American Music Teacher articles from April 2008

American Music Teacher archives from April 2008

Practice, practice, practice.(Dear Reader)('This Is Your Brain on Music' by Daniel Levitin)
April 1, 2008... On a recent trip to the bookstore, I picked up a copy of Daniel Levitin's bestseller This Is Your Brain on Music (Plume, 2007). Levitin, a neuroscientist at McGill University in Montreal, has investigated the connections between music and the...

Fitness--not just for United States (or MTNA) presidents.(In Unison)(Music Teachers National Association)
April 1, 2008... Recognizing the importance of helping our members remain healthy, MTNA is taking on the responsibility of providing crucial wellness information. Given the sedentary nature of our work as music teachers and performers, it seems especially...

Industry leaders receive arts awards.(Impromptu: Items of Interest)(Henry Z. Steinway and Les Paul)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Former Steinway president Henry Z. Steinway and guitarist-inventor Les Paul were among nine 2007 recipients of the National Medal of Arts. President George W. Bush announced the recipients of the awards, which were presented by the...

WAMSO Young Artist Competition winners.(Impromptu: Items of Interest)(Minnesota Orchestra Volunteer Association)
April 1, 2008... Winners of the 52nd annual WAMSO Young Artist Competition have been announced. The competitions first prize was awarded to cellist Fedor Amosov. The 19-year-old native of Moscow is currently in the artist diploma program at Michigan State...

Gibson and TC Group merge.(Items of Interest)(Gibson Guitar)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Gibson Guitar, musical instrument manufacturer, and TC Group, leaders in professional audio, have decided to merge companies. The announcement was made at the 2008 NAMM show in Anaheim, California, by Gibson Guitar Chairman and CEO Henry...

Bob Jones appointed to Story & Clark post.(Impromptu: Items of Interest)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Bob Jones, former president of Samick Music Corp., is now a consultant for ORS Music Technologies, Inc.'s Story & Clark piano line. The new Story & Clark line was introduced at the NAMM Show and offers unique scale designs, specifications,...

NAMM Town Hall Meetings set across the country.(Impromptu: Items of Interest)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... NAMM is planning a four-state Town Hall Meeting tour this year to meet face-to-face with retailers, manufacturers and reps to discuss the changes and issues facing the industry today. The first meeting is scheduled for April 29 on the Los...

Carl Fischer names Scialfa senior vice president, sales.(Impromptu: Items of Interest)(Chris Scialfa)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Carl Fischer, LLC and the Theodore Presser Company have appointed Chris Scialfa senior vice president, sales. Scialfa brings 10 years of experience in sales and sales administration at several major music publishers to this new position. He...

SFS celebrates AIM milestone.(Impromptu: Items of Interest)(San Francisco Symphony's Adventures in Music)
April 1, 2008... The San Francisco Symphony (SFS)'s Adventures in Music (AIM), the longest running community music education program of its kind among American orchestras, celebrates 20 years of service this year. AIM reaches every student in grades one through...

Casio launches pair of digital pianos.(Impromptu: Music Merchandise)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Casio, Inc., 570 Mount Pleasant Ave., Dover, NJ 07801; (800) 836-8580; www.casio.com. PX-320, $699; PX-120, $499. Casio America, Inc., has added two new digital pianos to the Privia line, the PX-320 and PX-120. The new Privias debuted at...

Oscar Peterson.(Impromptu: Passages)(Obituary)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Oscar Peterson, one of the world's best known jazz pianists, died in January at age 82 in Mississauga, Ontario, the Toronto suburb where he lived. During a career spanning seven decades, Peterson played with some of the biggest names in...

Robert G. Rogers.(Impromptu: Passages)(Obituary)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Robert Garland Rogers, one of Canada's finest classical pianists and most respected teachers, died January 16, 2008, at age 71. A longtime member of MTNA and the Canadian Association of University Teachers, Rogers gained admiration for his...

Notes from a musician's journal.(Marking Time)
April 1, 2008... As a pianist, part of my job is to communicate strong, sometimes dramatic, emotions in my music. Playing dramatically is one thing, but to be overly emotional about the work involved in practicing or performing is something else completely. In...

The key to entrepreneurship for musicians: marketing and selling.
April 1, 2008... Most musicians, if asked to think about getting involved in marketing and selling, would respond: "Not me! That's the last thing I would dream of doing." No doubt many would believe it is diametrically opposed to their personality, and for...

The status of the B.M.-piano performance degree.(Bachelor of Music)
April 1, 2008... The Importance of Pianistic Diversity in Bachelor's-Level Training How many pianists do you know who, after college, pursue careers strictly in the field of solo piano performance? I personally know none. Yet, how many undergraduate piano...

When artistry embraces technique.
April 1, 2008... In German, there is a most interesting aphorism often quoted by musicians: "Das Wie bestimmt das Was und das Was bestimmt das Wie." Literally translated, "how determines what, and what determines how." Within a musical context, the technique...

