American Music Teacher articles from August 2007

American Music Teacher archives from August 2007

"No dumbbells".(Dear Reader)
August 1, 2007... As an Alabama native who grew up in the '60s and '70s, I have a fond regard for the life of Paul "Bear" Bryant, one, if not the best, of college football's all-time great coaches. He led the University of Alabama Crimson Tide to five national...

Nurturing the next generation of music makers.(In Unison)
August 1, 2007... It inevitably happens--I go to a doctor or the dental hygienist who see on my chart that I am a pianist; or a plumber comes to my home and sees my piano--their stories then unfold. Eight-five percent of the time the story is a negative one. The...

Rhymes with Orange.(THE LETTER)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2007... Dear Mrs. Barker, June 6, 1996 I just celebrated my thirtieth birthday, and am taking a moment to reflect on my life and personal growth. I am an almost happy person now, and I wanted you to know the piano lessons you gave me 23 years...

Stevens to retire from Steinway & Sons.(Items of Interest)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Bruce Stevens, president and CEO of Steinway & Sons, will retire from his position by the end of this year. Stevens has worked at Steinway & Sons for 22 years. During that time, the company revitalized its distribution network, improved...

From the Top announces new award program.(Items of Interest)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... From the Top, the NPR radio show featuring America's best young classical musicians, has announced its new mentoring scholarship, the Jack Kent Cooke Talent Development Award for $5,000, renewable after one year for a total award of $10,000....

NEC offers enhanced career services.(Items of Interest)(new England conservatory)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... New England Conservatory's Career Services Center now provides expanded career resources for musicians and arts administrators, both online and in print form. It has launched Bridge." Worldwide Music Connection, a web-based music opportunities...

Yamaha and Windber join forces.(Items of Interest)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Yamaha Corporation of America's newly created Yamaha Music & Wellness Institute (YMWI) has established a formal collaboration with the Windber Research Institute (WRI) to enhance quality of life through active music participation. YMWI, an...

Converse selects Hoffman to lead school of music.(Items of Interest)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Converse College has appointed Miles Hoffman as dean of the Petrie School of Music. Hoffman earned a bachelor of arts with cum laude honors from Yale University and a master of music from the Juilliard School. He has spent the better part...

Sebastian Currier wins 2007 Grawemeyer Award.(Items of Interest)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Sebastian Currier, an exclusive Carl Fischer composer, has been named the 2007 winner of the Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition for his 2005 composition Static, for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano. The award, which includes a...

Kingsville winners announced.(Items of Interest)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Yuqing Meng, a 16-year-old pianist from Madison, New Jersey, won first place at the 2007 Kingsville International Isabel Scionti Piano Competition. Meng received a total of $8,500 cash and will audition with the Corpus Christi Symphony...

Williams Chorale gives $10,000 in scholarship.(Items of Interest)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Susannah Foster, a violinist from Medfield, Massachusetts, won first prize at the 6th Annual Williams Chorale Bacardi Fallon Scholarship Competition. The competition featured talented musical performing arts high school juniors and seniors in...

Fleisher featured on ESQ CD.(Music Merchandise)
August 1, 2007... Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Alte Rabenstrasse 2, 20148 Hamburg, Germany; www.deutschegrammophon.com. Deutsche Grammophon (Universal Music Classics Group) has released an all-Brahms recording featuring pianist Leon Fleisher performing with...

Steinway & Sons unveils Henry Z. Steinway piano.(Music Merchandise)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Steinway & Sons 1 Steinway Place, Long Island City, New York 11105; www.steinway.com; (800) 366-1853. To commemorate Henry Ziegler Steinway's 91st birthday and honor his contributions to the world of music, Steinway & Sons has introduced...

Dolores Zupan.(Passages)(Obituary)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Former MTNA president Dolores Zupan, NCTM, of St. Louis, Missouri, died on May 19, 2007. Zupan gave many years of service to the music teaching community, including three years as Missouri Music Teachers Association president. She was the...

