Meet the 2004 foundation fellows.(Foundation Fund)

Paul Bordeleau

An MTNA-certified teacher and president of the New Hampshire MTA, Paul Bordeleau, of Bedford, New Hampshire, recently celebrated his eightieth birthday. Born in Massachusetts, he earned degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music and Boston University. Bordeleau has composed many works, including "Sesquicentennial Suite" for symphony orchestra for the city of Manchester, New Hampshire, "The Luzon March" for 11th Airborne Division Band during the Korean War and, more recently, "Christmas in New Hampshire," dubbed an official song of the state of New Hampshire in 1974. In 1995 for Rotary International, Bordeleau composed "Be a Friend," which was translated and recorded in several languages. He has accompanied such stars as Dusty Owens and Roy Acuff and has performed for Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Gerald Ford.

Joseph Brye

Born in North Dakota, Joseph Brye, of Lititz, Pennsylvania, has been a piano teacher for more than fifty years. He holds bachelor and master of music degrees in piano performance from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He was MTNA national president, Oregon MTA president, Northwest Division president, national vice president for local associations and student chapters and MTNA archivist. Brye also served as MTNA acting-executive director in 1986 and was one of the first trustees of the Scholarship Foundation Trust, now the Allen I. McHose Scholarship Foundation Trust. Currently retired, he has held teaching positions at Stephens College, Missouri; the University of Idaho; and Oregon State University in Corvallis. Brye is an accomplished pianist, marimbist and composer and has performed as a concert pianist and professional accompanist throughout the Midwest. He was presented with the MTNA Achievement Award in 1994.

Ella Louise Burba

Ella Louise Burba received a bachelor of music degree from the University of Texas and maintains an independent piano studio in Austin, Texas. Awarded Teacher of the Year by the Texas MTA, she has given years of dedicated service to the TMTA student affiliate program, serving as performance contest chair and a member of the World of Music syllabus committee and the theory committee. She also has served TMTA as president, director, Foundation trustee and MTNA high school performance competitions chair. Currently, she is a consulting editor for the Texas Music Teacher magazine and continues to be active as a church pianist and organist.

Marie Burnette