American Music Teacher articles from December 2003

American Music Teacher archives from December 2003

Green ketchup ... and red mustard.(Dear Reader)
December 1, 2003... Today I bought green ketchup. I'm not sure why, because I've never bought it before, but today I did. It makes me angry that ketchup is green--and I'm not sure why. Ketchup is supposed to be red--because it's always been that way. ...

Rise to professionalism.(In Unison)
December 1, 2003... There is a story Naomi Judd told in Love Can Build a Bridge about the stormy relationship between mother and daughter. "Before a 1984 show in Denver, Wynona and I were fighting because she had forgotten her outfit. We were...

Interlochen names new president.(Items of Interest)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Jeffrey S. Kimpton has been elected president of Interlochen by the Interlochen Center for the Arts Board of Trustees. Kimpton, 52, is the seventh president in the institution's seventy-six-year history and replaced Edward J. Downing, who...

New appointment at University of Colorado.(Items of Interest)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Kevin Woelfel, musician and entrepreneur, recently was appointed director of the Entrepreneurship Center for Music in the University of Colorado at Boulder's (CU-Boulder) College of Music, succeeding Interim Director Michael Millar. ...

Martha Argerich International Piano Competition winner.(Items of Interest)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Sergio Monteiro, 29, a student of MTNA member Nelita True at the Eastman School of Music, is the first-prize winner of the Martha Argerich International Piano Competition. A native of Brazil, Monteiro received $10,000 and shared the...

Oberlin piano competition winners.(Items of Interest)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Rachel Kudo, a sixteen-year-old pianist from Northbrook, Illinois, and student of MTNA member Emilio del Rosario, is the winner of the Ninth Annual Oberlin International Piano Competition and Festival, held this summer at Oberlin Conservatory....

Eroica trio featured in documentary.(Items of Interest)
December 1, 2003... EROICA!, a documentary directed by Alan Miller, celebrates the Grammy-nominated chamber trio by the same name. It airs nationally on the PBS series Independent Lens, hosted by Don Cheadle, on Tuesday, December 9, at l0 P.M. (Check local...

The Dallas Wind Symphony fanfare competition winners.(Items of Interest)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The Dallas Wind Symphony (DWS) has selected seven fanfares as winners in its 2003-2004 fanfare competition. This is the second year DWS has invited composers from throughout the world to submit fanfares, brief and loud flourishes for brass...

MusicEase Software songbook for children and adults.(Music Marketplace)
December 1, 2003... MusicEase Software, P.O. Box 9219, Grand Junction, CO 81501; fax: (970) 858-0905; contact@musicease.com; www.musicease.com. $19.95. MusicEase Software has released the MusicEase Traditional Songbook for Children and Adults 1.0, a Windows...

NewSoft unveils complete editing suite with [+ or -] R/RW write support.(Music Marketplace)
December 1, 2003... NewSoft America, Inc., 4113 Clipper Ct., Fremont, CA 94538; (510) 445-8600, fax: (510) 445-8601; contactus@newsoftinc.com; www.newsoftinc.com. $89.95. NewSoft America, Inc. recently released Presto! DVD PowerSuite, a video and data-burning...

Keyboard stamp introduced.(Music Marketplace)
December 1, 2003... Sound Expressions, 8395 Danneffel Rd., Watervliet, MI 49098; (269) 463-5080; sales@sound-expressions.com; www.sound-expressions.com or www.guitar-gadgets.com. $9.95. The Keyboard Stamp, developed by Sound Expressions, is a rubber stamp...

Finale 2004 released.(Music Marketplace)
December 1, 2003... MakeMusic! Inc., 6210 Bury Dr., Eden Prairie, MN 55346-1718; (952) 937-9611; finalesales@makemusic.com; www.makemusic.com. Price: Academic Version, $300 per copy; Lab Pack, five stations, $695; Site License for 10-29 stations, $100 per station;...

Kingsville announces piano and concerto competitions.(Competitions)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The Music Club of Kingsville, Inc., will hold its annual Kingsville International Competitions--The Young Performers Concerto and Isabel Scionti Piano Solo--April 1-3, 2004, on the campus of the Texas A&M University-Kingsville. More than...

Fort Collins Symphony competition.(Competitions)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The 2004 Fort Collins Symphony Young Artist Competition will take place in March and April. The Senior Division Piano semifinals, ages up to 25, will take place March 14, with the finals on April 24, 2004. The winner will receive $10,000. ...

Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition.(Competitions)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The University of Louisville School of Music is seeking applicants for its Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition 2005, a $200,000 cash award granted in recognition of outstanding achievement by a living composer in a large musical genre. ...

William McIver.(Passages)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
December 1, 2003... William McIver, president of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and longtime MTNA member, died September 15, 2003, after a long illness. McIver was a faculty member at the Eastman School of Music. Previously, he was on the...

