From The President

Editor’s Notes

Susan Pierotti

IhaveJames deRozario AUSTA National President

learned to be a project manager (organising concerts), a diplomat (leading orchestras), a music director (conducting orchestras), a public speaker and a writer. These activities are necessary as a professional violinist but I learned all of them after I’d graduated.

Iwrite this report just as the 2022 National Conference comes to a close. It has been a wonderful few days as we have all gathered in person to celebrate ‘Strings of Australia’ and the amazing work that goes on around the country.

There is a golden rule in most industries: you learn your most useful stuff on the job. We have learned to play or make a stringed instrument, but we discover in our teaching and playing careers that we need more knowledge and skills that weren’t taught to us as students. Others find that music learned when young has given them useful skills in other professions. The theme of this edition is devoted to those ‘add-on’ requirements that we have learned to help us do our jobs more efficiently and effectively.

This is my final report as National President and it has been a tumultuous three years, filled with many unexpected turns. Back in 2019 when I became President-Elect, I was excited at the journey ahead. I wasn’t to know that I would take on a new job at the start of 2020 and then head straight into a pandemic. As a I tried to find my feet in my new position, it felt like everything kept changing. There were new challenges every day, our sense of stability had been removed and we were all being tested. After assisting my own school into the online learning space, it was marvellous to see the AUSTA State Presidents pivot their events online.

Our cover story describes the journey from violin student to world-recognised composer. Longtime AUSTA member Keith Sharp shows us how quartet gigs became his learning space to test his compositional skills that now create the diverse range of string group music that has won him international recognition. Other AUSTA members have contributed articles on their composing styles and conducting practices. Others have shared how a musical education became the ‘add-on’ they needed for their current jobs. It is my hope that you find these articles of practical assistance in your daily musical activities.

Stringendo; and Catherine Hughes for her social media work.

Out of the mouths of students…

Whilst the conference has been our highlight for 2022, other work has continued. We have improved our administrative processes and one of these changes is helping our members stay more up to date about their membership. Many thanks to Emily for her help, especially with the conference website –from posting videos to biographies to schedules, to presentation notes.

From Deborah Greenblatt, USA: I was discussing the art of practising with one of my little students, and I asked her what she could do to make her piece better. She confidently replied, ‘Put in repeat signs’.

Our state chapters have also continued to showcase their ingenuity and creativity throughout the year. From Reading Days to Mini-conferences, festivals, masterclasses and workshops, there have been in-person and online events available. I urge you to check the AUSTA website and follow your state chapters on Facebook so that you can stay up to date with the events around the country.

Apology

The author of the article, ‘South Australian State Music Camp’, in the last issue of Stringendo (Vol. 40/1), was not Agnes Weinstein but Jennifer Watkins, a MPhil student at the Elder Conservatorium of Music. Her thesis topic is ‘The History of the South Australian May Music Camp: 1962-1987’. She is Administrative Assistant to the Music Staff at Concordia College and is Secretary of the SA State Music Camp Association committee. Stringendo apologises for the error and for any grief caused.

A very big thank you to all of our members for your support over the last three years. Although it wasn’t necessarily what I expected it to be, I have been reassured at the passion that our string community demonstrates at every turn. Thank you, everyone, and – Molto AUSTA!