American Music Teacher articles from August 2004

American Music Teacher archives from August 2004

Opportunities.(Dear Reader)(Editorial)
August 1, 2004... As summer wanes, music teachers thoughts inevitably turn to the school year and the opportunity it presents for implementing new ideas and programs. MTNA has available several resources I believe you will find helpful in your studio...

Partners in music.(In Unison)
August 1, 2004... Is it possible for music teachers to add anything to our schedules? Many of us teach either independently or at a college or university. In addition, we are active in our churches, local civic choirs or symphonies, plus are naturally involved...

NEA announces latest arts participation survey results.(Items of Interest)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... According to a survey by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), almost 40 percent of adults in the U.S., or 81 million people, attended at least one arts activity during the year. That's up from 76 million in the previous NEA poll conducted...

Daryl Silberman joins Yamaha.(Items of Interest)
August 1, 2004... Daryl Silberman, a nationally recognized performer and clinician, has been named a product specialist for orchestral strings by Yamaha Corporation of America, Band and Orchestral Division. A classical and contemporary violinist and violist,...

Boosey & Hawkes signs deal with Hal Leonard.(Items of Interest)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Hal Leonard Corporation President Larry Morton and Boosey & Hawkes President Jennifer Bilfield have announced that effective July 1, Hal Leonard became the exclusive distributor for the classical and educational music catalog of New York-based...

Ohio MTA receives $1,000.(Items of Interest)
August 1, 2004... Ohio Music Teachers Association (OMTA) has received $1,000 from the Royal American Conservatory Examinations. The amount represents a donation to OMTA of $5 for each student who participated in the RACE exams in May 2004. "We are honored...

Dodson appointed provost of New England Conservatory.(Items of Interest)
August 1, 2004... Robert Kemble Dodson, former dean of the Conservatory of Music at Oberlin College, has been named provost of the New England Conservatory (NEC). Dodson has more than thirty years of experience as both a teacher and administrator in...

U.S. House passes important education resolution.(Items of Interest)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... In a victory for school music education programs across the country, the U.S. House of Representatives recently passed H. CON. RES, 380 recognizing the benefits and importance of school-based music education. The resolution was the result...

Music for All Foundation launches the Musicard.(Items of Interest)
August 1, 2004... The Music for All Foundation, www.music-for-all.org, announces the launch of the Musicard, the first-ever membership rewards card created specifically to help raise funds to improve access to music and arts education. Music for All Foundation...

David Stull named dean of Oberlin Conservatory.(Items of Interest)
August 1, 2004... David H. Stull recently was appointed dean of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. He had served as associate dean of the Conservatory for four years and acting dean during the spring of this year. During Stull's tenure at Oberlin, he has...

APA announces sixth American Jazz Piano Competition winner.(Items of Interest)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... The American Pianists Association (APA) awarded the 2004 Cole Porter Fellow title to Adam Birnbaum, age 25, during its sixth Triennial American Jazz Piano Competition in May. Birnbaum competed with five other jazz pianists at various venues...

Missouri Piano Competition winners.(Items of Interest)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Jie Chen, 18, and Wenbin Jin, 16, both of China, are the first-prize winners of the 10th Missouri Southern International Piano Competition. Chen participated in the senior division, and Jin participated in the junior division. The...

North Carolina Symphony Concerto competition winner.(Items of Interest)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Stefani Collins of Greensboro, North Carolina, is the winner of the inaugural North Carolina Symphony-North Carolina School of the Arts Concerto Competition. As the winner, Collins will travel to Wilmington, Durham, High Point and New Bern...

Kingsville International Competition winners.(Items of Interest)
August 1, 2004... Maxine Kuo, a twenty-two-year-old violinist from New York City, took first place in the 2004 Kingsville International Young Performers Competitions. She will receive a $6,250 cash prize and will perform with the Corpus Christi Symphony...

