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WMTA Newsletter Page
• August 15, 2019 Annual Conference Early Bird Deadline
• September 1, 2019 WMTA State Conference Exhibitor Registration Deadline
• September 25, 2019 WMTA State Conference Attendee Registration Deadline
• October 18-19, 2019 WMTA State Conference in Eau Claire, WI
August 2019
Since 1910, Wisconsin Music Teachers Association has continued in its goal to develop, maintain, and recognize high standards of music instruction and per-formance in Wisconsin.
We accomplish this by supporting stu-dents and educators with events, resources and a powerful network of like-minded individuals.
By providing structure and activities at local, state, divisional, and na-tional levels, we work together to accomplish goals which couldn't be achieved by working alone.
The first official meeting of the WMTA was held on June 22, 1910 in Appleton Wisconsin under the direction of the first president, Dean William Harper.
Our state now has 16 active local associations which provide regular meetings, student programs, teacher development, membership networking and so much more.
As an affiliate of Music Teachers Na-tional Association, we share common objec-tives and values with musicians and musical educators in all 50 states.
MTNA was founded in 1876 and is the oldest professional nonprofit music teachers associa-tion in the United States.
We actively endorse the MTNA mis-sion "to advance the value of music study and music making to society and to support the professionalism of mu-
Our mission is to advance the value of music study and
music making to society and to
support the professionalism of
music teachers.
About Our Organization
WMTA Newsletter Page 2
Dear WMTA Members, Are you holding onto the last days of summer not wanting the season to end? Are you putting off setting up your studio? Do you have a mixture of excitement and apprehension as you select reper-toire for each student? Or are you missing your students and cannot wait for what the next school year will bring? Are you excited to plan out the studio calendar with complete with recitals, auditions and competitions? As you plan and get ready for the school year I hope that you plan to attend the WMTA Conference, October 18-19 in Eau Claire. We are thrilled this year to have Carolyn True as the conference guest artist. Check out her interview on pages 11 and 12 of this issue. This year she has been honored as a Foundation Fellow by MTNA and received a Frances Clark Center Service Award. She is not to be missed. Additional presenters will share their expertise on everything from demystify-ing theory to nailing Jell-O to a tree. Local MTNA collegiate faculty members will present the Friday evening recital. Exhibitors, time with colleagues, and the WMTA commissioned piece will help to make this a must experience event. I hope that you will make sure that it is part of your teaching plans. Sincerely,
Rachel Fritz WMTA President
WMTA Newsletter Page 3
Executive Board
PRESIDENT: Rachel Fritz [email protected]
IMMEDIATE PAST-PRESIDENT: Nicholas Phillips, NCTM [email protected]
1ST VP-CONFERENCE: Kayme Henkel, NCTM [email protected]
2ND VP-MEMBERSHIP: Justin Krueger, NCTM [email protected]
TREASURER: Sydney Alexander [email protected]
ARTS AWARENESS AND ADVOCACY: Teresa Drews [email protected]
BADGER KEYBOARD: Drew Donica [email protected]
BADGER VOCAL/INSTRUMENTAL: Opala Bilhorn [email protected]
COLLEGE FACULTY REP: Jessica Johnson, NCTM [email protected]
DISTRICT AUDITIONS: Sandra Statz, NCTM [email protected]
INDEPENDENT MUSIC TEACHERS FORUM: Mickey Lytle, NCTM [email protected]
LOCAL ASSOCIATION CHAIR: Mary Anne Olvera, NCTM [email protected]
Administrative Council
COLLABORATIVE PERFORMANCE FORUM: Kirstin Ihde [email protected]
WMTA STUDENT COMPOSITIONS: Sam Ecoff [email protected]
MTNA STUDENT COMPOSITIONS: Vacant
MTNA CERTIFICATION: Vacant
MTNA COMPETITIONS COORDINATOR: Hector Landa [email protected]
MTNA COMPOSER COMMISSIONING: Michael Mizrahi [email protected]
MTNA FOUNDATION: William Whipple [email protected]
MTNA YOUNG ARTIST/CHAMBER MUSIC: Ashley Jehn [email protected]
MTNA JR. /SR. COMPETITIONS: Bethany Hartlaub [email protected]
TEACHER AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: Vacant
THEORY: Sydney Alexander [email protected]
WELLNESS FORUM CHAIR: Jessica Johnson, NCTM [email protected]
