President’s Message
reprinted from Spring 2011 MASTA Notes

Greetings MASTA Members:

I write you now having just returned from Kenya where a team of MASTA members joined me to start a String Program as many of you already know. We left for our return home in 94 degree temperatures but our shock came when the pilot on the Amsterdam-to-Detroit flight announced the temperature at our destination was -4 degrees with a wind-chill of -13. A big groan was heard throughout our cabin. More about that later.

The comments that I have heard all seem to indicate that our Michigan Music Conference was quite successful this past month. Val Palmieri continues to do a terrific job for us in working out all the details that help to make our part of the conference run so smoothly. The conductors of the four selected orchestras that performed so superbly are Marijean Quigley-Young, Alan MacNair, Aaron Tenney and Kathleen Griffith. We certainly congratulate them for a job well done! It’s hard to imagine the high quality results that our All-State Orchestras achieve but in the hands of master teacher/conductors like Marilyn Kesler and Gary Lewis, the bar has been raised even higher this year. Bravo to the conductors and musicians. These are programs that indeed touched our musical souls and will remain in out memories for a long time. We also heard from fine presenters who gave us much to think about and many ideas for us to take back to our class rooms. One in particular should be mentioned here. Geri Arnold will be leaving us after twenty-one years of service on our board and a superb Suzuki teacher/trainer. Thanks Geri and best wishes to you as you make new friends and students in North Carolina.

Most of you know that we lost a dear friend and devoted string teacher-mentor with the passing of John Kendall. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 23rd at the First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor, 4001 Ann Arbor-Saline Road starting at 2:00pm. If you plan to attend, you are asked to RSVP at ss.ck@sbcglobal.net. John’s legacy lives on in the hands of the many teachers he has mentored.

We welcome to a leadership position on our board, Karen Viele who will complete the term of our Treasurer Lynn Brosnan, whose resignation was effective as of January 23rd. Thanks for your dedicated work Lynn and best wishes to you from all of us.

Now, some comments about the group of teachers that joined me in Meru, Kenya. We left the day after the MMC finished and just returned on February 10th. Marilyn Kesler, Ann Schoelles, Geri Arnold, Andrea Yun, Anne Ogren and Bill Tennant made up this terrific team. Shar Music generously provided 50 violins and Alfred Publishing provided the Suzuki Books. We expected to have 100 students to start but ended up with 135. The team also included three of Geri’s private students who both performed and helped with the teaching. By the end of our five hour classes each day, every team member was tired. But it was all worth it when the students played a concert on our last day there. The parents and school teachers were most surprised by how well they looked and performed and the entire audience rose with great applause and excitement. The Kenyan teacher who is now running this program even played a violin solo that he had just learned. We all agreed that these 135 violinists are off to a great start. Now we’ll see where they take it as this year goes on.

Please remember that our ASTA National Conference is coming up in Kansas City, Missouri. The dates are March 17 - 19, 2011. I hope we will have a good representation from Michigan and you can still register for it if you have not done so yet.

I hope your year continues to go along smoothly and we count on you asking if you need any help.

Sincerely,
Larry Dittmar, President