American Music Teacher articles from June 2008

American Music Teacher archives from June 2008

Good dialogue.(Dear Reader)(Editorial)
June 1, 2008... I'm writing this in mid-March, but by the time you read it, the MTNA conference will be a memory. I hope you found it a time of stimulating dialogue. Certainly the presentations can be richly informative, the hands-on workshops engaging,...

MTNA--your partner in learning.(In Unison)(Music Teachers National Association)
June 1, 2008... Serving as a positive role model to our students is one of the most significant responsibilities we face when we decide to pursue a teaching career. For that reason, it is especially important for our students to see us continuing to improve...

Hal Leonard to acquire De Haske.(Items of Interest)(Hal Leonard Corp.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Hal Leonard Corp. has acquired a majority equity position in Holland-based De Haske, Europe's leading print publisher of instrumental music. De Haske is co-owned by Jan De Haan and Garmt Van der Veen. An accomplished composer and a...

Roland acquires major share in Cakewalk.(Items of Interest)(Roland Corp., Cakewalk Music Software Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Roland has reached an agreement to acquire a major share of Cakewalk, a developer of music creation and recording products. New products will be branded "Cakewalk by Roland." The two companies have been partners since 1995 and have worked...

Music Ed Software and Hardware alliance formed.(Items of Interest)
June 1, 2008... MakeMusic, Inc. has partnered with Garritan, Steinberg and Yamaha to provide integrated solutions to the music education market in the United States. Announced at the 2008 NAMM Show, the Music Education Software and Hardware (MESH)...

Denny Senseney retires as Supinie acquires Senseney music.(Items of Interest)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Founder Denny Senseney retired March 31 after a 30-year career as owner and president of Senseney Music. Lori Supinie, who Senseney had recently promoted to president of the dealership, is the new owner, assuming full ownership and a new...

EPTA annual conference takes place in Estonia.(Items of Interest)(European Piano Teachers' Association)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The 30th EPTA European Conference will take place August 8-11, 2008, in Tallinn, Estonia. Hosted this year by EPTA Estonia, the annual event provides pianists from around the world the opportunity to meet and take part in gala concerts,...

New online Music Education Research journal launched.(Items of Interest)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The University of South Florida has announced a new online refereed research journal for music educators called Music Education Research International (MERI). The inaugural issue features presentations from the 2007 Suncoast Music...

Website launched for teaching and artistic development.(Items of Interest)(Website overview)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Soft Designs, Inc. has launched VirtualArtists.com, a new educational website for classical and jazz musicians. The designers of VirtualArtists.com are all music teachers, performers, composers and/or conductors. VirtualArtists.com offers...

AGO announces organ spectacular.(Items of Interest)(American Guild of Organists )(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The American Guild of Organists will hold "Organ Spectacular: An International Celebration," beginning June 25, 2008, at the AGO National Convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota, then closing at AGO regional conventions in June and July of 2009....

Musicians medical problems symposium.(Items of Interest)
June 1, 2008... The Performing Arts Medicine Association and the Aspen Music Festival and School will present the 26th annual Symposium on Medical Problems of Musicians and Dancers June 19-22, 2008, in Aspen, Colorado. The 2008 symposium's theme will be...

Ramsay wins 2008 Cambridge Compositon Competition.(Items of Interest)(Parker Ramsay)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Parker Ramsay, 16, has won the Cambridge Young Composer of the Year 2008 competition. Ramsay, a student at King's School, Ely, won the 2007 MTNA Senior Composition Competition and the 2006 MTNA Junior Composition Competition. Ramsay has...

Music Institute of Chicago announces competition winners.(Items of Interest)
June 1, 2008... The Music Institute of Chicago (MIC) has announced the winners of the 2008 Generation Next Young Composer's Competition. Winners of the 2008 Generation Next Young Composer's Competition are: Justin Ehrman, 16, of Wheaton, Illinois, first...

CMA announces 2009 conference.(Items of Interest)(Country Music Association)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The 31st CMA National Conference will take place January 16-18, 2009, in New York City. All members are encouraged to submit session proposals by July 15, 2008. Selections will be made in the fall. For more information, e-mail Nick...

DeBose Fine Arts Festival in Baton Rouge.(Items of Interest)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The 33rd DeBose Literary, Visual and Performing Arts Festival and Piano Competition took place in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, April 6-12, 2008. The DeBose Fine Arts Festival and National Piano Competition serves youth and professionals...

