American Music Teacher articles from April 2004

American Music Teacher archives from April 2004

The future ...(Dear Reader)(Editorial)
April 1, 2004... "If you do not think about the future, you cannot have one." Those words by English novelist and playwright John Galsworthy adequately and concisely sum up the need for all of us--individuals and organizations--to exercise foresight and...

"Recreational" music.(In Unison)
April 1, 2004... NEWS FLASH: The advent of the "American Idol" FOX TV show has spawned at least one spin-off--the Grays Harbor Idol contest had a standing room-only crowd at the recent competition finals. NEWS FLASH: A piano student who had been primarily...

Alfred appoints new VP, educational development.(Items of Interest)(Danny Rocks, Alfred Publishing Co Inc)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Danny Rocks has been appointed vice president, educational development for Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. In this new role, Rocks will deliver presentations to educators on the importance of music advocacy, respect for copyright and professional...

Eastman professor honored with Anthony Achievement Award.(Items of Interest)(Jean Barr, Susan B. Anthony Lifetime Achievement Award)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... MTNA member Jean Barr, professor of piano accompanying and chamber music at the Eastman School of Music, has received the Susan B. Anthony Lifetime Achievement Award. This award is presented annually to a University of Rochester alumna,...

Reist appointed to Advocacy Committee.(Items of Interest)(Joan Reist)(Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network)
April 1, 2004... Joan Reist, NCTM, former MTNA president, has been appointed to the Advocacy Committee of the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network (KCAAEN). The committee maintains the KCAAEN Advocacy Communications Matrix. Each committee...

NEA news.(Items of Interest)(National Endowment for the Arts)
April 1, 2004... The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced it will award more than $25.3 million through 915 grants in the first major grant announcement of fiscal year 2004. The Arts Endowment will distribute $25,352,000 to nonprofit national,...

Gibson Guitar hires new chief marketing officer.(Items of Interest)(Craig Braasch)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Craig Braasch was named Gibson Guitar Corp.'s chief marketing officer in January, overseeing all strategic marketing initiatives for Gibson Guitar, located in Nashville, Tennessee. Braasch previously was vice president, global advertising...

Sibelius hires central region manager.(Items of Interest)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Sibelius USA, Inc. recently appointed Greg Smith as central region manager, responsible for sales of all Sibelius 3.0 products in the central U.S. and Canada. Prior to this appointment, Smith was director of technology services with...

Jung-Ho Pak joins Interlochen Arts Camp.(Items of Interest)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Conductor Jung-Ho Pak has been appointed the first director of orchestral activities and music director of the World Youth Symphony Orchestra at Interlochen Arts Camp. Pak is recognized internationally as an innovative and expressive...

New program builds young audiences for classical music.(Items of Interest)
April 1, 2004... The Symphony Sam Live! is a new program launched to introduce kids to classical music in a fun, entertaining format by combining a short film with a live performance. The Symphony Sam Live! performance premiered at the Hot Springs...

Peabody Institute reopens after major renovations.(Items of Interest)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... In April The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, the nation's oldest music conservatory, will reopen its doors after a $26.8 million renovation of its campus in Baltimore's Mount Vernon Cultural District. The Peabody...

Nadia Boulanger symposium in October in Colorado.(Items of Interest)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The American Music Research Center (AMRC) and College of Music, University of Colorado at Boulder, will host an international symposium and concert series, Nadia Boulanger and American Music, October 7-9, 2004. About thirty presenters from...

Piano Logic offers new music instruction program.(Music Marketplace)(Video Recording Review)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Piano Logic; www.pianologic.com. $99.99, DVD; $89.95, two-volume VHS set directly from www.pianologic.com. Piano Logic is a new video developed by pianist Patty Carlson that enables anyone to play the piano--without reading music--by...