Kawai offers Vari-Touch pianos.(Music Marketplace)
August 1, 2004... Kawai recently introduced the VT132 Vari-Touch Piano that adjusts to the player's touch, eliminating many hours of careful adjustments by a skilled technician to make a piano feel "just right" for a specific player. At home or in the...

inForm Music Analysis software program released.(Music Marketplace)
August 1, 2004... Electronic Courseware Systems, Inc., 1713 S. State St., Champaign, IL 61820; (217) 359-7099, fax: (217) 359-6578; sales@ecsmedia.com; www.ecsmedia.com. Single station, $79.95; lab pack (five stations), $200; site/network license (twenty-four...

PowerTracks Pro Audio 9 released.(Music Marketplace)
August 1, 2004... PG Music Inc., 29 Cadillac Ave., Victoria, BC V87. 1T3 Canada; (888) 746-8742; www.pgmusic.com. $29 (special introductory price); regular price $49. PG Music Inc. recently released Version 9 of its popular PowerTracks Pro Audio sequencing...

WAMSO Young Artist Competition in January.(Competitions)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... The 2005 WAMSO Young Artist Competition for Piano and Orchestral Instruments will take place January 15-16 in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota. Sponsored by WAMSO Minnesota Orchestra Volunteer Association in cooperation with the...

VSA arts Panasonic Young Soloists Award.(Competitions)
August 1, 2004... VSA arts invites musicians to apply for the 2005 Panasonic Young Soloists Award. Winners will receive scholarship funds and an evening recital at The John E Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. All types of music are...

National Chopin Piano Competition in March.(Competitions)
August 1, 2004... The National Chopin Piano Competition, presented by The Chopin Foundation of the United States, will take place Marcia 5-13, 2005, at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida. The competition is designed to offer...

2005 Corpus Christi International Competition.(Competitions)
August 1, 2004... The 2005 Corpus Christi International Competition for Piano and Strings will take place February 17-20, 2005, in Corpus Christi, Texas. The entry postmark deadline is November 19, 2004, and includes a nonrefundable $40 entry fee. For...

Passages.(Impromptu)(Obituary)
August 1, 2004... Willis Francis Ducrest, MTNA president from 1965-1969, died April 29, 2004, at the age of 93. Ducrest served MTNA in many ways throughout his life including as national vice president for four years prior to his term as president. He also was...

The time is right: a syllabus assessment program for the U.S.(Visions)
August 1, 2004... Traveling is a funny thing. You think the excitement of the journey and the romance of the new will stick in your memory. They do. But what you really learn about is yourself. My piano teaching shoes have taken me all over the world. I've...

Nurturing students through group lessons.
August 1, 2004... Piano students have little opportunity to work with their peers, both in their isolated practice and at their private lessons. As a result, they may be deprived of an opportunity to develop social and emotional skills. As instrumental teachers,...

Enhancing your musical performance abilities.
August 1, 2004... Musicians usually are amazed when they hear stories bout those who perform remarkably well with little physical practice. Usually we explain this phenomenon by citing the performers' prodigious mental capacities. Fritz Kreisler, for example,...

Yoga within the music studio.
August 1, 2004... Over the years I have noticed that when students arrive for their lessons, many are tired, sleepy or lack concentration. Small talk, a short game or sight reading helps them somewhat to think of music. However, while their mind might be able to...

Reflections ...
August 1, 2004... I am 80 years old. Time magazine has the same number of years with Times Square, only twenty more. I am reminded of my mother's protestations on aging with her frequent paraphrase from Shakespeare's King Lear, "I don't require assistance in...

Directory of new music & instructional materials.(Directory)
August 1, 2004... A.D.G Productions 15517 Cordary Ave. Lawndale, CA 90260 Phone/fax (310) 379-1568 adgordon@adgproductions.com www.adgproductions.com Free catalog available. Celtic Music for Mandolin (book/CD), by Allan Alexander and Jessica Walsh. In this...

MTNA partners with music organizations to offer copyright resources.(National Association News)
August 1, 2004... MTNA is partnering with MENC: The National Association for Music Education, the Music Publishers' Association of the United States, the National Association of Schools of Music and the National Music Publishers' Association to provide an online...

Joan Reist appointed new special assistant for Foundation Development.(National Association News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... MTNA announces the appointment of Joan Reist, NCTM, to the newly created position of special assistant for FOUNDATION development, effective July 1, 2004. In this role, Reist will focus her knowledge of and experience with MTNA toward...