SmartMusic 10.2 now available.(Music Merchandise)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... MakeMusic, Inc., 6210 Bury Dr., Eden Prairie, MN 55346; www.smartmusic.com; www.makemusic. com. MakeMusic, Inc.'s SmartMusic 10.2 is now available for download from www.smartmusic.com. This latest upgrade to the music learning software...

Synesthesia introduces The Mandala 2.0.(Music Merchandise)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Synesthesia Corporation 8491 Sunset Blvd. #124, Los Angeles CA, 90069; (323) 650-8082; www.synesthesiacorp.com; $349. Synesthesia has developed Mandala 2.0, a new version of its high-def drum and synthesizer. Now a computer peripheral,...

PTNA Piano Competition in Japan.(Competitions)(Piano Teachers' National Association )(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The Piano Teachers' National Association of Japan (PTNA) will hold its 32nd Piano Competition in Tokyo. The preliminary rounds will take place in July 2008, beginning July 5-6, followed by a second round August 6-7 and the semi-finals...

Kazimierz Serocki International Composers' Competition.(Competitions)
June 1, 2008... The deadline for entries into the 11th Kazimierz Serocki International Composers' Competition is August 25, 2008. Sponsored by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the competition will take place in Warsaw, Poland, and is...

Fern Davidson.(Passages)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Fern Nolte Davidson of Nampa, Idaho, died March 7, 2008. On her 100th birthday, in September 2007, a celebration of her life and accomplishments was held with family and friends. Davidson was honored by the MTNA FOUNDATION FUND with the...

Notes from a musician's journal.(Marking Time)
June 1, 2008... Like many musicians, I work a great deal from home. Of course, I have teaching and performing gigs that take me outside, but there are many days that I spend entirely between the walls of my colorful house. Most of the time I love this. Take...

Dame Evelyn Glennie: percussion's "first" lady.(Interview)
June 1, 2008... Percussionist Evelyn Glennie gives more than 100 performances a year, performing solo, with orchestras or collaborating with other artists. Her first recording won a Grammy award, with two other subsequent recordings receiving Grammy...

Beethoven's two sonatas, Op. 49: a new perspective.(Ludwig van Beethoven)(Critical essay)
June 1, 2008... Several years ago, my life-long ambition of performing the complete cycle of Beethoven's piano sonatas was realized. The project spanned three decades, beginning when I learned my first Beethoven sonata movement at age 12. Many people have...

Mental strategies to improve playing from memory.
June 1, 2008... For many musicians, performing from memory is expected. Thanks to romantic virtuosos such as Clara Schumann, Franz Liszt and Niccolo Paganini, it is conventional for musicians at all levels to perform from memory. This demand places even more...

A tribute to Carola Grindea.
June 1, 2008... MTNA President Gail Berenson, NCTM, presented Carola Grindea with a Citation for Leadership April 13, at a weekend-long celebration for pianist Ronald Stevenson in London. "It seems very fitting for Music Teachers National Association to...

Annotated bibliography on musician wellness.(Bibliography)
June 1, 2008... INTRODUCTION Included for each annotation is a brief description of the content of the resource and the intended audience. Publishing information is included. Most books can be bought directly from the publisher, through amazon.com or can...

Body, mind and spirit: being at one with your instrument.(musician wellness)(Recommended readings)
June 1, 2008... When we practice mindfulness of breath, then the knowledge of breath is mind. When we practice mindfulness of the body, then the knowledge of body is mind. When we practice mindfulness of objects outside ourselves, then the knowledge of these...

2008 MTNA National Conference highlights.(Music Teachers National Association)(Conference news)
June 1, 2008... COLLEGIATE EXPO/PROFESSIONAL STUDIO SATURDAY [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Phyllis Pieffer, NCTM, at left, introduced the opening session titled, "Build A Studio Will They Come?" Panelists, from left induded Medardo Perez, Debra Perez, Karen...

Barr honored with MTNA Achievement Award.(National Association News)
June 1, 2008... Jean Barr was honored with the MTNA Achievement Award at the 2008 MTNA National Conference in Denver. Barr is professor of piano accompanying and chamber music at the Eastman School of Music. She taught previously at the University of...

Amanda Ward Penick named MTNA Teacher of the Year.(National Association News)
June 1, 2008... The recipient of the 2008 MTNA Teacher of the Year Award is Amanda Ward Penick. Penick, NCTM, joined the faculty at the University of Alabama in 1953 and is professor of music and coordinator of the piano area in school of music. She has...

