From the Editor's Desk
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! BLAST OFF to our Tri-State Convention in
Kansas City. President Millie Mehnert has prepared a star-studded
convention that is out of this world. So buckle up and get ready to take off
in November for the flight of our first ever Tri-State Convention.
Kathy Miller, NCTM
Vice-President for Publications, Advertising and Public Relations
kmiller@iland.net
T A B L E OF C O N T E N T S
Reports
From the Editor's Desk 3
Officer's Corner 7
Members in the News 34
Tri-State Conference Info
Schedule 23
Pictorial Brochure Centerfold
Registration Form Under Brochure
Certification Test Info 19
FYI
Auditions Info for 2004 47
Missouri High School Piano Credit Program 31
MMTA Constitution and By-Laws 34
MMTA Officers 45
Local Association Officers 46
Important Dates to Remember 48
Index to Advertisers 49
Officer's Corner:
President
Everything's Up-to-Date at: www.kcmta.org. It's true. This year's Music Teachers Association Conference will be very unique. After 3 years of planning, you are seeing the program results in this newsletter and in other mailings addressed to every MTA member in Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska. All this is happening because 3 states decided to reach across state lines and form a partnership.
Do read our news vignettes from Missouri officers and committee chairs. We've packed a lot of items just for you in a small space for this issue, and they are too important to miss.
Finally, continue to check out the Conference web site for any updates.
See you in October!
Millie Mehnert NCTM
Vice-President/Auditions
We're planning to have another large and wonderful round of MMTA and MTNA auditions this fall in Kansas City.
If you will be entering students in auditions this year, please read the following carefully. We have many changes--and even a few surprises!-- in store for you this year.
The Tri-State Convention this Fall at Johnson County Community College (JCCC) is going to be very exciting and I hope you are all making plans now to attend.
We explored a lot of different options for auditions during this unusual convention. But you will be glad to know that--after much planning and negotiating--we were able to keep our auditions schedule as simple as possible:
Auditions will be at JCCC, running alongside convention sessions in nearby rooms as they always do.
Our convention/audition schedule will generally be the same as it hasbeen for the past several years. Auditions will run Thursday-Sunday, Oct 30th-Nov 2nd, 2003.
These changes and clarifications affect MMTA Honors Auditions:
Piano Ensemble means "ONE PIANO FOUR HANDS". At this year's convention, all performance rooms will be equipped with one piano only.
If you are asked to adjudicate an MMTA competition, please give
it serious consideration. We have managed to increase adjudicator
pay this year and also added a few "perks" that will make it a
little easier and also help defray some of your convention
expenses. But most of all--we just can't run auditions without you.
We need your help!
Remember that MTNA dues must be paid by September 9th, 2003, in order to enter students in MTNA competitions. If you are planning to enter students in the MTNA competitions, please CAREFULLY read the competition rules and instructions in the April/May 2003 American Music Teacher. There are MANY DRAMATIC changes in the MTNA competition guidelines and rules for this year. Here are a few of the highlights:
In the piano divisions, repertoire at the State level will be solo only-- no concertos at state level. State winners will perform a concerto at Division level.
Time allotted to each performer is generally reduced.
Repertoire requirements are greatly changed--in general leaving much more to the discretion of the teacher and student.
Competitors may ask for and receive permission to change repertoire between State and Division levels.
Adjudicator requirements are relaxed. We may use one adjudicator in many cases when, previously, three adjudicators were required. And we may use in-state adjudicators in many cases when, previously, out-of- state adjudicators were required.
American Music Teacher contains no printed application forms. Application forms--and complete competition guidelines--are online at http://www.mtna.org/competitions.htm
These changes were made to make the MTNA competitions simpler and less expensive for competitors and for state and national MTA.
Sam Chou and Ellen Bottorff have been working as MMTA Co-Vice- Presidents for Auditions. Sam has a new job in California, and Ellen is expecting the arrival of a little one in October. So David Bennett and I have agreed to act as Auditions Co-Vice-Presidents. David will be dealing with adjudicators while I will handle scheduling. David's email address is bennett@mwsc.edu.
Many, many thanks to Sam and Ellen for all their hard work! Running MMTA's auditions is a big job, and they have left us very well organized and in excellent shape for the auditions this year.
Many thanks also to Ruth Robertson, Sue Chiu, and Tom Stein, who have done great work as auditions chairs and are now moving on. We really appreciate the work these hard-working chairs have put in over the years (many years, in some cases!).
