Adventures at the 2018 ASTA Conference

3/12/2018

A storm was headed our way...

with a projected 6-12 inches of snow! We packed the rented Ford Expedition with books and displays (thanks to amazing glassmaker John Koutsouros!) and headed out early Wednesday morning. My mom (Judy Harvey) was going to fly but we knew the flights would be canceled so she came along for the ride.

The ride was rough for a few hours but around the time we hit Virginia, things started looking sunny.

We stopped for lunch/dinner at a delicious Mexican restaurant.

El Restaurante Ixtapa deserved every good Yelp review it got;
the fish tacos were to die for.

When we pulled into the Hyatt Regency Atlanta,

we were absolutely exhausted and ready to sleep. However, there were only two single beds for three people. The Hyatt Regency Atlanta said they couldn't bring in a cot because of the fire codes and suggested that one person sleep on the floor. (Bear in mind that none of this was told to us at booking.) You never know what you'll get when you travel!

Anyway, Myanna headed out the next day to get an air mattress. And an air pump. That didn't work because it needed a car cigarette lighter for power. Hmm.

Judy came to the rescue with an unorthodox solution!

Never would have thought of this but it actually worked!

Conference setup day!

It's a mammoth task to unload a "tank" full of book boxes and displays, drag it all up to an exhibit hall, and set it up. This year was better because we had a proper cart.

Glamorous booth set up...

Finally set up.

Almost ready to open.

Beautiful hotel elevator ride

photo by Judy Harvey

The conference was amazing!

We met many wonderful teachers and the booth was humming with activity. I loved the chance to interact with musicians from all over the country and talk string technique. From cello shifting to violin scales, we had fabulous conversations and (happily for our aching arms and backs) came home with empty book boxes.

If you are thinking of attending at ASTA conference, definitely try it out; there were so many great sessions and just the coolest people ever. Hope to see you next year in Albuquerque!

1 Comment

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Cassia Harvey can't ever find or play enough exercises. She searches for rare and out-of-print studies and etudes in her free time. If you know of any, please let her know. Seriously; it's an obsession.

Myanna Harvey's teacher assigned her piles of exercises when she was growing up but whenever her mother stopped listening, Myanna would quickly break away from the Sevcik to play a bit of Brahms or Beethoven she had heard on the radio. Now she practices with exercises and assigns them to students but her greatest passion is playing chamber music.

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5/19/2018 10:44:04 pm

I heard so many things about ASTA Conference. I am happy to know that it was a successful event and the atendees got something great from the conference, may it be knowledge or experience. I have been there almost three years ago and I must say that the experience was indeed memorable. You get the chance to learn new things about everything! I failed to be there this year, and I hope to make it next year.

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