Ellsworth Milburn.(Passages)(Obituary)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Ellsworth Milburn, 69, of Hunlock Creek, Pennsylvania, died Thursday, May 3, 2007. Milburn's career as a composer, teacher, and jazz pianist spanned more than five decades. Milburn's compositions have been performed by various soloists,...

Edna Mae Burnam.(Passages)(Obituary)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Edna Mae Burnam, one of the primary composers and authors in the Willis Music catalog of piano music, died April 27, 2007. A pioneer in her field, Burnam was born in Sacramento in 1907, and would have turned 100 in September. Burnam was...

Marilyn Neeley.(Passages)(Obituary)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Marilyn Neeley, chair of the piano faculty at the Catholic University of America, has died. She was 69. She graduated from the University of Southern California as a music student and earned a master's degree in philosophy and religion...

Notes from a musician's journal.(Marking Time)
August 1, 2007... I have a love-hate relationship with time. In spite of my necessary dependence on clocks, I make no real strides in managing my time, continuing to live my hours on the backside of the beat, late for everything. A few weeks ago I bought a new...

The future of music teaching? Recreational music making.(Interview)
August 1, 2007... MTNA and the National Piano Foundation have held a series of recreational music making (RMM) teacher training seminars. Brenda Dillon, noted RMM teacher and author, tells why there has never been a better time to explore RMM. AMT: What is...

Reversing the pyramid: keeping high school students in the independent studio.
August 1, 2007... Across the country, the student body of a typical independent studio looks something like this: a majority of young beginners, a fair number of middle-schoolers, and a small percentage of dedicated high school students. These older students...

Making piano lessons attractive to potential students.
August 1, 2007... In the August before the start of sixth grade, my mother signed me up to play in the local junior football league. Having played organized soccer for a season, basketball for two years and baseball for most of my life, I was, lot a newcomer to...

The music teacher as coach ...: empowering students to realize their inner potential.
August 1, 2007... If you had to summarize in one minute exactly what it is that you teach, what would you say? A teacher's main task is to communicate true information in an effective manner. Yet while they are instructing within their field of expertise,...

Directory of new music and instructional materials.
August 1, 2007... ALFRED PUBLISHING 16320 Roscoe Blvd., Ste. 100 Van Nuys, CA 91406 (818) 891-5999 Fax: (818) 830-6261 keyboard@alfred.com www.alfred.com Especially for Adults, Book 1, by Dennis Alexander. Book 1 in this...

StAR Award Recipients announced.(National Association News)(Awards list)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... MTNA is pleased to announce the 2007 StAR Award Recipients. The Student Achievement Recognition (STAR) Award is given to outstanding graduating music students intending to become independent music teachers or collegiate music professors....

Ingle presents award recognizing PTG.(National Association News)(Gary L. Ingle, piano technicians guild )(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... On June 22, MTNA Executive Director Gary L. Ingle presented the Piano Technicians Guild with an award recognizing its 50th anniversary at the PTG National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri. For 50 years, the PTG has promoted the highest...

Pieffer named Director of Membership Development.(National Association News)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Phyllis Pieffer, NCTM, has been named Director of Membership Development at MTNA. In this newly created position, Pieffer will be responsible for executing the day-to-day activities of MTNA membership recruitment and retention, as well as...

MTNA piano competition winners to perform at NCKP.(National Association News)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... National winners of the MTNA piano competitions will perform in a recital August 2, 2007, at the opening of the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy (NCKP) at the Doubletree Hotel in Oak Brook, Illinois. The performers are Anna Han,...

Zoning success.(National Association News)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Independent music teachers often are faced with zoning guidelines that restrict teaching from their homes. Member Heidi Larson, NCTM, recently emerged successful from her struggles with zoning issues in Peachtree City, Georgia. A recent...

We're moving on up!(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... MTNA National Headquarters is moving from Suite 505 in Cincinnati's Carew Tower to Suite 3100. The tentative move date is slated for August 1. Members may experience temporary outages of the MTNA website is being moved. For more informatioin...

