A nice thing that happened in March: I received the American String Teachers’ Association Artist-Teacher Award, for services rendered over 30 years of teaching folks how to achieve their goals on bowed string instruments. ASTA is a fantastic organization and I have learned so much from the other dedicated string teachers from all over the world who convene every year. It’s a great honor, and I’m grateful and it makes me want to do better.
Here are my acceptance speech notes, cleaned up slightly. I was admonshed to keep it short, but here is the speech! Guess you have to click on the title above to see it!
ARTIST-TEACHER AWARD NOTES- ASTA CONFERENCE 2023
Artist-Teacher: a nice distinction, and a real honor to be acknowledged to be sharing both descriptors.
This observation may be obvious, but I feel that I’m in a category of humans who found it much more challenging to be a teacher than an artist.
As in the art, I had to make my own way to some extent, because of lack of a clear path, my contrariness and bull-headedness, and some bad examples early on – which did help me decide how not to be.
Thanks to Bob Phillips for his surprising, steady, appreciations and advocacy.
Also to my fellow Artist-Teachers who share this hallowed patch of musical ground and have given me crucial help to develop what skills I have:
Matt Glaser
David Baker
Julie Lyonn Leiberman
David Balakrishnan
Renata Bratt
Chris Howes
Mike Marshall
Miriam Rabson
Rob Thomas
Tracy Silverman
Alasdair Fraser
Their generosity boggles my mind.
My inspirers are too many to name here – The few most important who come to mind are David Grisman, Tony Rice, Marsh Leicester, David Baker, Dr. Billy Taylor – but it’s important to note, I think, that so many teach by example and the lessons are thick on the ground if you can learn to find them. That’s teachable.
Also important to note that some of the best lessons come from your students.
And Apologies to the many, both older and younger and brilliant,
who share this same role whom I haven’t named here.
Thanks also to the people who have believed in me from a place of pure love: Sharon, Emy, Joe, Grant, the Haas family, and many beloved others.
Previous Awardees
Itzhak Perlman, 2022
Edgar Meyer, 2021
Jeffrey Irvine, 2020
Mimi Zweig, 2019
Roland and Almita Vamos, 2018
Jamie Laredo, 2017
Sylvia Rosenberg, 2016
Kim Kashkashian, 2015
Paul Kantor, 2014
Matt Glaser, 2013
Paul Rolland (posthumous), 2012
Donald Weilerstein, 2011
Hans Jorgen Jensen, 2010
William Preucil, Sr., 2009
Alice Schoenfeld, 2008
Eleonore Schoenfeld (posthumous), 2008
Lynn Harrell, 2007
Helen Kwalwasser, 2006
Lawrence Hurst, 2005
Donald McInnes, 2004
Paul Katz, 2003
Heidi Castleman, 2002
Robert Mann, 2000
Fritz Magg (posthumous), 1998
Franco Gulli, 1997
Gary Karr, 1996
George Neikrug, 1995
Karen Tuttle, 1994
Nathan Gordon, 1993
Warren Benfield, 1992
Alice Chalifoux, 1991
Jascha Brodsky, 1990
Orlando Cole, 1990
Harvey Shapiro, 1989
Janos Starker, 1988
Zara Nelsova, 1987
Jascha Heifetz (emeritus), 1986
William Lincer, 1986
Efrem Zimbalist (emeritus), 1985
Leonard Sorkin, 1985
Eudice Shapiro, 1984
Aldo Parisot, 1983
Bernard Greenhouse, 1982
Roman Totenberg, 1981
Oscar Shumsky, 1980
Lillian Fuchs, 1979
Raya Garbousova, 1978
Paul Doktor, 1977
Rafael Bronstein, 1976
Dorothy DeLay, 1975
Yehudi Menuhin, 1974
David Walter, 1973
Gabor Rejto, 1972
Joseph Fuchs, 1971
William Primrose, 1970
Gregor Piatigorsky, 1969
Joseph Gingold, 1968
Samuel Applebaum, 1967
Ivan Galamian, 1966
Pablo Casals, 1965
Hans Letz, 1964
Isaac Stern, 1963
Hans Hess, 1962
Samuel Gardner, 1961
Louis Persinger, 1960
Joesph Szigeti, 1959