American Music Teacher articles from February 2006

American Music Teacher archives from February 2006

Howdy, y'all Welcome to Texas.(Music Teachers National Association National conference)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... As a Texan for the first 23 years of my life, it is my birthright to say, "Howdy, y'all. Welcome to Texas!" Meeting in Austin, the state's capital and a dynamic city, MTNA National Conference attendees will see an expansive landscape,...

MTNA and learning for life.(Music Teachers National Association)
February 1, 2006... "Fortune favors the prepared mind." The primary mission of Music Teachers National Association has always been to support the professionalism of music teachers through the continuing education of its members. This mission is especially relevant...

Boston Piano provides Katrina aid.(Items of Interest)
February 1, 2006... The Boston Piano Religious Trust, established by the Boston Piano Company, has announced a $50,000 relief fund to help houses of worship, regardless of religion or sect, in Alabama, Louisiana-and Mississippi devastated by Hurricane Katrina. ...

Texas tech hosts music festival.(Items of Interest)
February 1, 2006... "Schumann Perspectives: A View Across the Disciplines," an international symposium and music festival celebrating the legacy of Robert Schumann, will take place at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, September 29-30, 2006. The festival marks the...

Grammy Award winners offer expertise at Salsa Music Seminar.
February 1, 2006... The 3rd Annual Salsa Music Seminar will be held May 22-25, 2006, at the LAX Marriott Hotel in Los Angeles, California. Conducted by internationally renowned musicians of Latin music, participants will receive instruction focused on their...

FreeHand acquires SheetMusicNow.(FreeHand Systems International Inc., SheetMusicNow)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... FreeHand Systems International, Inc., has acquired Denmark-based SheetMusicNow. This acquisition adds digital distribution rights to more than 32,000 titles, 15,000 of which are already digitized and online, in addition to FreeHand's current...

Banff Centre appoints director of music programs.(The Banff Centre for Continuing Education, Barry Shiffman)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Barry Shiffman, co-founder of the St. Lawrence String Quartet (SLSQ) and one of Canada's pre-eminent musicians, has been appointed director of music programs by The Banff Centre. Effective immediately, Shiffman will join Banff as a...

2005 Nevada Arts Council Fellowship Grant awarded.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Chad Twedt, NCTM, of Reno, Nevada, has received the 2005 Nevada Arts Council Fellowship Grant. The $5,000 grant is awarded based on originality, newness and quality of work. Twedt was awarded the grant based on his solo piano composition work...

eMusic offers Naxos catalogue.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... eMusic is now offering Naxos' entire 75,000 track catalogue online. Naxos' entire collection comprises works composed by more than 1,000 composers and performed by even more artists, choirs, ensembles and orchestras. From the concertos of...

Musicians 3rd Hand Page Turn System available.(Music Merchandise)
February 1, 2006... Advent Product Development, Inc., Licensing Department, 313 Commerce Dr., Pawleys Island, SC 29585; (843) 237-5915; advent@adventproduct.net; www.advenrproduct.net. Advent Product Development, Inc., has introduced the Musicians 3rd Hand...

KeyNotes labeling system introduced.(Music Merchandise)
February 1, 2006... KeyNotes, LLC., 4336 Pennswood Dr., Middletown, OH 45042; (513) 420-9756; info@pianokeynotes.com; www.pianokeynotes.com. $5.99 per set. KeyNotes, LLC., has released a vinyl-cling labeling system, KeyNotes, that makes learning to read music...

MakeMusic releases Finale PrintMusic 2006.(Music Merchandise)
February 1, 2006... MakeMusic, Inc., 7615 Golden Triangle Dr., Ste. M, Eden Prairie, MN 55344-3848; (952) 937-9611; www.makemusic.com. $600 for Windows/Mac, $350 for upgrade. MakeMusic, Inc. has released Finale PrintMusic 2006, a music notation software for...