Our current auditions chairs are Troy Marsh (marshl@missouri.edu, MTNA Collegiate), Rebecca Briggs (gbriggs@sound.net, MTNA Sr/Jr), Jennifer A. Linn (linnote@accessus.net, MTNA Composition), Wei-Han Su (weihan_su@hotmail.com, MMTA Honors Collegiate), Meg Gray (graym@lincolnu.edu, MMTA Honors K-12), and Sherrie Troxel (december1985@msn.com, MMTA Theory).
I hope everyone will give our Auditions team your fullest support. They have a big job and can't do it without your help!
Please contact me with any questions or concerns you have about auditions this fall.
Brent Hugh
bhugh@mwsc.edu
Vice-President/Local Associations and Student
Chapters
Make plans now to attend our MTA Tri-State Conference. It begins on Friday, October 31, 7:30 a.m., and continues through Saturday, November 1, at the Carlsen Performing Arts Center at the Johnson County (Kansas) Community College. Tri-State planning committees have been working hard to bring together a high quality conference, and I hope all local members will attend all the great sessions and performances.
A free Local Association Continental Breakfast will be held on Saturday morning, November 1, from 7:30 a.m. to 8:10 a.m. at the Carlsen Center. It will offer a relaxed informal time to visit with your MTA colleagues in a Buzz Group or Table Talk format. All Tri-State members are invited and encouraged to attend and enjoy the breakfast.
Local Association Matching Grant Application forms will be distributed at the MMTA Board Meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 30, 2003, at the Conference Hotel: Overland Park Marriott. This board meeting is for you, and it is important that all Local Association Presidents attend.
See you at the Tri-State Conference!
Eunsil P. Stevenson, NCTM
EunsilStudio@aol.com
Treasurer
It's good to be back teaching again and starting a new school year. During the summer break, the accountant looked over the books and completed our annual tax return. Balances (as of July 1) are as follows:
Checking Account--$3,854.40
Money Market--$6,733.17
CD#1--$22,120.45
CD#2--$18,569.40
I wrote another report this year accounting for every expense and receipt, and sent it to the President and President-Elect. Copies of this report are available to members upon request. In spite of a less than perfect economy, MMTA remains financially sound, mostly due to prudent spending habits by the officers and board members. It never hurts, however, to boost receipts, so talk to new potential members about the benefits of MMTA, and submit names/addresses to the organization. We also need to encourage each other to attend the exciting tri-state conference that is quickly approaching.
Please e-mail any questions or requests to me at the address below, and have a great Fall.
Barb Hamel, NCTM
bhamel@cmc.edu
Scholarship/Foundation Chair
Terrific Prizes! Rock-Bottom Prices! Don't miss your chance to buy $1.00 tickets for the MTNA Foundation Raffle. Hey, this is the best price ever for a chance to win fabulous prizes. All donations are committed to keeping America's musical future alive for succeeding generations by supporting programs that demonstrate the value and enhance public understanding of the music teaching profession. Our state winners receive a portion of the funds for travel expenses to the Division and National Auditions. Please support our young musicians.
Our MMTA contributed $1,000 to the MTNA Foundation in order to designate retired UMKC Curators' Professor, Joanne Baker, as a 2003 Fellow at the Foundation GALA during the MTNA National Conference in Salt Lake City. How delighted we were to honor this extraordinary teacher. Her teaching put Missouri on the map of excellence! Her dear friend and colleague, Paul Pollei, Utah, accepted her award in her absence and personally delivered it to her in Kansas City. It was a stunning recognition of a lifetime of teaching. Congratulations Joanne!
Musically,
Jan Houser, NCTM
Mentoring Chair
During these dog days of late summer, some of us are happily taking a respite between summer lessons and the autumn routine. Others, having been on vacation for the summer are making creative plans for their music studios for this fall. I'm still trying to figure out where this mentoring is going.
In the last issue of NOTES, I accented networking as beneficial to new teachers--indeed, to all teachers. Inexperienced teachers have lots of questions and some insecurities; sometimes experienced teachers need a shot of enthusiasm and some new ideas.
As far as networking is concerned, nothing beats the local associations. These are where the action is. They are the easiest to get involved with and are probably the most cost-effective of MMTA offerings. If you are new to MMTA, find out about your local association and try it out. If there is no local in your area, find another teacher and establish one (I certainly can help with that). Does your local make an effort to invite new teachers to join? Is there someone who will chauffeur prospective members to a meeting? Do you have time at your meetings to visit with each other?
Another way of networking is via questions and answers, either in NOTES of via the Internet. A drawback to NOTES is that publication is infrequent, so Q&A would be cumbersome. On the Internet, a conversational style would prevail and, it seems to me, any questions could be answered in a timely fashion.
