American Music Teacher articles from August 2008

American Music Teacher archives from August 2008

Notes from a musician's journal.(Marking Time)(Personal account)
August 1, 2008... The other day Stephen arrived for his before-school lesson. "What' s new?" I greeted him as l poured myself a cup of coffee. "Well, I'm conducting an experiment," he replied, "I'm trying to see how many superstitions are actually true." "Oh....

Embracing new music: all music was once new music. But how many of us regularly fold "new notes" into our performing and our teaching?
August 1, 2008... In the 21st century, new music comes to us daily, whole cloth and in snippets, from many directions. As listeners, we encounter it setting the scene or defining a character or emotion in films and on TV and as an essential partner to rap and...

Preparing the young collaborative artist.
August 1, 2008... As a 12-year-old pianist, I played for my sister, a violinist, at lessons and recitals where her teacher acknowledged my natural accompanying abilities. I didn't recognize them until the evening our parents invited us to play for their guests....

Professional certification: the importance of renewal.(Association News)
August 1, 2008... As music educators, it is important for all of us to recharge our batteries every once in a while. Some of us go through lesson after lesson just looking forward to a summer break or the next MTNA conference for a change of pace. Some of us may...

National officers election.(MTNA)
August 1, 2008... MTNA members will be electing National officers beginning in February 2009. Included here are the nominees as recommended by the MTNA Nominating Committee. The committee nominates two candidates for each position. MTNA members also may...

It's all your business: a matter of policy.(Professional Resources)
August 1, 2008... Welcome to a new teaching year? Have you updated your studio policy? The studio policy is a reflection of your professional image, serves as the foundation of the integrity and structure of your studio, and is an essential element of your...

Random acces: MTNA website continues to grow!(Professional Resources)(Music Teachers National Association)
August 1, 2008... Recent visitors to the MTNA websites will notice a growing collection of new resources to support communities. Discussion boards have been implemented in several areas of the MTNA site to provide a means of connecting teachers with one another....

The language of the soul.(Forum Focus: Arts Awareness and Advocacy)
August 1, 2008... Can you envision a world without music? Imagine a parade without a band, a graduation ceremony without a processional, a baby being coaxed to sleep without a lullaby. Most of life's joys, sorrows and achievements are powerfully and inseparably...

Chapter opportunities.(Forum Focus: Collegiate Chapters)
August 1, 2008... With the start of the school year right around the corner, it s time to start thinking about Collegiate Chapter activities. As you begin planning, there are two items you should be certain to put on your to-do list: * Apply for the MTNA...

New insurance options offered to members.(Forum Focus: Independent Music Teachers)
August 1, 2008... Through the Trust for Insuring Educators (TIE) and Forest T. Jones & Company, MTNA is now offering a variety of new insurance products for members. "MTNA is committed to its members' personal well-being in addition to their professional...

Deepening Musical Performance through Movement: The Theory and Practice of Embodied Interpretation.(Book review)
August 1, 2008... * Deepening Musical Performance through Movement: The Theory and Practice of Embodied Interpretation, by Alexandra Pierce. Indiana University Press, 2008. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] www.iupress.indiana.edu/catalog; (800) 842-6796, 248 pp....

Playing it Their Way: An Innovative Approach to Teaching Piano to Individuals with Physical or Mental Disabilities.(Book review)
August 1, 2008... * Playing it Their Way: An Innovative Approach to Teaching Piano to Individuals with Physical or Mental Disabilities, by Karen Z. Kowalski. Mousebox Books, 2007. 68 pp. $15.95. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Playing it Their Way takes a...

Sonata No. 3 (Sonata Semplice) Op. 90 for Cello and Piano.(Brief article)(Book review)
August 1, 2008... Sonata No. 3 (Sonata Semplice) Op. 90 for Cello and Piano, by Lowell Liebermann. Theodore Presser Company, 2007. www.presser.com; score: 28 pp., cello: 8pp. $19.95. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As a teacher/performer cellist, I am always...

Fantasy, Scherzo and Nocturne for Saxophone Quartet (SATB).(Book review)
August 1, 2008... Fantasy, Scherzo and Nocturne for Saxophone Quartet (SATB), by Daniel Dorff. Theodore Presser Company, 2007. www.presser.com; score: 12 pp., parts: 4pp. each. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Fantasy, Scherzo and Nocturne is a three-movement...

Contemporary Collage: Music of the 21st Century, Volume 1, Book 1.(Children's review)(Book review)
August 1, 2008... * Contemporary Collage: Music of the 21st Century, Volume 1, Book 1, compiled and edited by Helen Marlais. The FJH Music Company Inc. 2007. www.fjhmusic.com; 32 pp. (800) 262-8744. $5.95. Elementary. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This is the...

Gems for Two: An Artistic Intermediate Collection for One Piano, Four Hands.(Children's review)(Book review)
August 1, 2008... Gems for Two: An Artistic Intermediate Collection for One Piano, Four Hands, by Nancy Lau. The FJH Music Company, Inc., 2007. www.fjhmusic.com; 31 pp. (800) 262-8744, $6.50. Intermediate. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This attractive...

Jazz-Rock Keyboard, The Complete Guide with CD.(Book review)
August 1, 2008... *Jazz-Rock Keyboard, The Complete Guide with CD, by T Lavitz. Hal Leonard Corporation, 2007. www.halleonard.com; 56 pages. (800) 637-2852. $17.95. Jazz-rock, or fusion as it is also known, is a performance style that has been overlooked in...

The Procession by Night; Mephisto Waltz No. 1 (Two Episodes from Lenau's Faust).(Brief article)(Book review)
August 1, 2008... The Procession by Night; Mephisto Waltz No. 1 (Two Episodes from Lenau's Faust), by Franz Liszt, edited by Leslie Howard. Edition Peters, 2007. www.edition-peters.com; 52 pp. $19.95. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This important Urtext edition...

Lyric Preludes in Romantic Style: 24 Short Piano Pieces in All Keys 50th Anniversary Edition (Includes Performance Notes by the Composer).(Sound recording review)(Book review)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Lyric Preludes in Romantic Style: 24 Short Piano Pieces in All Keys 50th Anniversary Edition (Includes Performance Notes by the Composer), by William L. Gillock; CD by Henry Doskey. Alfred Publishing Company, Inc.,...

Southwest Landscapes (Duet Recital Series).(Book review)
August 1, 2008... Southwest Landscapes (Duet Recital Series), by Melody Bober. Alfred Publishing Company, Inc., 2008. www.alfred.com; 23 pp. (818) 892-2452. $6.95. Intermediate. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Southwest Landscapes, a duet recital suite, was...

Note by Note (The Making of Steinway L1037).(Video recording review)
August 1, 2008... Note by Note (The Making of Steinway L1037), directed by Ben Niles. Plow Productions, LLC., 2007. www.notebynotethemovie.com; 80 minutes. (626) 388-7974. $24.95. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This DVD offers viewers a rare and fascinating...

Music Treasure Hunters Board Game.
August 1, 2008... Music Treasure Hunters Board Game, created by Brenda Knowis. The Lorenz Corp. 2008. www.lorenz.com, (800) 444-1144. $29.95. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Music Treasure Hunters, created by Brenda Knowis, is an engaging and interactive...

Leadership.(Directory)
August 1, 2008... 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....

The swing of the pendulum.(ad lib)
August 1, 2008... Years ago I taught an undergraduate piano major whose playing was naturally and admirably facile, but whose musicianship was not as well developed. This combination is certainly not rare, but the student did reveal artistic potential because...