Garritan Personal Software available for Sibelius 4.(Music Merchandise)
February 1, 2006... Sibelius USA, Inc., 1407 Oakland Blvd., Ste. 103, Walnut Creek, CA 94596; (925) 280-0600; infoUSA@sibelius.com; www.sibelius.com; $219. Sibelius Software has announced the release of Garritan Personal Orchestra Sibelius Edition, a complete...

Midisoft releases Peter and the Wolf DVD movie and games.(Music Merchandise)
February 1, 2006... Midisoft Corp.; (866) 643-7638; www.midisoft.com; $24.99. Midisoft Corp., developers of award-winning music software, have announced the release of Peter and the Wolf. A Classic Tale of Musical Adventure! The DVD introduces children to...

Conn-Selmer plays Fortissimo to Woodwind players.(Music Merchandise)
February 1, 2006... Conn-Selmer, P.O. Box 310, Elkhart, IN 46515-0310; www.conn-selmer.com; $58.50 for Fortissimo Saxophone Stand; $49. 50 for the Fortissimo Multi-Instrument Stand; $79.95 for small Fortissimo Padded Tensing Ring Ligature, $89.95 for large ...

James Bastien.(passages)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
February 1, 2006... James W. Bastien, composer, piano pedagogue and musician, died December 7, in La Jolla, California. Jim and his wife, Jane, are known throughout the world for the Bastien Piano Basics and other piano books published by the Neil A. Kjos...

Jeno Takacs.(passages)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
February 1, 2006... Famed Hungarian-Austrian composer and pianist Jeno Takacs died November 14 at age 103. Born September 25, 1902, in Hungary (later Austria), Takacs worked in Egypt and the Philippines in the late 1920s and early 1930s, later returning to Europe....

5 minutes with ... Christopher O'Riley.(Interview)
February 1, 2006... One of today's leading pianists, Christopher O'Riley hosts From the Top, a weekly radio series showcasing exceptional young classical musicians. A New England Conservatory Artist Diploma graduate, O'Riley has earned top awards, scholarships and...

The Van Cliburn I know.(2006 MTNA NATIONAL CONFERENCE)(Biography)
February 1, 2006... Growing up in Fort Worth, Texas, as an aspiring concert pianist, it was impossible for me to escape the long shadow of Van Cliburn. I was born in 1954, started piano lessons in 1960 and, from 1973-78, attended Texas Christian University, home...

An introduction to the Van Cliburn Foundation and the 2006 MTNA National Conference Artists.(Music Teachers National Association)
February 1, 2006... Personal cultivation begins with poetry, is strengthened by rules of decorum and is perfected by music. --Confucius Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, [light to the imagination, and life to everything. --Plato...

Celebrating Kids in Music: Partners with MTNA.(Music Teachers National Association)
February 1, 2006... "What started as an experiment in 1997 has exploded into one of the five most popular public radio programs heard in over 250 markets across the country. With this meteoric climb and our nationally recognized education programs, we knew we bad...

Directory of summer programs.(Directory)
February 1, 2006... California Music Academy of the West Stacey Buck, vice president and general manager, Music Academy of the West, 1070 Fairway Rd,, Santa Barbara, CA 93108; (805) 969-4726, fax: (805) 969-0686; festival@musicacademy.org;...

Official notice of annual business meeting.(National Association News)
February 1, 2006... The annual business meeting of the Association for the presentation of reports and discussion of association affairs will be held in conjunction with the Association Breakfast on Tuesday, March 28, 7:00-8:00 A.M. in the Governor's Ballroom at...

Official Notice of Bylaws amendment proposal.(National Association News)
February 1, 2006... At the annual business meeting, the MTNA Board of Directors will propose amendments to Article VI of the MTNA Bylaws, which relates to the nominating committee. The purpose of the amendment is to change the method for selecting members of the...

Online resource for leadership.(Music Teachers National Association )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... MTNA leaders often have questions about MTNA's programs or want answers to specific questions. Yet, many are not certain where to find the answers. Perhaps the best place to go for answers is the State and Division Presidents Handbook,...