Judith Ferencz.(Passages)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
December 1, 2003... Judith Anne Ferencz, of Westminster, Maryland, died August 23, 2003, from complications following cancer surgery. Ferencz was most recently active with MTNA as the Eastern Division Senior Competitions coordinator. She also was a former...

Margaret Goldston.(Passages)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
December 1, 2003... Margaret Goldston, a dedicated teacher and noted composer, died September 9, 2003. Goldston taught beginner through college-prep piano in her Franklin, North Carolina, studio. A frequent adjudicator for contests and festivals, she...

Vito Pascucci.(Passages)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
December 1, 2003... Vito Pascucci, founder and chair of G. Leblanc Corp., died August 18, 2003, after a long period of declining health. He was 80. In 1946, Pascucci co-founded G. Leblanc Corp. The corporation now boasts nine brands and employs nearly 450. ...

Keith Wallingford.(Passages)
December 1, 2003... There is an ample reason to celebrate the life of Keith Wallingford, and to mourn his passing. He was a natural leader, from his years as a bomber pilot in World War II to his service as a scout master of a Boy Scout troop. As a musician,...

The fulfilling drama of performing.(Out of Control?)
December 1, 2003... For a musician of any age and level of advancement, it's one thing to make music in private, and quite another to do so on stage. When I say "on stage," I mean it metaphorically; performing for two people in a living room can feel every bit as...

How teachers can help.(Performance Anxiety)
December 1, 2003... Jane, a talented high school student, has enjoyed her flute lessons for several years, playing in the school band and orchestra. This year, her teacher placed her in the first chair position in both band and orchestra. She practiced hard for...

The great disconnect.(Visions)
December 1, 2003... Why are people of all ages studying music in record numbers, but not equally attending live concerts? Its a modern phenomenon worthy of examination and, in doing so, deserving of thought. Although the explanations for this behavior are...

Living with musical people.
December 1, 2003... Ulysses S. Grant admitted he knew only two tunes: "One of them is 'Yankee Doodle' and the other isn't." (1) He was musically challenged. Others have had a problem living with musical people. The most erudite of these in the English...

MTNA Board of Directors approves 2003-2004 budget.(National Association News)(Editorial)
December 1, 2003... MTNA MUSIC TEACHERS NATIONAL ASSOCIATION Phyllis I. Heifer, NCTM President Dear Members: At its summer meeting, the Board of Directors approved the operating budget for the 2003-2004 fiscal year. Due to the prudent management of...

Board of directors election.(National Association News )
December 1, 2003... Connie Arrau Sturm, of West Virginia, has been chosen to fill a vacancy on the slate of nominees to represent the Eastern Division on the MTNA Board of Directors. Connie Arrau Sturm, NCTM, coordinates piano pedagogy programs at West...

Code of Ethics Task Force.(National Association News)
December 1, 2003... The MTNA Code of Ethics Task Force, recently appointed by MTNA President Phyllis Heifer, NCTM, is charged with reviewing MTNA's Code of Ethics and making recommendations to the MTNA Board of Directors. The task force held its first meeting...

Ingle elected president of National Music Council.(National Association News)
December 1, 2003... MTNA Executive Director Gary L. Ingle has been elected to a two-year term as president of the National Music Council. Ingle assumed his duties as president in October. "I'm so pleased at the election of Gary Ingle to the office of...

Leadership attends Summit.(National Association News)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Approximately ninety MTNA leaders gathered in Cincinnati, Ohio, for the sixth annual Summit for MTNA Leadership, September 5-7, 2003. Keynote speaker Douglas Lowry, dean of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music,...

Insurance checkup available.(National Association News)
December 1, 2003... As the year draws to an end, many professionals begin planning and scheduling for the new year. One appointment that should be made, but often is overlooked, is an insurance checkup. The Robert H. Clarkson Insurance Agency provides a free...

East Central Division.(MTNA Division News)
December 1, 2003... The MTNA Leadership Summit was held in Cincinnati, September 5-7, 2003. All state presidents, division presidents, division presidents-elect, MTNA Board of Directors and members of the MTNA staff were present. This year's summit was an intense...

Northwest Division.(MTNA Division News)
December 1, 2003... With the theme "Music--the Gift that Keeps on Giving," Montana State MTA held its state conference in November at the University of Montana in Missoula. MSMTA has been in existence for more than seventy-five years, and this year celebrated...

Eastern Division.(MTNA Division News)
December 1, 2003... The Eastern Division conference and competitions will be held January 16-18, 2004, at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. Carol Beall, NCTM, West Virginia president, has prepared the following article to inform members...

