American Music Teacher articles from December 2007

American Music Teacher archives from December 2007

Demonstrating competency.(Dear Reader)
December 1, 2007... Recently, the importance of "certification" was made abundantly clear to me. I was in Anchorage, Alaska, representing MTNA at the annual meeting of the Trust for Insuring Educators. One of the events, sponsored by The Anchorage Convention...

Skill or art?(In Unison)
December 1, 2007... As is true of most pianists, I am a very fast typist. When I enrolled in a typing class in junior high school (yes, there were such classes), I was taught "touch" typing. A repetitive, tactile approach seems perfectly suited for teaching the...

Leon Fleisher to receive 2007 Kennedy Center honors.(Items of Interest)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Pianist Leon Fleisher, 2001 MTNA Achievement Award recipient, will be honored December 2, 2007, on the Kennedy Center Opera House stage as a 2007 Kennedy Center Honoree. The Honors Gala will be recorded for broadcast on the CBS Network on...

Scott "The Piano Guy" Houston wins Emmy Award.(Items of Interest)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Scott Houston, host of the nationally broadcast public television show The Piano Guy with Scott Houston, recently won a Midwestern Regional Emmy Award for Program Host/Moderator of a TV program. Houston, who will be presenting at the 2008...

Zeitlin is director of Oberlin Community Music School.(Items of Interest)(Louise Zeitlin)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Louise Zeitlin, a violist and music educator who has been on the faculty of the Oberlin Community Music School of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music since its inception in 2003, has been named the school's director. Zeitlin's teaching...

New Jack Kent Cooke scholars announced.(Items of Interest)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Program has announced the acceptance of 34 new students into its scholarship program. The recipients were chosen after a nationwide selection process that drew 977 nominees. Now in its sixth year,...

Selmer Pro Shops open in U.S.(Items of Interest)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Conn-Selmer, the exclusive North American distributor for Henri Selmer of Paris, has announced the opening of the first Selmer (Paris) Pro Shops in New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington D.C., Las Vegas, and Bloomington, Indiana. These specially...

Allegro partners with Mattel for I Can Play Guitar.(Music Merchandise)(music education video game)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Allegro Rainbow; (877) 742-6604; www.allegrorainbow.com. $99.99. Allegro Multimedia, a provider of music gaming software and music education tools, announces a strategic partnership with Mattel for the debut of Mattel's I Can Play Guitar, a...

New Beethoven cadenza.(Music Merchandise)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... International Music Company, 5 W. 37th Street, New York, NY 10018; (212) 391-4200; imc@internationamusicco.com; www.internationalmusicco.com. International Music Company announces the publication of a new cadenza for Beethoven's Piano...

Chamber Music composition contest.(Competitions)(Humbolt Brass Chamber Music Workshop)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... The Humbolt Brass Chamber Music Workshop is holding a composition contest; winners' works will be performed during the July 2008 Brass Chamber Music Workshop in Arcata, California. Compositions should be an original, previously unpublished...

2008 Kingsville International Bowed Instrument Competitions.(Competitions)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... The 2008 Kingsville International Bowed Instrument Competitions will take place April 3-5, 2008, on the campus of Texas A&M University-Kingsville. More than $23,000 in prize money is available for distribution to winners in various...

First Tureck International Bach Competition for Young Pianists.(Competitions)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... A new competition in honor of the American pianist Rosalyn Tureck, The First Tureck International Bach Competition for Young Pianists, ages 6-19, will take place June 6-8, 2008, at the Henry Z. Steinway Recital Room at Steinway Hall, New York...

Essay contest.(Competitions)(School Band and Orchestra Magazine)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... School Band and Orchestra Magazine is holding its eighth annual essay contest, which will give $20,000 in awards, including matching music products for the winners' school music program. Ten $1,000 scholarships will be awarded in two...

Sandy Feldstein.(Passages)(In memoriam)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Sandy Feldstein, an acclaimed composer, arranger, author, industry executive and music education advocate, died August 30, 2007. Feldstein was loved and respected by his many friends and colleagues in the music industry. The Sandy Feldstein...

Luciano Pavarotti.(Passages)(In memoriam)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Luciano Pavarotti, the Italian singer and most famous operatic tenor of his generation, died September 6 at his home near Modena, in northern Italy. He was 71. Pavarotti's fame extended far beyond Italian opera. He became a huge figure of...

Notes from a musician's journal.(Marking Time)(Excerpt)
December 1, 2007... Every year at our house there is the issue of the Christmas tree. Ideally, I want one. I love the tradition of really decking the halls. I love sitting in the dark with only the twinkling lights to keep me company. I love the smell of the...

The American sound: an interview with Mark O'Connor.(Interview)
December 1, 2007... Voiolinist, composer and fiddler Mark O'Connor is widely recognized as one of V the most gifted contemporary composers in America today. O'Connor's career includes numerous recordings and more than 150 performances, and he regularly teaches...

Improvising attitudes.
December 1, 2007... I always enjoyed improvising on the piano as I was growing up in a small town near a farming community in western New York State. However, when I took piano lessons, this creativity was discouraged. According to my teachers, there was only one...

