Ohio String Teachers Association Fall Update

David Pope, OSTA President

Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year! I know I am excited to meet my new students and reconnect with my returning students. I am also eager to work with orchestra students and teachers from Ohio, the United States, and numerous other countries during this year. As you plan your fall, I am hopeful you will add the 2026 OSTA Fall Workshop on Saturday, November 7th to your calendar. The workshop runs from 9:00am to 5:30pm at Upper Arlington High School, and our headline presenter is Jim Palmer. He recently retired as the Orchestra Director at Allatoona High School (GA). In addition, he is a composer, youth orchestra conductor, and the New Orchestra Music Editor for Excelcia Music. He will present on hands-on sessions about rehearsal strategies, fiddling, and a new music reading session that features new publications from Excelcia Music. OSTA is also honored that Katie Andrzejewski, Erin Broadhurst, Betsy Cranston, Chris Lape, Dawna Rone, Leo Singer, and Jennifer Short from the Loft Violin Shop are willing to share their expertise and experience at fall workshop sessions. You can also join us for dinner at Nocterra Brewing Co.- Audubon on Friday, November 6th. The fall workshop is also a wonderful opportunity to introduce high school students who are interested in pursuing a career in string music education to our welcoming community. Remember, you can also sign up to earn a graduate credit hour at the OSTA Fall Workshop through Baldwin Wallace University. For additional information about the 2026 OSTA Fall Workshop, the professional development graduate hour, and to register, visit the OSTA website.

I want to congratulate the following orchestras who were selected to perform at the 2027 OMEA Professional Development Conference: Canton Youth Symphony Advanced Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra Philharmonic, Delaware Hayes Players, Dublin Scioto Chamber Orchestra, Hilliard Davidson High School Chamber Orchestra, Lakeview Junior High 8th Grade Orchestra, and the Perrysburg High School Select Strings. Please join me in supporting these directors and students by attending their performances in January 2027.

If you would like to get involved in OSTA or know of someone who can make a positive impact on string education in Ohio, I want to encourage you to nominate yourself or a peer to serve on the OSTA Board of Directors. Our election cycle for the 2027-2029 term occurs this fall, and one of the best ways to support string education in Ohio is getting involved in OSTA. The time commitment is very manageable, and I am hopeful you will consider running for position or encouraging a peer to serve. Please watch the OSTA website and social media for additional information.

OSTA members are also encouraged to apply for an OSTA Mini-Grant. These grants, up to $300.00, are available to support projects led by public school or private studio teachers that enrich string education in Ohio. To apply, please visit the OSTA website. The annual application deadlines are March 15th and September 15th.

In closing, I encourage you to contact me if OSTA or I can do anything to support you, your students, your program, or your orchestra community. All of us need support during our careers, and I want you to know that OSTA is here to encourage and cheer you on. I am proud of string education in Ohio, and each of you are why.

David Pope serves as a Professor of Music Education at Baldwin Wallace University and the current President of the Ohio String Teachers Association. He has guest conducted numerous all states orchestras and regularly presents string pedagogy clinics at the European String Teachers Congress, the ASTA National Conference, The Midwest Clinic, and numerous regional/state conferences.

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