WKU American String Teachers Association chapter to receive award at national conference

WKU’s American String Teachers Association chapter has been named the ASTA’s “Most Improved Student Chapter” for 2016.

The WKU chapter will receive the award at the 2016 ASTA National Conference March 2-5 in Tampa, Florida. Five WKU students will attend the conference: ASTA chapter president Landon Case of Owensboro; Ashley Brown of Bowling Green; Luc DiGiuseppe of Franklin; Wesley Miller of Elizabethtown; and Emily Vaughn of Taylors, South Carolina.

WKU’s American String Teachers Association chapter has participated in several activities in the past year, including an “instrumental petting zoo” during the Potter College of Arts & Letters’ annual fall festival.

“Our chapter has grown tremendously since becoming an official campus organization in fall 2014,” Case said, “and we will continue to work at being more involved in the community and impacting the world by enriching lives through the joy of teaching and playing stringed instruments.”

The ASTA chapter has eight members. Dr. Ching-Yi Lin, assistant professor of violin and director of the Pre-College Strings program, is the chapter advisor.

In the past year, ASTA members have participated in the following activities:

• Made presentations and worked with students at elementary, middle and high schools in Bowling Green, Warren County and Grayson County.  “The students have responded extremely well to us coming thus far,” Case said. “The students have an opportunity to have more individual work with their instrument section, and the members of ASTA at WKU have the pleasure to work with students.”
• Hosted an event titled “Conduct Us” in the lobby of WKU’s Downing Student Union that offered students and other members of the campus community with an opportunity to conduct a small string ensemble (violin, viola, cello and classical guitar).
• Set up an “instrumental petting zoo” with the violin, viola and classical guitar as part of the ASTA booth at the Potter College of Arts & Letters’ annual fall festival. “This event really strengthened our connection with the student body at WKU and gave our chapter encouragement that people are still interested in learning about strings,” Case said.
• Continued their involvement with the Pre-College Strings Program, which gives students ages 4-18 an opportunity to study a stringed instrument from beginning to advanced levels. “This program contributes greatly to our future success as string educators, and gives us priceless insights into invaluable teaching methods modeled by the instructors,” Case said.

Contact: Music Department, (270) 745-3751