Martha Hilley honored with MTNA Distinguished Service Award.(National Association News)(Music Teachers National Association)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The fourth annual MTNA Distinguished Service Award was given to Martha Hilley. Hilley, NCTM, is a longtime professor at the University of Texas, School of Music, where she has held positions as head of the keyboard division and associate...

Utah honored as MTNA State Affiliate of the Year.(National Association News)(Music Teachers National Association)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Utah Music Teachers Association is the 2008 MTNA State Affiliate of the Year. The award is based on membership growth and retention, certification, teacher education and programs, collegiate chapters, FOUNDATION FUND contribution, programming...

Tidewater named Local Association of the Year.(National Association News)(Tidewater Music Teachers Forum )(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The Tidewater Music Teachers Forum (TMTF) in Virginia Beach, Virginia, has been selected as the 2008 MTNA Local Association of the Year. TMTF was honored with the award for several reasons. Its support of the MTNA Certification program...

Edward Moy receives StAR Studio Teacher Fellowship Award.(National Association News)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Edward Moy is the 2008 recipient of the Student Achievement Recognition (StAR) Studio Teacher Fellowship Award. Moy is a graduate of Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. He received a master's degree in piano pedagogy in 2006 and...

Piano Pedagogy Forum receives Frances Clark Keyboard Pedagogy Award.(National Association News)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... This year's recipient of the Frances Clark Keyboard Pedagogy Award is the Piano Pedagogy Forum, a free online journal supported by the University of South Carolina, School of Music. It was selected for its significant and unique contribution to...

Alison Barr awarded American Music Teacher Article of the Year.(National Association News)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The American Music Teacher Article of the Year Award is presented to the outstanding author of a feature article written expressly for the AMT. This year's award was presented to Alison Barr for her article "Reversing the Pyramid: Keeping High...

John McDonald named MTNA-Shepherd Distinguished Composer of the Year.(National Association News)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... This year's MTNA-Shepherd Distinguished Composer of the Year is John McDonald for his work, Staudlin as Vogl: Preamble to a Winter Journey, commissioned by the Massachusetts Music Teachers Association. His composition was selected from among 31...

Autumn Zander and Tanya Brooks awarded MTNA-PTG Scholarships.(National Association News)(Music Teachers National Association)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The 2008 winners of the MTNA-PTG Scholarships are Autumn Zander, who received the MTNA-PTG Continuing Education and/or Performance Study scholarship, and Tanya Brooks, who received the MTNA-PTG Recreational Music Making Workshop scholarship....

DCY Honorable Mentions.(National Association News)
June 1, 2008... Honorable Mentions were awarded to: Murray Gross, Michigan, for Irrational Exuberance (alto saxophone/piano), and Jose Manuel Lezcano, New Hampshire, for Viola Concerto. The distinguished judging panel consisted of MTNA/Shepherd Distinguished...

Weber State named MTNA--Benjamin Whitten Collegiate Chapter of the Year.(National Association News)(Music Teachers National Association)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The MTNA Collegiate Chapter of the Year Award is named for renowned teacher and MTNA benefactor, Benjamin Whitten, for his financial support of the award. It is given to the MTNA collegiate chapter that demonstrates excellence in its chapter...

Recognition of 50-year members.(National Association News)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... At the 2008 National Conference, MTNA recognized the following members for their 50 years of service to the music teaching profession: Jane S. Bastien NCTM, La Jolla, California Beverly Bradley, Atlanta, Georgia Carolyn L....

Outgoing division directors.(National Association News)(Brief article)(Photograph)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Those completing terms of office as division directors were recognized during the Annual Meeting of the Association. Shown from left are: Carmen Shaw, NCTM, East Central Division; Kenneth Christensen, Northwest...

MTNA Teacher of the Year Award part of Project Excellence.(National Association News)
June 1, 2008... Pi Lambda Theta (PLT) has invited MTNA to enroll its annual Teacher of the Year Award in its Project Excellence program. The purpose of Project Excellence is to give substance to the appreciation of excellence among educators by making more...

Connect with your colleagues via the new MTNA discussion boards!(National Association News)
June 1, 2008... Go Online to MTNA.ORG and Choose discussion boards from the main page. You'll find an index of discussions, helpful hints for logging on and a rich collection of ideas,

Division news online.(National Association News)
June 1, 2008... Division news is now online only! For the latest news from your division, check the MTNA website at www.mtna.org, click on "About MTNA," then "Division, State & Local Information," then "Division Portal," then select the desired division.

