,showtunes, jazz singers like Ella Fitzgerald and Mel Tormé,andBrazilian.Bythetimeshestartedonthecelloatageeleven,BederhadalreadybeentotheDalcrozeSchool,withitsphilosophyoflearning

throughbodymovement,andtheHebrewArtsSchoolforMusicandtheDance,whereshehadalotoftheorytraining.ItwasattheHebrewArtsSchoolthatshestudiedcompositionwithMiriamGideon,a“fabulousteacher”whomshecreditswithbeinga“hugeinfluence”onher.ShesaysthatGideonhelpedherdevelopa“composer’sattitudetoapproachingmusic,”whichwould,prophetically,helpprepareherinthefuturetotacklethatbaneofmanyclassicalmusicians—improvising.ButevenasBedermovedthroughcollege,taughtcelloandrecorder,workedonherdoctorate,andfreelanced,shedidn’treallyseeherself becoming a professional musician.

ButthenBederfinishedherdoctorateandrealizedthatshedidn’twanttobeanacademic.Shewasfreelancingwithyoungermusicians,tellingherselfthatshecouldquitanytimeshewanted.Sheplayedalotofbaroquemusic(shehasabaroquecello—inadditiontotheonewiththepurplefacepaintedonit),playedinchamberorchestras,didsymphonywork,playedinoperas.Whatevercamealong,whetheritwaswithajazzpianistorwithIGiullaridiPiazza,anItalianfolktheatergroupwherelastminutesubstitutionsandkeychangeswerecommon,JodiBedersaid‘yes’toit.

Andsothewomanwhohadacceptedthepopularwisdomthatonlythosewhostartplayingvery young—certainlybeforeageeleven—canbecomeprofessionalstringplayershadmanagedtobecamejust that: a professional cellist.

ButJodiBeder’smusicianshipgoesmuchdeeperthansimplytherangeofmusicsheplays.Shehastackledsomeofthemostdifficultchallengesthatwesternclassicalmusicianscanface.ShehasbeenoneofthemainplayersfortheAmericanFestivalofMicrotonal Music, negotiating music, for instance, that might call for the production of 1/4 tones or 1/3 tones.SheplayedapieceattheCzechEmbassythatrequired1/6tones.(Whileshesaysthatthepiecesoundedquite“conventional,”itisstillhardformanyofustowrapourmindsaroundproducingondemand these mathematical increments of the half stepswearesoattunedto.)AccordingtoBeder,itisa“differentkindofdiscipline—anotherwayofdecidingthatboundariesareartificial.”


This openness to experimentation and to hearing andthinkingaboutmusicoutsidethe“fussing”oftheclassicalworldseemstobeanongoinganddevelopingthemeinBeder’smusicallife—andprobablyunderpinsthatwillingnesstotakeonchallenges.Sherealizedearlyonthatpeoplejustlikedtohearthecello;evenifshewasjustwarmingup,shecould“giveotherpeoplepleasurejustbymakingnicesounds”thatweren’tevenpartofapiece.AnimportantandrelatedinfluencewasherparticipationinBalkansinginggroupworkshopswithEthelRaim,whereeveryonesatinacircleandimitatedsounds.Shediscoveredtherethat“anysoundhasvalue—everysqueakisanevent.”ShecreditsRaimwithhelpinghertolookforwaystoworkonherinstrumentwithoutanxietyorworry.

WhileBederadmitsthatshewasshyatfirstinapproachingthatotherhurdleformanyclassicalmusicians—improvisation,sheactuallyhadmorepreparationthanmost.First,sheplayedalotofbaroquemusic,whereshelearnedtoimprovisetoanextent.ButperhapsevenmoreimportanthasbeenplayingintheSynagogueeveryyearforhoursand

hoursduringtheHighHolydays.Thereisn’tusuallyevenacellopartwritten,somostofthetimeshehasbeenforcedtoimprovise.Thus,the“ideaofwingingit”isprettynormalforher,thoughnotasafeaturedsoloist.

EnterZenforPrimates,abandthathadjustlostitsviolinistandwaskeentotryaddingacello.

In1997,BedergotacallfromguitaristMikeKrisukas.Hehadbeenreferredtoherwhenthefirstcellisthecalledwasn’tavailable.Withonlytendaysnotice, lead sheets, and a tape of the band’s album Albatross,Beder’sexpectationswerelowatfirst.Butthensheplayedthetapeand“itwasfantastic.”SointypicalJodiBederstyle,sheacceptedthechallenge.Thenightoftheconcert,shegottothevenueat5:00foran8:30performance(ZenforPrimateswasheadlining),metthegroupandlikedthemimmediately.Theytalkedthroughthesongs,andtherestishistory.Elevenyearslater,“itisstillfun.”

BasedineasternPennsylvaniawhereithasalargefollowing,ZenforPrimatesisnotyouraveragepopularmusicband.Whileitdoesmanyoriginals,


Bedersaysthatmanypeoplefindtheirwaytothebandthroughitscovers“becausetheoriginalsaresostrange.”‘Strange’maynotquitedescribetheoddinstrumentation—saxophone,violin,cello,guitar,andvoice—andthe“complicated,weird”butminimalistarrangementsthatarerenderedwithatightprecisionreminiscentofJethroTullorFrankZappa.Andthemusicisonlypartoftheshow.Thebandprovidesgoodtheateraswell.SingerT.Roth,alsoanactor,frontsthegroupwithquirkymannerismsanddeadpanirreverence.AndonecannotoverlookBeder’scello,Zizi,withthepurplefacepaintedonit.

Thecelloisagreatstageprop,accordingtoBeder.“Peoplearehavingagoodtimebeforeyousitdown,”shesaysaboutaudiencereactionwhenshewalksonstagewiththeinstrument.ShehadartistfriendLindaGanuspainttheface,whichisintegratedintotheshapeofthecelloandcanbeseenfromquitefaraway.Theface’shauntingeyesandgenderambiguitygiveitanotherworldlypersonalitythatdisturbspeople.Becausetheinstrumentitselfissodark,underlightsthecelloitselfdisappears,leavingBederplayingwhatseemstobeadisembodiedface.AndBederherselfenjoysthefreedomfromtheconstraintsof classical concert black. She puts a lot of thought intowhatshewearsforZenperformances.

Beder’smusicianshipcontinuestodevelopwiththe band. She has great respect for the other band membersandconsidersitanhonortobeworkingwiththem.Withtheirsupportandencouragement,shebegantakingsolos.“Littlebylittle,I’mtryingtofindmylanguageforit,”sheobservesaboutthesynthesisofherimprovising.“You’retryingtobeyourself...and‘myself’includesbeingaclassical

player.”SowhileBederrelishesthefreedomfromtheconfinesoftheclassicalworld,shecanchoosetotakeitsrichnessanditsidiomswithherintotheZenworld.

“I’mabitofahippie,”JodiBedersays.“IgrewupinGreenwichVillage”—asifthatsomehowhelps explain her eclectic musical talents and inclinations—andhertendencytosay“yes”tomusicaladventures.Shesaysithadn’toccurredtohertobeinaband.Butthen,ithadn’treallyoccurredtoher to be a professional cellist either.

Anyonewhoenjoysthesoundofacellowellplayed,whetherinanorchestraorinthequirky,fantasticalworldofZenforPrimates,shouldbeverygladthatshedid,infact,say,“Yes.”

I interviewed Jodi Beder at her Mt. Rainier, Maryland, home in early July.

Postscript:

Unfortunately,ZenforPrimatesdoesn’tplayintheMaryland/DCareaveryoften.Butonecanvisitthebandonthewebathttp://www.bummertent.com,anditsCDsareavailablethroughAmazon.com.

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When composers at the time of Corelli or Handelwroteviolinsonatas,theyusedtwostaves:onefortheviolin,onefor

thebass.Betweenthese,theyplacedsomenumberstoindicatetheharmonies.Thekeyboardplayerimprovisedtherighthandpartaccordingtothisfiguredbassor,sometimes,withoutthishelp.Beforeca.1750,thiswasthemostcommontypeoftexturefor a melodic instrument and accompaniment. Besidestheseworkswith“bassocontinuo,”thereweresomeforviolinandobbligatokeyboard,wherethecomposerspecifiedallthenotesofthekeyboardpart,buttheseweretheexception.BesidesBach’ssetofsixsonatas,BWV1014–1019,fewareknown.ThetypewrittenlaterbyMozartandBeethovendidn’toriginatefromeitheroneofthesetwotraditions.Itactuallydevelopedfromyetanothersetting,thesonataforaccompaniedkeyboard,alsoalaterconvention. Italian,French,andGermancomposerswrotehundredsoffinesonatasofthecontinuotypeforvariousmelodicinstruments.Herewehavearichandidiomaticliteraturethatoffersmuchtoenliventheusualfareofstudioandstage,but,unfortunately,mostofitremainsthepreserveofBaroquespecialists.Outside of such circles of experts, information spreadsslowly,andoldmisconceptionsarepassedonthroughgenerations.Therearefinemoderneditions,butmuchworkremainstobedonetoremedycarelesseditorialpracticesandunquestioningroutine. Takeawork,whichformanystringplayersmaybetheirfirstencounterwithaBaroquesonata:thewell-knownSonatainGMinorattributedtoHenryEccles. It appeared in 1720 in Paris as No.11 of a collection titled Prèmier Livre de Sonates a Violon Seul et la Basse.Thewords“ParMonsieurEcclesAnglois”areonthetitlepage.In1905,itwasre-publishedinanarrangementforcellobyAlfredMoffat,anavidcollectorandeditorofoldmusic.(ThetranscriptionforcelloisquiteinlinewithBaroquepractice.Musiciansnotonlyfeltfreetousewhateverinstrumentswereavailable,butitwasalsoconsideredanadvantageifapiececouldbeplayedonvariousinstruments.)