A third way, though much more personal, would be to pair an experienced teacher with a new teacher and let mentoring be one- on-one.
Again, I welcome conversation about this subject.
Lynda Quistorff, NCTM
elquist@iland.net
Please Take Note
For those teachers needing to contact Sherry Troxel and
Wei-Han Su, please note the following changes:
E-mail for Sherry Troxel is:
December 1985@msn.com
Address, telephone and e-mail for Wei-han Su is:
Southwest MO State University, Dept. of Music
901 South National
Springfield, MO 65804
417-836-6850
wes565f@smsu.edu
MTA TRI-STATE CONFERENCE Of
MISSOURI, KANSAS, NEBRASKA
October 31-November 1, 2003
Carlsen Performing Arts Center
on the campus of Johnson County Community College
111th and Quivera Road, Overland Park, KS 66210
This conference is made possible by a partnership with the Carlsen Center and JCCC
The TRI-STATE MUSIC TEACHERS ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE for Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska is designed to bring together the resources of three states in order to provide a more meaningful and inspiring conference for Music Teachers Association members in those states. In addition, we wish to extend a special invitation to our neighbors in Iowa and Oklahoma. We welcome members, non-members and guests, not only from these 5 states, but from all states, and we are very interested in student attendance and participation.
By combining this event with the Carlsen Center Concert Series, we are able to bring you a guest artist of international stature. We will also bring outstanding presenters from across the United States as well as presenters from a response to a call for papers.
Such a Conference is made possible through a partnership with the Carlsen Performing Arts Center and Johnson County Community College. We wish to express our gratitude to these institutions.
The Tri-State Conference Committee for Missouri, Kansas & Nebraska
Stay Updated with Tri-Conference information at WWW.kcmta.org
Thursday, October 30
AFTERNOON and EVENING
4:00-10:00
Early Registration and Social Hour
Marriott, Room 922
Everyone is invited to the hospitality room at the Marriott on Thursday, October 30th, between 4 and 10 p. m. for refreshments, early registration and, most especially, a chance to visit. It's the first time we've had the opportunity to visit with MTA members from other states at a state Conference, and it's a big part of what we're about at this Tri-State Conference. Let's really offer a big welcome to our friends across state lines.
5:30-10:00 p.m.
Board Meeting and Dinner at the Marriott
Friday, October 31
MORNING
7:30 - 8:00
Free Continental Breakfast at Carlsen Center
Sponsored by the University of Missouri-Kansas City
8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m
Registration Open
8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Exhibits Open
8:10 - 8:50
Introductions and Showcase Presentation
9:00 - 9:15
UMKC Presentation
9:15 - 10:00
Stephen Prutsman, Commissioned Composer
Medalist Tchaikovsky International Competition
10:00 - 10:30
Refreshment break
Sponsored by the University of Nebraska at Omaha
10:30 - 11:20
Stanislav Ioudenitch, Associate Professor, Park College, MO
UMKC artist in residence 2001-2003
Winner of 2001 Van Cliburn Competition
11:30 - 12:20
Luncheon - "Each Performance is a New Piece: Improvisation and the Centrality of Live Music Through the Ages"
Paul Horsley, Critic, Kansas City Star, speaker
AFTERNOON
12:30 - 1:15
State General Meetings
1:30 - 2:30
Panel Discussion: "Improvisation versus Interpretation"
Martha Hilley, moderator
Stephen Hough, Stanislav Ioudenitch, Bobby Watson, and
Ann Collins, panelists
Parking, etc . . .
Maps of Kansas City and the Johnson County Community College campus will be in a separate Tri- State Committee mailing which will go out right after Labor Day. The maps are also on the Conference website: www.kcmta.org
Parking spaces near the Carlsen Center which is on the Johnson County Community College campus will be limited during the Conference, especially on Friday. For your convenience, we are securing a shuttle to take people to and from the Marriott on Friday. Parking before 8 a. m. should not be a problem. We will be able to reserve some spaces for you, but can only hold them until 9 a. m. There will be plenty of parking south of the college, but those spaces require a long walk to the Carlsen Center.
We don't want you to miss any of the extraordinary sessions and events planned for you on these two days. So, come join us on Thursday for a glass of wine or soda and other light refreshments, and for good conversation. We're also offering early registration (4:00-10:00 p.m.) Look forward to seeing you!
Your Tri-State MTA Conference Committee
Friday, October 31, (cont.)