2008 state conferences.(National Association News)(Brief article)(Calendar)
June 1, 2008... 2008 State Conferences (as of April 14, 2008) This list contains only those state MTA conferences held during the fall months. State Date Location Georgia November 6-8 University of Georgia...

Carl Fischer Offers Lynn Freeman Olson series.(Foundation Fund)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The Lynn Freeman Olson: Signature Collections, Vols. 1, 2, 3 are now available from Carl Fischer Music. The three graded collections contain all sheet solos composed by Lynn Freeman Olson. They are all newly engraved and edited by Elizabeth...

MTNA Foundation Fund awards first program enrichment grant.(Foundation Fund)(Music Teachers National Association)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The MTNA FOUNDATION FUND Development Committee has awarded the first program enrichment grant to the MusicLink Foundation. Joanne Haroutounian, NCTM, of Arlington, Virginia, was awarded a $5,000 grant to fund the revision of the current...

Two new corporations to sponsor 2008-2009 MTNA Composition Competitions.(Foundation Fund)(Hal Leonard Corporation and Carl Fischer Music)(Music Teachers National Association)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Hal Leonard Corporation and Carl Fischer Music will begin sponsoring MTNA composition competitions, beginning with the year 2008-2009. Hal Leonard will sponsor the MTNA Senior Composition Competition. The company will sponsor the...

Local association grant recipients.(Foundation Fund)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... A total of $2,000 was distributed from the MTNA FOUNDATION FUND to nine local associations in 2008. Associations receiving grants are: Bay Area MTA Gulf Coast MTA Jordan River Chapter of Utah MTA Southwest Montana MTA The...

MTNA Foundation 2008 State Incentive giving campaign.(Foundation Fund)(Music Teachers National Association)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Congratulations to the North Dakota Music Teachers Association (NDMTA), Delaware Music Teachers Association (DMTA), Texas Music Teachers Association (TMTA) and the California Association of Professional Music Teachers (CAPMT) for winning the...

Teacher enrichment grant recipients.(Foundation Fund)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Eighteen teachers received grants this year from the MTNA FOUNDATION FUND. A total of $14,975 was awarded to recipients to help fund continuing education and professional development projects. This year's grants were awarded to: Julie...

Professional Certification: National Certification for college faculty and highly qualified teachers a professional responsibility.(Association News)
June 1, 2008... Should college and university faculty and highly qualified teachers become Nationally Certified? The answer is a resounding YES! Let's examine the What, Why and How of certification for these teachers. What Is National Certification? ...

2007-2008 MTNA National Competition sponsors.(Music Teachers National Association)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Morty and Iris Manus are pictured with Christopher Camitta, center, winner of the MTNA Elementary Student Composition Competition, sponsored by Morty and Iris Manus. Sarah Meily Sukardi, center, winner of the...

2007-2008 MTNA National Competition winners.
June 1, 2008... COMPOSITION COMPETITIONS Elementary Composition Sponsored by Morty and Iris Manus Winner: Christopher Camitta, Southern Division (North Carolina); Debby Titlow, teacher Christopher Camitta, age 8, is a fourth-grade student at...

2008-2009 MTNA competitions.(Music Teachers National Association)(Table)
June 1, 2008... 2008-2009 MTNA COMPETITIONS (All information is subject to change. Check the MTNA website at www.mtna.org for updates.) STATE DATE Alabama October 31-November 1 Alaska November 8...

Polyphony.(Professional Resources)
June 1, 2008... Q How can I motivate students to practice for their weekly lesson and not just for the special events of the year? A Try to determine why students practice only for special events. Some students become exceedingly goal oriented and begin to...

What's new in pedagogy research?(Professional Resources)
June 1, 2008... Think back to all the high school and college jazz bands you have seen. What about the professional jazz bands? Thinking about their musicians, I would imagine that they were mostly men! The American Association of University Women reported in...

Collaborative music making for pre-college students.(Forum Focus: Collaborative Performance)
June 1, 2008... I remember standing backstage after a concert I had played with a violinist in Washington, D.C. The concert included Beethoven's D Major Piano/Violin Sonata. A woman came up to me and said, "Thank you SO much for providing the background music...