Intuitive improvisation: a guide for beginners.
December 1, 2007... "Elefante?," inquires Pasquale from the sofa. "Cavallo?" "No, tigre!" His 6-year-old daughter swiftly corrects him, peeping around the corner of the piano. Why are an Italian father and daughter discussing animals in my living room?...

Balancing the eye and the ear: you can teach improvisation.
December 1, 2007... There are only two kinds of music: good and bad." This statement has been variously attributed to Louis Armstrong, Richard Strauss and Duke Ellington. It rings true regardless of who said it. Even as our students' iPod culture divides music...

Creativity and cadenzas in the studio.
December 1, 2007... "Of all the arts, music is often taught in the least creative way. At every level, kindergarten through graduate school, music is presented to students as a preexisting body of literature with which the student must become familiar.... Seldom...

Your MTNA dollar at work.(National Association News)(Music Teachers National Association)(Table)
December 1, 2007... YOUR MTNA DOLLAR AT WORK During fiscal year 2007, MTNA spent $.77 of every dollar for programs and services to its members and the music teaching profession. MTNA: The Best Investment You Can Make as a Music Teaching Professional....

Grindea receives citation for leadership.(National Association News)(Carola Grindea)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... The MTNA Board of Directors has awarded Carola Grindea a "Citation for Leadership" in recognition of her extraordinary accomplishments throughout her career. In conferring this award, the Board cited Grindea's "singular work as a unifier of...

Presidential Scholars in the Arts.(National Association News)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Jessica Anastacio, second-place winner in the 2003 MTNA Junior Woodwind Performance Competition, and Benjamin Beilman, 2004 MTNA Junior Strings Competition winner, have been named 2007 youngARTS Presidential Scholars in the Arts in the...

Idaho affiliate recognized.(National Association News)(Music Teachers National Association)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... The Idaho Music Teachers Association (IMTA) was recently recognized for their 50 years of affiliation with MTNA. At their October convention, MTNA President Gall Berenson, NCTM, presented the affiliate with a plaque recognizing the feat. ...

MTNA executive director attends NAMM Global Summit.(National Association News)(Music Teachers National Association's executive director Gary Ingle, National Association for Music Manufacturers)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... MTNA Executive Director Gary Ingle attended the NAMM Global Summit VI, held recently in Cartsbad, California. The event aimed to generate inspiration anct optimism about the future of the music products industry despite the many business...

MTNA leaders attend Summit.(National Association News)(Music Teachers National Association)
December 1, 2007... The 10th annual Summit for MTNA Leadership was held in Cincinnati, Ohio, September 7-9, 2007. Nearly 100 MTNA leaders, including state presidents, state presidents-elect, division directors-elect, program chairs and the board of directors,...

End of year giving.(Foundation Fund)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... At the end of the year, many people are searching for ways to reduce their taxable income. As a 501(c)(3) corporation, contributions to the MTNA FOUNDATION FUND may be tax deductible. Contributions to the fund may be made by phone at (888)...

Grant guidelines and forms available.(Foundation Fund)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Guidelines and application forms for the 2008 Teacher Enrichment, Local Association Matching, New Local Association Start-Up Grants and State Affiliate Matching Grants are now available through MTNA national headquarters and on the MTNA...

Contributing made easy.(Foundation Fund)
December 1, 2007... Have you considered making your 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 FOUNDATION FUND website at www.mtnafoundation.org. With this option you can...

Fern Davidson celebrates 100th birthday.(Foundation Fund)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Friends, family, colleagues and former students gathered Saturday, September 1 to celebrate the 100th birthday of MTNA FOUNDATION Fellow and longtime MTNA member Fern Davidson. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Idaho MTA president David French...

Professional certification: certify or petrify?(Association News)
December 1, 2007... In 2003 when I was preparing for our Utah MTA state conference, our Certification Chair Molly Wilhelm made a chart to display at the Conference. It read "Certify or Petrify!" Her slogan created some laughter, some thought, some talk and...

Correction.(Association News)(Correction notice)
December 1, 2007... The headline on page 43 of the October/November AMT was incorrect. It should have read "Two $750 Scholarships Available to NCTMs." AMT apologizes for any inconvenience.

Polyphony.(Professional Resources)
December 1, 2007... Q Please provide a list of baroque music with suggested grading and difficulty levels. A This is the music that sends us dancing! It is impossible to listen to compositions by Scarlatti, for example, for any length of time and not feel...

It's all your business: in search of excellence.(Professional Resources)
December 1, 2007... How do we define excellence in our profession? Certainly high quality teaching and performing are major components. So is professionalism, which was discussed in a previous column ("It's All Your Business: Towards a Higher Definition of...

Random access: Web 2.0: how the new world wide Web is connecting music teachers and students.(Professional Resources)
December 1, 2007... The term "Web 2.0" is a bit of a buzzword that is thrown around these days to describe a perceived second generation of the World Wide Web. However, the technical specifications of the web have not changed. Instead, web programmers and...