Inthe1920s,somequestionsbegantoberaised.AndreasMoser,inanarticletitled“MusikalischeCriminalia”(Musik,March1923)notedthatnofewerthaneighteenmovementscontainedinEccles’ collection had been taken from XII Sonate o allettamenti per camera Op.8,byGiuseppeValentini,aFlorentineviolinist.Understandably,Moser became skeptical about the authorship of anyofEccles’sonatas.Inthesameyear,WilliamBarclaySquireinThe Musical Times(“HenryEccles’Borrowings”)madesimilarobservations.Fromthenon,thisinformationwasspreadwidelyinvariouspublications, including dictionaries. The most completeaccountwasprintedintheInternational Journal of Musicology 6, 1997(“‘BaroqueMusic’inLaterCenturies:‘Re-creations’ofHenryEccles’Forgery”byEleanorF.McCrickard). Atpresentcount,then,twenty-fouroutofforty-sevenmovementsare“borrowed.”EighteenarebyValentini,oneentireSonata(No.2)isbyJeanBaptisteLoeillet(fromVI Sonates a une Flute Traversiere, une Haubois ou Violon & Basse Continue),andthesecondmovementofMoffat’srediscoveryisbyFrancescoAntonioBonporti(Inventioni da camera a violino solo con l’accompagnamento d’un violoncello, e cembalo, o liuto, Op.10).Therearesuspiciousindicationsthattherestofthemovementsarenotallbythesamecomposereither.Forinstance,whilesoftpassagesareusuallymarked“piano,”sometimestheFrenchterm“doux”appears.Thatwouldbeanoddinconsistencyunless these markings come from Italian and French sources,respectively. Itistruethattheearly18thcenturydidnotknowthe strict standards of authorship that are applied today.Manycomposersreusedmaterialsfromtheworksofothercomposers.EvenJ.S.Bachdidso,usuallyliftingthemusictoamuchhigherartisticlevel.ButthewholesaleliteralacquisitionsofEcclesstandwithoutequal.Notsurprisingly,somehaveexpresseddoubtsaboutwhetherEccleswascapableofcomposinghisownmusicatall.Inhisdefensewecanonlynotethathehaspublishedasecondsetofsonatas,thecontentofwhichhasnot

Fraud, Misattribution, and Neglect:A Cook’s Tour Through the Strange World of Baroque Sonatas

by Helmut Braunlich


(yet?)beentracedtoanyothercomposer.ButevenMoffathimselfseemstohavehadaninklingthattherewassomethingwrongwiththecollectionbyMonsieurEccles.Moffat’sowncopyoftheLoeilletsonatas,nowintheLibraryofCongress,containsanannotationintheowner’shand,whichcomplainsabout“…themany…impudenttheftscontainedinthe Livre de Sonates.”Thatnote,however,mayhavebeenwrittenaftertheG-MinorSonatawaspublished. Noneofthishasaffectedsubsequentpublicationsofthe“EcclesSonata”inanyway.Editionshaveappearednotonlyforviolin,viola,cello,andbass,butforwindinstrumentsaswell,neverwithanyhintofadoubt.Grantedthatitisdifficulttodesignatitlepageforaworkthatispartiallyanonymousandpartiallyspurious, or to list such a chimera on a recital program, itseemsthatinourtimes,whenauthors’rightsandintellectualpropertyarevaluedhighly,awaycouldhavebeenfoundtoaddressthematter. Perhapsnoseriousharmisdonebythewrongnameonthecoverofapieceofmusic,butthatnegligenceshowsupinotherways.Poorediting,arrangementsthatdistortthestyleofthemusic,andanexclusivepreoccupationwithafewfavoritepiecesleadtomisconceptionsofallsorts.But,toleavethisdisagreeabletopic,whataboutthosecomposerswhomEcclesplagiarized?Shouldtheirnamesberescuedfromobscurity?Thisleadstothegoodnews:WhileEcclesmayhavebeenathief,hewasadiscriminatingthief.Hecertainlyknewwheretofindmusicthatwouldappealtohisbuyersorlisteners.Wemaythankhimfordrawingourattentiontowhattheseminormastershavetooffer: Jean-BaptisteLoeillet(1688–ca.1720),memberofafamilyofmusiciansthatwasprominentintheLowCountriesandinEngland,isprobablythebestknownoneofthethree,ifmostlytoflutists.Ofthecomposersherementioned,hecomesclosesttothestyleofCorelli. His elegant trio sonatas and solo sonatas (thecommontermforsonatasforonemelodyinstrumentandcontinuo)arestilloccasionallyheard.Asthetitleofthepublicationquotedabovesuggests,hissonatasweremeanttobeplayedonvariousstringorwindinstruments.ThatthemelodyneverdescendsbelowtheDstringdoesnotseemtohavediminishedthegeneralappealofsuchworks.Butatleastinthisrespect,Ecclesdidnotdoanythingcontrarytothe composer’s intentions.

GiusppeValentini(ca.1680–after1746)istodayrememberedonlybecauseoneofhisSonatas,Op.8(inEMajor),iswellknowninaversionforcello.This is regrettable because he left us a substantial œuvreofbothinstrumentalandvocalmusicofsomeoriginality.Hehadapredilectionfortheexoticandgrotesque,whicharound1720musthavesoundedmuchmorestrangethanitwouldnow.HissonatasareallinfivemovementswiththeschemeSFSFF.Thetextureisalwayshomophonic,buttheonlymovementsdesignatedasdancesaregavottes.Thushedoesnotfollowtheconventionsofeitherthe da chiesa or the da cameratype,buthealmostanticipates a much later genre, the suite of character pieces.Asasampleofhiswork(Ex.1)IamattachinghalfofthelittlePresto,whichisthelastmovementofthefifthsonatafromhisOp.8,appearingasthelastmovementofthethirditeminEccles’collection.Therealizationofthesimplefiguredbassismine.(Don’tbesurprisedifthisfiguredbassdoesnotconformtowhatyouhavelearnedinHarmony101.Valentinididnottakethatcourse.)Theaccidentalshadtobeadjustedsomewhatsince,accordingtoanoldcustom,thekeysignatureforCMinorcontainedonlytwoflats.Valentini’sviolinmusicusuallydoesnotgetmuchmoredifficultthanthis.Apparently,onlyoneof his sonatas has appeared in a modern edition for


violin.ItisNo.1,inDMinor,publishedbySchott. FrancescoAntonioBonporti(1672–1748)enjoysasomewhatgreaterposthumousrenown.HisSonatas,Op.10,whichhecalled“Inventions,”havebeenreissuedbyanumberofpublishers,singlyoringroups.Thereevenexistsaneditionofhiscompleteworks,publishedbyIndianaUniversityPress.Moreover,hehasreceivedadistinctionwhichwoulddohonortoanycomposer:FourofhisinventionswerecopiedbyJ.S.Bachand,consequently,erroneouslyincludedintheBreitkopf&HärteleditionofBach’scollectedworks(Vol.45).TheyareNos.2,5,6,and7fromBonporti’sOp.10.HenryEccles,itwillberemembered,hadhelpedhimselftoamovementfromNo.4.Notethatherewehavetwoverydifferentinstancesofcopying.BachcopiedmanyworksbyItaliancomposersbecausethatwastheusualwaytomakemusicavailableforperformances;heneverclaimedtohavecomposedthem. ThefactthatitwaspossibletomistakeBonporti’sworksforBach’sspeaksfortheirhighquality.Bonporti’ssonatasfollowtheSFSFoutlineofmovements,whichwasalsousedbyBach.ButBonporti’sfastmovementsarenotofthecontrapuntaltypecommoninthesonatadachiesa.TheyaremorelikelytocarrynameslikeBalletto,Capriccio,orevenBizzarria.AswithValentini,onesensesaneagernessto surprise the listener. Having,bywayofBonporti,toucheduponthemusicofJohannSebastianBach,itisnowappropriatetocommentonthismaster’sowncontributionstothegenreofthesonatawithcontinuo.Oddlyenough,thesearerelativelyunknown,perhapsbecausetheystandintheshadowofsomemorefamiliarworks.Itseemsthatthemoreweightysetsofsixsonataswithkeyboardobbligatoandthesixsonatasandpartitasforunaccompaniedviolinhavecommandedtheexclusiveattentionofviolinistsandlisteners.ButthesonatasBWV1021and1023areadmirableandgratifyingworks.TotheseIwouldaddtheevenlessknownSonatainCMinor,BWV1024,althoughithasahybridtextureandtherearesomedoubtsaboutitsauthenticity.Allthreeareavailableinmoderneditions,andtheyhavebeenrecordedmorethanadozentimes.Buttheyarestillrelativelyobscure.Infact,thesonataswithobbligatokeyboard(whichcertainlyarenotamongBach’smostpopularworks)havebeenrecordedmorethantwiceasoften.

ThefirstmoderneditionoftheSonatainGMajor,BWV1021,onlyappearedin1928.Itisafour-movementworkinthestandardpatternSFSF,theslowmovementsfeaturingfloridmelodiclines,thefastonesdrivingrhythmsthat,ifplayedwithvigorandprecision,willbequiteelectrifying. Bachwasinthehabitofwritingoutallthefreemelodicornamentsthatmanyothercomposersleftto the choice of the performer. I suspect that the rich melodic abundance resulting from this process goesfarbeyondwhatmighthavebeenachievedinimprovisation.Thisprofusionalsocanalsobequiteperplexingwhenfirstencounteredbyyoungplayers.Ifso,theseslowmovementsofferagoodopportunitytoovercomethedauntingconfusionbecausethekeyboardaccompanimentprovidesthesteadymotionthat,ofcourse,isnotavailableinapieceliketheopening Adagio from the unaccompanied Sonata in GMinor,BWV1001.(Howoftenhaveweheardthiswithoutanysenseofprogression,eachlittlepassingnotetreatedlikeanimportantachievement?!)Alittleexercisecanbeveryhelpfulinmakingsenseoutofthestreamofblacknotesandintricaterhythms:Reconstructthebasicmelodyasitmighthavebeenwrittenbyalessfastidiouscomposer.Ex.2shows,ontop,theviolinpartoftheopeningofBWV1021and,belowit,areductiontoaskeletonoutline.Afterplayingthelowerline,onecanthenaddBach’sornaments,takingcarenottolosetheslow,steadypulse.This,togetherwiththecontinuo(markthe

meaningoftheword!),shouldhelptofosterasenseofdirectionandtheabilitytoseetheforest,notjustthe trees. Such aspects, it seems to me, recommend thisworkforstudybeforetacklingsimilarmusicalproblemsinamoredifficultcontext. TheSonatainEMinor,BWV1023,startswithabrilliantintroductionoverathirty-measurepedalpoint,theviolinexecutingbarriolageinpatternsrecallingthewell-knownPreludeoftheunaccompaniedPartitaBWV1006.Ifthisintroductionisconsideredthefirstmovement,thewholesonatafollowsthepatternFSFF,forthelast


twomovementsareanAllemandeandaCourante.Aworkcontainingdancemovementswouldusuallyhavebeengiventhetitle“Suite”or“Partita”byBach.Thathedidnotdosointhiscasemaybeduetothesurpassinggrandeurofthesecondmovement,adeeplyexpressiveAdagio ma non tantowithwrenchingchromaticharmonies.Heretheworkhasitscenterofgravity,andanythingcomingafterwardsriskssoundingsomewhatirrelevant.Thisisunusual,challenging,anddeeplyprobingmusic. FortworeasonsitmayseemoddtodiscusstheSonatainCMinor,BWV1024,inthisessay:itisnotwritteninfiguredbassnotation,andsomeexpertsareunwillingtoregarditasaworkofJ.S.Bach.IfIneverthelessincludeit,itis,first,becausethetextureismostlysuchthatitcouldhavebeennotatedontwostaveswithfigures;and,second,becauseevenif the master did not himself pen these notes, his uniquemusicalpersonalityspeaksfromeverypage.IamawarethatWilliamS.Newmancalledthisa“…partiallyweak,stylisticallyimprobablework…”(The Sonata in the Baroque Era),butonecanfindunusualstylisticfeaturesinthepreviousworkaswell.PerhapsthiswaswrittenbyastudentorsonofJohannSebastian,butinthatcasethedirectinfluenceofthegreatcomposerisevidentandisbeyonddoubt. ThetextureofthefirstmovementresemblesthatofBWV1021,butBWV1024isamuchmoreproblematicwork.Theharmonicaudacitiesarebreathtaking.IneachmovementthepitchD≤,introducedbychromaticorenharmonicprogressions,evokestonalcoloringsthatareaptto raise goose pimples. There is a rollicking Presto withatriumphantending,ashorttenderAffetuoso,andafinalRondo(Vivace),whereeachentranceofthe refrain feels like an enthusiastic return to some riotousactivity.

