American Music Teacher articles from October 2004

American Music Teacher archives from October 2004

MTNA's worldwide influence.(Dear Reader)(Editorial)
October 1, 2004... It is said that music is a universal language, and after my experiences this summer, I've come to appreciate this adage even more. I have had the privilege--and pleasure--of meeting with representatives of the music-teaching field throughout...

USA/Canada--collaboration and partnership.(In Unison)(Music Teachers National Association, Canadian Federation of Music Teachers Associations)
October 1, 2004... Do you remember the advertisement for AT&T in which the phrase, "Reach out and touch someone," was used to promote long-distance calling? That is what we teachers do constantly in our work. We reach out to students, trying to touch them with...

Education secretary supports arts.(Items of Interest)(Rod Paige)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige showed his support for arts and music in public schools by sending a two-page letter to 16,000 of America's school superintendents, urging them not to cut art programs. This action was in direct response...

October is National Arts and Humanities Month.(Items of Interest)(Americans for the Arts)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Americans for the Arts has again proclaimed October as National Arts and Humanities Month. In celebration, arts organizations and communities across the nation have planned events throughout the month of October. According to Americans for...

Alfred acquires Myklas Music Press.(Items of Interest)(Alfred Publishing Company Inc.)(Myklas Music Press)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. has acquired Myklas Music Press, which is known for its quality supplementary piano solos and collections at elementary and intermediate levels. In addition, the Myklas catalog includes numerous piano duets, trios...

Steinway to acquire G. Leblanc.(Items of Interest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Steinway Musical Instruments, Inc. has signed an agreement to acquire substantially all the assets of G. Leblanc Corporation of Wisconsin for approximately $36 million. Leblanc is a manufacturer of band instruments and sells products under...

Frederick Harris Music celebrates 100th anniversary.(Items of Interest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... This year marks the centennial of Frederick Harris Music Co., Limited, one of the oldest educational print music publishers in North America. Frederick Harris Music offers more than 450 publications in its catalog, including its newest...

Pearl River Piano announces new sales managers.(Items of Interest)(Ken Edgington, Duane "Dewey" Kuhn)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Ken Edgington of Bigfork, Montana, and Duane "Dewey" Kuhn of Baldwin, Wisconsin, have joined the Pearl River Piano USA marketing team as district sales managers for the upper midwest region. Both Edgington and Kuhn bring a wealth of...

AMC honors Tim Lautzenheiser.(Items of Interest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The American Music Conference (AMC) recently honored Tim Lautzenheiser with its annual Henry Grossman Lifetime Director Award in recognition of his long and successful record as a clinician, author, composer, college band director, consultant,...

NASM holds annual meeting in November.(Items of Interest)
October 1, 2004... The National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) 2004 Annual Meeting will be held at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego, California, November 20-23. Annual meeting sessions will explore the roles of associate and assistant...

"Peace Piano" event.(Items of Interest)(Steinway & Sons' fundraising event)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Steinway & Sons introduces the Steinway Peace Piano, specifically designed to increase the public's awareness of UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) and to raise money for children in need through the joy of music. For the next two...

NACAC presents free fall Performing and Visual Arts College Fairs.(Items of Interest)(National Association for College Admission Counseling)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) is offering free Performing and Visual Arts College Fairs to help students who are pursuing a college degree in music, theater, art and dance. This fall the Performing and...

Percussive Arts Society announces new leadership.(Items of Interest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The Percussive Arts Society (PAS), the world's largest percussion organization, has announced its new Executive Committee officers for the upcoming 2005-2006 term. Rich Holly, the Northern Illinois University College of Visual and Performing...

Honens appoints new executive director.(Items of Interest)(Esther Honens International Piano Competition Foundation)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Stephen McHolm has been appointed executive director of the Esther Honens International Piano Competition Foundation, succeeding President and Artistic Director Andrew Raeburn, who retires at the end of 2004. McHolm, who most recently was...

First Act funds Heifetz International Scholarship.(Items of Interest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... First Act Inc., a musical instrument company based in Newton, Massachusetts, will support the Heifetz International Music Institute Scholarship Program for the second consecutive year. The Heifetz Music Institute is a six-week summer program...

Jupiter String Quartet wins 2004 Fischoff National Chamber grand prize.(Items of Interest)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The Jupiter String Quartet received the Grand Prize at the 2004 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, held at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. The quartet received $8,000 and a winner's tour with performances at the...