MTNA division candidates.(Music Teachers National Association)
February 1, 2006... In accordance with Article VI, Sec. 2 of the MTNA Bylaws, this slate of two candidates per office was prepared by the MTNA Nominating Committee consisting of Phyllis I. Pieffer, Aberdeen, Washington, chair; Marilyn Brossard, NCTM, Burlington,...

Eastern Division.(Division News)
February 1, 2006... Rhode Island President, Manuba Takasawa reports that in the fall and spring of each year, the Rhode Island MTA (RIMTA) has Rating Festivals for students. These noncompetitive events are for pianists of all levels. Students are adjudicated and...

East Central Division.(Division News)
February 1, 2006... I want to encourage East Central Division teachers to use their state association's website as a resource to stay informed about their state's happenings and as a valuable teaching and business resource. I have seen each state upgrade the web...

Northwest Division.(Division News)
February 1, 2006... The 2006 Northwest Division MTNA Competitions were held at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, January 13-15. Presidents from each state in the division attended a meeting and provided service throughout the competition. These...

South Central Division.(Division News)
February 1, 2006... We are grateful to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette for the use of its facilities for our division competitions, and to our dedicated local chair, Susanna Garcia, NCTM. Louisiana's Save Our Students Fund has subsidized tuition, piano...

Southern Division.(Division News)
February 1, 2006... The MTNA Southern Division Competitions held on the beautiful campus of Lee University n Cleveland, Tennessee, were quite successful! We send our appreciation to Stephen Plate, dean of the school of music at Lee University, for hosting our...

Southwest Division.(Division News)
February 1, 2006... The 2006 California Association of Professional Music Teachers (CAPMT) State Conference will be held February 17-19 in Costa Mesa, California. Davide Cabassi, a finalist from the recent 2005 Van Cliburn Competition, will be the guest artist....

Division meetings at the 2006 MTNA National Conference.(Division News)
February 1, 2006... The following division meetings are Sunday, March 26, 2006, 5:00-6:00 P.M. Eastern Convention Center Meeting Room 11 AB East Central Convention Center Meeting Room 13 AB Northwest Convention Center Meeting Room 12 A...

West Central Division.(Division News)
February 1, 2006... Members and friends of the West Central Division are invited to attend a no-host dinner during the 2006 MTNA National Conference in Austin, Sunday, March 27 at 6:00 P.M. Dinner costs $38 (including tax and gratuity) at Dan McKlusky's (301 E....

Fundraising begins for two new endowments.(Amanda Vick Lethco and Lynn Freeman Olson)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... MTNA is initiating fundraising activities to establish two named endowments. MTNA wants to honor the memory of two giants in the world of piano pedagogy: Amanda Vick Lethco and Lynn Freeman Olson. Members can't fail to recall Alfred...

State pride drawing.(Foundation Fund)
February 1, 2006... The MTNA FOUNDATION FUND will hold the annual State Pride Drawing in the exhibit hall during the 2006 MTNA National Conference in Austin, Texas, March 25-29. Each state is encouraged to donate an item with a value of at least $50 for the...

Foundation Fund Open Meeting.(Foundation Fund)
February 1, 2006... The FOUNDATION FUND Open Meeting will be held at on Tuesday, March 28, from 9:15-10:15 A.M. at the Convention Center in Meeting Room 11 AB.

Foundation Fellows to be recognized at Gala.(Foundation Fund)
February 1, 2006... MTNA will recognize the 2006 FOUNDATION Fellows at the FOUNDATION FUND Gala Monday, March 27, at the National Conference. The Fellow program offers a meaningful method for honoring deserving individuals, while supporting the efforts of MTNA...

Employer matching.(Music Teachers National Association service)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Many corporations are willing to match employee donations to a nonprofit. Do you or your spouse work for such a company? MTNA encourages applicable donors and their families to check with their employers' corporate headquarters to inquire if...