Inthisworkthelastimplicationsofanoverripestylearepursuedatatimewhenmostcomposershavealreadymovedontoanewlyfashionablemode.Nomatterwhowroteit,suchcontrolledextravagancecouldonlyspringfromanimaginationofrarepower.Eventheodditiesbecomeattractionswhenthetouchof genius is felt. Fromsimplecharmtoripecomplexity,fromglibcommercialismtodeeplypersonalexpression,thesonatawithbassocontinuoprojectseverykindofappealtotheearandtothehand.Butourpublishing,teaching, and performing practices at the beginning ofthe21stcenturystilldonotdealadequatelywiththis rich medium. Composers are misrepresented, valuableworksareignoredorneglected.Thisisparticularlydisappointingwhenoneconsidershoweasilythiskindofmusiccouldanswertheneedsofourstudiosandrecitals.Thetechnicalrequirementsofthestringpartsrangefromeasytovirtuosic,andtheaccompanimentscanberenderedbyapianistwithmodestskills.Composedbymusicalpractitionersforthemusicalvenuesoftheday,thisliteraturestillretainsthesenseof“realmusic,”unlikecertainproductswrittenfor“teachingpurposes.”Wecouldgetalotmoreoutofthisvitalrepertoire!

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Helmut Braunlich studied violin at the Salzburg Mozarteum, and musicology and composition at The Catholic University of America. He is now Professor Emeritus at this institution. He is also well known as a recitalist, chamber music player, and former concert master of the Kennedy Center Opera Orchestra. In 1989, the government of Bavaria awarded him the “Sudetendeutscher Kulturpreis” in Composition.


In a culture that has so taken to outsidecultures,theJapanesehavecraftedaformofculture,

which,inmodernday,sometimescontradicts the traditional aestheticsandsymbolicsystemssoexquisitelymasteredthroughoutthecenturies.However,today,localchambers of commerce, holders ofintangibleartforms,Buddhisttemples, Shinto shrines, and other institutions keep folk and traditional artsalive.Japanesetraditionalmusic is also maintained in the diaspora,particularlyintheUnitedStates.Thus,thesetraditionshavemanagedtostayaliveinmoderndaybyassumingnewfunctionsthatare perhaps more pragmatic and appealingtonewaudiences.

Theshamisen(sometimeswrittenas samisen, syamisen, or sangen)isathree-stringedlute.2 Of all thetraditionalJapanesemusicalinstruments, the shamisenenjoysthemostflexibilityinperformancepractice.Whetheraccompanyingthe narrations of kabuki theatre or the puppet theatre bunraku, adding to the social grace of the geisha, or its utilization in popular forms of blues/rock inspired

music, the shamisen continues to serveasaconnectiontoJapan’spast.TheshamisenfirstcametoJapanfromChinaviaOkinawa,thethenRyukyuKingdom.DuringtheEdoperiod(1803-1968),theshamisen began to be used in kabuki theatre,thuscementingitshistoryasanessentialpartofJapanesetraditional music.3

To understand the traditional arts andaesthetics(wabi-sabi)ofJapan,itisnecessarytoconceptualizefromtheJapanesepointofview.Indeed,therehasbeenadesirebytheWesttounderstandJapanesetraditionalmusicinthetwentiethcentury.AsBrittenDeanstates,“thestudyofnon-Westernmusicsuchashogakumayservetheworthypurposeofbroadeningone’sperspectiveonmusicasawhole.”4 Despite the factthatJapanhashadculturalcontactfromavarietyofcultures,

includingtheWesttoday,itslocationhassometimescausedlongperiodsofisolation.Becauseofthis,artformsandsyncreticaestheticvalueshavedevelopedbothdependentlyandindependently—becomingauthenticatedasuniquelyJapanese.Indeed,even

The Japanese Shamisen:Bridging the Past to the Present1

by Jonathan McCollum, Ph.D.

Kitagawa Utamaro, “Flowers of Edo: Young Woman’s Narrative

Chanting to the Samisen.” Woodblock print;

35.8 x 25.2 cm; ca. 1800

1Partsofthisarticle,particularlythesecondhalf,camefrommypapergivenatthe200437th World Conference of the International Council for Traditional MusicinFuzhouandQuanzhou,China.Theoriginaltitlewas“PerformingNationalConsciousness:SyncretismandAuthenticityinTraditionalJapanesePerformingCultures.”2 For more on the organological description of the shamisen see Hugh de Ferranti, Japanese Musical Instruments (Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress,2000).Here,“wabi”isdefinedas“lonely”and“sabi”as“astringent”(22).SeealsoHisaoTanabe,“JapaneseMusicalInstruments,”inThe Japanese Music(Tokyo:JapaneseNationalCommitteeofInternationalMusicCouncil,1967):39–115.ForageneraldiscussionofJapaneseaesthetics,seeAkiraTamba,“AestheticsintheTraditionalMusicofJapan,”The World of Music18,no.2(1976):3–10.3FormoreonJapaningeneralseeShigeoKishibe,‘General’[§Ioftheentry“Japan”],inNew Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians,vol.9,ed.StanleySadie(London:Macmillian,1980):505–06.ThisarticledealswiththechronologicaldivisionsofJapanesemusichistoryandmattersofaesthetics,whichcorrelatewiththearticlesonJapanesemusicalinstruments.SeealsoShiegoKishibe,et.al.,“Japan,”inThe New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, vol.12,secondedition.eds.StanleySadieandJohnTyrrell(NewYork:MacmillanPublishersLimited,2001).4BrittenDean,“The‘Howling’Music.JapaneseHogakuinContrasttoWesternArtMusic,”Monumenta Nipponica 40, no.2(1985):162.


today,thistraditionalaestheticsystemisembeddedwithindailylife;the“aestheticofconsciousborrowing”remainsanintegralaspectofJapaneseculture.5 Wabi-sabiisdifficulttoclarifyinWesternterms.Theconceptsofwabi-sabicorrelatespecificallywiththatofZenBuddhismandShinto:1)anemphasisonprocessratherthanproduct;2)originality;3)lengthoftimeittakestoconceivecreativeworks;and,finally,4)lackofselfinself-expression.

Considering the notion of wabi-sabi,wecanlook at the construction of the shamisen as an embodimentofsimplicity.Thelongneck(sao)comprises three sections. The bottom section isaspikethatentersthebox-shapedresonatorof the instrument at one end. The top section endsinthepegboxwherethreepegs,madeofivoryorplastic,areinsertedlaterally.Thestringsaremadeoftwistedsilkornylonandrunfromthepegs, along the unfretted neck, to a tailpiece of silk rope attached to the spike. The metal bridge helps tocreatethebuzzing,reverberating(sawari)timbrethat is essential to the nature of the shamisen sound. Thesoundbox(do)ismadeoffourpiecesofwood(preferablyredsandalwood,mulberry,orChinesequince)closedinonthetopandbottombycatordogskin.Theperformerstrikesthestringswithaplectrum(bachi)madeoutoftortoiseshell,plastic,orwood.Intermsoftraditionalperformancepractice,the shamisencanbeplayedasasoloinstrument,aswithtsugaru-jamisen,withsinging,asinnagauta, or as accompaniment to the theatrical genres of kabuki and bunraku.

Tsugaru BluesToday,Japanisamodernnationandmuchoftraditionalcultureremainsinthepast.However,thesetraditionshavemanagedtostayaliveinthemoderndaybyassumingnewfunctions.Thetsugaru-shamisen is a large shamisenwiththickstrings,andisoftensaidtohaveadeepexpressivequality.Tsugaru-shamisendevelopedintheTsugaruregionatthenortherntipofHokkaido,wherewandering,blindmusicianswentfromhousetohousebegging,playingnarrativetalesandpopularsongs(hauta).Rock-styledHiromitsuAgatsuma

beganplayingtheshamisenattheageofsix,andbythetimehewasfourteen,hewaswinningnationalcompetitions for tsugaru-shamisen,whichischaracterizedbyafast,aggressiveperformancestyle.Inrecentyears,Agatsuma,somewhattothedismayofmanytraditionalperformers,haschangedhismusicaldirection,performingwithsuchrockbandsas Musashianddyinghishair,wearing“popularclothing”whileperforminginabluesy,jazz,andworldmusicinfluencedstyle.Commentingonhisbackgroundinthetraditionalstyle,hesays,

Iamgratefulforthefoundationbuiltbymypredecessors.Itgivesmetheopportunitytoappreciatethetraditionalstyleandatthe same time, to experiment and take the shamisentoatotallynewdirection.

Speaking of his second album Beams,hesays,

ThesongsonthisalbumwereinspiredandrecordedduringmyfirstvisittotheU.S.As I composed, I realized the concept of thisalbumwasaboutmyjourneyandthepeopleImetalongtheway.Itwasaverystimulatingexperienceforme-itallowedmetorediscoverandmeetnewchallengesinmyapproachtotsugaru-shamisen.Itismydreamtointroducethebeautyoftheshamisentoasmanypeopleandculturesaspossible.

Hiromitsu Agatsuma, photo fromhttp://www.pt.emb-japan.go.jp/eventos2005.html

5ThereisaratherwonderfuldiscussionofJapaneseartfoundinStephenAddiss(withAudreyYoshikoSeo),How to Look at Japanese Art(NewYork:HarryN.Abrams,Inc.,1996).


Inthiscontext,yes,heiscreatinganawarenessoftheshamisen,creatingaculturalcontextfromwhichamorecurrentJapaneseaestheticcanbeunderstood—onesyncretizedwithbothJapaneseandWesternaesthetics.