South Central Division.(MTNA Division News)
December 1, 2003... In September, the Summit for MTNA Leadership was held in Cincinnati. Those who attended from the South Central Division were Arkansas President Sharon Ard, NCTM, Oklahoma President Ron Lewis, NCTM, Oklahoma President-Elect Mary Sallee, NCTM,...

West Central Division.(MTNA Division News)
December 1, 2003... At the 2003 Summit for MTNA Leadership last September, the state presidents met to share ideas about membership recruitment and leadership training. Both Minnesota and Iowa hold annual retreats for state officers early in the year; topics...

Southern Division.(MTNA Division News)
December 1, 2003... Another year is coming to a close, and that means the MTNA state competitions are finished. I would like to congratulate all the fine state chairs of the various competitions--this often is a thankless task, but we do thank you and owe you a...

Southwest Division.(MTNA Division News)
December 1, 2003... In this issue, we will spotlight New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment. This state covers a very large area, but has a small population. The Professional Music Teachers of New Mexico boasts 130 to 140 active and dedicated members. Almost every...

Jane Snow sponsors voice competitions.(MTNA Foundation Fund News)
December 1, 2003... MTNA welcomes Jane Snow to its distinguished roster of competition sponsors. She joins corporate sponsors Baldwin Piano Company, Conn-Selmer, Inc., Yamaha Corporation of America, Gibson Musical Instruments, Slingerland Drum Company, Steinway &...

Charitable giving with life insurance.(MTNA Foundation Fund News)
December 1, 2003... Very few individuals decide one day to write a check for $100,000 or more to their favorite charity, namely the MTNA FOUNDATION FUND. But with life insurance, it effectively can cost very little to be so generous. Life insurance enables a...

Last notice for 2004 grant guidelines and forms.(MTNA Foundation Fund News)
December 1, 2003... Guidelines and application forms for the 2004 Teacher Enrichment, Local Association Matching and New Local Association Start-Up Grants are available. Please contact Judy Eitel at (888) 512-5278, ext. 225, or jeitel@mtna.org. Forms and...

Contributing online.(MTNA Foundation Fund News)
December 1, 2003... Have you considered making your annual contribution to the MTNA FOUNDATION FUND online? For an easy, safe and secure way to make your gift via credit card, go to the MTNA website at www.mtnafoundation.org and click on "Make a Contribution."...

Development committee appointed.(MTNA Foundation Fund News)
December 1, 2003... The MTNA Board of Directors has approved the appointment of a Development Committee charged with planning and implementing MTNA's total development program. Brian Chung, senior vice president, Kawai America Corporation, chairs the committee...

Please let us know.(MTNA Foundation Fund News)
December 1, 2003... Have you remembered MTNA in your estate plan? If so, we would like for you to let us know so we can say "thank you." Making a planned gift through your will is a significant commitment that deserves recognition. MTNA has established the Legacy...

Certification and the new teaching standards.(MTNA Certification)
December 1, 2003... The MTNA National Certification Commission, with the assistance of MTNA leadership, worked diligently for more than a year to create a set of five MTNA Professional Certification Program Teaching Standards that defines what a competent music...

Standard I: professional preparation.
December 1, 2003... I have the privilege of sharing a piano studio with an exceptionally well-trained piano teacher. Veronika Harms is educated in piano, violin and voice. She has a master of music degree in piano performance and pedagogy from Southern Methodist...

Polyphony: visualization and music study.(Professional Resources)
December 1, 2003... Q: My question concerns students who play mind games on themselves in performance. Do you have any suggestions to help a student who seems to prepare well technically and musically for competitions, but on some occasions plays mind games on...

Random access: I'll see you later teaching long distance, Star Trek style.(Professional Resources)
December 1, 2003... During the 2002 MTNA National Conference, I witnessed an extraordinary event. On center stage was a piano professor from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). He sat at a large grand piano with a computer monitor...

It's all your business: make-up policies--magic or misery.(Professional Resources)
December 1, 2003... Have you ever felt run down? Overworked? Taken for granted? The antidote to .all the above is to eat right, get plenty of sleep and develop a firm make-up policy. For a healthy studio we each must decide on an acceptable make-up policy and then...

The time is now.(Forum focus: arts awareness and advocacy)
December 1, 2003... Arts Awareness and Advocacy--it's the name of MTNA's former Community Outreach and Education Committee. Advocacy is a word that used to scare me until I realized it simply means to promote or support something you believe in. For MTNA members,...

The MTNA National Conference: an investment in the future.(Forum focus: collegiate chapters)
December 1, 2003... Ten years ago, I attended my first MTNA National Conference in Spokane, Washington, with two friends. As undergraduate students at Brigham Young University, we worried about how attending the conference would affect our schooling mad our...