In memoriam.(Music Teachers National Association members)
February 1, 2006... The following, in alphabetical order, is a list of MTNA members who died during the past year and whose family and friends notified MTNA national headquarters: Agnes Arnett, NCTM, Overland Park, Kansas Andrew Arsenault, North...

Professional certification: defining certification.(Association News)
February 1, 2006... I may finally understand what it means to be a professionally certified music teacher. It has taken me much of my professional life to do so. Experience and intuition also lead me to say that there could remain much more to grasp. Now,...

State MTA presidents directory.(Music Teachers National Association)(Directory)
February 1, 2006... Alabama--Nancy M. Vinson, NCTM, 720 Highland Rd., Auburn, AL 36830; (334) 821-2038; vinson23@charter.net Alaska--Timothy Smith, NCTM, 16056 Hidden Creek Ln., Anchorage, AK 99516-7524; (907) 345-4156; aftcs@uaa.alaska.edu ...

Polyphony asking questions.(Professional Resources)
February 1, 2006... For many years I would have called myself primarily a private/applied music teacher, but I also devote substantial time to class teaching of piano pedagogy. Where am I most at home? Is it in the "doing it" or the "talking about doing it?" Many...

What's new in pedagogy research?(music education)
February 1, 2006... As a professor of piano pedagogy, I expend a great deal of time and effort training piano teachers. I give as much help and information as I possibly can cram into the year long course; I meet with them to plan the group lessons, and I watch...

The piano duet: ten exciting pedagogical benefits.(Forum Focus: Collaborative Performance)
February 1, 2006... The piano duet often is a student's first chamber music experience and can be an invaluable enhancement of the solo piano repertoire. I have stacks of wonderful duets on my piano and usually reserve the last 10-15 minutes of the lesson for...

MTNA and the GP3 Forum: the start of a promising future.(Forum Focus: College Faculty)(Music Teachers National Association, National Group Piano and Piano Pedagogy Forum)
February 1, 2006... MTNA and the National Group Piano and Piano Pedagogy Forum (GP3 Forum) have joined forces. The partnership provides the GP3 Forum greater ease and opportunities in its financial planning, advertising, website hosting, online registration...

Bringing the local association online: guiding principles for developing a professional Web presence: Part one.(Forum Focus: Local Associations)(Column)
February 1, 2006... Editor's Note: This is the first column in a three-part series that focuses on developing a website, The second and third installments will be featured in the June/July 2006 AMT and October/November 2006 AMT. Developing a website is a...

Five Centuries of Women Singers.(Book Review)
February 1, 2006... * Five Centuries of Women Singers, by Isabelle Emerson. Praeger Press c/o Greenwood Press (88 Post Rd. W., Westport, CT 06881), 2005. 331 pp. Five Centuries of Women Singers traces the careers of 20 classical, female vocalists, from...

Everyday Wisdom for Inspired Teaching.(Book Review)
February 1, 2006... * Everyday Wisdom for Inspired Teaching, by Tim Lautzenheiser. GIA Publications, Inc. (7404 S. Mason Ave., Chicago, IL 60638), 2005. 158 pp. $24.95. This book will appeal to those in need of an encouraging boost as they go about the...

How to Grow As a Musician: What All Musicians Must Know to Succeed.(Book Review)
February 1, 2006... * How To Grow As a Musician: What All Musicians Must Know to Succeed, by Sheila Anderson. Allworth Press (10 E. 23rd St., Ste. 510, New York, NY 10010), 2005. 256 pp. $19.95. Admittedly, I am somewhat of a "personal growth" junkie, so I...

Reflections on Liszt.(Book Review)
February 1, 2006... Reflections on Listz, by Alan Walker. Cornell University Press (512 E. State St., Ithaca, NY 14850), 2005. 277 pp. $39.95. Just when it seemed that Alan Walker had written the last word on Franz Liszt, Reflections on Liszt appears,...

