American Music Teacher articles from April 2005

American Music Teacher archives from April 2005

Bytes and bits.(Dear Reader)
April 1, 2005... The computer age is upon us. Our society has been utterly transformed by the new cyber-reality. This technological revolution is so pervasive in our culture that many self-proclaimed experts and futurists are predicting a paperless society--and...

Looking back ... moving forward.(In Unison)(Music Teachers National Association)
April 1, 2005... As I sit at my computer to write this last column as MTNA President, so many thoughts race through my mind. Have two years already passed? What haven't I said that I would like to share? What haven't I done that should have been done? Am I glad...

Alfred to purchase Warner Bros. Publications.(Items of Interest)(Alfred Publishing Company)
April 1, 2005... Alfred Publishing Company has purchased Warner Bros. Publications, one of the world's largest publishers of printed music, from Warner Music Group. Under the agreement, Alfred will acquire the entire Warner Bros. Publications business,...

Theodore Presser to distribute Vienna Urtext.(Items of Interest)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Theodore Presser Company is now the distributor of Vienna Urtext, publisher of critical editions in practical form, for both the United States and Canadian markets. Vienna Urtext was founded in 1972 as a joint effort of publishing houses...

Call for Orff-Schulwerk research poster sessions.(Items of Interest)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The American Orff-Schulwerk Association will sponsor a research poster session at its 2005 National Conference in Birmingham, Alabama, November 10-12. Research reports on music learning through movement, speech, playing instruments,...

Dawn Upshaw joins Bard College Conservatory.(Items of Interest)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The Bard College Conservatory of Music has appointed soprano Dawn Upshaw as the Charles Franklin Kellogg and Grace E. Ramsey Kellogg Professor of the Arts and Humanities at Bard College Conservatory of Music. In the initial phase, Upshaw's...

Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation donates instruments.(Items of Interest)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation reached approximately 25,000 students in 2004 by providing instruments to music programs in schools and communities across the country. In 2004, the organization provided $750,000 worth of new and...

Winners of WAMSO Young Artists Competition announced.(Items of Interest)
April 1, 2005... MTNA 2004 Young Artist String Competition winner Anna Burden was among the winners of the forty-ninth annual WAMSO Young Artists Competition, held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in January. Twenty-year-old Burden, cellist from Lake Bluff,...

Prevention program for repetitive stress injury.(Items of Interest)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The Chicago-based Institute of Health and Human Performance announces its new Injury Prevention Program for Musicians. Co-founded by Jon Kabance, Injury Prevention Program for Musicians incorporates his expertise in physiology and...

Kawai introduces decade series music books.(Music Merchandise)
April 1, 2005... Kawai America Corporation, P.O. Box 9045, Rancho Dominguez, CA 90224-9045; (310) 631-1771, fax: (310) 604-6913; productsupport@kawaius.com; www.kawaius.com. $14.95 each. The new Kawai Decade Series music books for concert performer...

Casio offers new PRIVIA digital piano.(Music Merchandise)
April 1, 2005... Casio, Inc., 570 Mr. Pleasant Ave., Dover, NJ 07801; (937) 361-5400. www.casio.com. $1,099.95. Casio, Inc. has enhanced its PRIVIA digital piano line with model PX-400R, which has a built-in stand, 256 tone selections, an eighty-song...

Singing coach software introduced.(Music Merchandise)
April 1, 2005... Carry-a-Tune Technologies, 5401 Hangar Ct., Tampa, FL 33634; (813) 884-6344, fax: (888) 378-5050; www.carryatune.com. $49.95, Singing Coach; $99.95, Singing Coach Unlimited. Carry-a-Tune Technologies has developed a new family of software...

Breedlove Guitar announces new Revival Series.(Music Merchandise)
April 1, 2005... Breedlove Guitar Company, 19885 8th St., Tumalo, OR 97701; (541) 385-8339, fax: (541) 385-8183; info@breedloveguitars.com; www.breedloveguitars.com. $2,249-3,499. The new Revival Series of dreadnought and orchestral model guitars are...

Boomophone and Boomwhackers garner several awards.(Music Merchandise)
April 1, 2005... Whacky Music, Inc., 2085 Mountain Rd., Sedona, AZ 86336; (928) 282-3860, fax: (928) 282-387; whacky@boomwhackers.com; www.boomwhackers.com; $25 for one musical set. Whacky Music, Inc. recently released its Boomophone XTS Whack Pack, which...