State affiliates recognized.(National Association News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Three state MTAs recently were recognized in June for their years of affiliation with MTNA. MTNA President Phyllis Pieffer, NCTM, presented a plaque recognizing the Oklahoma Music Teachers Association (OMTA) for its fifty years of...

September is National Piano Month.(National Association News)
August 1, 2004... The National Piano Foundation (NPF) celebrates National Piano Month every September. This year's celebration will include Piano Connection, a series of ensemble performances on both acoustic and digital pianos. The performers will be pianists...

Collegiate chapter resources online.(National Association News)
August 1, 2004... In an effort to better serve its collegiate members and chapter advisors, MTNA has revised the collegiate chapters section of its website. A search directory of collegiate chapters and advisors now is available to facilitate communication among...

StAR Award recipients announced.(National Association News)
August 1, 2004... The Student Achievement Recognition (StAR) Award is given to outstanding graduating music students intending to become independent music teachers or collegiate music professors. Faculty and music administrators of the National Association of...

State competitions update.(National Association News)
August 1, 2004... State Competitions Update State Date Location Connecticut October 17 Hartt School of Music, University of Hartford, Hartford Michigan November 14 Michigan State...

How prepared are you?(National Association News)
August 1, 2004... It's time to prepare for a new school year and plan those fall and winter activities. Although you are a busy music professional, when preparing for the coming school year, remember to take time to review your insurance coverage before you...

Correction.(National Association News)(Correction Notice)
August 1, 2004... Correction: An article in the June/July AMT announcing the winner of the MTNA Studio Fellowship Award omitted the name of Bruce Bert as a judge. Berr served as a judge along with Joan Reist, NCTM, and Rachel Kramer.

Annual meeting.(Association News)
August 1, 2004... Kansas City, MO March 30, 2004 MINUTES CALL TO ORDER MTNA President Phyllis Pieffer called the meeting to order at 7:30 A.M. on March 30, 2004. QUORUM President Pieffer declared a quorum to be in attendance at the...

Eastern Division.(Division News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... The members of the Eastern Division extend their sincere thanks to Debra Ronning, NCTM, Eastern Division immediate past-president, for her gracious leadership these past two years, and congratulate her on being elected to the MTNA Board of...

East Central Division.(Division News)
August 1, 2004... The Illinois State MTA (ISMTA) has a newly designed website, www.ismta.org, which has some key functionalities popular on many association websites, for example, a discussion board, PDF forms and newsletters. PDF newsletters should save local...

Music Teachers National Association Assessment Tools for the Independent Music Teacher.(Illustration)
August 1, 2004... SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL 1 MTNA SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL for the Independent Music Teacher MTNA offers this assessment tool to provide music teachers with an instrument to evaluate their teaching. An individual teacher, either in an...

Northwest Division.(Division News)
August 1, 2004... I join the members of the Northwest Division in thanking outgoing President Marilyn Brossard, NCTM, for her dedication and countless hours of work She has given to our division. Marilyn's representation of the Northwest Division has been...

South Central Division.(Division News)
August 1, 2004... I would like to thank Karen Harrington, NCTM, immediate past president of the division, for the wonderful job she has done leading us these past two years. I know she will continue to contribute her contagious enthusiasm and love for MTNA in...

Southern Division.(Division News)
August 1, 2004... As we continue to travel around the Southern Division states, our next stop will be in Georgia, where we will spotlight two local associations. In the spring of 2003, Coweta Fayette MTA (CFMTA) was awarded the MTNA FOUNDATION New Local...

Southwest Division.(Division News)
August 1, 2004... In this issue we feature California, the 2004 MTNA State Affiliate of the Year winner. Each fall, California presents a variety of student programs designed to inspire, encourage, stimulate and honor students at almost all levels of achievement...

West Central Division.(Division News)
August 1, 2004... June was conference month for three states in the West Central Division. Members of the Colorado State MTA met at the Inn at Silvercreek, June 3 and 4. The guest artist was Lori Sims, a Colorado native and winner of the First Prize Gold Medal...