2:30 - 3:30
Martha Hilley, University of Texas
"Improvisation shouldn't bring on the Prozac"
3:30 - 4:00
Refreshment Break
Sponsored by Toon Shop of Prairie Village
4:00 - 5:30
Master Lessons with Guest Artist, Stephen Hough
1st Prize Naumburg International Competition, 1983
Awarded McArthur Foundation Fellowship, 2001
EVENING
6:30 - 7:00
Social gathering before Banquet at Marriott
7:00 - 10:00
Banquet at Marriott
Entertainment: Jazz Ensemble "After Midnight"
Ron Stinson, Associate Professor JCCC, conductor
Speaker: Gary Ingle, MTNA Executive Director
Awards: State Teacher(s) of the Year & Service Award
Saturday, November 1
MORNING
7:30 - 8:10
Free Local Association Continental Breakfast at Carlsen Center Sponsored by the University of Kansas
8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Registration Open
8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Exhibits Open
8:20 - 9:10
Keturah Lawrence and Wendy Stevens, KCMTA Officers
"Creative Strategies for Teaching a Comprehensive Curriculum"
8:20-9:10
Jonathan Sokasits, Hastings College, NE
"Creativity, Improvisation, & Composition in the Private Studio" (non-jazz improvisation)
8:30- 11:30
Certification Test
9:20 - 9:30
Kansas University Presentation
9:30 - 10:30
Marvin Blickenstaff, Faculty, International Workshops
"Doing what Comes Naturally: Nature's Clues to Interpretation"
10:30 - 11:00
Refreshment Break
11:00 - 11:50
William Wellborn, San Francisco Conservatory
"The Big Jump: The Shift from Intermediate to Advanced
Repertoire"
11:00 - 11:50
Ann Collins, author of JAZZ WORKS
"Beginning Jazz Piano"
Pianos provided by Schmitt Music, Vaccaros Piano and Organ, and Toon Shop.
AFTERNOON
12:00 - 1:15
Independent Music Teachers Forum Lunch
"…And all that Jazz"
Conversation tables: Foundation, Advocacy, Certification
1:30 - 2:20
Mike Moreland, JCCC
Technology (title to be announced)
1:30 - 2:20
Ken Hoppmann, Associate Professor, Union College
Mahour Mellat Student, University of Nebraska
"Piano and Tar Improvisation in the Context of Persian Music"
2:30 - 3:20
Ann Collins, "Elementary Jazz Piano"
2:30 - 3:20
Anthony Olson, Assistant Professor, Northwest Missouri State
Eva Peng, Internationally Renowned Soprano
"The 'Unsung' Chopin: Pauline Viardot's Vocal Arrangements of
Chopin Mazurkas" (lecture/recital)
3:30 - 4:30
Bobby Watson, Endowed Chair in Jazz, UMKC
(Session title to be announced)
4:30
MTNA Foundation raffle
EVENING
8:00
Guest Artist Concert
Stephen Hough, piano
Reception immediately following the concert
High School Credit Available for Piano Study
More than 50 years ago, a unique program was begun in the state of Missouri that enables secondary school students to receive high school credit for studying piano with independent teachers. Begun by State Department of Education and the University of Missouri's Committee on Accredited Schools and Colleges, the Missouri State Applied Music Program was created to augment and assist the regular school music curriculum through the cooperation of qualified local independent teachers and to provide the opportunity for individual study which may not be offered in the regular school curriculum.
Each student that registers must have studied piano at least one year prior to registration, and must agree to practice a minimum of 6 hours (360 minutes) per week for the entire academic year.
Specific repertoire and theory requirements must be met, and a final live performance examination is held in May. A grade is then reported to the principal of the student's high school and written comments on the exam are sent to the piano teacher. A non-credit option is available to students in grade 6 through 8 for those wishing to start the curriculum early.
In order to participate in the program, the high school student must 1) obtain permission from their school superintendent or principal, and 2) must be studying piano with an independent teacher certified by the Missouri State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. To qualify for certification, the piano teacher must have a baccalaureate degree from a recognized institution with a major in music or music education, and must apply to DESE by September 1 of the academic year. Although there is no fee for applying for this teacher certification, each student that registers in the program in the fall is charged a fee of $30.
Members of MMTA are encouraged to consider this program for junior high (non-credit) and high school (credit) students as a year-long motivational project. This past year, students from 13 different high schools around the state participated.
For further information, consult the State Applied Music Program website at <www.missouri.edu/~wengerj/stateapplied.html> or contact Dr. Janice Wenger (Executive Director of the State Applied Music Program) <wengerj@missouri.edu> or Deborah Fisher (Fine Arts Consultant at DESE) <dfisher3@mail.dese.state.mo.us>.