Passages.(Joanne Johnson Baker; Dianne Brimmer)(Obituary)
April 1, 2005... Joanne Johnson Baker, a long-time faculty member at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), died December 27, 2004, at age 81. Baker's contributions to MTNA were extensive and far-reaching, as she served as national coordinator for the...

Essential skills for promoting a lifelong love of music and music making: developing the fundamental skill: healthful, injury-preventive technique: Part 2 of 4.
April 1, 2005... Introduction Consider the feelings you have when a performance has gone well and you've really connected with the audience. Successful at projecting your excitement and love of a composition to the audience, your face is flushed, your...

Facilitating flow experiences among musicians.
April 1, 2005... Have you ever been... * So totally absorbed in playing your musical instrument that you lost track of time? * So engrossed in your music that you felt transformed or "in the zone"? * Surprised by playing better than you thought...

Exploring new sounds: contemporary performance techniques for the pre-college student.
April 1, 2005... As a frequent performer and fervent advocate of new music, I believe we have a critical responsibility to prepare the developing pianist for the expanded performance requirements that have emerged since the latter half of the twentieth century....

Bach's Goldberg Variations demystified.
April 1, 2005... If pianists were to play a word association game in which a psychologist said, "Bach's Goldberg Variations," they would almost without fail respond with the name "Glenn Gould." Gould's landmark recording from 1955 has had both positive and...

Boy bands over bach.(a cappella music)
April 1, 2005... A cap.pel.la: from the Italian for "in the manner of a chapel or choir," it means without instrumental accompaniment. In the world of collegiate a cappella, chapel means venue and a choir is what everyone sang in before college. College...

Composer classification list.
April 1, 2005... This list is not exclusive. If you have repertoire concerns, contact the appropriate national coordinator. Baroque (B); Classical (C); Romantic (R); Impressionistic (I); Contemporary (Con) Achron, Joseph Con Albeniz,...

New certification option available.(National Association News)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... College and university faculty now may choose the administrative verification option to complete the validation portion of the MTNA Professional Certification process. This option allows faculty to easily use the evaluation processes and...

Liability coverage available.(National Association News)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Professional and general liability insurance programs available to MTNA members through the Robert H. Clarkson Insurance Agency will now be underwritten by The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. Working directly with The Hartford to meet...

MTNA Board of Directors votes to support Inducement Act.(National Association News)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The MTNA Board of Directors has voted to support the Inducement Act. The Inducement Act is a federal anti-piracy bill aimed at the makers of peer-to-peer software, which enables the illegal downloading of music. The language of the bill would...

State conference/convention dates (As of January 31, 2005).(National Association News)(Calendar)
April 1, 2005... State Conference/Convention Dates (As of January 31, 2005) This list contains only state MTA conferences/conventions held during the summer months. Fall state conferences/conventions will be listed in the June/July AMT. State ...

East Central Division.(Division News)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... First, I would like to personally thank me university of Wisconsin at Madison and Jessica Johnson for their graciousness and overwhelming Support tnroughout our January competitions. A very special thank you also goes to Laura Melton, who...

Eastern Division.(Division News)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The Eastern Division is a diverse community consisting of thirteen states that have memberships ranging from 60 to 600. In this issue's column we hear from New Hampshire MTA President Paul Bordeleau, NCTM: Since New Hampshire has a small...

Northwest Division.(Division News)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The Northwest Division state presidents met during the MTNA Division Competitions January 14-16, 2005. Each president shared ideas from his or her state about membership, future and current projects, fundraising, conferences and leadership...

Southern Division.(Division News)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The next stop in our division tour is Florida. Florida State MTA has doubled the number of its student members this year by increasing its outreach to college students and recent college graduates. A new collegiate chapter has been established...

South Central Division.(Division News)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... We are grateful to Trudy Kincade, NCTM, for arranging the division competition facilities at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and to June Leondar, NCTM, for her work as competitions chair. The 2005 Arkansas State MTA conference...

West Central Division.(Division News)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The frigid temperatures of Kansas did not deter students from the MTNA West Central Division competitions January 14-16 at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. The event could not have happened without everyone's dedication and cooperation...