Yamaha offers Keyboard Encounters for kids.(Music Merchandise)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Yamaha Corporation of America, 6600 Orangethorpe Ave., Buena Park, CA 90620; (714) 522-9011; infostation@yamaha.com; www.yamaha.com. See area music store for price. Yamaha's Keyboard Encounters program, which gives students from age 10 and...

Web program tracks practice.(Music Merchandise)(OnLinePracticRecord.com.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... OnLinePracticRecord.com. San Antonio, TX; www.onlinepracticerecord.com. Free. OnlinePracticeRecord.com is a no charge online program that keeps track of daily practice time, the music practiced and offers questions or comments for the user...

Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition.(Competitions)
October 1, 2004... The University of Louisville School of Music is accepting applications for the University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition 2006, a $200,000 cash award granted in recognition of outstanding achievement by a living composer in...

Passages.(Joseph Brye, Margaret Lorince, Robert Marvin Hennekes)(Obituary)
October 1, 2004... Joseph Brye, NCTM, MTNA president in 1982 and 1983, died July 25, 2004, at age 87. Brye served MTNA in many ways throughout his life, including as MTNA national vice president for local associations and student chapters, Oregon MTA president,...

Teaching for independence: creating lifelong musicians.(Pedagogy Saturday VIII)
October 1, 2004... As music teachers, we teach many different kinds of music to many different kinds of students, ranging from preschool to senior citizens and from beginner to advanced. Our methods and approaches vary, but we all share a common goal: we want our...

Practicing: beyond hoping they will.(Pedagogy Saturday VIII)
October 1, 2004... It's not easy to address a room full of music teachers at a national conference and have something new or provocative to say on the subject of practice. What more is there? What's out there that hasn't been tried already? Teachers provide good...

Teaching for independence.(Pedagogy Saturday VIII)
October 1, 2004... Whether the student is a violinist, pianist, French hornist or vocalist, the ultimate goal of music teachers is to prepare students to become self-directed in their learning. This is sometimes called "inspired learning," but it really is...

Self-directed practice: a key to both student success and motivation.(Pedagody Saturday VIII)
October 1, 2004... If students are to become successful at productively self-directing their practice * They need to have specific musical and pianistic goals. * They need to acquire an ever-expanding "tool kit" containing practice strategies that will...

Practicing for artistic success: empowering the student with self-management skills in the practice room.(Pedagody Saturday VIII)
October 1, 2004... Music is an intuitive art. Practicing is a conscious managerial skill. To practice effectively, you must be in touch with your intuitive artistic impulses and, at the same time, stand outside the process as a coach, making a series of conscious...

Small moments big impact: teaching first-year students how to practice.(Pedagody Saturday VIII)
October 1, 2004... Imagine we could somehow magically give our students all the qualities to be excellent independent learners... just by wishing it so. If that dream could somehow come true, what qualities would you choose for your students? At the top of many...

Artistry on a timeline: setting the stage for organized practice and successful performance.(Pedagody Saturday VIII)
October 1, 2004... What are the elements of successful practicing? What are the elements of a successful performance? A performance is made up of the sum total of all decisions, both conscious and unconscious, made during practice. A relaxed open body...

Creating the accomplished learner.(Lunch Time Panel)
October 1, 2004... This lunchtime panel session was moderated by Virginia Marks, Bowling Green State University, and Robert Weirich, University of Missouri-Kansas City, and was attended by nearly 200 people. In an effort to create a real discussion, the leaders...

Encouraging the reluctant student.(Lunch Time Panel)
October 1, 2004... There are many ways to encourage reluctant learners. If teachers teach for musical understanding, students will learn musical skills to last a lifetime. Some specific skills are: 1: Technique--Finger coordination, phrasing (including...

Mindful (not mindless) teaching: ask the accomplished learner question often.(Pedagogy Saturday VIII)
October 1, 2004... Ellen Langer, professor of psychology at Harvard University and author of Mindfulness (1989) and The Power of Mindful Learning (1998), tells a story about two men standing at the front door of a house at 2 A.M. frantically trying to find a...

