SECTIONS:
BAKERSFIELD
Section
Welcome to the home of the Bakersfield Section CalASTA website! We are so proud to have our own local section where everyone in Bakersfield and the greater area can participate in our string community. We are devoted to enriching lives through the joy of teaching and playing stringed instruments! For information on our latest events, please check out our “Section News” in the upper left hand corner.
Are you interested in getting more involved in Bakersfield’s string community? Do you have additional ideas or suggestions? We would love to hear from you! Please write to us at ASTA.Bakersfield@gmail.com! Thank you for visiting!
Bakersfield Section Festival and Competition, May 4, 2019.
L to R: Paul Young, judge; Emily Chaffee, Violin; Ella Gove, violin; Claire Park, viola,; Anna Jian, cello, April Park, violin; and Tom Tatton, judge.
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SECTION NEWS
EVENTS
List of Services
Hello String Players and String Teachers in the Bakersfield area,
The applications for the ASTA BAKERSFIELD Solo Festival and Solo Competition are on our website now. You can click over on the left side of this page to print out and submit your application according to the instructions and guidelines.
The event is held April 11, 2026 at Valley Baptist Church at the Fruitvale campus. The deadline for Registration is March 21, 2026. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns, you may contact President Amy McGuire at 661-858-9332.
A special announcement for our Stockdale High School Orchestra, under the direction of Mrs. Amanda Sproul and Mr. Geoff Ruud, they will be performing at the ASTA Conference in San Francisco on Friday, February 27, 2026. Congratulations to our local Orchestra, its students, teachers, parents, and community!
Sincerely,
Amy
BAKERSFIELD OFFICERS
Amy McGuire has been teaching privately and in the public-school system for 40 years. Recently, she retired from the Panama-Buena Vista Union School District as the Visual and Performing Arts Administrator. She has been an Adjunct Faculty member at CSUB for many years, occasionally teaching Music for Classroom Teachers, String Pedagogy, and Private Studio Instruction. She performs as Principal Second Violin for the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra and freelance musician for many regional orchestras. Amy is excited to see the growth in our Bakersfield Section and how this expansion provides many more opportunities for young string players in our community.
Regina Pryor is serving as vice president of the CalASTA Bakersfield section. She has been teaching orchestra and chorus for over 30 years in the Panama Buena Vista Union School District. She leads the PBV Strolling Strings and she is very active in Bakersfield’s musical community. She has been President of KCMEA (Kern County Music Educator's Association), President of the Bakersfield Youth Symphony for many years and accompanies many of the ASTA and CMEA soloists. She also serves on the Sister City board of directors, facilitating several trips abroad for the Bakersfield Youth Symphony. She is enthusiastic, energetic and a fine leader.
Teresa Rizo has been teaching Orchestra and Band since 1989 in the Panama-Buena Vista School District in Bakersfield, California. She currently teaches at two elementary schools during the school day and two after school groups, one elementary band, and one junior high strings. Teresa is excited about growing the CalASTA section in Bakersfield.
Ambra Williams teaches 5th and 6th grade instrumental music for the Panama Buena Vista School District in Bakersfield, Ca. Ambra is very excited to participate in ASTA as a serving member, Treasurer. She is proud of all the Bakersfield students who have participated in our workshops and competitions, and looks forward to this year’s workshops. She enjoys playing the cello and plays music with friends in her free time. Along with learning more about string pedagogy and luthier, she enjoys hiking and spending time with her two dogs and cat.
MEMBERS AT LARGE
Elvira Arambula
Deborah Perkins
Heather Walkover
