Certificate Advancement Program


Dear String Colleagues,


  INASTA is pleased to offer ASTACAP for string players to challenge themselves with a jury-like exam. This annual program assesses and motivates novices to the most advanced string students (pre-K-12) with a leveled certificate festival. 


Indiana Exam Sites for 2024:


Students from the Foundation Level through Level 10 may participate in this extremely beneficial process to receive feedback, suggestions, and recognition for their stringed instrument studies. Levels and repertoire are available on the astastrings.org website under Member Resources: Certificate Advancement Program. The repertoire for the festival is very flexible and accessible, having been reviewed at the national level by many well-known instrument specific pedagogues. Teachers have great academic freedom in literature, etude, and scale selections for the exams, which are designed to be positive experiences. It’s a great way to get more mileage from repertoire rehearsed for ISSMA while extending their assessment to etudes and scales.


Students prepare music for the exam with their teacher and an accompanist; however accompanists are optional. Students play for the examiner without an audience in order to focus on their music without distractions. The examiner provides feedback on each musical component of the performance and assesses if the student has passed the level. When a student passes a level, they earn the level-appropriate certificate. Students who pass a level and prefer to work on that level one more year are eligible to re-enter as Level A. 


We hope you will be able to join us. Across the nation, ASTACAP validates teaching practices when students receive structured and positive feedback and recognition from other pedagogues. The literature lists are outstanding! Current ASTA membership is required for registration eligibility. If you haven’t joined ASTA, visit www.astastrings.org  to enroll as a member and explore these musical choices for your students!


Postmark deadlines:

Northern Site (Fort Wayne)   December 15, 2023 

Central Site (Indianapolis)     January 15, 2024


Musically Yours,


Colleen Tan, 301.437.7205 and Marcy Trentacosti 260.438.9574, co-chairs, Indiana Northern Site ASTACAP

Bob Goodlett, chair, Central Site ASTACAP 317.414.8190

P.S.  If you are unable to access the repertoire lists, please contact us.

Information for Testing

2024 ASTACAP CENTRAL Online Student Registration Form

Postmark Deadline – Coming Soon
Testing Date – North: February 11, 2024 || Central: March 16th, 2024

Testing Location North:
Canterbury Middle School
5601 Covington Road
Fort Wayne, Indiana 46804

Testing Location Central:

Butler University

 4600 Sunset Ave.

Indianapolis, IN 46208

A History of the ASTACAP

ASTACAP (formerly, the Certificate Program for Strings) was developed and introduced by highly experienced pedagogues of the ASTA MD/DC Chapter in 1998 under the leadership of Lya Stern, who was the state chapter president at that time. Other members of MD/DC Chapter who were the original committee members and contributors are: Margaret Wright, Judith Shapiro, Elsa Brandt, Lisa Cole Sadowski, Ronald Mutchnik, Judith Silverman, Mark Pfannschmidt, Cecylia Barczyk, Denise Nathanson, Bai Chi Chen, Eleanor Woods, Patricia Braunlich, Catherine Stewart, Margaret Motter Ward, and Lorraine Combs.

The program was designed to support studio teachers’ quest for commitment to long-term instrumental study and higher standards of performance on the part of their students. Although similar programs have been used with great success in Canada, Great Britain, and Australia, the CAP was the first one designed for American string teachers and students. Hallmark characteristics of the American program are: a graded list for each instrument, flexibility in the choice of repertoire presented for exams, and the utilization of string specialists as examiners.

Lya Stern organized and has subsequently run the exams, which have been held annually in Maryland and the District of Columbia since 1998. In 2001, the CAP was introduced to New Jersey by Leslie Webster, ASTA/NJ President, and in Virginia by Lynne Denig, VASTA President-elect.

With Lya as the leading advocate of the CAP on the national level, along with Leslie and Lynne, the three together formed the committee that made annual presentations at national ASTA conferences and became the guiding force for the introduction of the program in several additional states: Florida and Hawaii in 2003, and Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin in 2005. To date, thousands of students have taken the CAP exams, and their teachers are enjoying their students’ growing progress.

ASTACAP received the enthusiastic support of ASTA National Presidents Robert Jesselson, David Littrell and Robert Gillespie. Anticipating the long-reaching benefits that the program would bring to teachers and students of stringed instruments, the ASTA National Executive Board voted to adopt it as an ASTA-sponsored program in 2004.

The ASTACAP Handbook, offered to all ASTA members, is available for download on the National ASTA website, Certificate Advancement Program page. It is the result of hundreds of hours of work by members of the committee, reviewing the levels, expanding the Curriculum Guide, streamlining the rules, devising simple and easy ways for starting the program and providing all instructions and necessary forms for doing so.


Why the ASTA CAP?

Uniformity of expectations between states.

Continual feedback through an examiner’s comments on student progress.

Documentation of achievements that can be used when applying to youth orchestras, summer music camps, and college admission.

Professionally designed and printed certificates for students.

Member access to the ASTACAP handbook online.

Access to a marketing brochure about the ASTACAP program to usefor recruitment.

Use of a specially designed ASTACAP logo for teachers to use on materials and cards.

Listing of participating teachers on the ASTA national website.


Frequently Asked Questions

What is it?

    A leveled (Foundation through 10) comprehensive instrument-specific exam. Students play: scales, an etude, and a piece (up to three pieces as they progress towards level 10) from a flexible repertoire program. Upon satisfactory completion of an exam, students earn a certificate for their level which is recognized among string teachers nationally.


Why should I enter my student in this when they already have ISSMA?

    ISSMA helps a student prepare for ASTACAP. ASTACAP is a comprehensive exam of student progress as a player. Students need a solo PLUS scales and etudes. Higher level students can play longer pieces and two to three pieces in the uppermost level.


How long should I prepare in advance?

    Several months is generally enough time with a weekly-lesson student to prepare.


What are the benefits of ASTACAP for my students?


Is a pianist required?

      It is recommended but not required! This allows for family budget flexibility.

Coordinators

Colleen Tan
Marcy Trentacosti