Southwest Division.(Division News)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The Southwest Division competitions were held January 21-23, 2005, on the campus of California State University-Long Beach. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Mary Louise Beckstrand, NCTM, who is stepping down as the Southwest Division...

Foundation fund contributors.(Association News)
April 1, 2005... This list includes individuals, associations, organizations and corporations who contributed $25 or more to the MTNA FOUNDATION FUND the period of January 1-December 31, 2004 * Deceased Founders Society Platinum Circle $10,000 or...

Professional Certification: the MTNA Professional Certification program's new Option 3. Administrative Verification.(Association News)
April 1, 2005... The 2005 New Year Drought advantageous news for college and university faculty members aspiring to become Nationally Certified Teachers of Music. The MTNA Board of Directors and the National Certification Commission (NCC) are pleased to...

Certification--the worth of it!(Association News)
April 1, 2005... Periodically, a survey regarding independent music teachers' fee schedules is conducted and subsequently published. Music teachers answer questions ranging from, "What do you charge?" to "Why raise fees?" and "What impact do education,...

5 minutes with ... Gary Amano.(Professional Resources)(Interview)
April 1, 2005... Gary Amano is director of piano studies at Utah State University. A graduate of the Juilliard School, Amano's students have won national and international prizes, including first-place awards at the national level in MTNA's Junior, Senior and...

Polyphony: the rhythm of musical development, the music lesson and the academic year.(Professional Resources)
April 1, 2005... The teaching year has an unmistakable rhythm to it as we come to a junction where students suddenly seem to perform with more depth and sensitivity and deeper musical insight. Whitehead and the Stages of Romance, Precision and...

Random Access: your upcoming summer "sabbatical".(Professional Resources)
April 1, 2005... Summer is a great time to get out of our usual habits, cast off the mantle of daily lessons, focus our musical energies on our own needs (as opposed to those of our students) and enjoy a period of musical rejuvenation. Unfortunately, not all...

It's <begin strikethrough>none of<end strikethrough> all your business: ignorance is not bliss.(Professional Resources)
April 1, 2005... Because we generally have good relationships with our students and colleagues, we may be naive about legal issues that can affect our studios. We certainly don't expect our work to result in a law suit or criminal charges. Yet, we can break a...

Music Education advocacy starts at home.(Forum focus: arts awareness and advocacy)
April 1, 2005... During the past two years, I have enjoyed the challenges and opportunities of helping to re-ignite the Music Education Coalition that is headquartered on the Internet at www.SupportMusic.com. With the help of dedicated colleagues at NAMM, MTNA,...

Career development: Part II.(Forum focus: collegiate chapters)
April 1, 2005... Editor's Note: This is the second of a two-part series. Part I appeared in the December/January 2004/2005 AMT. After considerable review of career resources, we enter into the strategic phase. This is the nuts and bolts of what we are going...

Losing their voices: the struggle for a nation's anthem and its people.(Forum focus: independent music teachers)
April 1, 2005... Quick? Finish this verse: "O say, can you see, by the dawn's early light..." Stumped? Well, you aren't alone. Surprisingly, nearly two out of three Americans (61 percent) cannot correctly recite or complete the words to the United States'...

Corporate members.(MTNA)
April 1, 2005... (as of February 8, 2005) MTNA thanks the following corporate members for their support: Alfred Publishing Co., Inc., www.alfredpub.com Apple Computer, www.apple.com Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music,...

Institutional members.(MTNA)
April 1, 2005... (as of February 8, 2005) MTNA thanks the following corporate members for their support: Azusa Pacific University, www.apu.edu Baldwin-Wallace College, www.bw.edu Berry College, www.berry.edu Bowling Green State University,...

Polly and the Piano.(Children's Review)(Book Review)
April 1, 2005... Polly and the Piano (w/CD), by Carol Montparker. Amadeus Press, LLC (512 Newark Pompton Tnpk., Pompton Plains, NJ 07444), 2004. 40pp. $19.95. Carol Montparker's previous books geared toward adults are well-known to many teachers and...

Louis Armstrong & Paul Whiteman: Two Kings of Jazz.(Book Review)
April 1, 2005... Louis Armstrong & Paul Whiteman: Two Kings of Jazz, by Joshua Berrett. Yale University Press (P.O. Box 209040, New Haven, CT 06520), 2004. 242pp. $30. This book provides a fascinating picture of two towering figures in the development of...