Piano teacher, pedagogue or therapist: excellence is excellence!
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The idea for this article occurred to me while sitting in the physical therapy room at St. Lawrence Rehabilitation Center in the middle of my fifth week following a stroke I suffered on March 29, 2007--the morning...

2008-2009 MTNA Student Competitions.
April 1, 2008... The MTNA Student Competitions consist of three levels: State Competition, Division Competition and National Finals. PERFORMANCE COMPETITIONS The purposes of the Music Teachers National Association performance competitions are to...

Composer classification list.(List)
April 1, 2008... Composer Classification List 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) Accolay,...

Save the date.(National Association News)(Music Teachers National Association)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... The 11th annual National Summit for MTNA Leadership will take place in Cincinnati, Ohio, at the Westin Cincinnati, September 5-7, 2008. MTNA President Gail Berenson invites members of the MTNA Board of Directors, division directors,...

MTNA and CFMTA Host wellness seminar.(National Association News)(Music Teachers National Association and Canadian Federation of Music Teachers' Associations)(Empowering Musicians: Body, Mind and Spirit, will take place at the Yamaha Artist Services Facility)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... MTNA, along with the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers' Associations, will host a three-day wellness symposium in New York City, July 7-9, 2008. The event, Empowering Musicians: Body, Mind and Spirit, will take place at the Yamaha...

2008 Summer State conference/convention dates.(National Association News)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... 2008 Summer State Conference/Convention Dates (As of February 1, 2008) State Date Location Arizona May 29-31 TBD Arkansas June 6-7 Arkansas Tech University Colorado June...

MTNA exhibits at NAMM.(National Association News)(Music Teachers National Association)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... As part of it's partnership with SupportMusic.com, MTNA exhibited at the 2008 winter show of NAMM, the International Music Products Association in Anaheim, California. MTNA Executive Director Gary Ingle and MTNA Director of Marketing and...

PTG scholarships for competition winners.(National Association News)
April 1, 2008... The Piano Technicians Guild Auxiliary recently awarded an $800 scholarship to the senior MTNA Piano Competition winner and a $500 scholarship to the junior MTNA Piano Competition winner from the Arizona MTA. The senior winner Grace Ma, of...

Membership dues.(National Association News)
April 1, 2008... Membership dues for the 2008-2009 year have been determined. Annual active member dues will be $63; seniors age 70 and over receive a 25 percent discount off the national active member price. In accordance with MTNA policy passed by the...

Foundation fund.(Association News)(List)
April 1, 2008... 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, 2007. Founders Society Platinum Circle $10,000 or More Bill...

Professional certification: NCTM mentoring do it in a group!(Association News)(Nationally Certified Teacher of Music)
April 1, 2008... A while back I found a fire in my belly for the NCTM process. The myriad of articles and conference sessions promoting national certification sparked a burning desire in me to become more involved in this important process. While my first...

2007-2008 MTNA Student Competitions national finalists.(Music Teachers National Association)
April 1, 2008... EAST CENTRAL Composition Elementary: Geir Falck-Pedersen, Illinois; Margaret Hoover, teacher Junior: Danny Metz, Illinois; Carol Hoepe, teacher Senior: Gabrielle Haigh, Ohio; Mary Ann Griebling, teacher Young Artist: Brian...

Polyphony.(Professional Resources)
April 1, 2008... Q What are your criteria for choosing teaching pieces for collections or workshops from standard classical "albums for the young?" A My choices, and undoubtedly those of most individuals, will be based on personal perspectives, artistic...

It's all your business: having it all without doing it all.(Professional Resources)
April 1, 2008... I had just finished teaching a series of pedagogy classes, covering many business aspects of running a studio (including studio policies, marketing, recordkeeping, tax returns), when one of my students, with a deer-in-the-headlights look,...

Random access: wither your digital media?(Professional Resources)
April 1, 2008... Life used to be so simple. Over the course of many years, we would accumulate a library of tangible media. Books and music adorned our shelves, we stuffed our albums with photos and we acquired special containers that held our ever growing...

A different kind of music making .(Forum Focus: Arts Awareness and Advocacy)
April 1, 2008... The summer of 2007 was unique in that MTNA and the National Piano Foundation (NPF) co-sponsored four regional RMM Teacher Training Seminars for piano teachers. RMM is code for Recreational Music Making, which originated with NAMM, the...

Being connected: why I renewed my membership ... why wouldn't I?(Forum Focus: Collegiate Chapters)
April 1, 2008... The idea of going to a conference sounded as appealing as cleaning the bathroom. But since my sister lived in Seattle where the conference was (cheap housing and food!), and I would get 50 percent off that first year for being a StAR award...