Meet the 2004 foundation fellows.(Foundation Fund)
August 1, 2004... Paul Bordeleau An MTNA-certified teacher and president of the New Hampshire MTA, Paul Bordeleau, of Bedford, New Hampshire, recently celebrated his eightieth birthday. Born in Massachusetts, he earned degrees from the New England...

Yamaha Orchestral Strings Department partners with NITNA.(Association News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... MTNA is pleased to announce that the Yamaha Corporation of America, Orchestral Strings Department, will sponsor the MTNA String Performance Competitions. Yamaha provided a $1,000 award for the winner of the junior string competition in Kansas...

New state affiliate grant announced.(Association News)
August 1, 2004... A new State Affiliate Grant will be available through the MTNA FOUNDATION FUND beginning in 2005. Guidelines and applications will be available after September 1. For more information, contact the FOUNDATION at (888) 512-5278,...

Professional Certification.(Association News)(personal narratives of private piano instructor)
August 1, 2004... My journey towards certification began in 1998. At that time, I was president-elect of the Massachusetts Music Teachers Association and was beginning to understand the depth and scope of the influence of MTNA. As MMTA president-elect, I...

National officer candidates for the 2005-2007 biennium.
August 1, 2004... President-Elect Gail Berenson, NCTM, is MTNA vice president and on the MTNA Board of Directors. She has been a member of MTNA since 1968, joining as a fledgling faculty member at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Since then,...

Polyphony.(Professional Resources)
August 1, 2004... This Polyphony column appears in two parts. The first part provides some personal reflections on the beginning of a new teaching year. The second section comes as a result of questions and feedback from the April/May Polyphony column on "Art as...

Random access: having a twenty-first-century attitude: what do you do when your technology lets you down?(Professional Resources)
August 1, 2004... Most of us are teachers and performers, and although we all use technology to one degree or another, few of us would call ourselves technologists. Not surprisingly, many of us get pretty upset if our technology does not work easily and quickly...

It's all your business: office skills for the independent music teacher.(Professional Resources)
August 1, 2004... Office Skills = Computer Skills Had anyone told me years ago I would someday be joined at the hip to my computer, I would have laughed. I swore never to touch one of those darn computers, thank you very much. Not even knowing how to type,...

5 minutes with ... Maurice Hinson.(Professional Resources)(Interview)
August 1, 2004... Maurice Hinson is senior professor at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's School of Church Music in Louisville, Kentucky, where he teaches piano, chamber music, piano literature and piano pedagogy. Hinson is internationally celebrated...

"Danger and goodness, difficulty and meaning".(Forum focus: arts awareness and advocacy)
August 1, 2004... We've recently been experiencing another wave of dire statements about classical music: ifs dead, it's dying--the audience is aging, standards are decaying, support from governments, patrons and societies is disappearing; it's almost all over...

Is there time for more meetings? Joining an MTNA collegiate chapter.(Forum focus: collegiate chapters)
August 1, 2004... My mom told me that college is one of the hardest jobs HI ever have. But even though I'm finding this to be true, college also has been one of the most rewarding times of my life. As a musician and a music teacher, I do find it a challenge to...

Meet the 2003 MTNA-Shepherd: Distinguished Composer of the Year.(Forum focus: composer commissioning)(Interview)
August 1, 2004... Hello! Welcome to the continuation of my interview with Liduino Pitombeira, currently of Baron Rouge, Louisiana, who was named the MTNA-Shepherd 2003 Distinguished Composer of the Year for Brazilian Landscapes No. 1. His stories of lire as a...

Studio Teacher Assessment Tools.(Forum focus: independent music teachers)
August 1, 2004... College faculty, public school teachers, business employees and public officials are continually evaluated. Many college faculty members are evaluated by their students or their colleagues on a yearly or even a course-by-course basis....

MTNA corporate members.
August 1, 2004... MTNA thanks the following corporate members for their support: (as of June 7, 2004) Alfred Publishing Co., Inc., www.alfredpub.com Apple Computer, www.apple.com Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music,...