New RhythMix instruments for children.(Music Marketplace)
April 1, 2004... Latin Percussion, Inc., a Division of Kaman Music Corporation, 160 Belmont Ave., Garfield, NJ 07026; (973) 478-6903, fax: (973) 772-3568; lpmusic.com@lprhythmix.com; www.lpmusic.com. LP RhythMix X-Drum, $17.99; LP RhythMix Tambourine, $17.99;...

New book makes fingering drills fun.(Music Marketplace)(Easy Songs for Shifting in the First Five Positions)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
April 1, 2004... Warner Bros. Publications, 15800 N. W. 48th Ave., Miami, FL 33014; (800) 327-7643, ext. 1749; www.warnerbrospublications.com. $6.95. Kathryn Bird Kinnard has written a book, Easy Songs for Shifting in the First Five Positions, to help...

New upright Palatino pianos.(Music Marketplace)
April 1, 2004... The Music Link Corporation; www.themusiclink.net. See area dealer for price. Palatino, from The Music Link, introduces its new upright piano (KP-123), which stands 48.5" and is built using state-of-the-art computer technology for...

2004 Barlow Prize for composers.(Competitions)
April 1, 2004... The Barlow Endowment for Music Composition at Brigham Young University is seeking composers to compete for its Barlow Prize for an A Cappella Choral Work, an $11,000 commission, which will be premiered in 2006 by Vocal Essence, the BBC Singers...

William Black.(Passages)(Obituary)
April 1, 2004... William Black, a respected performer and professor of piano at the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music, died December 10, 2003, of cancer. Black made a historical premier recording of the original version of Sergei...

Frank Mantooth.(Passages)(Obituary)
April 1, 2004... Frank Mantooth, Grammy-nominated jazz pianist and composer, died January 30, 2004, from a heart attack. Mantooth was active not only as a pianist and composer, but also as an arranger, clinician and educator whose five albums earned a total...

Emerging trends and issues in the music profession and their impact on the individual music teacher.(Visions)
April 1, 2004... Our collective angst about emerging trends in the music profession is undoubtedly rooted in our concern for the future of the music we know and love. We hear reports of its demise, fueled, perhaps, by what we are told are dwindling audiences,...

Cultivating the next generation.
April 1, 2004... Camden County, Georgia--it doesn't exactly conjure up images of a hotbed of thriving artistic activity. Even people who know the location of this Deep South community at the southeastern tip of Georgia probably don't realize that nearly 10,000...

Rattling the cage.
April 1, 2004... One day, while riding the bus to work, I decided I wanted to give a solo piano recital. I have no idea where this thought came from; although I had been an active accompanist and collaborative pianist for years, I hadn't done any solo work...

An introduction to the piano music of Jeno Takacs.
April 1, 2004... Touted as "One of Austria's most prestigious contemporary composers...", Jeno Takacs composed hundreds of pieces for the young pianist. The various collections of piano pieces for children comprise some 200 compositions. Taken together,...

2004-2005 MTNA Student Competitions.
April 1, 2004... The MTNA Student Competitions consist of three levels: State Competition, Division Competition and National Finals. PERFORMANCE COMPETITIONS The intent of the performance competitions sponsored by Music Teachers National Association is...

Membership updates.(National Association News)(Music Teachers National Association)
April 1, 2004... Spring is here, and it's time to renew your membership. MTNA is pleased to announce that members will be able to renew their memberships online beginning with the 2004-2005 membership year. This is the next step in MTNA's ongoing effort to make...

Discounted office products for members.(National Association News)(Music Teachers National Association)
April 1, 2004... MTNA members now can receive discounted office supplies through Viking Office Products. MTNA members will receive an extra 10 percent off products that already have been discounted up to 69 percent. Viking offers more than 16,000...

MTNA saves affiliates more than $50,000.(National Association News)(Music Teachers National Association)
April 1, 2004... Did you know that in addition to providing member benefits to individuals, MTNA also offers benefits to state and local MTAs? State and local affiliates may apply for 501(c)(3) status through MTNA's group exemption process. As of...