College auditioning 101.(Forum Focus: Independent Music Teachers)
April 1, 2008... As music teachers, it is our privilege to nurture high school students who are interested in pursuing music as their majors in college. Our responsibility is to ensure that the students we teach are well informed and prepared for what is...

Classical Music in America: A History.(Book review)
April 1, 2008... Classical Music in America: A History, by Joseph Horowitz. W. W. Norton (www. wwnorton, com/orders/welcome.htm; (800)233-4830), 2007. 618 pp. $19.95. First published in 2005 as Classical Music in America--A History of its Rise and Fall,...

Celestial Dreams: 5 Original Piano Solos.(Book review)
April 1, 2008... Celestial Dreams: 5 Original Piano Solos, Naoko Ideda. The Willis Music Company/Hal Leonard (www. musicdispatch.com; (800) 637-2852), 2007. 16 pp. $5.95. If you are searching for some fresh, new, un-American and un-educational sounding...

Children's Series Albums & Arabesques.(Book review)
April 1, 2008... Children's Series Albums & Arabesques, by Alexandre Gretchaninov. Hal Leonard Corporation (www. musicdispatch, com; (800) 637-2852), 2006. 47pp. $14.95. Alexandre Gretchaninov was one of the great writers of "enfantine" or children's...

Le Portrait de Daisy Hamilton, Opus 140, Volumes 1 and 2.(Book review)
April 1, 2008... Le Portrait de Daisy Hamilton, Opus 140, Volumes 1 and 2, by Charles Koechlin, edited and arranged for piano by Robert Orledge. Schott Music Edition, distributed by Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation (www.musicdispatch.com; (800) 637-285),...

Piano Moods: Contemplations, 27 pieces on the quiet side; Piano Moods: Gradations, 33 pieces on the innocent side; Piano Moods: Fascinations, 35 pieces on the quirky side.(Book review)
April 1, 2008... Piano Moods: Contemplations, 27 pieces on the quiet side; Piano Moods: Gradations, 33 pieces on the innocent side; Piano Moods: Fascinations, 35 pieces on the quirky side, by various artists. Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Ltd....

Piano Solos, Book 3, revised edition, w/CD.(Book review)
April 1, 2008... Piano Solos, Book 3, revised edition, w/CD, by Barbara Kreader, Fred Kern, Phillip Kevern and Mona Rejino. Hal Leonard Corporation (www. musicdispatch.com; (800) 637-2852), 2007. 31 pp. $7.95. This delightful collection contains 15 piano...

Sight-Reading 2: A Fresh Approach.(Book review)
April 1, 2008... Sight-Reading 2: A Fresh Approach, by John Kembler. Schott Music Corp., distributed by Hal Leonard (www. musicdispatch.com; (800) 637-2852) 2005.64pp. $12.95. Volume 2 of this series consists of 150 exercises divided into 16 groups, each...

Tchaikovsky, Dumka, Op. 59, for solo piano; Edition Jurgenson, J0075.(Book review)
April 1, 2008... Tchaikovsky, Dumka, Op. 59, for solo piano; Edition Jurgenson, J0075, edited by Ya. Milstein and K Sorokin. Edition Peters (www.edition-peters.com) is the U.S. distributor for Edition Jurgenson. 14pp. $9.95. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

That's Jazz, Book One: Getting into It, w/CD; That's Jazz, Book Two: Digging Deeper, w/CD; and That's Jazz, Book Three: Let it Rip, w/CD.(Book review)
April 1, 2008... That's Jazz, Book One: Getting Into It, w/CD; That's Jazz, Book Two: Digging Deeper, w/CD; and That's Jazz, Book Three: Let it Rip, w/CD, by Bradley Sowash. Neil A. Kjos Music Company (www.kjos.com), 2006, each. 40pp., 48pp. and 53 pp....

Piano Solos: Instrumental Accompaniments, revised.(Sound recording review)
April 1, 2008... Piano Solos: Instrumental Accompaniments, revised, orchestrated by Phillip Keveren. Hal Leonard Corporation (www.halleonard.com, www.musicdispatch.com, (800) 637-2852), $9.95. MIDI accompaniments can provide teachers and students with...

Correction.(Correction notice)
April 1, 2008... The review of the DVD Memories of John Browning: The Lhevinne Legacy Continues (Second Edition) that appeared in the February/March AMT, contained an incomplete phone number for Arkatov Productions. The complete number is (310) 470-8401.

Leadership.(Music Teachers National Association)(List)
April 1, 2008... BOARD OF DIRECTORS Officers Gall Berenson, NCTM President Ohio University School of Music Athens, OH 45701 (740) 592-4661 berenson@ohio.edu Ann Gipson, NCTM President-elect 11500 Northview Dr. ...

The vital role of music educators.(Creativity for All)
April 1, 2008... "I am a music educator." We believe music educators can play a vital role in society, one that is rich and fulfilling. To do this, we have found it necessary to make two major shifts in our teaching over the years. From Instructor to...