Call for nominations of candidates.(National Association News)(Music Teachers National Association)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The MTNA Nominating committee invites the membership to recommend candidates for the following two positions in all seven divisions: * Division President-elect * Director (elected from each Division to serve on the MTNA Board of...

MTNA leaders attend international music festival.(National Association News)(Music Teachers National Association, Gary Ingle, Phyllis Pieffer, Beijing Music Festival and School )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Executive Director Gary Ingle and MTNA President Phyllis Pieffer, NCTM, attended the first Beijing Music Festival and School. Pieffer and Ingle were invited by 13eijing Music Festival Executive Director Hai Ou Zhu and Xing Yuan Dai of the...

Awards applications being accepted.(National Association News)(Music Teachers National Association)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Applications for various MTNA grants and awards are now available. To recognize the many outstanding members of the association, MTNA gives several annual awards including State Affiliate of the Year, Local Association of the Year, Teacher of...

Bonus byte.(National Association News)
October 1, 2004... Awards information and applications are available on the MTNA website at www.mtna.org in the "What's New" section. Deadlines are noted on the individual application forms.

East Central Division.(Division News)(music teachers associations' conferences)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
October 1, 2004... The Illinois fall conference will be October 29-30 at Olivet Nazarene University. Anne Shein is the guest artist, and Paul Sheftel and Phyllis Lehrer, NCTM, will be pedagogy clinicians. There will be voice clinicians, and Susan Dennis will give...

Eastern Division.(Division News)(Nationally Certified Teacher of Music's conferences, music competitions)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
October 1, 2004... This month we hear about the activities in Massachusetts from its new president, Shelley Reeves, NCTM In June, the Massachusetts MTA Board voted to adopt the Royal American Conservatory Examinations as its official state syllabus program....

Northwest Division.(Division News)(Music Teachers National Association)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Many teachers and students were busy this summer attending state conferences and workshops throughout the Northwest Division. Washington held its state conference n June at Western Washington University-Bellingham. Marvin Blickenstaff was the...

South Central Division.(Division News)(Music Teachers National Association)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The Louisiana state competitions will be held at the University of Louisiana in Monroe, October 23. Louisiana has reinstated the Recycled Music Sale to raise more money for the MTNA FOUNDATION FUND. LMTA commissioned the recipient of the 2003...

Southern Division.(Division News)(Nationally Certified Teacher of Music's conventions,services etc.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The Mississippi MTA is making plans for its fiftieth convention at Hinds Community College, November 4-6. To celebrate the occasion, commissioned student compositions will be premiered. Each local association will have an opportunity to...

Southwest Division.(Division News)(conferences)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
October 1, 2004... New Mexico will hold its fifty-fourth annual conference November 11 13 in Santa Fe. All workshops and recitals will be presented by New Mexicans and include a showcase and two master classes by Keith Snell. Michael Zenge, NCTM, pianist, will...

West Central Division.(Division News)(music teachers associations' conferences, celebrations and competitions)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The National Summit for MTNA Leadership provided an opportunity for state presidents of the West Central Division to meet and share successes and concerns of their respective states. Plans are progressing for MTNA competitions to be held at...

Meet the 2004 Foundation Fellows.(Foundation Fund)(Music Teachers National Association)
October 1, 2004... Frank Pearson, Dickinson, ND A fifty-year member of MTNA. Frank Pearson received degrees from Albion College n Michigan and master of music and Ph.D degrees from the University of Michigan. He is professor emeritus from Dickinson State...

State Affiliate Grant.(Foundation Fund)(Music Teachers National Association)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... A new State Affiliate Grant will be available through the MTNA FOUNDATION FUND beginning in 2005. The State Affiliate of the Year Award recognizes the state MTA that makes the most significant contribution to the music teaching profession...

Teacher Enrichment Grants.(Foundation Fund)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Teacher Enrichment Grant applications and guidelines for 2005 are now available. Teacher Enrichment Grants may be used for private study, college-level course work or special projects in performance, pedagogy, music theory and composition. The...

Association news.(Music Teachers National Association)(Interview)
October 1, 2004... AMT: In your opinion, what is the role of the FOUNDATION FUND in MTNA? JR: I've always believed that MTNA has the responsibility to provide as many opportunities and options for its members as possible; currently, the FOUNDATION FUND...