The power of people: Part I.(Forum focus: local associations)
December 1, 2003... The United States is a nation of givers. Americans donate their time and money to a multitude of causes and charities. The average individual donates 4.2 hours per week and gives because they feel they owe something to their communities. Robert...

MTNA Corporate members (as of October 1, 2003).
December 1, 2003... MTNA thanks the following corporate members for their support. 800SheetMusic.com, 800SheetMusic.com Adventus, Inc., www.adventus.com Alfred Publishing Company, Inc., www.alfredpub.com Associated Board of the Royal Schools of...

MTNA Institutional members (as of October 1, 2003).
December 1, 2003... MTNA thanks the following institutional members for their support. Arkansas State University, www.astate.edu Azusa Pacific University, www.apu.edu Baldwin-Wallace College, www.bw.edu Berry College, www.berry.edu The Chopin...

A Portrait of Mendelssohn.(Book Review)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... A Portrait of Mendelssohn, by Clive Brown. Yale University Press (P.O. Box 209040, New Haven, CT 06520-9040), 2003. 384pp. $45. Those expecting yet another standard biographical treatment of Mendelssohn will be pleasantly surprised by this...

Me of All People: Alfred Brendel in Conversation with Martin Meyer.(Book Review)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Me of All People: Alfred Brendel in Conversation with Martin Meyer, by Alfred Brendel and Martin Meyer; translated by Richard Stokes. Cornell University Press (Sage House, 512 E. State St., Ithaca, NY 14850), 2002. 275 pp. $29.95. Among...

Fugal Composition: a Guide to the Study of Bach's '48'.(Book Review)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Fugal Composition: A Guide to the Study of Bach's '48', by Joseph Groocock; edited by Yo Tomita. Greenwood Press (88 Post Rd. W., Box 5007, Westport, CT 06881-5007), 2003. 248 pp. $67.95. Joseph Groocock's Fugal Composition: A Guide to the...

101 Questions About Copyright Law: Revised Edition.(Book Review)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... 101 Questions About Copyright Law: Revised Edition, by Andrew Alpern. Dover Publications, Inc. (31 E. 2nd St., Minneola, NY 11501), 2002. 64 pp. $3.95. Before reading this booklet, look on the inside back cover. The photo of the friendly...

The Harmonious Child: Every Parent's Guide to Musical Instruments, Teachers and Lessons.(Book Review)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The Harmonious Child: Every Parents Guide to Musical Instruments, Teachers and Lessons, by Beth Luey and Stella Saperstein. Ten Speed Press/Celestial Arts (P.O. Box 7123, Berkeley CA 94707), 2003. 166 pp. $12.95. If you ever have wished...

From Paris to Peoria: How European Piano Virtuoso Brought Classical Music to the American Heartland.(Book Review)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... From Paris to Peoria: How European Piano Virtuoso Brought Classical Music to the American Heartland, by R. Allen Lott. Oxford University Press (198 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016), 2003. 384 pp. $39.95. This well-written volume holds...

Celebrate Piano! Lesson and Musicianship (2B).(Book Review)
December 1, 2003... Celebrate Piano! Lesson and Musicianship 2B is the fourth of six books in this series encompassing the first years of study. The book is designed to prepare very young students for the study of classical literature. The presentations and...

Easy Etudes: Fourteen Mid-Elementary Level Piano Solos.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 1, 2003... Useful for older beginners who may need more of a challenge, Easy Etudes is a collection of fourteen piano solos. Printed in order of difficulty, the pieces range from middle-C position, middle-D position, F position and C position. Students...

Shifty-Eyed Blues and More Contemporary Character Pieces.(Book Review)
December 1, 2003... Shifty-Eyed Blues is a collection of five distinctive pieces sure to excite even the most jaded student. These pieces are so quirky and addictive that I found myself drawn to the piano while the book sat on the stand. With their emphatic...

Sixty Irish Songs for High Voice.(Voice)
December 1, 2003... This volume is an unabridged reprint of the original volume published in The Musicians Library Series by Oliver Ditson Company, Boston, in 1915. The tunes are traditional Irish, and the texts are by modern Irish poets. While preparing the...

Holiday music.
December 1, 2003... The following holiday pieces were received though not reviewed. They are listed here by publisher. Alfred Publishing Three Moods for Christmas: Christmas Suite Series, by Sharon Aaronson. Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. (16320 Roscoe...

A new tradition.(The Back Page)
December 1, 2003... Is there anyone busier than a musician during the holiday season? After glancing at my December calendar several years ago, I found myself in that all-too-familiar predicament-over committed--again. Reluctantly, I decided to break tradition and...

2004 MTNA National Conference.(Calendar)
December 1, 2003... Dear Colleague: You are cordially invited to the premier educational networking event for the music-teaching professional. Join your friends and colleagues for the MTNA National Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, March 27-31, 2004. This...