The Art of the Piano: Its Performers, Literature, and Recordings, 3rd ed. (Book Review)
April 1, 2005... The Art of the Piano: Its Performers, Literature, and Recordings, Revised and Expanded Third Edition, by David Dubal. Amadeus Press (9999 S. W. Wilshire, Ste. 124, Portland, OR 97225), 2004. 476 pp. $40. As a student at Juilliard, I spent...

Rhythm: One on One, Dalcroze Activities in the Private Music Lesson.(Book Review)
April 1, 2005... Rhythm: One on One, Dalcroze Activities in the Private Music Lesson, by Julia Schnebly-Black and Stephen Moore. Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. (16320 Roscoe Blvd., Ste. 100, RO. Box 10003, Van Nuys, CA 91410), 2004. 148 pp. $19.95. Rhythm:...

Communing with Music: Practicing the Art of Conscious Listening.(Book Review)
April 1, 2005... Communing with Music: Practicing the Art of Conscious Listening, by Matthew Cantello. DeVross Publications (DeVross & Company (553 Constitution Ave., Camarillo, CA 93012), 2004. 180 pp. $15.95. In the hours and days following my mother's...

101 Ideas for Piano Group Class.(Book Review)
April 1, 2005... 101 Ideas for Piano Group Class, by Mary Ann Froehlich. Summy-Brichard, Inc./Warner Bros. Publications (15800 N. W. 48th Ave., Miami, FL 33014), 2004. 84 pp. $16.95. There is much more to this book than the title suggests. In fact, ideas...

The Art of Effective Piano Teaching.(Book Review)
April 1, 2005... The Art of Effective Piano Teaching, by Dino P. Ascari. AuthorHouse (1663 Liberty Dr., Ste. 200, Bloomington, IN 47403), 2003. 121 pp. $14.50. Novice piano teachers will glean practical advice shared by experienced teacher Dino P. Ascari...

Gershwin Miniatures 1919-1934.(Book Review)
April 1, 2005... Gershwin Miniatures 1919-1934, edited by Alicia Zizzo. Warner Bros. Publications (15800 N. W. 48th Ave., Miami, FL 33014), 2004. 31 pp. $9.95. Early advanced. In the preface to this new publication from Warner Bros., editor Alicia Zizzo...

In Recital Throughout the Year (with Performance Strategies).(Brief Article)(Book Review)
April 1, 2005... In Recital Throughout the Year (with Performance Strategies) Volume 1, Books 1 & 2 (w/CDs), by Helen Marlais. The FJH Music Company, Inc. (Westport Business Park, 2525 Davie Rd., Ste. 360, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33317), 2004. 35 pp. $6.95....

Memorization in Piano Performance.(Video Recording Review)
April 1, 2005... Memorization in Piano Performance (DVD), by Stewart Gordon. Alfred Publishing Company, Inc. (16380 Roscoe Blvd., P.O. Box 10003, Van Nuys, CA 91410), 2004. 64 rains. $19.95. All levels. "Fear before every performance is the price I must pay...

Performance Practices in Late Twentieth Century Piano Music.(Video Recording Review)
April 1, 2005... Performance Practices in Late Twentieth Century Piano Music (DVD), by Stewart Gordon. Alfred Publishing Company, Inc. (16380 Roscoe Blvd., RO. Box 10003, Van Nuys, CA 91410), 2004. 55 mins. $19.95. Keeping with its tradition of providing...

15 Easy Folksong Arrangements for the Progressing Singer (High Voice).(Brief Article)(Book Review)(Sound Recording Review)
April 1, 2005... 15 Easy Folksong Arrangements for the Progressing Singer (High Voice), edited by Richard Waiters. Hal Leonard Corporation (7777 W. Bluemound Rd., P.O. Box 13819, Milwaukee, WI 53213), 2004. 64 pp. and CD. $16.95. Beginning to intermediate. ...

Leadership.(Directory)
April 1, 2005... Phyllis Heifer, 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 first piano teacher Gertrud Nettl.(The Back Page)
April 1, 2005... My mother was determined that my brother and I would receive piano lessons. The year was 1951; the circumstances of our first instruction were unique, at least by the standards in our small, provincial town of Ellettsville, Indiana--population...