“One purpose of any professional association is to keep its members informed of new developments and to give them an opportunity to master new skills, or at least to understand them.”—Margaret Farish It is appropriate to recall these words of educator Farish — then ASTA Publications Chairman —who pronounced them as she expedited the ASTA Contemporary Etudes Project. The first phase of the project was completed as ASTA prepared and published, in 1982, with violinist Eugene Gratovitch as project editor, 16 Contemporary Violin Etudes for Study and Performance. Robert Culver succeeded Margaret Farish as ASTA Publications Chairman, and continued with the project. With this issue of AST, we announce the publication of the second volume commissioned toward this goal — Contemporary Etudes for Contrabass. With performance notes by project editor Bertram Turetzky, with music written by bassist Turetzky and composers Barney Childs, Donald Erb and Tom Johnson, and with the acceptance you will see noted on these pages, we feel sure the volume will serve its purpose. Contemporary Etudes for Contrabass will become a creative doorway for bassists moving into the twenty-first century; it will become a standard part of the learning — and performing — repertoire. The etude book is handsomely designed, spiral-bound, generously laid out in a 9”xl2” format for ease of reading, with 78 pages of music and performance notes. The music is written at a level for bassists who already have the ability to perform much of the literature; however, the forms, the ideas and the music should be of interest to any educator and any student of the bass. Priced at $12.95, the book is available through Theodore Presser, Presser Place, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010. Look for a publications order blank elsewhere in this issue. [J.A.]