Elementary Rudiments of Music and Elementary Rudiments of Music (Answer Book), Revised editions.(Book Review)
February 1, 2006... * Elementary Rudiments of Music and Elementary Rudiments of Music (Answer Book), Revised editions, by Barbara Wharram and Kathleen Wood. Frederick Harris Music (Unit 1, 5865 McLaughlin Rd., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, L5R 1B 8), 2005. 302...

Echoes, Pictures, Riddles, and Tales for Piano Solo.(Book Review)
February 1, 2006... Echoes, Pictures, Riddles, and Tales for Piano Solo, by Martin Kutnowski. The FJH Music Company Inc. (Westport Business Park, 2525 Davie Rd., Ste. 360, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33317), 2005. 32 pp. $5.50. This creative collection of pieces by...

Music by Me: A Composition Workbook, vol. 3.(Book Review)
February 1, 2006... Music by Me: A Composition Workbook, Book Three, by Kevin Olson and Wynn-Anne Rossi. The FJH Music Company Inc. (Westport Business Park, 2525 Davie Rd., Ste. 360, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33317), 2005. 31 pp. $6.50. Music by Me introduces...

The Easiest Way to Improvise.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
February 1, 2006... * The Easiest Way to Improvise, by Christopher Norton. Boosey & Hawkes Ltd. (Aldwych House, 71-91 Aldwych, London WC2B 4HN), 2005. 136 pp. $24.95. The Easiest Way to Improvise contains 15 chapters, each containing an original song with...

Easy Hymns: 20 Timeless Hymns.(Book Review)
February 1, 2006... * Easy Hymns: 20 Timeless Hymns, arranged by Phillip Keveren. Hal Leonard Corp. (7777 W. Bluemound Rd., P.O. Box 13819, Milwaukee, WI 53213), 2005.47 pp. $9.95. A welcome addition to the hymn arrangement repertoire is Phillip Keveren's...

Singing Coach Unlimited.(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2006... * Singing Coach Unlimited, Carry-A-Tune Technologies (5401 Hangar Ct., Tampa, FL 33634), 2004. www.carryatune.com, $99.95. The packaging for Singing Coach Unlimited suggests that its targeted consumer is an American Idol wannabe, and, had I...

Leadership.(Nationally Certified Teacher of Music )(Directory)
February 1, 2006... Paul Stewart, NCTM President University of North Carolina at Greensboro School of Music Greensboro, NC 27402-6167 Work (336) 334-5380 Fax (336) 334-5497 pbstewar@uncg.edu Gail Berenson, NCTM ...

Get hooked on the MTNA Conference.(Music Teachers National Association)
February 1, 2006... "Have a great time!" my sister wished me before I left for Seattle. "Lydia, you haven't lived until you've experienced an MTNA National Conference. I hope next time you can come, too," I responded. The first national convention I attended...

Conference events.
February 1, 2006... OPENING SESSION Saturday, March 25 * 7:00 P.M. Van Cliburn, keynote The 2006 MTNA National Conference Opening Session will feature legendary pianist Van Cliburn reflecting on his experiences as a musician--from when he began taking...

Conference sessions.
February 1, 2006... Sunday, March 26 Bach to the Future: Inventive Inventions and Notebook Noodlings Arthur Houle Community Music School Programs: Serving a Diverse Community of Musicians L. Scott Donald, Catharine Lysinger, Margaret Perry Connecting...

MTNA Conference tours.(Music Teachers National Association)
February 1, 2006... TOUR #1 DINNER CRUISE Friday, March 24 6:15-9:15 P.M. Austin is a city known for its unique character and natural beauty. Enjoy an evening of "bird-watching" Austin-style! Right in the heart of the capital city nestled under the...

Master classes.
February 1, 2006... ADVANCED PIANO Nelita True * Tuesday, March 28 Renowned pedagogue Nelita True is professor of piano at the Eastman School of Music, where she served as chair of the piano department for 14 years. She received bachelor's and master's...