Steven L. Reed, our immediate Past-President, was named the recipient of the 2009 Elizabeth A.H. Green School Educator Award at the National ASTA conference in Atlanta. The Elizabeth A.H. Green School Educator Award is presented annually to a school string teacher with a current and distinguished career in a school orchestral setting. The award is given to one public school string teacher per year on the national level.

Mr. Reed has been teaching instrumental music in the St. Joseph Public Schools since 1977 and is now the Conductor of Orchestras and chairman of the Fine Arts Department. He also directs the Lake Michigan Youth Orchestra program sponsored by the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Reeds holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree, cum laude, from Western Michigan University with graduate work at the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Indiana University and Andrews University. Mr. Reed was elected “Michigan Orchestra Teacher of the Year” in 1997 by the membership of the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association (MSBOA), and received the Michigan American String Teacher Association (MASTA) “Teacher of the Year” Award in 2004. He is recognized in the “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers”, and has served MSBOA as Vice-President of Orchestral Activities and as President of District VI for two terms.

13-year-old Ian Poland, a seventh-grader at Okemos' Chippewa Middle School (and student of MASTA member Sunny Cirlin) is chosen as the violin-playing lead in an Independant film set in 50’s Siberia, made in Grand Rapids. Read More...

The winning ensembles from the 2009 Chamber Music Festival Competition

The winning ensemble
From Okemos High School
Hannah Linz, violin
Sebastian Kwan, violin
Nishan Harichandran, viola
Andrew Campbell, cello
coached by Patricia Smith
 
The runners-up were
From the DSO Civic Ensembles
John Swedberg, violin
Abby Elder, viola
Chava Appia, cello
Angelina May, piano
coached by Caroline Coade
 
From Chelsea and Ann Arbor Pioneer High Schools
Peter Urie Bae, violin
Viktor Rozsa, cello
Sera Bird, piano
coached by Sara Cumming