25 ways to support music in our schools.(Forum Focus: Arts Awareness and Advocacy)
December 1, 2007... It's easy to show your support for music education. Here are some things you can do. At Concerts * Talk to the audience about the importance of music education. * Thank your own music teachers. * When appropriate, provide an...

Forum identifies new directions for classical music careers.(Forum Focus: Collegiate Chapters)
December 1, 2007... Rice University's Shepherd School of Music recently set out to create a national focus on new career models with a student-centered forum, "Careers in Music Performance: Convening Student Perspectives and Creating Models for the 21st Century."...

The reluctant recitalist.(Forum Focus: Independent Music Teachers)
December 1, 2007... The "reluctant recitalist." We've all ad one student at one time or another who just doesn't want to perform on the recital. What should we do? I know that my studio policy clearly states that all students beginning at a certain level will be...

MTNA corporate members (as of October 1, 2007).(Music Teachers National Association)(List)
December 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 Burts...

MTNA institutional members (as of October 1, 2007).(Music Teachers National Association)(List)
December 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,...

The Memory of All That: The Life of George Gershwin.(Book review)
December 1, 2007... [??] The Memory of All That: The Life of George Gershwin, by Joan Peyser, Hal Leonard Corporation (www.halleonard.com), 2007, 320pp.; $17.95 Will the real George Gershwin please stand up? Almost from the moment of his tragic and untimely...

Great Pianists and Pedagogues in Conversation with Carola Grindea.(Book review)
December 1, 2007... Great Pianists and Pedagogues in Conversation with Carola Grindea, by Carola Grindea; Kahn and Averill, London; 316 pp.; 15.95 [pounds sterling] Great Pianists and Pedagogues in Conversation with Carola Grindea is a series of 48 interviews...

Improvisation at the Piano: A Systematic Approach for the Classically Trained Pianist.(Book review)
December 1, 2007... [??] Improvisation at the Piano: A Systematic Approach for the Classically Trained Pianist, by Brian Chung and Dennis Thurmond; Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. (www.alfred.com), 2007; 225 pp.; $39.95 Did you ever wish you could simply sit down...

Music Makes Your Child Smarter: How Music Helps Every Child's Development.(Book review)
December 1, 2007... [??] Music Makes Your Child Smarter: How Music Helps Every Child's Development, w/CD, by Philip Sheppard, Omnibus Press, 2007; 347 pp.; $22.95 Music Makes Your Child Smarter is an excellent resource for both teachers and parents. The book...

Right@Sight: A Progressive Sight-Reading Course Including Duet Parts and a CD of Accompaniments: Cello Grade One.(Book review)
December 1, 2007... Right@Sight: A Progressive Sight-Reading Course Including Duet Parts and a CD of Accompaniments: Cello Grade One, by Anita Hewitt-Jones and Caroline Lumsden; C.F. Peters Corp./Edition Peters (www.editionpeters.com), 2007; 40 pp.; $13.95 ...

13 Ways of Looking at the Goldberg: New Variations on the Goldberg Theme for Solo Piano.(Book review)
December 1, 2007... 13 Ways of Looking at the Goldberg: New Variations on the Goldberg Theme for Solo Piano, by C. Curtis-Smith, Jennifer Higdon, et. al., C.F. Peters Corp./Edition Peters (www.edition-peters.com), 2007, 66 pp This intriguing collection, was...

Dances from Around the World: Seven Solos in National Styles.(Book review)
December 1, 2007... [??] Dances from Around the World: Seven Solos in National Styles, by Christos Tsitsaros, Hal Leonard Corporation (www.halleonard.com), 2007; 24 pp.; $6.95; Easy to Intermediate This collection of new and old pieces by Christos Tsitsaros...

Get Off My Note, Get Out of My Way ... Please!: 12 Original Piano Duets.(Book review)
December 1, 2007... [??] Get Off My Note, Get Out of My Way... Please!: 12 Original Piano Duets, w/CD, by Anne Moot, Hal Leonard Corp. (www.halleonard.com), 2007; 32 pp.; $12.95 With the amusing title, Get Off My Note, Get Out of My Way... Please!, Anne...

The Christopher Norton Jazz Preludes Collection: 14 Original Pieces for Solo Piano Based on Jazz Styles.(Book review)
December 1, 2007... [??] The Christopher Norton Jazz Preludes Collection: 14 Original Pieces for Solos Piano Based on Jazz Styles, w/CD, by Christopher Norton, Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Ltd.,/Hal Leonard Corp. (www.halleonard.com), 2006; 38 pp.; $18.95 ...

The Christopher Norton Country Preludes Collection: 16 Pieces for Solo Piano Based on Country Styles.(Book review)
December 1, 2007... [??] The Christopher Norton Country Preludes Collection: 16 Pieces for Solo Piano Based on Country Styles, w/CD, by Christopher Norton, Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Ltd.,/Hal Leonard Corp. (www.halleonard.com), 2007; 46 pp.; $24.95 ...

Leadership.(Directory)
December 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....

The stream of inspiration.(Creativity for All)
December 1, 2007... In our previous column, we quoted Franz Liszt and suggested that music, to be an art, must flow from inspiration--not mechanism. How can teachers invite inspiration and creativity into their lessons? We encourage our students' natural...