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Birch Bay Workshop

The 2009 Birch Bay String Teachers' Workshop, an activity of the Washington unit of the American String Teachers Association, will be presented   August 3-7, 2009.

The Birch Bay String Teachers' Workshop is presented annually during the first week of August 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.

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, site manager
  • Kristina Snyder, registrar and site manager

Photo presentation of the 2008 workshop

Music: "Bayside" from "A Birch Bay Celebration" by Richard Meyer


To download the photo presentation of the 2008 workshop, click here. (Requires Windows Media Player - click here to download.)

SPECIAL GUEST CLINICIAN: RICHARD MEYER

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.

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 Century Strings, Eastman Strings, Hammond Ashley Violins, Henry Bischofberger Violins (Kirkland), R. L. Ray Violin Shop, D'Addario Bowed Instrument Strings, Scherl and Roth division of Conn-Selmer Corp., Southwest Strings, String Instrument Specialists, Music Centers Inc., J. W. Pepper of Tacoma, Ted Brown Music Co., and the Washington unit of the American String Teachers Association.

 

2009 Tentative Daily Schedule

The week’s activities will center on reading of new literature, pedagogy, improving performance skills, class management and other topics of interest to teachers.

Tentatively, the following daily activities are scheduled for the 2009 workshop:

MONDAY: Registration 8:00 AM; Reading Orchestra #1; Instrument techniques; Conductors’ Master Class; Overview of pedagogies for teaching strings; The Anatomy of a Rehearsal (Richard Meyer); Reading Orchestra #2; No-host get-acquainted Margarita party and Mexican dinner.

TUESDAY: Reading Orchestra #3; Instrument Techniques; Conductors’ Master Class; Greatest Hits for Middle School Orchestra; The First Ten Minutes (Richard Meyer); Reading Orchestra #4

WEDNESDAY: Reading Orchestra #5; Instrument Techniques; Conductors’ Master Class; Approaching Standard Literature for High School orchestras; Revisiting Some of My Oldies (Richard Meyer); Reading Orchestra #6-Elementary level; No-host dinner with Richard and Arthur.

THURSDAY: Reading Orchestra #7; Instrument Techniques; Conductors’ Master Class; Intonation Isn’t Everything, It’s the ONLY Thing; Programming Outside the Bachs (Richard Meyer); Workshop participants’ best ideas in five minutes or less; Salmon BBQ on beach at Birch Bay, followed by the annual String Teachers’ Campfire.

FRIDAY: Reading Orchestra #8; Variations on Student Assessment (Richard Meyer); Evaluation and wrap-up. Workshop ends 12:30 pm.

Accommodations

A variety of accommodations are available in the Ferndale-Bellingham-Birch Bay area, including motels, B-and-B’s, and bayside condos.

These motels offer a special rate to guests who identify themselves as Birch Bay String Workshop participants. (Early reservations are advised):

  • Super 8 Motel (Ferndale) 360-384-8881
  • Hampton Inn (North Bellingham) 360-676-7700

Waterfront lodgings at Birch Bay include:

  • Jacob’s Landing Condominiums 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 trailer hookups, may be reserved by calling toll-free 1-888-226-7688. Early reservations for campsites are advised.

For assistance with other types of accommodations, e-mail your query to lodging@stringspecialist.com.

Registration

FEES AND CREDITS

(Please read carefully)

 

Advance registration (prior to July 10) workshop fee is $175, which includes materials, refreshments and traditional salmon dinner on the beach. After July 10, the fee is $200. Central Washington University offers 3 quarter credits at a very nominal fee which may be paid on site.

 

Thirty clock hours are available at no charge for WMEA members only. Clock hour arrangements may be made on site.

 

THE WORKSHOP CAN NOT ACCEPT PURCHASE ORDERS OR CREDIT CARDS FOR FEES OR CREDITS. CHECKS OR CASH ONLY!

 

Members of Washington ASTA may attend any two consecutive days for a special fee of $100. Contact Ian Edlund at 360-491-3931 for schedule details.

 

Cancellation policy:  $100 of the workshop fee will be refunded if cancellation request is received prior to July 10, 2009.  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.

Roasted Cello

2005 Photo

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String Instrument Specialists
3445 Hollywood Dr NE
Olympia Washington 98516
E-mail: webmaster@stringspecialist.com
Last update 11.19.08