Advocate for Strings

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ASTA is committed to providing resources to aid teachers, parents, and others in advocating for strings education in school districts everywhere. We encourage you to download the following documents and disseminate them to strings supporters in your community. The "Why Strings?" brochure is one of our most-used resources and was updated to "Celebrating Strings" in 2022.


Even if you currently have strings programs in your schools, these resources can help you keep strings in your district. Voicing your support for strings programs to the school board and community can help prevent future cuts to your program. Don't wait until a crisis hits before taking action to keep strings in your district.


You can count on ASTA to share new information and resources as they become available.

Celebrating Strings

Program Inserts & Slide Decks


It is truly a time to celebrate string teaching, string learning, and string support in music education! Access the Celebrating Strings concert program insert and slide deck below to share with families, patrons, and administrators at your upcoming concerts!

Celebrating Strings References


Adrian Hille and Jürgen Schupp, “How Learning a Musical Instrument Affects the Development of Skills. Economics of Education Review 44, (2015): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2014.10.007


Anita Collins, “Music Education and the Brain: What Does It Take to Make a Change?” Update: Applications of Research in Music Education 32, no. 2, (2014): https://doi.org/10.1177/8755123313502346


Brian P. Shaw, “A National Analysis of Music Coursetaking, Social-Emotional Learning, and Academic Achievement Using Propensity Scores,” Journal of Research in Music Education 69, no. 4 (2022):

https://doi.org/10.1177/00224294211006415


Camille Farrington, Joseph Maurer, Meredith R. Aska McBride, Jenny Nagaoka, Jessica Puller, Steve Shewfelt, Elizabeth Weiss, and Lindsay Wright. Arts Education and Social-emotional Learning Outcomes Among K-12 Students: Developing a Theory of Action (Chicago, IL: Ingenuity and the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research: 2019).


John Jonides, “Musical Skill and Cognition,” in Learning, Arts, and the Brain: The Dana Consortium Report on Arts and Cognition, ed. Carolyn Asbury and Barbara Rich (New York: Dana Press, 2008).


“Music Scholarships,” Scholarships.com, 1998-2022, https://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/scholarships-by-major/music-scholarships/

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