Welcome

The objectives of ASTA/NJ are to: support and encourage the teaching of string instruments at all educational levels; to promote and improve orchestras at all educational levels, and; to establish the highest artistic and pedagogical standards.

If you are not yet a member of ASTA, please consider becoming a member today!  Click here for membership details and an online application form

Announcement

The New Jersey Chapter of ASTA regretfully announces that due to extended social isolation, it will not be hosting in-person ASTACAP examinations this spring.  This would have been our 18th year of in-person ASTACAP examinations in NJ!

We have a worthy alternative option for those who want to participate in ASTACAP exams: the online exams sponsored by the ASTA National Office.  The information, registration procedures and forms, and uploading windows are all available at astastrings.com.  The next available window will be from June 1 to June 30.  Online exams are completely separate from in-person exams.  You will need to go to astastrings.com for every step of the process.

The assessment form is the same as the one we used in NJ last year.  The examiners are invited from a roster that the national office holds.  Numbers of students from NJ have participated in online exams in the past.

Some teachers have noted that the costs are higher for the online exams than for in-person.  They are.  But if accompaniment costs are factored out, as will probably be necessary unless a family member accompanies the student, the costs may not be that different.

If you have any questions or want any advice, please feel free to contact me.  I’ve had some experience examining online students.

Please consider participating in this safe, motivating project for your students.

Be well, and fingers crossed that we can resume in-person exams in 2020-21.

Leslie Webster, Chair
ASTACAP/NJ