Thispursuithadaveryunexpectedturninthehistoryof Hogaku. Agatsuma took the sounds of rock and bluesinthewestandappliedittothisnaturallybluesysoundinginstrument.GonefromAgatsuma’smusicalrepertoireweretheslow,peaceful,meditativesoundsoftraditionalJapan,butnotentirely.Insteadtheywerefusedtothesoundsofblues,givingAgatsuma’smusicaverydeepsoulfulsound,butinaverymodernJapanesemanner.HismusiccomeswithaNewAgeedgethatseemssofittingwiththeJapanesebutalsohasaveryinternationalappeal.Itisbothbluesyandrock,butatthesametimesortofNewAgeupbeat.Itistrulyamusicoffeelingandsoul.Agatsumashowsnotonlyhisartintheunderstandingofhisnativemusicandmusictheory,

6TheJapaneseCulturalReviewhttp://www.animeshon.net/view.cgi?artical.cml?!task=display+!number=12+!cat=feature.AccessedonAugust14,2003.Regrettably,thiswebsitenolongerexists.

Addiss,StephenandAudreyYoshikoSeo. How to Look at Japanese Art.NewYork:HarryN.Abrams,Inc., 1996.

Dean,Britten.“The‘Howling’Music.JapaneseHogakuinContrasttoWesternArtMusic.”Monumenta Nipponica40,no.2(1985).

Ferranti, Hugh de. Japanese Musical Instruments. Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress,2000.

Harich-Schneider,Eta.A History of Japanese Music. London:OxfordUniversityPress,1973.

Kishibe,Shigeo.‘General’[§Ioftheentry“Japan”].InNewGroveDictionaryofMusicandMusicians.Vol.9.Ed.StanleySadie.London:Macmillian,1980.

_____,et.al.“Japan.”InThe New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Vol. 12. Second Edition. Eds.StanleySadieandJohnTyrrell.NewYork:MacmillanPublishersLimited,2001.

Malm, William. Traditional Japanese Music and Musical Instruments.TheNewEditionoriginally

publishedbyCharlesE.TuttleCompanyunderthe title Japanese Music and Musical Instruments, 1959.Tokyo,NewYork,andLondon:KodanshaInternational,2000(1959).

McCollum,Jonathan.”PerformingNationalConsciousness:SyncretismandAuthenticityinTraditionalJapanesePerformingCultures.”Paperpresented at the 37th World Conference of the International Council for Traditional Music in Fuzhou and Quanzhou, China, 2004.

Tamba,Akira.“AestheticsintheTraditionalMusicofJapan.”The World of Music18,no.2(1976):3–10.

Tanabe,Hisao.“JapaneseMusicalInstruments.”In The Japanese Music.Tokyo:JapaneseNationalCommitteeofInternationalMusicCouncil(1967):39–115.

TheJapaneseCulturalReviewhttp://www.animeshon.net/view.cgi?artical.cml?!task=display+!number=12+!cat=feature.AccessedonAugust14,2003.Regrettably,thiswebsitenolongerexists.

butalsothatofthewesternworld,bringingthemtogetherinperfectunity,whichissomethingonlyatruemasterofmusicingeneralcoulddowiththedegree of success that Agatsuma has.6

However,muchofhismusicremains“Japanesque.”Onehearstheirregularbeatpatterns,thesuggestivequalityofsoundevokedbythepluckingstrings,whichquicklydiesaway,reminiscentoftheaestheticqualityofimpermanence.Today,onecanfindtheshamisenusedinblues-inspiredrock,jazz,andothernon-traditionalgenres.Japanese“traditional”musicisbeingmanipulatedusingWestern-derivedaesthetics.Perhapsweshouldrethinkwhatweconsider“traditional”music.Theterm“traditional”is,infact,atermthatthroughassociationevokessoundsandimagesfromantiquity—differentfromwhatispresently“popular.”Weoftenthinkoftraditionalmusicasnon-changingandfixed;butmusic,“traditional”ornot,inevitablychanges.

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Select Bibliography


Dr. Jonathan Ray McCollum is Assistant Professor ofMusicatAnneArundelCommunityCollegeandisaSeniorResearchFellowwiththeArmenianLibraryandMuseumofAmerica.HehastaughtatSt.Mary’sCollegeofMaryland,theUniversityofAlbertainCanada,theUniversityofMaryland,CollegePark,andTuftsUniversity.Dr.McCollumholdsaPh.D.(Ethnomusicology)fromtheUniversityofMaryland,anMA(Ethnomusicology)fromTuftsUniversity,andaBA(Music)fromFloridaStateUniversity.Astheformer assistant curator of collections at the Armenian LibraryandMuseumofAmericaandasconsultantforthe Smithsonian Institution, his experiences and interests havespannedseveralfieldssuchasethnomusicology,historicalmusicology,archeomusicology,museumstudies,andarthistory.Itisthiseclecticarrayofinterestscombinedwithextensivefieldworktripsthroughout

Japan,China,NorthAmerica,Europe,andtheCaucasus,whichhaveledtoseveralacademicworksonArmenianmusic,Japanesemusic,andethnographicmuseology.He is the author of numerous articles and conference presentations. His dissertation focused on the music and ritualoftheArmenianApostolicChurch.Heistheco-author of Armenian Music: A Comprehensive Bibliography and Discography(ScarecrowPress,2004),iseditorand contributor to Identity, Pluralism, and Soviet Music (ScarecrowPress,InPress),contributortoDefining Music: An Ethnomusicological and Philisophical Approach (EdwinMellenPress,2007),andwrotethechapteron“MusicofCentralAsiaandtheCaucasus”inOnMusic World Music Onlinetextbook(2008).Inadditiontohisacademicactivities,heisanactiveperformer,specializingonthetrombone,sakbut,worldflutes,shakuhachi,andkoto.


Theyear2008isthetenthanniversaryofthebirthoftheCertificateProgramforStrings,whichtookplacerighthereinourchapter,

thankstotheinterest,enthusiasm,andhardworkofseveralofourmembersandmyself,thenPresidentofMD/DC Chapter, and leader of the pack. Since that auspiciousstart,approximately1500studentshavetakentheexamsinMD/DC,andmanythousandsmoreintherestofthecountry.Mostofthesestudentsareparticipantswhoreturnyearafteryear.Theyareguidedbytheirteacherswhovaluethefocusandmotivationthattheexamsgivetotheirstudents.Thankstotheexams,theparticipatingstudentsgrowintobetterandmorecommittedstringplayers.

Please note that recently the program has been renamed “ASTA Certificate Advancement Program (ASTA CAP).”Thisprogramservesasaschoolwithoutwallsforstudentsofprivateteachers.Itprovidesteachersofviolin,viola,cello,andbasswithalistoftechnicalandrepertorymaterialdividedintoelevengradedlevelsforeachinstrument.Therangegoesfrombeginningleveltoartistlevel.Inaddition,eachlevelcontainsspecificteachingpointsongoalsforthatlevel,forexample:InViolinLevel3,itisrecommendedthatastudentstartworkingon:shifting,usingvibratoonlongernotes,usingthewholebowconfidentlywithcrescendo,diminuendoandritardando.Theserecommendationstieinwiththescales,etudes,andrepertoirelistedforthatlevel.

AnotherveryimportantcomponentoftheASTACAP,inadditiontothegradedsyllabusandgoals,isanannualperformanceexam,similartojuryexamsinconservatories.Studentspreparescalesselectedfromalist,anetude,andoneormorepieces.Theywillalsobeaskedtosight-read.Uponsuccessfulcompletionoftheexam,eachstudentreceivesaCertificateofAchievementfromASTA,confirmingalevelofadvancementbasedonnationwidestandards.Theexamsarehighlymotivationalandserveboth

asagoalandalandmarkofachievement.Theyareintendedfortheaveragestudent,althoughthehigh-achievingstudentwillalsobenefit.PublicschoolorprivateschoolsthatofferonlygroupinstructiontotheirstudentsmightfindthattheirstudentscouldalsobenefitfrompreparingfortheASTACAPexams,particularlyintheelementarylevels.

The ASTA CAP is similar to the program offered bytheRoyalConservatoryofToronto,andotherBritishandAustraliangradedexamsystemsbutitisthefirstonecreatedanddesignedforAmericanstringteachersandstudents.Itstandsapartfromanyotherprograminsomeveryimportantways:1)theexamrequirementsareflexibleandallowteacherstochoosethematerialtobeprepared—nospecificcompositionsarerequired,2)theprogramfitsinwithanyteachingmethod,3)theveryreasonablecostofparticipationisbornebythestudent.

Fromthebeginning,Ihavebeenafirmbelieverinthevalueofthisprogramthathelpsteachersteachandstudentsimprove.Icontinuedtoworkonexporting the program to other states, and I led a nationalcommitteeinrevisingandexpandingtheprogram.Together,wepavedthewayforitsdebutasanationwideASTAprogram.OurcommitteealsoputtogetheracomprehensiveASTACAPHandbookthat contains all the information pertaining to this program:1)thesuggestedcurriculumandexamrequirementsforelevenlevels;2)goalsforeachlevel;3)expectations,standards,examrules,andjudgingcriteria;and4)step-by-stepinstructionsonhowtointroducetheprogramandrunexamsinanewarea.

Visitwww.astaweb.com—thenationalwebsiteofASTA—for complete information. Read the ASTA CAPHandbook,downloadportionsorallofit,makeuseofitinyourstudio,andconsiderpreparingyourstudents for the exam.

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The ASTA Certificate Advancement Program (ASTA CAP) www.astaweb.com

A Brief Overviewby Lya Stern, ASTA CAP Chair


Report on the 2008 Certificate Advancement Program (ASTA CAP)

ExamsMD/DC Chapter

by Lya Stern

ExamsthisyearwereheldinJanuaryatMcDonoghSchoolinOwingsMills,Maryland;inJuneatCatholicUniversity

SchoolofMusicinWashington;alsoinJuneatMonocacyValleyMontessoriPublicCharterSchoolinFrederick,Maryland.A total of 181 students participated.

Thefollowingteacherssentstudents:ArthurBennanzar,KlaraBerkovich,LeonidBerkovich,PatBraunlich,JuliannaChitwood,EileenDoty,PhyllisFreeman,MargoGuillory,DoréeHuneven,SlavicaIlic,LarryKeiffer,NatashaMatveeva,AnneMariePatterson,JudyShapiro,JudySilverman,LyaStern,JeanWernly,andEleanorWoods.Mostoftheteacherswhosentstudentsalsoassistedonthedayofexams.WealsohadhelpfromLorraineCombs,whoassistedtheentireday.

Thefollowingteachersservedasjudges:DanaGoode,MaryFindley,RebeccaHenry,JanetMelnikoff-Brown,JenniferRies,andChristianTremblay.

