ASTA-AZ Fall Workshop & Symposium 2024

Cost: FREE for current ASTA members or classroom teachers who are in their first 5 years of employment in the Arizona School System; $50 for non-members; $20 for student non-members or current NAfME members.

The American String Teachers Association and the University of Arizona present a joint String Symposium, offering sessions and workshops for studio, classroom and orchestra teachers throughout Arizona, and will be featuring over 100 high school students from around the state.

Future educators, and students alike won’t want to miss this event. The day will include Tucson based director of the award-winning Mariachi Aztlán de Pueblo High School, and recipient of the Governor’s Arts Award, John Contreras, who will be working with students and teachers on ways to incorporate Mariachi into curriculum, educational talks on how to begin a career in the classroom given by some of Arizona’s top educators in the field, and motivational speaker and life coach Anna Summers speaking on why music is such an important aspect of general education and is essential for our society as a whole. Breakout sessions and round table discussions will give teachers a chance to share ideas on how to enroll more students in classes and keep them motivated throughout their journey in music.

Steven Moeckel and UA faculty will be working with students in open masterclass sessions in the afternoon, and the day will conclude with a very special performance by professors from all three Arizona Universities including Theodore Buchholz, UA’s new violin and viola professors Elena Chernova-Davis and Esteban Hernández Parr, Steven Moeckel, and more.

The day is free for members and $50 for non-members. This fee can however be used as part of the membership fee if you wish to join during the event. We are excited to offer free attendance to those classroom teachers who are in their first 5 years of employment in the Arizona School System. Documentation of date of employment must be submitted in order to take part in this special one-time offer. There will be a $10 fee if you wish to join us for lunch that Saturday (lunch options TBA).

Schedule

Guest Speakers

Anna Galura Summers

Violinist Anna Galura Summers is an ardent champion of art and culture, passionate antiracist pedagogue, Life Coach, and a leading 21st-century innovator and activist in the arts. Anna has dedicated numerous hours to podcasting, speaking, and publishing about the priceless value of art and music in the 21st Century as a way to build community – locally, virtually, and globally. 

Anna appeared as a guest panelist at the SphinxConnect Conference (January 2024), contributing to “Calls & (New) Responses | Exploring Empathy, Understanding, & Forgiveness as Fuel for Social Change.” She also served as a guest clinician at The Reach at the Kennedy Center in 2022, leading a workshop titled “The Critical Response Process | Practical Applications in Music Education” for the DMV Music Academy Co-Lab Music Festival.

As an educator, Anna coaches students to create an expressive niche for themselves, to challenge conventional methods, and to serve as cultural ambassadors in their communities. Most recently, Anna held the position of Artistic Administrator for The Phoenix Symphony, providing artistic and community leadership in the planning and execution of concerts and special events in collaboration with artistic staff. Prior to her full-time appointment with The Phoenix Symphony, Anna maintained a vibrant career as an avid professional performer, playing throughout the country and internationally as a soloist, chamber musician, and concertmaster. 

Anna earned her BA in Violin Performance and Pedagogy from the College of Charleston, followed by an MM and Graduate Certificate in Music Entrepreneurship from Arizona State University. She currently resides in Utah with her husband.

John Contreras

John Contreras has played mariachi music for over 40 years with various groups including Mariachi Nuevo de Tucson, Los Changuitos Feos, Los Palmeros de Los Angeles, Mariachi Tlaquepaque (Los Angeles), Mariachi Perla de Mexico (Chicago), Mariachi Azteca del Sol, and Mariachi Luz de Luna (co-founder). John has toured Europe and the U.S. with the group Calexico with whom he has recorded various CDs with as well as a live concert DVD. He studied vocal performance at Pima Community College and also at the Los Angeles School of Music and privately with Maestro Heriberto Molina, the principal vocalist with Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán for thirty-one years. John’s teaching resume includes over 30 years of instruction and direction/co-direction of Mariachi Apache de Nogales High School, Mariachi Pantera de Amphi High School, and Mariachi Monarca de Salpointe Catholic High School. He has been associated with the Tucson International Mariachi Conference both as an instructor and event coordinator. John currently sits on the TIMC Executive board and serves as Mariachi Workshop Chairman. He has been an instructor for the Las Cruces International Mariachi Conference, Albuquerque Mariachi Spectacular, Chacala Mariachi Institute, and the Texas Association of Music Educators conference. He has also been a participant/advisor for the Encuentro de Mariachi y Charreria in Guadalajara, Jalisco. John is in his 20th year as director of the award-winning Mariachi Aztlán de Pueblo Magnet High School, one of Arizona’s most well-known youth groups. He was recently awarded the highest arts honor in Arizona, the Governor’s Arts Award in Arts in Education.