©2026 Ohio Music Education Association
Allied Organizations
Ohio String Teachers Association Spring Update
Ohio String Teachers Association Spring Update
David Pope, OSTA President
Summer break is quickly approaching! If you are like me, summer is a much needed time off. While I love working with my students, guest conducting, and supporting teachers through school clinics and conference presentations, I am ready to relax and recharge. However, I also enjoy spending part of the summer exploring and learning about string pedagogy and research that I missed during the school year. If you are interested in doing the same, I encourage you to attend the String Teacher Workshop at Ohio State University from July 12th-18th. Heather Lofdahl and her administrative team have organized a marvelous workshop that includes Erica Donahoe, Creston Herron, Dión Morales, Anne Marie Patterson, David Pope, Matt Radspinner, and Laurie Scott as the Headliner Clinicians. As someone who attended this workshop in the past, I highly recommend it. In addition, urge your students to attend one of the many summer music camps offered at universities and in local communities throughout Ohio.
I am proud that numerous OSTA members traveled to San Francisco to attend the 2026 ASTA National Conference. I especially want to recognize Robert Gillespie, BettyAnne Gottlieb, Heather Lofdahl, David Pope, and Wei Qin who presented a session or their research at the conference. In addition, I want to thank Chris Lape for serving as the Vice-Chair of the 2026 ASTA National Conference. I also want to acknowledge Ohio native Christian Howes who was awarded the 2026 ASTA Artist Teacher Award. OSTA members’ contributions at the national level are a testament to the strength of string teaching in Ohio.
I am hopeful you will add the 2026 OSTA Fall Workshop to your calendar. It is scheduled for Saturday, November 7th. We started this event in 2022 and have hosted approximately 400 attendees over the last few years. Thanks to generous donors, attendees have left with over $40,000 in prizes during our lunchtime raffle. We are currently planning the 2026 workshop and look forward to sharing details this summer. Also plan to participate in the 2027 ASTA National Conference in Chicago from February 24th-27th. The annual ASTA National Conference is an inspiring event, and I would love to have a large OSTA contingent in Chicago. If you are interested in presenting, remember session proposals are due by June 1st.
I also want to encourage OSTA members to apply for an OSTA Mini-Grant. These grants are designed to support projects that enrich string classrooms and private studios. OSTA is pleased to support PK-12 and studio teachers with these mini-grants. Our next grant cycle ends on September 15th. To apply, please visit https://www.ohiostringteachers.org.
In closing, I want to personally invite you to join OSTA if you are not currently a member. The Ohio string community is truly special. Each of us has unique experiences, and I am hopeful you will take a moment to share those as part of the OSTA community. Please reach out to me or any current board member to share how OSTA can support you, your program, and your students. I look forward to seeing you at the 2026 OSTA Fall Workshop, the 2027 ASTA National Conference, and the 2027 OMEA PDC!
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 presented string pedagogy clinics and his research at the European String Teachers Congress, the ASTA National Conference, The Midwest Clinic, and numerous regional/state conferences. He is the current Editor for the String Research Journal and recently served as a co-editor for Teaching Music Through Performance in Orchestra (Vol. 4) and as a co-author for Sound Orchestra.