Thank you MTNA.(National Association News)(Music Teachers National Association)
April 1, 2004... Celebrating its fortieth anniversary in May, the Robert H. Clarkson Insurance Agency brings to MTNA members knowledge of the unique insurance needs of music teaching professionals. RHC wants to take this opportunity to thank its MTNA clients....

Director of development Shirley Raut retires.(National Association News)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... After many years of service to MTNA, Shirley Raut will retire on April 15. In 1988, Raut came to MTNA as meetings manager. From 1992-1996, she served as executive director. Raut returned to MTNA in 2002 to focus on the MTNA FOUNDATION and...

Membership information available for music stores.(National Association News)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... MTNA membership recruitment displays are appearing in music stores across the nation. "For years, we've encouraged members to ask their local music store to make MTNA membership information available to its patrons. Now we have an...

Save the date!(National Association News)(seventh annual National Summit for MTNA Leadership)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The seventh annual National Summit for MTNA Leadership will take place in Cincinnati, Ohio, September 17-19, 2004. MTNA President Phyllis Pieffer invites members of the MTNA Board of Directors, division presidents, division...

State conference/convention dates.(National Association News)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
April 1, 2004... State Conference/Convention Dates (as of January 27, 2004) This list contains only the state MTA conventions held during the summer months. Fall state convention dates will be listed in the June/July AMT. State Date ...

East Central Division.(MTNA Division News)(Music Teachers National Association)
April 1, 2004... School boards across the nation are struggling with severe budget cuts. Gail Heywood, president of the Wisconsin MTA, reported an interesting development to build a network of diverse music associations to provide support. It seems one of the...

Eastern Division.(MTNA Division News)(Music Teachers National Association)
April 1, 2004... Vermont is the featured state for this issue. President Camille Brubaker, NCTM, has been a very dynamic leader of the state organization. This year, when faced with policy changes and large rental fees with regards to use of music building...

Northwest Division.(MTNA Division News)(Music Teachers National Association)
April 1, 2004... As I write this last article to complete my term as Northwest Division president, I would like to thank the Northwest Division State Presidents, Timothy Smith, Elaine Mills, Geneva Wright, NCTM, Jodell Winter, Jeanne Howard, NCTM, Marilyn Linde...

South Central Division.(MTNA Division News)(Music Teachers National Association)
April 1, 2004... Three of the four states in our division will have state conferences during the month of June. The Arkansas MTA will host its conference June 4-5, 2004, on the campus of Hendrix College in Conway. The featured clinician is Ingrid Jacobson...

Southern Division.(MTNA Division News)
April 1, 2004... By the time you read this, my term as Southern Division president will have ended. Please let me tell you what an honor it has been to serve as your president. I always will cherish the friends I have made during these years--from state...

Southwest Division.(MTNA Division News)
April 1, 2004... For the first time in 127 years, this year the Southwest Division held the division competitions at the University of Hawaii. After careful consideration of the additional expense this would cost students and teachers, it was decided it was...

West Central Division.(MTNA Division News)
April 1, 2004... Once again, Mother Nature cooperated with splendid weather for the West Central Division competition weekend! The students, parents and teachers were treated to generous hospitality by many Colorado members, and we wish to thank our University...

Foundation fund news.(MTNA)(Music Teachers National Association)
April 1, 2004... This list includes individuals, associations, organizations and corporations who contributed to the MTNA FOUNDATION FUND during the period from January 1-December 31, 2003. Founders Society Platinum Circle $10,000 or More Gibson...

Professionalism: degrees of separation.(MTNA Certification)
April 1, 2004... Have you considered the different kinds of people who teach music? After thirty years of teaching piano and having the privilege of attending numerous classes, workshops and conferences, it strikes me that there are three basic types of private...