MTNA institutional members.
August 1, 2004... Almaden School of Music, www.almadenschool.com Arkansas State University, www.astate.edu Azusa Pacific University, www.apu.edu Baldwin-Wallace College, www.bw.edu Berry College, www.berry.edu Bowling Green State...

MTNA bylaws.
August 1, 2004... ARTICLE I. NAME The name of the corporation is MUSIC TEACHERS NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, INC., hereafter referred to as MTNA or the Association. ARTICLE II. PURPOSE The purpose for which this corporation is organized and operated is...

Code of ethics.
August 1, 2004... VISION AND VALUES The mission of MTNA is to advance the value of music study and music making in society and to support the professionalism of music teachers. The mission is accomplished by members who teach with competence, act with...

The Blue Piano and Other Stories.(Book Review)
August 1, 2004... The Blue Piano and Other Stories, by Carol Montparker. Amadeus Press, LLC (512 Newark Pompton Turnpike, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444), 2004. 253 pp., $24.95. Carol Montparker has enriched the lives of music teachers for many years through her...

The Death of Franz Liszt.(Book Review)
August 1, 2004... The Death of Franz Liszt, introduced, annotated and edited by Alan Walker. Cornell University Press (Sage House, 512 E. State &, Ithaca, NY 14850), 2002. 224 pp., $29.95. Most coverups eventually fail, but seldom hold up for 110 years. A...

Solutions for Singers: Tools for Performers and Teachers.(Book Review)
August 1, 2004... Solutions for Singers: Tools for Performers and Teachers, by Richard Miller. Oxford University Press, Inc. (198 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016), 2004. 271 pp., $35. Richard Miller's book, Solutions for Singers, came about largely at the...

Artistic Pedal Technique: Lessons for Intermediate and Advanced Pianists.(Book Review)
August 1, 2004... Artistic Pedal Technique: Lessons for Intermediate and Advanced Pianists, by Katherine Faricy Frederick Harris Music Co. (Unit 1, 5865 McLaughlin Rd., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5R 1B8), 2004. 104 pp., $18.95. The first sixty pages of...

Pathways to Artistry: a Method for Comprehensive Technical and Musical Development; Technique 2 and Repertoire 2.(Book Review)
August 1, 2004... Pathways to Artistry: A Method for Comprehensive Technical and Musical Development; Technique 2 and Repertoire 2, by Catherine Rollin. Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. (16320 Roscoe Blvd., Van Nuys, CA 91410), 2004. Technique, 40 pp; Repertoire, 32...

MusicEase Traditional Songbook for Children and Adults 1.0.
August 1, 2004... MusicEase Traditional Songbook for Children and Adults 1.0, by Gary Radar. MusicEase Software (P.O. Box 9219, Grand Junction, CO 81501), 2004. $19.95. Easy. MusicEase Traditonal Songbook for Children and Adults 1.0, created by Gary Rader,...

Instant Play Piano.
August 1, 2004... Instant Play Piano. Topics Entertainment (1600 S.W. 43rd St., Renton, WA 98055), 2004, $19.99. All Levels. This set of four CD-ROMs is intended for someone who wants to learn to play the piano. Interestingly, they are not a set of piano...

Instant Play Guitar.
August 1, 2004... Instant Play Guitar. Topics Entertainment (1600 S.W. 43rd St., Renton, WA 98055), 2004. $29.99. Beginner to advanced. As a music technology advocate, my goal is always to be on the lookout for new ways to enhance my teaching and motivate...

Sibelius Educational Suite.
August 1, 2004... Sibelius Educational Suite, Sibelius USA, Inc. (1407 Oakland Blvd., Ste. 103, Walnut Creek, CA 94596), 2004. Starclass, $89; Notes, $69.95; Instruments, $119; Musition, $119; Aurelia, $119; Compass, $119. Elementary to advanced. Sibelius...

Leadership.
August 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...

Music is my language.(The Back Page)
August 1, 2004... I don't remember a time when music wasn't special to me. Music, the universal language, is my passion. Piano is my forte. Communicating with people is essential. I enjoy communicating, especially through music. I love making music. There's...