Professional Certification.(Association News)(Music Teachers National Association)
October 1, 2004... Across me country, both independent music teachers and college professors are integrating components of the MTNA Professional Certification Program n their pedagogy courses. They are enthusiastically promoting the Certification Proficiency...

East Central Division competitions.(Division Competitions 2005)(Calendar)
October 1, 2004... University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Music Madison, Wisconsin * January 14-16, 2005 Competitions Chair: Laura Melton, Bowling Green State University, College of Musical Arts, Bowling Green, OH 43403; work: (419) 372-8025, home: (419)...

Eastern Division competitions and conference.(Division Competitions 2005)
October 1, 2004... Plymouth State University, Silver Cultural Arts Center Plymouth, New Hampshire * January 7-8, 2005 Competitions Chair: Ellen Flint, P.O. Box 105, Hunlock Creek, PA 18621; (570) 256-7645; milburn@early.com MTNA Student Composition...

Northwest Division competitions.(Division Competitions 2005)(Calendar)
October 1, 2004... Whitworth College Spokane, Washington * January 14-16, 2005 Competitions Chair: Cynthia Kaelberer, 1319 Red Butte Ave., Cody, WY 82414; home: (307) 587-9364, studio: (307) 527-9973; ckaelberer@vcn.com MTNA Student Composition...

Southern Division competitions. (Division Competitions 2005).
October 1, 2004... University of Louisville Louisville, Kentucky * January 27-30, 2005 Competitions Chair: Jeanette Winsor, NCTM, 6317 Brynmawr Ln., Virginia Beach, VA 23464; (757) 425-4277; j-winsor@att.net MTNA Student Composition Competitions...

South Central Division competitions.(Division Competitions 2005)
October 1, 2004... University of Arkansas Little Rock, Arkansas 15-16, 2005 Competitions Chair: June Leondar, NCTM, 200 Holly Ridge Ln., Ft. Worth, TX 76108; (817) 448-8559; aleondar@earthlink.net MTNA Student Composition Competitions Coordinator: Scott...

Southwest Division competitions.(Division Competitions 2005)
October 1, 2004... California State University Long Beach, California * January 21-23, 2005 Competitions Coordinator: Mary Louise Beckstrand, NCTM, 2531 E. 150 E., Bountiful, UT 84010; (801) 295-6697; marylouiseb@juno.com MTNA Student Composition...

West Central Division competitions.(Division Competitions 2005)
October 1, 2004... University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas * January 14-16, 2005 Competitions Chair: Diana Skroch, NCTM, 422 5th St. S.W., Valley City, ND 58072; work: (701) 845-7273, home: (701) 845-1848, fax: (701) 845-7245; diana.skroch@vcsu.edu MTNA...

5 minutes with ... Marienne Uszler.(Professional Resources)(Interview)
October 1, 2004... Marienne Uszler was editor of Piano & Keyboard and American Music Teacher, coauthor of The Well-Tempered Keyboard Teacher and Sound Choices and recipient of the Frances Clark Keyboard Pedagogy Award. Currently, she is writing and editing for...

Polyphony: motivated minds.(Professional Resources)
October 1, 2004... Send Us Your Questions Do you have a teaching question you would like to have answered? Perhaps you have a practice tip for students you would like to share or a studio idea you are trying differently this year. Questions and other items...

What's new in pedagogy research?(Professional Resources)
October 1, 2004... Does the study of music really make people smarter? Are they better in math? Are they stronger in languages? This has been a hot topic in research and general conversation for the past decade, with various studies suggesting contradictory...

Insurance insights: health savings accounts.(Professional Resources)
October 1, 2004... Like the financial services industry before it, the health insurance industry is in the midst of powerful change. As recently as twenty years ago, most employees left retirement planning to their employer's pension fund. But as more people...

What is vocal coaching?(Forum focus: collaborative arts)
October 1, 2004... Although the title of vocal coach is a widely used term, there still is much confusion about what the vocal coach actually does. Usually when I tell people I am a vocal coach, they assume I am either a singer or a teacher of singing. When I...

Faculty participation in MTNA: professional service or continuing education?(Forum focus: college faculty)
October 1, 2004... College faculty members play a vital role in MTNA--a role quite distinct from that of their IMT colleagues. College faculty must demonstrate how their participation fits into the three broad areas of productivity in which all college professors...