WMTA Newsletter Page 4
CVMTA Chippewa Valley Music Teachers Association President: Pending
FVMTA Fox Valley Music Teachers Association President: Justin Krueger, NCTM, [email protected]
GMC WMTA – Greater Milwaukee Chapter President: Laura Swenson, [email protected]
KRMTA Kenosha Teachers Association President: Judy Ballard, [email protected]
LAMTA La Crosse Area Music Teachers Association President: Marilyn Lee, [email protected]
MAME Madison Area Music Educators President: Denise Taylor, [email protected]
MAMTA Marshfield Area Music Teachers Association Contact: Janet Wolf, [email protected]
MMTA Michibago Music Teachers Association President: Louise Mann, [email protected]
OAMTA Oshkosh Area Music Teachers Association President: Madison McCarney, [email protected]
RRMTA Rock River Music Teachers Association President: Julie Hildebrandt, [email protected]
SAMTA Superior Area Music Teachers Association President: Roberta Grube, [email protected]
SCVMTA St. Croix Valley Music Teachers Association President: Mary Anne Olvera, NCTM, [email protected]
SPAMTA Stevens Point Music Teachers Association President: Gail Heywood, NCTM, [email protected]
WAMTA Wausau Area Music Teachers Association President: Vacant
WMTA Newsletter Page 5
The Find-A-Teacher database is available to all WMTA members. This feature allows each of you to
control information that is posted and seen by the public. You can also promote yourselves with new
profile options such as choosing multiple areas of expertise, adding a description of your studio, your
photos, contact information and links to outside sites. The office is frequently contacted
about recommendations for music teachers in a specific area. In the future, we will be sending
all requests to this page to help them find the information they need.
To create a WMTA online teaching profile, click on the link below, then follow the instructions on the
screen. The processes should only take a few minutes. Once complete, you will be able to access and
change all of the information at any time. For questions, feel free to contact the central office by
emailing [email protected].
Find-A-Teacher Database
*Denotes Collegiate Member
Lynn Betzold, Roberts
Emile Blasczyk, Oostburg
Rie Tanaka, Saint Paul*
Tara Huber, Clintonville
Diana Cataldi, Onalaska
Joseph Lecher, Hartland
Karen Christopherson, Sheboygan
Emily Baird, Weston
Andrew Berger, Milwaukee
Sara Rifleman, Wisconsin Rapids
Amanda Bradley, Eau Claire
Katie Slattengren, Saint Croix Falls
WMTA Newsletter Page 6
District Auditions Dates and Contact information should be available and online by time of the WMTA Conference, October 18-19! Please feel free to contact your local District Chair with any questions you may have. I want to invite all teachers, esp. teachers that are newer to the WMTA auditions, to attend my presentation, “Making Sense of District Auditions”, at the State Conference. I also would LOVE any questions you may have about District Auditions or to know of anything that you learned this past year, or two, which would have made auditions easier. The WMTA website is being reorganized in order to better facilitate any questions you may have as well. I wish to address a couple of questions regarding choosing music for auditions. While Ovation (the WMTA computer program for entering students) will allow teachers to enter pieces that go over the time limit for their Grade/Track, please review and know that there are time limits for each grade/track. Therefore, if they go over that time limit, judges do have permission to cut the pieces. It is best to choose music that totals a total time that is 1-2 minutes less than the maximum time so that the student has time to warm up as well. Also, be sure to list, or choose, the correct titles for your piece(s) in Ovation. If you are performing only a Bach “Prelude”, for example, be sure to choose that Bach “Prelude” and NOT the “Prelude and Fugue”. If you choose the “Prelude and Fugue” then you must perform both pieces. If a piece is not listed, you can enter the correct piece but be sure that the piece you are looking for is not listed before creating a new entry. There is a new rule in place regarding Downloaded music. WMTA has decided to CHANGE the re-quirements for using downloaded music. While we still want to really encourage