Foundation Fund: 2007 MTNA Foundation Fellows.(Association News)(List)
August 1, 2007... Editor's Note: This list is the first half of the 2007 MTNA FOUNDATION Fellows. The second half will be published in the October/November 2007 AMT. The MTNA FOUNDATION FUND Fellow Program honors deserving individuals who have made...

Professional Certification: Certification Commissioners 2007-2008.(Association News)
August 1, 2007... CHAIR Sylvia Coats, NCTM, is professor of piano pedagogy and class piano at Wichita State University. She authored Thinking as You Play. Teaching Piano in Individual and Group Lessons. She performs with the Sotto Voce Trio and has...

Division candidates.(Association News)
August 1, 2007... MTNA members will be electing Division officers and directors beginning in February 2008. Included here are the nominees as recommended by the MTNA Nominating Committee. The committee nominates two candidates for each position. MTNA...

It's all your business towards a higher definition of professionalism.(Professional Resources)
August 1, 2007... We owe a great deal to Beth Klingenstein for the many business columns she has written for the AMT. Her knowledge, research, and insights have contributed greatly to our profession. Thanks, Beth! In her last column (April/May 2007), Beth...

Randum access: getting ready for auditions or competitions finding the technology that works for you!(Professional Resources)
August 1, 2007... If you have students getting ready for major competitions or university auditions, both you and your students may be facing some rather stressful issues. Even after you have come up with a plan for getting all the music prepared on time, there...

Polyphony.(Professional Resources)
August 1, 2007... Q How do you instill in your students a desire to change their habits so they can become better musicians? A Students must know that we are on their side as their supporter and biggest cheerleader, and they must know, too, that we remain...

Recognizing achievement.(Forum Focus: Arts Awareness and Advocacy)
August 1, 2007... As you are finalizing plans for the new school year, remember to incorporate MTNA's Music Achievement Award Program into your curriculum. The Music Achievement Award Program, first introduced five years ago, is based on this premise: A...

Win funds for your Collegiate Chapter.(Forum Focus: Collegiate Chapters)
August 1, 2007... Each year MTNA presents the MTNA Benjamin Whitten Collegiate Chapter and Collegiate Chapter Advisor of the Year Award to an outstanding collegiate chapter, its members and its advisor for demonstrating exceptional organization and depth of...

Making the connection: a guide for talking with parents and students.(Forum Focus: Independent Music Teacher)
August 1, 2007... Music teachers are involved in a "high-touch" (as opposed to "high-tech") profession. Because there is daily interaction with others, there is a constant amount of communication that can run the emotional gamut. And since teachers are in the...

MTNA Corporate Members: (as of May 25, 2007).
August 1, 2007... MTNA thanks the following corporate members for their support: A Tempo Software, www.atemposoftware.com Alfred Publishing Co., Inc., www.alfredpub.com Bags Unlimited, www.bagsunlimited.com Brass Bell Music Store Brook Mays...

MTNA Institutional Members: (as of May 25, 2007).
August 1, 2007... MTNA thanks the following institutional members for their support: Baldwin-Wallace College, www.bw.edu Barthelmes Conservatory, www.tulsaconservatory.com Berry College, www.berry.edu Bowling Green State University,...

Music Teachers National Association Bylaws.
August 1, 2007... Adopted March 2001 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...

Overture: A Novel.(Book review)
August 1, 2007... * Overture: A Novel, by Yael Goldstein. Doubleday (www.randomhouse.com/doubleday; (212) 782-9000), 2007. 293 pp. $24.95. Overture tells the story of concert violinist Natasha Darsky, her mother, and her daughter, Alexandra. Set in the...

Making Music: Creative Ideas for Instrumental Teachers: More Than 200 Step-by-Step Activities.(Book review)
August 1, 2007... Making Music: Creative Ideas for Instrumental Teachers: More than 200 Step-by-Step Activities, by Patricia M. Gane. Oxford University Press (www.oup.com/us; (800) 451-7556), 2006. 108 pp. $27.95. Making Music by Patricia M. Gane is an...