The D.C. location is the main exam site and the oneyoushouldconsiderwhenplanningtoenrollstudents. It attracts teachers and students from all areasandroutinelyserves80–140studentexam-takers.Whileitmaybeabitofadriveforsome,pleaserememberitisdifficulttofindsuitablefacilitiesforthistypeofanevent.WearegratefultoCUAforgivingustheuseofthissiteinexchangefora small donation.

TheexamsinFrederickweredoneunderthesupervisionofPhyllisFreemanandserved55charterschoolstudentsand27privatestudents.

Thegoodnewsisthat,asusual,allstudentspassedtheexamwithmostlygoodgrades,showingthatteachers are raising their expectations and sending well-preparedstudents.Thefactthatthecharter

schoolstudentswerealsoverywellprepared(thoughmostlyatLevelFandLevelOne)demonstratesthatgroupteachingcanbeeffectiveandsuccessfulwhendonewell.

ThelargestgroupreceivedgradesofV(VeryGood),followedbyS+,(Satisfactory+).TherewereafewS-,V-,V+,andsomeHonors,aswell.

It is interesting if not surprising, that of the 124 privatestudentexamtakers,about61%wereinLevelsFthrough4,32%inLevels5through7,andonly7%inLevels8through10.Thisratioisfairlyrepresentativeofparticipationeveryyearandreflectsthefactthatthehigherlevelsaremorechallengingandfewerstudentsgetthere.Nowthereisagoalforusteachers!

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NOTE: In view of statistics such as the one above, our ASTA CAP Committee recommended a change in requirements for Level 8, effective for exams in 2009: Only two out of the three required pieces will have to be memorized.

TEACHERS: Please be sure to check the ASTA CAP Handbook on www.astaweb.com for the latest revisions to rules, syllabus and exam requirements.

NOTE: The exams in Owings Mills at McDonogh School, usually held in January, have had very low participation. We appreciate Cindy Swiss’ efforts in securing the location. This location was intended as a convenient alternative for teachers and students living in the Baltimore area. Since enrollment has been low in the past two years, we will not offer it any longer unless there is significantly increased demand. Please e-mail me if you would like to enroll students at that location and let me know how many. We will make a decision to continue based on your response. [email protected]


American String Teachers Association (ASTA)MD/DC Chapter

BYLAWSAmended and approved, May 2008

Article I – NameThe name of this organization shall be: American String Teachers Association (ASTA), MD/DCChapter.

Article II – ObjectThe object of the Association shall be to support and encourage the teaching and performing of stringed instrumentsatalleducationallevelswiththehighestartisticandpedagogicalstandards.

Article III – MembershipThemembersofthisAssociationshallbeclassifiedasbeingeitherActive,Dual,Life,Senior,Student,SchoolorLibrary;thequalificationsofwhichclassificationsshallbeasdeterminedbytheNationalExecutiveBoard.StudentandSchoolorLibrarymembersmaynotvoteinregularorspecialelectionsofthisorganizationorholdofficeontheNationalExecutiveBoard.

Article IV – Officers, Executive Committee, and Board of DirectorsSection 1. Officers.TheelectedofficersofthisAssociationshallbePresident-ElectandSecretary/

Treasurer.After two years, the President-Elect automatically becomes President anduponcompletionofhis/herterm,thePresidentautomaticallybecomesthePastPresident,aboardposition(s)heholdsfortwoyears.ThePresidentappointsaNewsletterEditorandMembershipChairmanwhoholdthesepositionsfortwoyears.Uponappointment,theEditorandMembershipChairmanbecomeofficersoftheAssociation.

Section 2. Terms of Officers.Officersshallserveatermoftwoyearstocoincidewiththetermofofficeof theNationalPresidentof theAmericanStringTeachersAssociation(ASTA).ThePresidentshallnotbeeligibleforreelectionforasecondtwo-yeartermuntilatleasttwoyearsafterthePresident’stermofoffice.

Section 3. Executive Committee. The activities of the Association shall be managed by theExecutiveCommittee,whichshallconsistoftheOfficersofthisAssociationplusatleasttworepresentativesfromtheBoardofDirectors.

Section 4. Board of Directors. The President shall appoint a Board of Directors to advise theExecutive Committee and facilitate the operation of this Association. This Boardshallconsistof theOfficers;activitiesorprojectsdirectors; instrumentaland regionalrepresentatives;andorganizational,institutional,andindustryliaisons.Boardmembersmust be members of the Association.

Section 5. Vacancies.Shouldavacancyinanyofficeoccurthroughresignationorotherreasons,thePresident,withtheapprovalofamajorityoftheExecutiveCommittee,shallappointa successor.


Article V – MeetingsSection 1. The Annual Business Meeting.TheAnnualBusinessMeetingoftheAssociationshall

beheldonceayearatatimeandplacedesignatedbythePresidentwiththeapprovalofamajorityoftheExecutiveCommitteeandBoardofDirectors.Allmembersshallbenotifiedatleastthirtydaysinadvanceofthemeeting.

Section 2. Board Meetings.ThePresidentshallcallBoardmeetingsathis/herdiscretion,butthereshallbeaminimumoftwoBoardmeetingseachyear.SpecialBoardmeetingsshallbeheldwhenawrittenrequestspecifyingthespecialpurposeofthemeetingismadetothePresidentbyatleastthreeExecutiveCommitteemembers.

Section 4. Quorums.Threemembersof theExecutiveCommittee shall constituteaquorumforBoardmeetings.

Article VI – Rules of OrderTherulescontainedinRobertsRulesofOrdershallgoverntheAssociationinallcasestowhichtheyareapplicable, and inwhich theyarenot inconsistentwith theBylawsor the special rulesof thisAssociation.

Article VII – MembershipSection 1. TheAmericanStringTeachersAssociation(ASTA),MD/DCChaptershallhavea

minimumoften(10)activemembersingoodstandingonitsmembershiprolls.Section 2. ThefiscalyearshallbeJuly1throughJune30.Section 3. DuesshallbesetbytheNationalExecutiveBoard.

Article VIII – Program PlanTheprogramplanfortheyearshallbedeterminedandexecutedbythePresidentwiththeapprovaloftheExecutiveCommitteeandBoardofDirectors.

Article IX – Financial ManagementSection 1. Presidential Consent. Allexpendituresnecessarytotheadministrationoftheactivities

oftheAssociationshallbewiththeconsentofthePresidentoftheAssociation.Section 2. Treasurer’s Report. The Annual Treasurer’s Report shall be submitted at the Annual

BusinessMeeting and shall be available to any active, dual, or lifemember in goodstandinguponwrittenrequest.

Section 3. Audit.TheSecretary/Treasurer shall supervise an audit of themonetary fundsof theAssociationatleastonceduringhis/hertermofoffice.MembersoftheauditcommitteeshallbetheSecretary/Treasurer,plusoneortwootherswhoshouldbe,butarenotrequiredto be, members of the Association. Results of the audit shall be included in the Annual Treasurer'sReportforthatyear.

Article X – Duties of the OfficersTheelectedofficersshallperformthedutieswhicharenormallyconsideredtobeconsistentwiththetitleoftheofficeheldandsuchadditionaldutiesasmaybeprescribedbytheExecutiveCommitteeorbytheBylawsoftheAssociation.ThePresidentshallbeanex-officiomemberofallcommittees.


Article XI – Nominating CommitteeThe nominating committee shall consist of an ex-President as chair, appointed by the President.Thechairmaythenselectuptothreeothermembersgeographicallylocatedforthiscommittee.ThenominatingcommitteeshallpresentaminimumofonecandidateeachfortheofficesofPresident-ElectandSecretary/Treasurer.

Article XII – Responsibilities of the EditorTheEditorshallbeinchargeoftheAmericanStringTeachersAssociation(ASTA),MD/DCChapterpublication Stringendo. Expenditures, contractual agreements and the determining of the number of issueseachyeararesubjecttotheapprovalofthePresidentandtheExecutiveCommittee.TheEditormayappointastafftofacilitatetheoperationofthisoffice.

Article XIII – Standing CommitteesAll standing committees shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the ExecutiveCommittee.

Article XIV – AmendmentsTheseBylawsmaybeamendedbyanaffirmativevoteoftwo-thirdsofthemembersvotingattheAnnualBusinessMeetingorbymailvoteoftheAssociation.


PresidentDorée HunevenisoriginallyfromPasadena,California,whereshestudiedviolinwithElizabethMills.Fromthere,shewentontostudywithDr.ShinichiSuzukiinMatsumoto,Japanfortwoyears,becomingthethirdwesternertograduatefromtheTalentEducationInstitute.AfterstudyingviolinperformanceandmusiceducationattheUniversityofSouthernCalifornia,Ms.HuneventaughtinLosAngelesatUSC,PasadenaCityCollege,andinaprivatestudio.In1979,sheleftforLondon,England,whereshewastheAssistantDirectoroftheLondonSuzukiGroupforeightandahalfyears;shefollowedthatwithayearandahalfinCairo,

Egypt,teachingviolinandEnglish.Ms.HunevenhaslivedintheWashington,D.C.areasince1987,andhasmaintainedprivatestudiosinthePalisadesareaand in her home. She has taught at the Washington WaldorfSchoolandtheLevineSchool,andcurrentlyisworkingpart-timeattheAcademyofMusicinGaithersburg.ShehasperformedwiththeWaldorfTrio and the Monarch String Quartet, and does free-lanceworkaswell.Inthelasttwoyears,asPresident-elect,shealsowastheeditorofStringendo. Ms.HunevenisextremelyinterestedinhelpingASTAMD/DCChaptertobeavitallyhelpfulandinspiring professional link for area string teachers.

Introducing New Officers andBoard of Directors

by Dorée Huneven

HereareASTAMD/DCChapter’sOfficersandBoardofDirectors.Ithinkyouwillbethrilled,asIam,tohavesomanytalentedandillustriouspeopletoguideourchapter.First,Iwilllisteveryonebyposition.Somebiosfollowsoyoucanlearnmoreaboutthem.

OFFICERSPresident DoréeHunevenPresident-elect CathyStewartSecretary/Treasurer JeanProvineNewsletterEditor JaquelynLymanMembership Chair Cindi Kornhaus

BOARD OF DIRECTORSPastPresident CindySwissCertificateExamChair LyaSternStringendoLayoutandDesign LorraineCombsUniversityRepresentative BruceCarterPrivateSchoolRepresentative PaulScimonelliHomeSchoolRepresentative MargoGuilloryEventsChair LeahKocsisViolinForum KimberleyMcCollumViola Forum Mark PfannschmidtCelloForum LaurienLaufmanBassForum PaulScimonelliEasternShoreCo-Representatives SachiMurasugiandJeffSchoyenWashington,D.C.Representative (notfilledatpresstime)BaltimoreRepresentative (notfilledatpresstime)FrederickRepresentative (notfilledatpresstime)WebsiteCoordinator LorraineCombsIndustryRepresentative DaltonPotter,Potter’sViolins


President-electViolinist Catherine StewartperformswiththeNational Philharmonic Orchestra. She maintains alargeSuzukistudioinOlney,Maryland,andisadjunctfacultyatOlneyAdventistPreparatorySchool.In1998,shewasnamed“OutstandingTeacheroftheYear”bytheAmericanStringTeachersAssociation MD/DC Chapter.