MTNA Student Competitions National Finalists.
April 1, 2004... MTNA STUDENT COMPOSITION COMPETITIONS Sponsored by Warner Bros. Publications ELEMENTARY Max Loutzenheiser, North Canton, OH, East Central Division; Carole Singer, teacher Kevin Qian, Chestnut Hill, MA, Eastern Division; Alla...

Polyphony: art as process.(Professional Resources)(Interview)
April 1, 2004... Q: What inspired you to write this column about "art as process"? A: Recently, I participated in a conversation with five individuals who were enrolled in an art workshop. It was at the beginning of the multi-day gathering, and they...

Random access: do your students take their teacher home?(Professional Resources)
April 1, 2004... Compared to the classroom teacher, the private music instructor has a tremendous advantage. The private teacher typically works with one student at a time, and when the private teacher works with groups, the number of students usually is small....

It's all your business: work stations: enhancing the independent studio.(Professional Resources)
April 1, 2004... Teaching music in an independent studio has changed drastically over the last thirty years. Students, who at one time primarily received instruction on how to play an instrument, now often receive a more rounded approach to music education. The...

It's time: start a collegiate chapter.(Forum focus: collegiate chapters)
April 1, 2004... Ah, spring, a time of renewal and flesh air! Time to deep clean the house, organize closets and clean up the yard to prepare for summer--and while you're at it, why not organize a new MTNA collegiate chapter at your institution? Students...

The benefits of MTNA: membership for the IMT.(Forum focus: independent music teachers)
April 1, 2004... As an independent music teacher, I have taught piano and group keyboard from 1980 through 1987 in Louisiana, very briefly in Texas and in Albuquerque, New Mexico, since 1994. In my early years in Albuquerque, I was unable to be very...

Austerity blues: it's wheat-from-the-chaff time.(Forum focus: local associations)
April 1, 2004... With each new day come additional signals that resources for the arts will be less and less for the foreseeable future. As of early April [2003], legislators in New Jersey, Arizona, Florida and Missouri have considered elimination of arts...

MTNA corporate members.(Music Teachers National Association)
April 1, 2004... (as of February 20, 2004) MTNA thanks the following corporate members for their support: 800SheetMusic.com, www.800SheetMusic.com Alfred Publishing Co., Inc., www.alfredpub.com Apple Computer, www.apple.com Associated...

MTNA institutional members.
April 1, 2004... (as of February 20, 2004) MTNA thanks the following institutional members for their support: Almaden School of Music, www.almadenschool.com Arkansas State University, www.astate.edu Azusa Pacific University, www.apu.edu ...

The Perfect Wrong Note: Learning to Trust Your Musical Self.(Book Review)
April 1, 2004... The Perfect Wrong Note: Learning to Trust Your Musical Self, by William Westney. Amadeus Press, LLC (512 Newark Pompton Turnpike, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444), 2003. 227 pp. $24.95. William Westney thinks "out of the box" in his new book,...

The Music Lover's Quotation Book.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
April 1, 2004... The Music Lover's Quotation Book, by David W. Barber. Firefly Books Ltd. (3680 Park Ave., Toronto, Ontario M2H 3K1), 2003. 168pp. $19.95. The Music Lover's Quotation Book is a highly enjoyable read. Compiler/editor David W. Barber is a...

Stage Presence from Head to Toe: a Manual for Musicians.(Book Review)
April 1, 2004... Stage Presence from Head to Toe: A Manual for Musicians, by Karen Hagberg. The Scarecrow Press (4501 Forbes Blvd., Ste. 200, Lanham, MD 20706), 2003. 108 pp. $24.95. Karen Hagberg's Stage Presence from Head to Toe is a comprehensive...

Accelerando (Books 1, 2 and 3) Piano Techniques to Accelerate the Progress and Development of the Student Pianist.(Book Review)
April 1, 2004... Accelerando (Books 1, 2 and 3) Piano Techniques to Accelerate the Progress and Development of the Student Pianist, by Robert Schultz and Tina Faigen. The FJH Music Company, Inc. (Westport Business Park, 2525 Davie Rd., Ste. 360, Fort...