teachers/students to PURCHASE printed music for students to use in auditions, we also want to support LEGALLY downloaded music that follows the USA Copyright Laws. Therefore, we will be having two items in place: 1) Our rules will be stating that by entering the auditions/competitions the students agree that they are following the copyright laws and we will provide a link to a one page summary of the copyright laws AND 2) we will be providing a printable statement that the student/parents will fill out and sign stating that the music they are using does in fact follow the USA Copyright laws. This statement must be printed and present with the music when the music is given to the judge at the competition. There will be no exceptions to this because WMTA cannot be liable for a Copyright infringement by a teacher/student. Preapproval of downloaded music will no longer be required. If you have questions about any specific music please email: [email protected].
Another point of importance is that IMSLP states: "This site strives to comply with Canadian copy-right laws." Therefore, as the student’s teacher, please be sure to do your research and be sure the music is legal in the USA. IMSLP does list the "Copyright" of the pieces and does list if it is "public domain" so this shouldn't be a hard thing to figure out.
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WMTA Newsletter Page 7
(Continued from Previous Page) Aural Theory testing: As a reminder, ALL students will receive ONLY TWO hearings of the Aural The-ory questions during the Audition Theory testing. This has always been the rule, therefore, we want to emphasize for our newer teachers that this may take some training on your part. FYI, intervals are played melodically going up, then down, then together…that’s one hearing. If you do have questions about how the testing is done, contact your local District Chairs. There have been some concerns about awards in the past. We have changed how awards will be ordered in the future so for the majority of awards, you should be able to contact your District Chair/Awards Chair immediately after both District and Badger auditions to receive your awards. For personalized awards (the 100 & 200 point plaques and the High School medals), please allow up to 4 weeks after these events. If you are a judge and you need to update information about your judging, or you would like to be-come a judge for WMTA, there will be a google doc link on the WMTA website for you to complete and submit so that our records can be always up to date. Entering students out of district: This is available but you do need to contact the out of district Chair person early to seek permission to enter students in a district other than your own. If at all possible, please seek this permission by Thanksgiving as the out of district Chair does need time to be sure they have enough judges for their areas. Please DO NOT enter students out of your district until you have permission from the out of district Chair. After you enter your students in a different district, you will not be able to see your registrations but the Chair for that area will be able to keep you posted with schedules, etc. To get your results after those auditions, go to Ovation and then to “Records” and “Student History”. Theory Study guides: Both the Comprehensive Study Sheet AND individual study sheets (showing what is new for each level) will be available on the WMTA website for your use/choice. Respectfully submitted by Sandra Statz, NCTM WMTA State District Chair
WMTA Newsletter Page 8
Conference is October 18-19
At the Lismore Hotel in Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Don’t forget these important date:
The Registration Deadline is September 25th
The Early-Bird Registration Deadline is August 15th
Here Are a Few Helpful Links:
Schedule (Page 9-10 in Newsletter)
Interview with Featured Artist, Carolyn True (Pages 11-12 in Newsletter)
Conference Information on the Website
Print-and-Mail Registration Link
Online Registration Link
Exhibitor Information on Website
Advertising Information on Website
WMTA Newsletter Page 9
WMTA Conference Schedule Friday, October 18th
* Indicates Simultaneous Sessions
Important: Please remember this is the first copy of the conference schedule and it is still subject to change as we draw nearer the Conference dates.