Psychology for Musicians: Understanding and Acquiring the Skills.(Book review)
August 1, 2007... * Psychology for Musicians: Understanding and Acquiring the Skills, by Andreas C. Lehmann, John A. Sloboda and Robert H. Woody. Oxford University Press (www.oup.com/us; (800) 451-7556), 2007. 268 pp. 29.95. Psychology for Musicians is a...

Tchaikovsky: A Listener's Guide.(Book review)
August 1, 2007... * Tchaikovsky: A Listener's Guide, by Daniel Felsenfeld. Amadeus Press (www.amadeuspress.com; (800) 637-2852), 2006. 118pp. $27.95. Daniel Felsenfeld's new book Tchaikovsky: A Listener's Guide is another book in the series Unlocking the...

Brahms's Song Collections.(Book review)
August 1, 2007... * Brahms's Song Collections, by Inge Van Rij. Cambridge University Press (www.cambridge.org/us; (845) 353-7500), 2006. 271 pp. $90. Inge Van Rij, music lecturer at Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand, provides a new study of the...

Music Musique: French and American Piano Composition in the Jazz Age.(Book review)
August 1, 2007... * Music Musique: French and American Piano Composition in the Jazz Age, by Barbara Meister. Indiana University Press (www.iupress.indiana. edu/catalog/; (800) 842-6796), 2006. 163 pages. Meister's insightful thesis emerges from the cultural...

How We Make Music.(Book review)
August 1, 2007... * How We Make Music, by Marvin L. Robertson. Rourke Publishing (www.rourkepublishing.com; (772) 234-6001), 2007. 24pp. $14.95. Marvin Robertson's new book, How We Make Music, is a 24-page picture book designed for pre-school and elementary...

Sounds New: 19 Easy Piano Pieces.(Book review)
August 1, 2007... Sounds New: 19 Easy Piano Pieces, edited by Peter Roggenkamp. Universal Edition, Inc. (www.universaledition.com/usa/; (800) 854-6764), 2005. 52pp. $25.95 Intermediate. Any teacher searching for refreshing contemporary repertoire will be...

Billy Taylor: Piano Styles.(Brief article)(Book review)
August 1, 2007... * Billy Taylor: Piano Styles, by Billy Taylor. Hal Leonard Corporation (www.musicdispatch.com; (800) 637-2852), 2007, 86 pp. $12.95. If you have students serious about learning jazz, Billy Taylor: Piano Styles is definitely a "must have."...

Classical Theme Duets: 8 Beloved Masterworks.(Book review)
August 1, 2007... * Classical Theme Duets: 8 Beloved Masterworks, arranged by Phillip Keveren. Hal Leonard Corporation (www.musicdispatch.com; (800) 637-2852), 2007. 62pp. $9.95 This collection of well-known pieces provides some fresh arrangements of themes...

Samba Hanon: 50 Exercises for the Beginning to Professional Pianist.(Book review)
August 1, 2007... * Samba Hanon: 50 Exercises for the Beginning to Professional Pianist, by Peter Deneff. Hal Leonard Corporation (www.musicdispatch.com; (800) 637-2852), 2007. 95pp. $12.95 This new volume includes 50 exercises or studies in essential Latin...

Native American Suite, for flute and piano.(Brief article)(Book review)
August 1, 2007... Native American Suite, for flute and piano, by Gary Schocker. Theodore Presser, (www.presser.com; (610) 592-1222), 2006. $12.95. Prolific composer and flutist Gary Schocker adds this charming four-movement work to his existing catalogue of...

Leadership.
August 1, 2007... BOARD OF DIRECTORS Officers Gail 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....

From spirit, not mechanics.(Creativity for All)
August 1, 2007... Franz Liszt was once asked to explain the secret of his astonishing technique. He replied, "Technique must flow from spirit, not mechanics." This suggests that our true role as educators is to help our students create music that is...