Secretary/Treasurer Jean ProvinestudiedviolinatSouthernIllinoisUniversityandthenwithRomanTotenbergatBostonUniversity.ShehasplayedwiththeBostonPhilharmonic, the Seoul Philharmonic, and the DurhamSinfoniainEngland.Duringhertwenty-threeyearsinEngland,hermainoccupationwasviolinteaching,managingalargeSuzukigroupandrunningachambermusicprogramforyoungplayers;playingchambermusicandfreelancingprovidedahappycontrast.ShehaslivedintheWashingtonareasince2001,wheresheteaches,playspart-timewithseveralorchestras,andenjoysbeingpartofthelargemusicalcommunity.

EditorJaquelyn LymanholdsaB.A.andanM.A.inEnglishfromWestVirginiaUniversity,andisall-but-dissertationforaPh.D.inMedievalBritishLiteraturefromtheUniversityofMaryland.ShealsohasallbuteighthoursofBachelorofMusicdegreeinTheory-CompositionfromWestVirginiaUniversity,wherehermajorinstrumentwaspercussion.Ms.Lymanhastwenty-fiveyearsofexperienceinhighereducation as a teacher and an administrator. She hastaughtalllevelsofcollegewritingandliteraturetoverydiversepopulationsinWestVirginia, Maryland,Minnesota,andWashingtonState.Inaddition,shehassupervisedwritingcentersandvariousothertutoringdepartments,disabledstudentservices,andcollege-wideassessmentinitiatives.She has presented at conferences in California and WashingtonStateonvariousassessmentissues,aswellasco-presentingtwosessionsonteachingadultbeginnersatASTAconferences(withKimberlyMcCollum).Currently,sheisanAssociateProfessorofEnglishatAnneArundelCommunityCollegeinArnold,Maryland,whereshehasalsotaughtHumanities courses and music composition. She has beenafreelancewriterandeditorforthirteenyears,andaviolinplayerforaboutsevenyears.Shesings,andplaysmarimba,synthesizer,andfiddleinapop/rock band.

Membership ChairCindi KornhausgraduatedfromtheUniversityofCentralFloridawithherBachelor’sandMaster’sinMusicEducation.SheisinherfourthyearasaninstrumentalmusicteacheratBethesda-ChevyChaseHighSchool.SheisprincipalcellistofCapitalCitySymphonyandisalsoamemberoftheMcLeanOrchestra.Sheisthefounderanddirectorof“OfftheString”CelloQuartet.

Past PresidentCindy SwissreceivedherBachelor’sDegreeinPhilosophyfromSt.John’sCollege.ThenshereceivedviolinperformancetrainingatPeabodyConservatoryandmusiceducationtrainingatTowsonUniversity.CindyisSuzukiCertifiedthroughlevelfour.HerteachingexperienceincludesBaltimoreCityPublicSchools,TowsonUniversityandPeabodyPreparatoryDepartments,andprivateschoolsintheBaltimoreArea.ShehastaughtattheBaltimoreStringOrchestraCampfortwenty-fiveyears.Shenowteachesfromherprivatestudioathome.CindyhasplayedwiththeAnnapolisSymphony,theGettysburgSymphony,andCockpitinCourt,andalsofreelances.ShenowplaysoriginalmusicwithherhusbandinaduocalledIntheClear.Her children’s book Honey Bee’s Song foryoungviolinistswaspublishedandisbeingdistributedbyASTA.Currently,Cindyispursuingherotherpassion,healthyeating,byworkingonadegreetobecome a Dietetic Technician.

Certificate Advancement Program ChairLya Stern,B.M.fromManhattanSchoolofMusic.M.M.cumlaudeinviolinperformancefromtheUniversityofSouthernCalifornia.Oneyearpost-graduateworkinthemasterclassofJaschaHeifetzatUSC.Twenty-fiveyearcareerintherecordingindustryperformingwithBarbraStreisand,FrankSinatra,LizaMinelliandmanyothers.Playedonthesoundtrackofover150motionpicturesandTVfilms.PerformedwiththeAmericanBalletTheatre,theNationalSymphonyPops,theNationalGalleryOrchestra,andothers.LyawasawardedtheASTANationalCitationforExceptionalLeadershipandMerit in 2000 and again in 2008 for initiating and developingtheCertificateProgramforStrings(recentlyrenamedtheCertificateAdvancementProgram,orCAP).SheleditsestablishmentinMD/DCin1998andsubsequentlyhelpedintroducetheprograminseveralotherstates.Shecontinuedasanadvocatefortheprogramandcontinuedtoorganize


effortstoestablishitasanationalprogram;hermissionwassuccessfullyaccomplishedtwoyearsago. She is a recipient of Outstanding Teacher and ServiceforStringsAwardandisapastpresidentofASTAMD/DC.Shefrequentlyactsaschairorjudgeforstudentcompetitions.Forthepast16yearsLyahasbeenteachingacceleratedandaward-winningviolinstudentsinherBethesdastudio.Stringendo Layout and DesignWebsite CoordinatorLorraine CombsreceivedherBachelorofArtsinViolinPerformancefromtheUniversityofMontana.Formanyyearsthereafter,sheledasomewhatnomadiclife,firstasthewifeofamilitarychaplain,andlaterasthewifeandsoul-mateofherpresenthusbandGary,whoservedhisyearsintheU.S.Armyandisnowretired.Hermusicaltrainingaffordedhertheopportunitytotakeadvantageofthevariousmusicalsituationsthatpresentedthemselvesinthedifferentpartsofthecountryandtheworldwheresheandherfamilylived.ShehasperformedasaviolinistwiththeLittleSymphony,ledbyThorJohnsoninEvanston,Illinois;withtheSandsHotelOrchestrainLasVegas,Nevada;andwiththeComposersOrchestrainKent,Connecticut,whichhadaperformanceatCarnegieRecitalHallinNewYorkCity.ShewasonthemusicfacultyforashorttimeatAngeloStateUniversityinSanAngelo,Texas.WhilelivinginGermanywithherfamily,shewasonthemusicfacultyoftheSchönebergMusikschuleinBerlin,Germany.AlsoinBerlinshewasamemberoftheBerlinerÄrtzte Orchester and the Telemann Collegium,achambergroupperforminginmanyvenuesinBerlin.InAugsburg,shewasoneofthefoundersoftheMedievalandRenaissancePlayers.DuringthistimeinAugsburg,shetookadvantageoftheproximityoftheInternationalStringWorkshopinSalzburg,ledbyourownGerryFischbach.Shebought a train ticket for a mere 29 marks and spent a delightfultwoweeksinAustriawhilehubbystayedathomeandbaby-satthechildrenandthefamilydog.LorraineandherfamilyreturnedtotheUnitedStatesin1983.ShehaslivedinMarylandsincethen.Currently,sheisaviolinistwiththeAnnapolisSymphonyOrchestra,andaviolinistwiththeMid-AtlanticSymphonyOrchestraandhasalsoplayedviolawithboththoseorchestras.Shemaintainsaprivatestudioathomeforviolinandviolastudents.

She has been a member of ASTA since 1973. For theMD/DCChaptershehasservedasTreasurer,Membership Chair, and Stringendo Editor, and receivedtheOutstandingServicetoStringsawardin1998.

University RepresentativeBruce Carter,Ph.D.(NorthwesternUniversity),is Assistant Professor of Music Education at the UniversityofMaryland,CollegePark.DuringthepasttwoyearsattheUniversity,Brucehastaughtavarietyofinstrumentalcourses,inadditiontoadvisinggraduateresearchprojectsonstringpedagogy.Beforeappointmentsattheuniversitylevel,hetaughtelementaryandsecondarystrings,aswellasintheInternationalBaccalaureateMusicPrograminFairfaxCounty,Virginia.Havingtaughtstringorchestraforsevenyearsatmultiplelevels,Brucehasdevelopedanumberofresearchinterestsinstringpedagogy.Recently,hebeganexploringissuesofkinestheticawarenessandhowtheimplementationofDalcrozeEurhythmicsintoelementaryandmiddleschoolstringsprogramsbenefitsyoungstringplayers.Additionally,heisexploringwaysofcross-pollinatingmusicalpedagogiestofosteraninter-textualapproachtomusicaldevelopment.Bruce’scurrentqualitativeresearchexplorestheroleofcompositionalidentityinundergraduatemusicmajors’experiences.Hehasservedasaguestconductor,clinician,andadjudicatorinPennsylvania,Illinois,California,Maryland,andVirginia.

Private School and Bass Forum RepresentativeDr. Paul ScimonelliiscurrentlyamemberoftheMusicFacultyattheprestigiousLandonSchoolforBoysinBethesda,Maryland.PaulreceivedhisDoctorate in Music Education from The Catholic UniversityofAmerica,wherehewastheinstructoroftheCUAJazzEnsemble,aswellasamemberoftheCUASymphonyOrchestra.PriortohisteachingpositionatLandon,PaulwasafacultymemberinthePrinceGeorge’sandHowardCountyschoolsystems,andwasontheadjunctfacultiesofPrinceGeorge’sCollegeandHowardCommunityCollege,wherehetaughtawidevarietyofclassroomcoursesandprivatelessonsonstringbassandelectricbass,anddirectedjazzensembles.Alongwithteaching,PaulhasbeenanactiveprofessionalperformerthroughoutthegreaterWashington/Baltimorearea.Intheclassicalfield,hehasperformedwith


orchestrasinRichmondandLynchburg,Virginia,andinTucson,Arizona,aswellaswiththeBaltimoreChamberOrchestra.Forthirty-fiveyears,hehasbeen a guest performer, composer, and conductor withtheThomasJeffersonUniversityChoirandOrchestrainPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania.IntheworldofWashingtontheater,Paulhasplayedfordozensofshows,includingCats, Starlight Express, Grease, and The Sound of Music, to name but a few.Alsoaskilledaccompanist,PaulhasplayedwithluminariessuchasSammyDavis,Jr.,JohnnyMathis,RayCharles,DizzyGillespie,JackJones,ToniTenille,LynnAnderson,Sam&Dave,TheFourTops,andmanymore.Forthreeyears,PaulwrotepopmusicinNashville,Tennessee,forseveralmajor publishing houses, and also performed as a castmemberof“TheSensations”and“AttheHop”inOprylandUSAthemepark.DuringhisyearsinTheUnitedStatesMarineBand,PaulperformedformanyWhiteHouseandStateDepartmentfunctions.DuringandafterhistenurewithTheMarineBand,he performed in Inaugural Galas for Presidents Nixon andFord,Carter,Reagan,andBush,andtwiceforPresidentClinton.HappilymarriedtoGinny,hispartnerofthirty-sevenyears,theyhaveraisedtwosons,AnthonyandMarc,andadaughter,Natalie,theQueenoftheHousehold,agesixteen!