Time Event
7:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Registration Desk Hours (Closed from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.)
8:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Exhibit Hall Hours
8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. Lisa Bastien - The Bastien Family: A Tribute to Jane and Jim Bastien
9:30 a.m.–9:45 a.m. Break
9:45 a.m.-10:45 a.m.* Janet Tschida - Pedagogy 3-Ps: Prepare Present Practice
9:45 a.m.-10:45 a.m.* Sandra Statz - Making Sense of District Auditions
10:45 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Break
11:00 a.m. –12:00 p.m.* Adam Shelton - Creating Safe Spaces in our Teaching Studios
11:00 a.m. –12:00 p.m.* Ivan Konev - Stanislavsky method and concert preparation
12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. Lunch (On your Own) Visit the Exhibit Hall!
12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. District Chairs Luncheon (Advance Purchase Required)
12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. Local Association Luncheon (Advance Purchase Required)
1:00 p.m.-1:45 p.m. KJOS Showcase
1:45 p.m.-2:00 p.m. Break
2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. Carolyn True—Featured Artist
3:00 p.m.-3:15 p.m. Break
3:15 p.m-4:15 p.m.* Tricia Marton -The 80% and Above Club: Demystifying Music Theory for Students
3:15 p.m-4:15 p.m.* Certification Panel
4:15 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Break
4:30 p.m-5:30 p.m. William Whipple -Multi-dimensional Teaching: Are you "Prepared to change your "Vision" about student learning?
5:30 p.m.-6:00 p.m. Break
6:00 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Social Time and Cocktails
6:30 p.m.-7:45 p.m. Banquet Dinner and Awards Ceremony
7:45 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Break
8:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. Evening Recital
WMTA Newsletter Page 10
WMTA Conference Schedule Saturday, October 19th
* Indicates Simultaneous Sessions
Important: Please remember this is the first copy of the conference schedule and it is still subject to change as we draw nearer the Conference dates.
Time Event
7:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Registration Desk Hours
8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. Justin Krueger - Smartphones, Tablets, and Chocolate Cake
9:30 a.m.–9:45 a.m. Break
9:45 a.m.-10:45 a.m. Collegiate Poster Sessions
10:45 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Break
11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Vanessa Cornett - Nailing Jell-O to a Tree
12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. Annual Lunch Meeting
1:15 p.m-1:30 p.m. Break
1:30 p.m-3:00pm Carolyn True Master Class
3:00 p.m.-3:15 p.m. Break
3:15 p.m-4:00 p.m. Jess Johnson - Artistic Pedaling Techniques for the Developing Pianist
4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Janet Tschida—Rhythmic Revolution
5:00 p.m-5:15 p.m. Adjournment and Closing Remarks
Featured Artist—Carolyn True I have been a member of the music faculty of Trinity University since 1990 and maintain a balance between teaching in San An-tonio, giving workshops and masterclasses, conducting adjudica-tion across the country, and actively performing as a soloist and chamber musician in the United States, Europe, and Asia. I am one of the four core members of SOLI Chamber Ensemble. We are the Trinity University resident chamber ensemble and regularly perform in San Antonio. Recently, we toured Colorado and are looking forward to two short residencies next year in Indiana and Houston. At Trinity, we coach chamber musicians and give workshops for budding composers.
Be sure to check out pages 11 and 12 to read the
interview with this year’s featured artist, Carolyn True.