"Staging" your music audition: benefits of the music portfolio.(Forum Focus: College Faculty)
June 1, 2008... Changes in today's graduate school music audition process require new ways of thinking about how to prepare for the audition. Additionally, getting accepted into a good graduate music program and the ability to secure a graduate assistantship...

John McDonald: MTNA-Shepherd Distinguished Composer 2007.(Forum Focus: Composer Commissioning)(Music Teachers National Association)
June 1, 2008... Believe it or not, some people today try to distill beauty from daily complications. John McDonald is one of those people. Inspired by observations of everyday events, he composes his musical responses to life, literature and existing music,...

The value of MTNA membership.(Forum Focus: Local Associations)(Music Teachers National Association)
June 1, 2008... MTNA provides a wide array of benefits at each level of the organization. The more we embrace MTNA as our organization, the more we realize the benefits of membership. On the local level, teachers enjoy the benefits that the local association...

Alfred's Music Tech Series: Composing Music With Notation, Book 1; Sequencing and Music Production, Book 1.(Book review)
June 1, 2008... * Alfred's Music Tech Series: Composing Music With Notation, Book 1; Sequencing and Music Production, Book 1, by Stefani Langol, Floyd Richmond, Tom Rudolph and Lee Whitmore. Alfred Publishing, (wee.alfred.com; (800) 292-6122), 2007. 76pp. and...

Grand Obsession: A Piano Odyssey.(Book review)
June 1, 2008... * Grand Obsession: A Piano Odyssey, by Perri Knize. Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc. (www.simonsays. com), 2008. 371 pp. $27.50. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When I first opened the cover of this book and read the Prelude, my...

Leo Ornstein: Modernist Dilemmas, Personal Choices.(Book review)
June 1, 2008... * Leo Ornstein: Modernist Dilemmas, Personal Choices, by Michael Broyles and Denise Von Glahn. Indiana University Press, (http://iupress.indiana.edu; (800) 8426796), 2007. 392pp. $34.95. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This is the first...

Musician & Teacher: An Orientation to Music Education.(Brief article)(Book review)
June 1, 2008... * Musician & Teacher: An Orientation to Music Education, by Patricia Shehan Campbell. W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. (www.wwnorton.com; (800) 233-4830), 2007. 328 pp. $40. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This volume examines the topics of...

So When Does the Fat Lady Sing? Questions and Answers about Life, Sex, Love, and--Oh, Yes--Opera.(Book review)
June 1, 2008... So When Does the Fat Lady Sing? Questions and Answers about Life, Sex, Love, and--Oh, Yes--Opera, by Michael Walsh. Amadeus Press, LLC (www.amadeuspress.com), 2007. 173 pp. $10.95. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In true Socratic fashion,...

The Redeemer Reborn: Parsifal as the Fifth Opera of Wagner's Ring.(Book review)
June 1, 2008... * The Redeemer Reborn: Parsifal as the Fifth Opera of Wagner's Ring, by Paul Schofield. Amadeus Press, LLC (www.amadeuspress.com), 2007. 307 pp. $29.95. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Paul Schofield is a Wagnerian scholar and former Buddhist...

Flutes and Vegetables; Your Results May Differ.(Book review)
June 1, 2008... Flutes and Vegetables; Your Results May Differ, by Jonathan Cohen. Falls House Press, an imprint of Theodore Presser Company, (www.fallshousepress.com; www.presser.com; (800) 854-6764), 2006. score: 22 pp. $28 and $24, respectively. ...

Quartet for Oboe and Strings.(Brief article)(Book review)
June 1, 2008... Quartet for Oboe and Strings, by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. Theodore Presser Company (www.presser.com), 2007. 16 pp. $35. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (1939-) is one of the most prolific and acclaimed composers of our time....

Middle School Singers: Turning Their Energy into Wonderful Choirs!(Video recording review)
June 1, 2008... Middle School Singers: Turning Their Energy into Wonderful Choirs! created by Russell Robinson. Alfred Publishing, (www.alfred.com; (800) 292-6122), 2007. $39.95 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Early in my music career, I remember the general...

Leadership.(Directory)
June 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....

On a first-name basis.(ad lib)
June 1, 2008... There's Beethoven, Debussy, Copland, Segovia, Horowitz, Callas, Abado, Perlman. Yet, there's Duke, Miles, Dizzy, Oscar, Ella, Maynard, Herbie, Thelonious. Many musicians tend to refer to the most admired in classical music or jazz in...