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Collaborating and Connecting String Communities

Flex your pedagogical and creative muscles this summer with ASTA! Join us for this 2-day online event to build tools, techniques, and friendships that will support you through the next school year. All content will be available on the ASTA website through the end of 2024!

Registration Information

Monday, July 15 - 12:00-12:45 PM ET

Anne Fennell

President, California Music Educators Association and the K-12 Music Program Coordinator for San Diego Unified School District (CA)

Anne Fennell, M.Ed. is the President of the California Music Educators Association and the K-12 Music Program Manager for San Diego Unified School District in San Diego, CA. She holds a bachelor’s in music education, a master’s in educational leadership studies, Orff-Schulwerk certification Levels: I-II-III and over 90 graduate hours in music and additional education coursework. Her experiences include 4 years in administration and 32 years of teaching music education, including: music composition and steel drum ensembles in grades 9-12, Kindergarten-Grade 8 integrated arts and music through Orff-Schulwerk, and leading both vocal and instrumental ensembles in civic and professional performances, as well as national music conferences and the annual NAMM Board of Directors meetings in 2013 & 2016.

Ms. Fennell is a published author through Pearson Education, the GRAMMY Foundation, The Percussion Marketing Council, and Disney’s Little/Baby Einsteins. She presents workshops and gives keynotes both nationally and internationally, including for the American Orff-Schulwerk Association and National Association for Music Education Conferences, the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), China music education conferences (through the support of the International Music Products Industry (NAMM)), and the International Society for Music Education. She has received numerous state and national awards, including the top 10 GRAMMY Music Educator Finalist for 2016, and top 3 Music Educator award from Music and Arts in 2015, 2020 Technology in Music Education National Teacher of the Year, 2017 Magnet Schools of America National Teacher of the Year, and the 2024 Believe in Music Award from NAMM.

Tuesday, July 16 - 12:00-12:45 PM ET

Annie Ray

Orchestra Director and Performing Arts Department Chair, Annandale High School in the Fairfax County Public Schools (VA)

Annie Ray currently serves as both the Orchestra Director and Performing Arts Department Chair at Annandale High School (AHS) in the Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) system. Annie is an advocate for providing universal access to quality music education and is known for founding and developing creative opportunities to make music accessible to students of all demographics. Her establishment of the FCPS Parent Orchestra teaches about 200 caregivers annually to learn to play their student’s instrument and provides mentorship to upcoming music teachers. Annie also developed the Crescendo Orchestra program (inspired by Giving Bach and United Sound) to make Orchestra curriculum accessible to students with significant developmental or intellectual disabilities. In January 2022, this program was featured and acclaimed on the cover of the Metro section in The Washington Post. TEDx invited Annie to give a talk in April 2022, The Sounds of Success, based on her approach in the classroom and how to meet students where they are at. She has presented at numerous colleges and national/international conferences and was named the 2024 Grammy Music Educator Award recipient and the 2023 FCPS Outstanding Secondary Teacher of the Year for her work on equity in education. Annie is a member of the StringRise professional development team and her mentors include Dennis Langevin, Brian Coatney, Dr. Elizabeth Chappell, Dr. Jaymee Hafner, and Naoko Nakamura. She is an active performing harpist and currently resides in Arlington, Virginia with her husband Dr. Irving Ray and their daughters Eloise and Millie. Annie is an adventurer at heart, and her biggest bucket list item is to one day win The Amazing Race.