Stories of the Great Christmas Carols.(Book Review)
April 1, 2004... Stories of the Great Christmas Carols, by Kenon Renfrow and June Montgomery. Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. (16320 Roscoe Blvd., Ste. 100, Van Nuys, CA 91410), 2003. 56pp. $8.50. Late elementary to early intermediate. Stories of the Great...

Rock Hanon: 70 Exercises for the Beginning to Professional Pianist.(Book Review)
April 1, 2004... Rock Hanon: 70 Exercises for the Beginning to Professional Pianist, by Peter Deneff. Hal Leonard Corporation (7777 W. Bluemound Rd., P.O. Box 13819, Milwaukee, WI 53213), 2003. 136pp. $12.95. Peter Deneff's Rock Hanon presents a set of...

Patapan: Traditional Burgundian Carol.(Book Review)
April 1, 2004... Patapan: Traditional Burgundian Carol (w/CD), edited by Michael Story. Belwin-Mills Publishing Co.; Warner Bros. Publications (15800 N.W. 48th Ave., Miami, FL 33014), 2003. Beginning to intermediate. in my capacity as the director of our...

Three Mystery Pieces for Flute and Piano.
April 1, 2004... Three Mystery Pieces for Flute and Piano, by Gary Schocker. Theodore Presser Company (588 N. Gulph Rd., King of Prussia, PA 19406), 2003. 25 pp. $19.95. Advanced intermediate to advanced. This piece, for flute and piano, was composed by...

Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker: the Music Game; Alice in Vivaldi's Four Seasons: the Music Game; Mozart's Magic Flute: the Music Game.
April 1, 2004... Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker: the Music Game; Alice in Vivaldi's Four Seasons: The Music Game; Mozart's Magic Flute: The Music Game. Music Games International (P.O. Box 1376, Amherst, MA 01004), 2003. $19.95 each. Late elementary. These three...

Piano and Keyboard Method: the Easiest Way to Learn Piano! Vol. 1.
April 1, 2004... Piano and Keyboard Method: The Easiest Way to Learn Piano! Vol. 1. eMedia Music Corp. (664 N.E. Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98105), 2003. $59. 95. Older teens and adults. Piano and Keyboard Method is an impressive and thorough piano...

MusicGoals by Eye and Ear and MusicGoals by Rhythm Version 1.5.
April 1, 2004... MusicGoals by Eye and Ear and MusicGoals by Rhythm Version 1.5, by Gregory Roy Giese. Singing Electron (13901 Balsam Ln., Dayton, MN 55327), 2003. $79.95. Beginning to intermediate. MusicGoals by Eye and Ear offers a unique visual format...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
April 1, 2004... On page 58 of the December/January AMT the second sentence of the second paragraph should read. "... Brian Ganz's performance of Henri Dutilleux' Sonata...." In the listing for the University of Washington on page 49 of the February/ March...

Clarification.(Correction Notice)
April 1, 2004... A review of A Symposium for Pianists and Teachers: Strategies to Develop the Mind and Body for Optimal Performance, did not clearly list the title of a chapter by Robert Mayerovitch. The title of the chapter is "Mind Over Muscle" and deals with...

Leadership.
April 1, 2004... Phyllis Pieffer, NCTM President 4852 Wishkah Rd. Aberdeen, WA 98520-9628 (360) 537-6863 Fax (360) 537-6852 Pianofil@techline.com Paul Stewart, NCTM President-elect University of North Carolina at...

My "super teacher": Dorothy Taubman.(The Back Page)
April 1, 2004... As far back as I can remember I always wanted to be a pianist. Nobody could understand why because there were no musicians in my family. The only music I remember hearing was on the radio, the sound of my parents always singing and whistling...