Home Schooling RepresentativeMargo Guillory has been instructing students in string music since 1990. Her main instrument is theviolin.ShehasaBachelorofMusicEducationdegreefromJamesMadisonUniversity(1986),andaMasterofMusicdegreeinmusictherapyfromMichiganStateUniversity(1989).SheworkedatthePsychiatricInstituteofWashington,D.C.from1989–1990asamusic/activitytherapist.Shehasdirected strings programs in the public schools inPrinceGeorgesandHowardCounties.WhileteachinginPrinceGeorgesCounty(1990–1992),sheservedastheAssistantDirectorofthePrinceGeorgesCountyEnrichmentOrchestra.Mrs.GuilloryalsotaughtfortwoyearsintheUrbana#116PublicSchoolDistrictwhileherhusbandattendedgraduateschooltheUniversityofIllinoisinChampaign,Illinois(1992–1994).Whilethere,shetaughtviolinintheeveningsattheUrbanaConservatoryofMusic.ShealsoperformedintheChampaign-UrbanaSymphonyOrchestraandthe

DanvilleSymphonyOrchestra(Danville,Illinois).Mrs.Guillory’steachinginHowardCountybeganin1996afterreturningtoteachingaftermaternityleave.Shetaughtforfiveyearsinoneelementaryschoolandtwomiddleschoolsherfirstyear.Afterherprogramgrew,shetaughtonlyinthetwomiddleschools. Her orchestras performed in the Music in theParksadjudicatedeventseachyearinMayaswellasinthelocaladjudicatedevents.Mrs.GuilloryservedasanadjudicatorfortheAll-StateOrchestraauditionsin1999.Mrs.Guilloryhastakentimeofffrom public school teaching to home school her three children.Shehasbeenteachingprivatelessonsforseveralyearsandhasathrivingprivatestudio.Sheteachesviolin,viola,cello,andpiano.SheregularlysendsherstringsstudentstotheASTACertificateProgram adjudications and her piano students to the Piano Guild adjudications. Her students perform anannualrecital,aswellasperforminginlocalnursinghomes.Inadditiontoherprivatestudio,Mrs.Guilloryco-directsahomeschoolfullorchestrawiththeCedarBrookHomeschoolAcademyofMaryland.Theorchestraperformstwoconcertsperyear.Mrs.Guilloryplaysinherchurchensembleeachweekanddoessomefree-lanceworkforweddingsandchurchconcerts.Sheworkshardtoremaincurrentinherfield.SheattendedtheTeaching the Violin to Children workshoppresentedbytheStringAcademyofWisconsinatUWMinthesummerof2006,presentedbyDarcyDrexler,MimiZwieg,andDavidAnderson.ShealsostudiedpianopedagogywithJanicePuckettinthesummerof2007.

Events ChairLeah Kocsisbringswithheravarietyofteachingand conducting experiences. She is a pianist and violist,andkeepsaprivateinstrumentstudio.Leahteaches general music and is the string ensemble directoratMcLeanSchoolofMarylandinPotomac.Sheperformswithcommunityandyouthorchestrasthroughoutthemetroarea.Shehasservedasthemusic director of the Chamber Orchestra of Southern MarylandandtheRockvilleRegionalYouthOrchestra.LeahisalsoactiveinmusicaltheaterandhasservedasmusicdirectorforTheArlingtonPlayers,DominionStage,DamascusTheaterandSandySpringTheaterGroup.SheiscurrentlypursuingagraduatedegreeatPeabodyConservatory.


Violin Forum Kimberly McCollumreceivedherMasterofMusicdegreeinViolinPerformancefromBostonUniversityandherBachelorofMusicinStringPerformancefromFloridaStateUniversity.HerteachersincludePeterZazofsky,EliotChapo,andJeanneMajors.In addition to her formal music education, Ms. McCollumhasstudiedattheChautauquaInstitutioninNewYorkandtheAmericanInstituteofMusicalStudies in Graz, Austria. Ms. McCollum has been a memberofvariousorchestrasthroughouttheEastCoast,includingtheCivicSymphonyOrchestraofBoston(AssociateConcertmaster)andtheTallahasseeSymphonyOrchestra.Inaddition,shehasperformedwiththeAnnapolisSymphony,NorthShorePhilharmonic,ColumbusSymphony,andtheJacksonvilleSymphony.Ms.McCollumhastaughtalllevelsofstudentsinprivateinstruction,chambermusic coaching, and in formal classroom settings. She has been a past presenter at the ASTA National Conferences on the topic of teaching adult beginning students.Currently,Ms.McCollumisonthefacultyoftheAnneArundelCommunityCollege,teachesstringsintheAnneArundelCountyPublicSchoolSystem,andperformswithvariousorchestrasintheMarylandandWashington,D.C.areas.

Viola Forum Mark Pfannschmidtbegantostudyviolinatageseven,pianoatten,violaatthirteen,voiceatfifteen,harpateighteen,andharpsichordattwenty.Intheend,hesettledontheviola,becauseofitsrichtoneandunusual,interestingrepertoire(andtheemploymentprospectswerebetter).Hereceivedhis high school diploma from the Interlochen Arts AcademyinInterlochen,Michigan,withamajorinviolaandminorsinharpandvoice.FurtherstudieswerecompletedatthePeabodyConservatoryofMusicinBaltimore,whereheearnedaBachelorofMusicdegreeinviolaperformance,withminorsinharpsichord and piano. Continuing at The Catholic UniversityofAmericainWashington,D.C.,hegraduatedwithaMasterofMusicdegree,majoringinviolaperformance.HisprincipalteachershaveincludedDavidHolland,KarenTuttle,andJodyGatwood.Mr.Pfannschmidthasbeenteachingsince1986 and has taught ages four to adult. Courses in pedagogyhavebeencompletedwithRondaColeandRebeccaHenry.Hisviolaandviolinstudents

havewonauditionsfortheMarylandClassicYouthOrchestras(alllevels),PotomacValleyYouthOrchestras(alllevels),AcademyofSt.CeciliaYouthOrchestrasandMarylandAll-StateOrchestras(JuniorandSenior).CurrentlyamemberoftheviolasectionoftheNationalPhilharmonicandprincipalviolistoftheGettysburgChamberOrchestra,hisvariedcareerhasincludedsevenyearsintheU.S.MarineChamber Orchestra. Also a professional accompanist, Mr. Pfannschmidt has been the staff accompanist for the Gaithersburg Flute Camp since 2001. He has accompanied studio recitals for numerous area teachersandaccompaniesmanystudentsforlocalcompetitionsandfestivals.Hewasrecentlyoneofthe staff accompanists at the Shenandoah Suzuki FestivalinWinchester,VA.Heandhiswife,Laura,maketheirhomeinGaithersburg,Maryland,withtheirchildren,JasonandEmily.

Cello ForumLaurien Laufman is an artist of international stature, havingperformedrecitaltoursthroughoutEurope,theUnitedStates,Canada,SouthAmerica,India,and The People’s Republic of China. She studied withmanyeminentcellists,includingJanosStarker,AldoParisot,AndreNavarra,andPaulTortelier.MissLaufmanwonnumerouscompetitions,includingthe1975ConcertArtistGuildCompetitioninNewYorkCity,andwasawardedtheSilverMedalinthe1976Villa-LobosInternationalCompetitioninRiodeJaneiro.MissLaufmanhasperformedassoloartistforradioandtelevisionintheUnitedStates,Canada,Brazil,Poland,andSwitzerland.Shehasrecorded for Classica Records and Medici Music Press.MissLaufmanisProfessorEmeritusfromtheUniversityofIllinoisSchoolofMusic,whereshetaughtfortwenty-fiveyears.InJuneof2005,MissLaufmancametotheWashington,D.C.area,whereshemaintainsaprivatecellostudioandperformsasrecitalist and chamber musician.

Eastern Shore Co-RepresentativeJeffrey SchoyengraduatedwithdistinctionfromtheNewEnglandConservatoryofMusic,wherehewasastudentofLawrenceLesser.HecompletedanMFAatCarnegieMellonUniversityasastudentofAnneWilliams,andaDMAatStonyBrookasastudentofTimothyEddy.AwardshehasreceivedincludeaNationalEndowmentfortheArtsChamber


MusicRuralResidencyGrant,TanglewoodFestival’sGustavGoldenAward,andaFrankHuntingtonBeebeGranttostudywithWilliamPleethinLondon.HehasstudiedBaroqueCellowithMyronLutske,PhoebeCarrai,andAnthonyPleeth.Dr.SchoyenhasextensiveorchestralexperienceandhasbeenamemberoftheOperaOrchestraofNewYork,PittsburghOperaOrchestra,andLouisianaPhilharmonic Orchestra, and Principal Cellist of the FilarmonicadelBajioinMexico.Anactivechambermusicianandrecitalist,hehasgivenconcertsthroughouttheUnitedStates,Germany,Mexicoand Spain. His most recent recital tour included the Mexican cities of Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, and Morelia.Dr.SchoyenhastaughtattheUniversityofNebraskaatKearneyandattheUniversityofDayton.He has presented conference lectures on topics rangingfromPerformancePracticetoKinesiologyinStringPlayingandhasbeenconductoroftheKearneyAreaSymphonyOrchestraandtheSlidellCommunityOrchestra.HeisanAssistantProfessoratSalisburyUniversity,whereheteachescelloandbassandconductstheSalisburySymphonyOrchestra. DuringthesummerheservesonthefacultyofBlueLakeFineArtsCampinTwinLake,Michigan.Hiscello is a beautiful Eugenio Degani made in Venice in 1887.

Eastern Shore Co-RepresentativeSachiho Murasugi,violin,hasperformedextensivelyasaprofessionalorchestralandchamber musician. She has been concertmaster of the Sorg Opera Orchestra in Ohio and Filarmonica delBajioinMexico,andamemberoftheWestVirginiaSymphony,LouisianaPhilharmonic,andSpringfieldSymphony.Asachambermusician,shehasperformedthroughouttheUnitedStates,MexicoandSpain,performinginsuchvenuesastheMuseodelPradoinMadrid.ShereceivedtheNationalEndowmentfortheArtsRuralResidencyGrantandwasselectedfortheNebraskaArtsCouncil’sTouringArtist Program as a member of the Sandhill Trio. A dedicatedteacher,shehastaughtviolin,viola,andchambermusicatseveralcolleges,includingUnionCollegeinLincoln,Nebraska,andUniversityofDaytoninOhio.SachihoholdsmusicperformancedegreesfromManhattanSchoolofMusic,CUNYQueensCollege,andiscurrentlyaD.M.A.CandidateatOhioStateUniversity.Herteachersinclude

RaphaelBronstein,DanielPhillips,andCathyCarroll.Inaddition,SachihoholdsanMBAfromTulaneUniversity,whereshereceivedtheBusinessSchool’shighestaward,theFreemanFellowship.She iscurrentlyafull-timefacultymemberintheSalisburyUniversitymusicdepartmentandisconcertmasteroftheSalisburySymphony.