Janice Wenger, NCTM
Members in the News
Kellen Lutz, student of Marilyn Lowe, was recently named Winner in the Junior High category of the National 2003 PTA Reflections Music Composition Contest.
Douglas Archibald won the Grand Prize for levels 5 through 8 at the 2003 World Piano Competition held in Cincinnati this July. He received a $600 check in the event which featured 100 students from Europe, Asia and the United States. Alison King and Alyse Liberman won the Webster University Community Music School duet and duo competition. Alison also received the silver medal in grades 9 and 10 at the SLAMTA Young artist Competition and Douglas Archibald, Holley Tiller, Wendy Gao and Chris Yost won performance awards. Sarah Showalter won the Senior scholarship award from District IVB of Federation which also awarded a full scholarship to CMSU Summer Institute to Courtney Potter. All of the above students study piano with Marlita Weiss who was recently elected President of Piano Teachers Round Table for 2003-04.
Edwina King, student of Annette Burkhart, won the Belleville Philharmonic Concerto Competition playing the Schumann A minor Concerto, (first movement). She will perform the same work with the orchestra in October, 2003. One More Winner . . .
Alfredo Santa Ana, student of Warren Gooch, Truman State University, was the Winner of the Collegiate Composition Competition for the West-Central Division. MMTA offers congratulations to this student and his teacher.
Local Association Officers
Kansas City Area MTA
Sharon Eckart President
*Janice White President-Elect
*Kathy Judd/Blair Penney Co-V-P/Membership-Yearbook
*Susan Akin Corresponding Secretary
*Lisa McCluer Recording Secretary
*Brenda Simmons Treasurer
*Marles Dudley, NCTM Immediate Past President
Mid-Missouri MTA
Karen Larvick, NCTM President
Meg Gray Vice-President
Erna Lee Dunkerly Secretary
Cathy Troyer Treasurer
Northeast Missouri MTA
Randall Smith President
Rolla Area MTA
Jeanenne Silleck President
Ginger Schneider Vice-President/Programs
Jane Steelman/Mary Kwantes Vice-President/Student Activities
Leslie Denning Secretary
Mary Lou Long Treasurer
Southeast Missouri MTA
James Sifferman President
Rebecca Fulgham Secretary/Treasurer
Springfield Area MTA
Greg Morris President
Larry Dissmore Vice-President
Marilyn Lowe, NCTM Secretary
Adena Holsinger Treasurer
*Member through Kansas
St. Joseph Area MTA
Becky Quimby President
Brenda Foster Vice-President
Shirley Myers Secretary
Jerry L. Anderson, NCTM Treasurer
Brenda Foster Immediate Past President
St. Louis Area MTA
Mary Anderson President
Nancy Schaaf Vice-President/Programs
David Porter Vice-President/Publicity
Pat Weeks Vice-President/Membership
Wendy Martin Recording Secretary
Marlana Strasburg Corresponding Secretary
Cheryl Stewart Treasurer
Donna Vince Immediate Past President
Warrensburg Area MTA
Ren DeShong President
Rita Resch, NCTM Secretary
Denise Robinson Treasurer
Looking Forward . . .
The 2004 MTNA/MMTA Auditions and Competitions will be held November 4-7, 2004, on the campus of St. Charles Community College in St. Peters, Missouri. A banquet will be held in connection with this event and the 2004 MMTA Commissioned Composer will be presented with his new work. Watch all future issues of NOTES for more information.
IMPORTANT DATES to REMEMBER
District Honors Registration Deadline August 27, 2003
State Honors Registration Deadline September 27, 2003
October 31, November 1, 2003 Tri-State Conference
Johnson County Community College - Carlsen Center
Overland Park, Kansas
January 16-18, 2004 West Central Division Auditions
University of Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
March 27-31, 2004 MTNA Conference
Kansas City, Missouri
WHERE TO FIND MMTA INFORMATION
Advertisers Index All Issues
Annual MMTA Conference Outline Spring/Fall
Pre-Registration Forms Fall
Annual MMTA Conference Reports Winter
Audition Guidelines, Entry Forms Spring
Certified Members Winter
Local Association Officers All Issues
Membership Directory Winter
State Officer/Chairs All Issues
Constitution and Bylaws Fall
MMTA NOTES DEADLINES
Articles and reports for inclusion in NOTES are to be sent to Carol Borgstadt. Advertisements are sent to Editor Kathy Miller.
Spring - May March 15 (Mail May 1)
Fall Issue - September July 15 (Mail September 1)
Winter - January December 15 (Mail February 1)