2026 SAA & ASTA Student Day | Saturday, February 28

Saturday February 28 is SAA & ASTA Student Day at the National Conference!

All pre-collegiate students are invited to attend – it’s FREE!

SCHEDULE

7:30-8:00 AM: Registration (badge pick-up - YOU MUST PRE-REGISTER!) - Golden Gate Lobby

8:00-9:30 AM: Attend the Saturday Keynote and Musical Performances - Continental Ballrooms

9:30 AM-12:45 PM: Visit the Exhibits and get lunch - Grand Ballroom

1:00-3:00 PM: Sessions with Gateways Chamber Players - Plaza Room B

1:00-1:50 PM: Backstage Pass: The Real Life of a Professional Classical Musician

Step behind the curtain and listen to a panel featuring Alex Laing (clarinet), Patrice J. Jackson (cello), Jennifer Arnold (viola), and Herb Smith (trumpet), moderated by Armand Hall. Hear firsthand how today’s musicians blend creativity, improvisation, and cross-genre versatility—from classical stages to film scores and pop collaborations—to build dynamic, fulfilling careers. Geared toward students pursuing professional music, this conversation offers honest insights into the realities of the field, practical guidance for navigating the industry, and essential tips for crafting a sustainable and meaningful artistic life. Audience questions encouraged.

2:00-2:50 PM: Performance in Motion: Rethinking Auditions, Pressure, and Showing What You Can Do

Auditions matter—but they aren’t the only moments that reveal a musician’s readiness, voice, or artistry. In this hour-long session, Alex Laing (clarinet), Patrice J. Jackson (cello), Jennifer Arnold (viola), and Herb Smith (trumpet) widen the frame around auditions, treating them as one point on a larger continuum of performance.

Students will explore how to approach any musical moment—rehearsal, lesson, studio class, chair test, recital excerpt—with the same clarity, energy, and presence they reserve for an audition. Through demonstration and discussion, the artists show how they prepare for high-pressure situations by building reliable habits in low-pressure ones. The artist will demonstrate how we can shape our practice to serve the stakes required in various performance scenarios.

Participants will leave with strategies for:

• managing nerves by reframing the “stakes”
• activating focus on demand
• giving themselves usable feedback between attempts
• carrying their full musical identity into every space
• understanding the different types and goals of practice

A practical, confidence-building look at what it means to perform—not only when the screen goes up, but every day.

About Gateways Music Festival

https://www.gatewaysmusicfestival.org/

Gateways Music Festival connects and supports professional classical musicians of African descent and enlightens and inspires communities through the power of performance. Founded in 1993 by concert pianist Armenta Hummings Dumisani in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the festival relocated to Rochester, New York, in 1995 when Hummings Dumisani joined the Eastman School of Music faculty. Approximately 125 musicians — drawn from major orchestras, top conservatories and the nation’s freelance artist community — participate in each festival. In 2016, Gateways formalized its longstanding relationship with the Eastman School and the University of Rochester, gaining critical infrastructure and support while remaining an independent nonprofit. This deepened partnership enabled the festival to expand programming and build its first professional staff.

Today, Gateways presents a full-orchestra festival each year alongside a growing constellation of programs: an annual chamber music festival; the Gateways Brass Collective, the nation’s only all-Black professional brass quintet; the Gateways Chamber Players, an all-star touring ensemble; and ongoing residencies and special projects. In 2023, Gateways launched Gateways Radio, a one-hour syndicated radio program heard nationwide, featuring music and stories from Black classical artists. Through all its work, Gateways builds an abundant, joyful home for Black classical artistry — amplifying its legacy, celebrating its present and shaping its future.

REGISTRATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY Monday, February 2, 2026!

Individual students and their parent/guardian will need to complete the registration as it includes a Minor Release Form. Use the link to register by Monday, February 2, 2026.

Student Day Participants will have access to sessions and events in the 2026 ASTA Student Day Schedule AND any ASTA or SAA Conference sessions, master classes, performances, the exhibit hall, and MORE!