We're in it together.(Forum focus: local association)
October 1, 2004... It was very inspiring! Last October, Karen Thickstun, Lynn Singleton, NCTM, and I "met" electronically to review the applications for MTNA's Local Association of the Year Award and choose a winner. The MTNA office had sent each of us a...

Teaching Music Globally: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture (with CD).(Book Review)
October 1, 2004... Teaching Music Globally: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture (with CD), by Patricia Shehan Campbell. Oxford University Press (198 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016). 2004. 247pp. $31.95. In an increasingly global society, many educators...

Thinking Musically: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture.(Book Review)
October 1, 2004... Thinking Musically: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture, by Bonnie C Wade. Oxford University Press (198 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016), 2004. 171 pp. $19.95. For those of us who learned the basics of music by mastering the building...

When Music Resists Meaning: the Major Writings of Herbert Brun.(Book Review)
October 1, 2004... When Music Resists Meaning: The Major Writings of Herbert Brun, edited by Arun Chandra. Wesleyan University Press (110 Mt. Vernon St., Middletown, CT 06459), 2004. 328 pp. $70.00 (cloth); $27.95 (paperback). The twentieth century was heady,...

Play Jazz, Blues, Rock: Piano by Ear, Book 1.(Book Review)
October 1, 2004... Play Jazz, Blues, Rock: Piano by Ear, Book 1, by Andy Ostwald. Mel Bay Publications (#4 Industrial Dr., Pacific, MO 6306.9), 2003. 108 pp. $19.95. Piano by Ear is an innovative approach to developing the aural skills essential to playing...

Alternative Strings--the New Curriculum.(Book Review)
October 1, 2004... Alternative Strings--The New Curriculum, by Julie Lyonn Lieberman. Amadeus Press, LLC (512 Newark Pompton Tnpk., Pompton Plains, NJ 07444), 2004. 184pp. $24.95. Did you know there are nearly thirty folk, jazz, rock and world styles of...

New Orleans Jazz Styles, More New Orleans Jazz Styles, Still More New Orleans Jazz Styles with Interactive Instrumental Accompaniments.(Book Review)
October 1, 2004... New Orleans Jazz Styles, More New Orleans Jazz Styles, Still More New Orleans Jazz Styles with Interactive Instrumental Accompaniments, by William Gillock. The Willis Music Company (7380 Industrial Rd., Florence, KY 41042), 2001. 3377. each....

Sergei Rachmaninoff Piano Works.(Book Review)
October 1, 2004... Sergei Rachmaninoff Piano Works, edited by Joseph Banowitz. Belwin-Mills Publishing/Warner Bros. (15800 N. W. 48th Ave., Miami, FL 33014), 2003. 68pp. $14.95. Advanced. There are five volumes for solo piano in the Warner Brothers...

Duet Repertoire: One Piano, Four Hands by Various Composers, Level Four.(Book Review)
October 1, 2004... Duet Repertoire: One Piano, Four Hands by Various Composers, Level Four, edited by Dallas Weekley and Nancy Arganbright Weekley. Neil A. Kjos Music Company (4380 Jutland Dr., San Diego, CA, 92117), 2004. 55pp. $6.95. Intermediate. Dallas...

The Godowsky Kreisler Collection: the Complete Works for Violin and Piano.(Book Review)
October 1, 2004... The Godowsky Kreisler Collection: The Complete Works for Violin and Piano, by Leopold Godowsky and Fritz Kreisler. Carl Fischer (65 Bleeker St., New York, NY 10012), 2004. 126pp. $19.95. Advanced. Leopold Godowsky, one of the great...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
October 1, 2004... A paragraph in the Achievement Award speech given by Guy Duckworth and printed on pages 41-42 of the August/September AMT was incorrect. The paragraph should read, "Upon pulverizing perfection with smudgings, vagueness. unrest, aliveness,...

Clarification.(Correction Notice)
October 1, 2004... In Sheryl lott Richardson's article, "Music as Language, Sight Playing Through Access to a Complete Musical Vocabulary," which was printed in the June/July issue of AMT, two clarifications are necessary. The 9th pattern of the "most common...

Perfection or artistry.(The Back Page)
October 1, 2004... As I was driving to Kansas City n March, squeezing n two days of the MTNA National Conference between ballet and symphony rehearsals and teaching, I was suffering from burn-out, as well as trying to deny the fact that I was injured from too...