String Instrument Specialists
(360) 491-3931
Birch Bay Workshop
The 2012 Birch Bay String Teachers' Workshop, an activity of the Washington unit of the American String Teachers Association, will be presented July 30 - August 3, 2012.
The W-ASTA Birch Bay String Teachers’ Workshop is presented annually in Ferndale, Washington—a pleasant small town located fifteen minutes north of Bellingham, fifteen minutes from the beach at Birch Bay, and fifteen minutes from the Canadian border. The workshop is of interest to private studio and public school string teachers at all levels, and to college/university students preparing for a music education career. Each year, participants from all over the country and from foreign nations attend.
The resident faculty includes:
- Ian Edlund, workshop director, reading orchestra, rehearsal techniques
- Charles (Chip) Schooler, assistant director, cello techniques and pedagogy
- Grant Sears, violin/viola techniques and pedagogy
- Joe Dyvig, double bass techniques and pedagogy
- Bette Ann Schwede, site manager
- Kristina Snyder, registrar
PHOTO PRESENTATION OF THE 2010 WORKSHOP
Music: "Bayside", from A Birch Bay Celebration by Richard Meyer
Click here to download the photo presentation of the 2010 workshop
(requires Windows Media Player - click here to download.)
SPECIAL GUEST FACULTY
SPECIAL GUEST CLINICIAN: RICHARD MEYER
Mr. Meyer has served as a guest conductor and clinician on many occasions throughout the United States, and has been a member of the Bellis Music Camp staff for twenty-six years.
In addition to his teaching assignments, Mr. Meyer is nationally recognized as a composer of works for young ensembles, with over one hundred orchestra and band pieces in print. He is also co-author of the popular string class method “String Explorer”, and is the string editor for Alfred Publishing Company. He lives in Arcadia, California, with his wife and three daughters.
Mr. Meyer’s appearance at the W-ASTA Birch Bay String Teachers’ Workshop is enhanced by the cooperation of Alfred Publishing Company. He will present daily sessions of interest to music educators at all levels throughout the entire week.
DUE TO MR. MEYER’S REPUTATION AND POPULARITY, EARLY WORKSHOP REGISTRATION IS ADVISED SINCE WORKSHOP
CAPACITY IS LIMITED. DON’T BE DISAPPOINTED.
The workshop is made possible in part by generous support from businesses and organizations such as Hammond Ashley Violins, Henry Bischofberger Violins, Music Centers Inc., String Instrument Specialists, D’Addario Bowed Strings, Howard Core Co., J.W. Pepper Co., Ted Brown Music, Eastman Strings and others. We are grateful for their continued help.
THE SCHEDULE FOR THE 2012 WORKSHOP WILL APPEAR HERE IN MAY 2012
ACCOMMODATIONS
A variety of accommodations are available in the Ferndale-Birch Bay area, including hotels, motels, B-and-B’s, and bayside cottages.
These motels offer a special rate to guests who reserve early (before July 10) and who identify themselves as Birch Bay String Workshop participants:
- Super 8 Motel (Ferndale) 360-384-8881
- Hampton Inn (Bellingham airport) 360-676-7700
- Silver Reef Hotel/Casino (Ferndale) 866-383-0777
Lodgings at Birch Bay include:
- Jacob's ’s Landing (condos) 360-371-7675
- Inn at Semiahmoo 360-371-2800
- Haishan Inn (cabins) 360-306-5322
Campsites in nearby Birch Bay State Park, some of which have hookups, may be reserved by calling 888-226-7688. Early reservations are advised. Conveniently located RV sites may be reserved at Cedars RV Park (Ferndale) 360-384-2622.
For more information on Birch Bay area rentals, visit these websites:
REGISTRATION
FEES AND CREDITS
(Please read carefully)
Advance registration (prior to July 10, 2012) workshop fee is $195, which includes materials, refreshments and traditional salmon dinner on the beach. After July 10, the fee is $225. Central Washington University offers 3 quarter credits for a very nominal fee which may be paid onsite. Thirty clock hours are available at no charge for WMEA members only. Clock hour arrangements may be made onsite.
Members of Washington ASTA may attend any two consecutive days of the workshop for a special fee of $110. Contact Ian Edlund at 360-491-3931 for schedule details.
THE WORKSHOP CAN NOT ACCEPT PURCHASE ORDERS, CLAIM VOUCHERS OR CREDIT CARDS FOR FEES OR CREDITS. CHECKS OR CASH ONLY, PLEASE!
Cancellation policy: $100 of the workshop fee will be refunded if cancellation request is received prior to July 10, 2012.
No refunds will be allowed after July 10.
TO REGISTER: click here to download the form and mail to:
Ian Edlund, director
Birch Bay String Workshop
3445 Hollywood Dr NE
Olympia WA 98516
Note: This document must open in pdf format.
Richard Meyer has been involved in music education for over twenty-five years. He received his B. A. from California State University, Los Angeles, and taught instrumental music at both the middle and high school levels in the Pasadena, California, Unified School District for twelve years. Currently, he directs the orchestras at Oak Avenue Intermediate School in Temple City, California, and is in charge of the city’s elementary school string program.
For sixteen years, Mr. Meyer was the conductor of the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra, a 90-piece 7th to 9th grade honor orchestra which he led in concerts in Vienna, Austria; Carnegie Hall, New York; Sydney, Australia; Washington, D.C.; and Victoria, British Columbia.
JEFFREY BELL-HANSON is in his tenth season as conductor of the University Symphony Orchestra and Associate Professor of Music at Pacific Lutheran University, and as a conductor, clinician and adjudicator in the Pacific Northwest. His thirty-year career on the podium and as a teacher has also included faculty appointments in Kansas, Louisiana and Michigan, where he won recognition for excellence in teaching from Michigan Technological University and the State of Michigan. In addition to his academic positions, Dr. Bell-Hanson has conducted orchestras and wind ensembles throughout the United States, in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, including the West Bohemian Symphony Orchestra, the Vratza Philharmonic and the Philharmonia Bulgarica. Dr. Bell-Hanson will lead the Conductors' Master Class this summer.