Industry RepresentativeDalton Potter is the president of The Potter Violin Co.inBethesda,Maryland.Hehasbeenbuildingand repairing stringed instruments since 1976. After attendingBerkleeCollegeofMusicinBoston,DaltonmanagedCharlieByrd’sMusicHouseforeightyears,amusicschoolofthreehundredstudentsandafacultyoftwenty-five.Duringthistimehebeganbuildinginstrumentsandstudyingwithseveralworldfamousluthiers,eventuallymakinginstrumentsthatwereusedinperformancesattheWhiteHouse,TheKennedyCenterforthePerformingArts,andtheCorcoranGalleryofArtconcertseries.Aprofessionalluthiersince1978,Daltoncontinuedtostudythescience of acoustics and to perfect his instruments. In 1981,hejoinedTheViolinHouseofWeaver,oneoftheoldestviolinfirmsinthenewworld,datingbackto1898.There,Daltonwasabletostudytheworkofthegrandmastersofviolinmaking,workingdailyonfinemasterpiecesbyStradivari,GuarneriDelGesu,Amati,Gagliano,Bergonzi,andmanymore.AfterfifteenyearsastheseniorviolintechnicianatthehistoricViolinHouseofWeaver,DaltonfoundedThePotterViolinCompany,whichencompassestheoldWeaverretailstore,plusthenowfamousPotterViolincataloguecompany.Potter’sViolinsisnowthelargestpurveyoroffinestringedinstrumentsintheworld.Daltonhaswrittenandspokenextensivelyontheimportanceofqualityinstrumentsinearlystringseducationandistheauthorof“KitchenTableViolinRepairs”anemergencymanualforstringplayersandteachers. e


Monday,November3,2008Sumner School and Museum,1201 17th Street, Washington, D.C.

Please note: November 3 is a holiday for all students in Virginia and Maryland public schools. Students in the District and private school attendees who wish to participate may request after-school hours. The competition runs from 11:30–4:30 p.m.

Prizeawardsare$700,$500,and$300.TheFirstPrizeWinnerwillparticipateinarecitalatStrathmoreHallonFriday,November28,2008.

Friday Morning Music ClubHigh School Competition for Strings

(in memory of Gus Johansen)(Grades 9–12)

PeabodyPreparatoryStringDepartment’snewprogrambrochuresfor2008–2009PedagogyMasterClass&TeacherWorkshopsandthePre-ConservatoryViolinProgramarenowavailable.Highlights of the audition schedule include:Peabody Preparatory Fall/Spring 2008–2009 String Department AuditionsSaturday,August23,2008,10:00a.m.–1:30p.m. (variesdependingoninstrument).Pleasecheckwebpageatwww.peabody.jhu.edu/prepstringsforfulldetails,orcallthePreparatoryOffice.Peabody Youth Orchestra(formerlyPreparatorySinfoniettaunderthedirectionofHarlanD.Parker).Opentoadvancedmusicians,middlethroughhighschoolage,allstrings,woodwinds,brassandpercussion. Auditions for strings and additional percussion,brassandwoodwinds:Saturday,August30,2008,1:00–9:00p.m.Downloadauditionrepertoireatwww.peabody.jhu.edu/pyo.Calltoschedule an appointment.Young Artists Orchestra. Open to intermediate and advancedstringsmusiciansinmiddlethroughhighschool.Auditionsforallstrings,woodwindandbrass:

Saturday,August30,2008,10:00a.m.–12:00p.m. Moreinformationathttp://www.peabody.jhu.edu/youthorchestras.Calltoscheduleanappointment.Preparatory String Ensemble.Opentoelementaryandintermediatestringsmusiciansinelementaryand middle school or up to age 14. Auditions for all strings:Saturday,August30,2008,10:00–11:00a.m. Moreinformationathttp://www.peabody.jhu.edu/youthorchestras.Calltoscheduleanappointment.Peabody Chamber Music.Forstrings,woodwindsand piano. Registration deadline: August 16, 2008. Auditionsforallinstruments:Saturday,August23,2008,2:00–5:00p.m. More information at http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/3433.Calltoscheduleanappointment.Downloadthe2008–2009RegistrationandCatalogat:http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/registerAddress for all auditions:PeabodyPreparatoryBaltimoreMainCampus,PeabodyInstitute,21E.MountVernonPlace,Baltimore,MD21202.Phone number to schedule all appointments:410-659-8100,ext.1130.

Peabody Preparatory Auditions

OtherprizewinnerswillhaveanopportunitytoperforminFMMCstudentrecitalsandeventsthroughouttheyear.

The deadline for applications is October 15, 2008.

For information, please contact Suzanne Richardson, 202-232-4355;[email protected].

Applications,ContemporaryMusicSuggestions,and2008Judges(whendetermined)willbepostedontheFMMCwebsite:FMMC.org.


tocreateanew,easy-to-use,good-lookingwebsiteforourchapter.Bythetimeyouarereadingthis,thelaunchdatewillbesoon—probablyjustafewmoreweeks.TheoldandthenewMD/DCChapterwebsitehavethesameURL:www.asta.net.

Oneexcitingfeatureofthenewwebsitewillbe:Itwillalwaysbeup-to-date!Oldeventswillautomaticallydisappearfromthesite.

Anothergreatfeatureisthatwehaveoptedforis“EZHost.”Thismeansanyofourofficerscanaddnewitemstothewebsitewithoutgoingthroughasinglewebmaster.

OneofthepagesonournewwebsitewillinterestallMD/DCmemberswhohavehomestudios.Therewillbea“StudioTeacher”page.Anychaptermembermaygivepermissiontobelistedonthispage.

Thelistingswillbearrangedthus:City,Teacher’sName,Instrumentstaught,PhoneNumber,and(ifapplicable)PersonalWebsite.Inordertopreventunwantedspam,noe-mailaddresseswithautomaticlinkswillbelistedonthiswebpage.

No one will be automatically listed. If you would like to be listed on this web page, send me or another Chapter officer: your name, city, instrument(s), phone (and website URL). Our contactinformationisontheinsidefrontcoverofStringendo.Youmaysendyourpersonalinformationatanytime,beginningnow!

Ifyoumissthisopportunitytobeoneofthefirstteacherslisted,nottoworry.Wewillalwaysbeabletoaddnewnames.TheonlyrequirementisthatyoubeamemberofASTAMD/DCChapter!

LorraineCombs

(cont. from page 2)

Apple Fig Oatmeal BarsMD/DC Past President Cindy Swiss, who is working

on a degree in Dietary Nutrition, contributed the following recipe:

3 cups whole wheat flour1½ cups brown sugar, packed1 cup soft, non-hydrogenated margarine3 cups rolled oats

Filling4½ cups unsweetened applesauce4 cups chopped, dried figs1 tsp nutmeg½ tsp cinnamon

Place flour in mixer and blend in brown sugar. Cut in margarine until mixture is the size of small peas. Add rolled oats and combine. In a separate mixing bowl, combine applesauce, diced figs, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Spread 5½ cups of dough evenly on a well-greased full sheet pan (12 x 8 x 1 inch). Spread the filling evenly over the dough. Pat on the remaining dough to cover filling. Bake at 400° for 45 to 50 minutes until golden on top. Cool on wire rack. Cut into 32 bars.

Dietary analysis for one bar160 calories, 2.8 g protein, 36 g carbohydrate,1.6 g fat, .11 g saturated fat, .9 g monounsaturatedfat, .5 g polyunsaturated fat, 4.5 g fiber, 22 g sugar,57 mg calcium, 1.3 mg iron, 40 mg magnesium,292 mg potassium, 59 mg sodium


What would your answers be to these important questions from students:

I’mright-handed.DoIneedaleft-handviolinoraright-handviolin?

ShouldIgluemybridgebackonmyviolinorjustnailittothetop?

Mybasssmellsalittlefunnyinsidemyf-holes,andI’mmissingmypethamster.Ithinkhe’sinthere, so I tossed in some hamster food. Should I alsopourinsomewater?Idon’twanthimtogetdehydrated.

Ican’tpickupmyviolinafterIsprayeditwithOld English furniture polish. What is the best waytowashmyviolinsoitwon’tbestickyanymore?

Isavedmoneybyputtingallmystringsonmycellotoonepeg,andthrewawaytheotherthree.IsthisOK?

Iboughtanelectricviolinbutitdoesn’tplayveryloud.Doyouknowwhy?

Ican’ttunemybassverywellandthenecklooksalittlefunnyhangingofftothesidelikethat.Isthisnormal?

Istheresomethingwrongwithmyviolabridge?It’s in four pieces.

Ihadtopullninetyhairsoutofmybow;willthataffectthewayitplays?

IranoutofrosintouseonmybowsoIusedsome chalk but it doesn’t sound the same as before.WhatshouldIdo?

Itriedturningthosewoodpegsandthreeofmystringscamelooseintotwopieces.Aretheybroke?

And how would you answer these questions from new teachers who have never played strings:

Itriedtuningtheviolaandcello“E”stringsbuttheybroke.Anysuggestions?

Doalltheviolinsneedtobetunedthesame?

Doestheorderthatyouputthestringsontheinstrumentsmatter?

Apieceofonemystudent’sviolinfelloffandIdidn’tknowwhatitwas,soIthrewitaway.ShouldIhavesavedthepiece?

Doyouneedrosintorosinabow?

Iputthebridgebackononeofmystudent’sinstrumentsbutitlooksalittlefunny—ononesidethestringsaretouchingthefingerboardandtheotherIcanstickapretzelbetweenthebridgeandthefingerboard.Doyouthinkmyschoolpickedupsomecheapinstruments?

Allthenecksareunfinishedanddon’tshinewiththesamefinishastherestofthebody.WhatbrandofpaintshouldIuse,andwhichcolorisbesttotouchupthenecks?

Canyoustilluserosinifit’sinonehundredpieces?

Howdoyousprayinsecticideinsideaviolintopreventcockroachesandspidersfromlivinginside?

The Lighter Side

stringendostringendo autumn 2008 3 o ne of the many benefits of membership in asta is the biannual...

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