WMTA Newsletter Page 11
Interview with Featured Artist Carolyn True Kayme: Hi Carolyn, first of all, thanks so much for agreeing to come and speak with us at our 2019 WMTA conference. We are extremely excited that you are our guest clinician. First of all, could you tell us a little bit about what you do at Trinity University? Carolyn: My work at Trinity is extremely varied. As with other music professors, I do a good amount of both teaching and performing. My performing is generally divided into three or four branches -- solo performances (recitals, concerti with orchestra and/or wind ensemble); SOLI Chamber Ensemble (a contemporary chamber ensemble of piano, clarinet, violin, and cello -- 25 years now!); Piano duo/duet with Brad Beckman (15 years); and other collaborative performances as needed and as time allows. At Trinity I teach applied lessons, piano pedagogy, piano literature, piano ensemble (two or more people at one piano), piano class for non-majors, piano proficiency prep, and other ad hoc classes. Of course, I don’t teach all of those in the same semester. ☺ Out-side of Trinity, I have a handful of adult students and coach local pre-college students. In addition, I coach the Tuesday Music Club piano duos. And SOLI has an active educational program -- I’m the educational director -- including various chamber experiences for young and RMM students, and composition students of all ages. Kayme: So, a large portion of what you do is work with chamber music. How did your life as a cham-ber musician begin? Carolyn: I grew up listening to my parents practicing, rehearsing, and performing. Both are pianists and they played with many others of several different instrument types and voice types. My folks also played duet and piano duo music, so I was immersed in it from the beginning! I was lucky to grow up in both a small town and before paid accompanists were the norm. I played for my school musicals, accompanied lots of my friends, and just got the bug! I continued to play for others throughout my undergraduate degree program, then took a little break. When I went to Eastman for my doctorate, I was extremely fortunate to come into contact with one of my mentor teachers -- Jean Barr. She took my collaborative skills to the next level and informed my teaching and coach-ing of chamber music. Now, I’m very lucky to play with SOLI and with Brad -- continuing my collab-orative experiences. I can’t imagine not playing with others! Kayme: I know you are going to talk to us about this at the conference and we are looking forward to what you present to us then, do you have some brief words of advice for teachers wanting to start using more chamber music? Carolyn: Be risk-takers. Chamber music experiences are important for every student. It seems daunting but with just a few, painless steps, everyone can give their students collaborative experi-ences of all kinds. It just takes a little creativity -- and isn’t that what teaching music is all about?
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WMTA Newsletter Page 12
(Continued from Previous Page) Kayme: One of the many reasons I am looking forward to the conference is because it has been many years since we have had the conference in the northwest portion of the state. I happen to know that you HAVE visited Eau Claire before. What would be some things you look forward to every time you visit this area? Carolyn: Actually the thing I look forward to is not a thing, but my little sister, Amy! I always love coming to Eau Claire to see her and we have fun exploring the town and its surrounding areas. Amy works for AAA so she knows all of the best ins and outs of places to go and things to see and do! Kayme: Last question, even though I know we could probably talk about pedagogy for hours. Do you have any words of wisdom or encouragement for the students and teachers who are preparing to play for you in the masterclass you are doing at the conference? Carolyn: Enjoy! I am looking forward to hearing what you have to say through music. Each one of us has a valued and valuable musical voice. Master Classes are challenging -- I mean, a public les-son? However, I have experienced some of my most incredible “a-ha” moments in that setting -- both as a student and as the clinician. Let’s explore music together!! Again, thanks so much for your time in answering these questions for us. We can’t wait! Teachers mark your calendars for October 18-19 at the Lismore Hotel in Eau Claire. Make sure you get your conference registration in and reserve your rooms. See you in Eau Claire!
WMTA Newsletter Page 13
Based on decisions made by WMTA the following bylaw changes are being proposed to reflect those changes. Proposed change to Constitution ARTICLE V - DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OFFICERS AND CHAIRS
Section 15. The WMTA High School Virtuoso Chair shall plan and coordinate the High School Virtuoso competition. The Chair
shall also chair one or more of the MTNA competitions so as to be a voice on the Board in support of MTNA competitions.
Rationale: WMTA no longer has this position and competition.
Proposed change to Bylaws ARTICLE VI - DUTIES OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS
Section 7. The Archivist shall collect materials throughout the year for submission to the Milwaukee Historical Society and process requests for copies of needed archival documents.
Rationale: The Executive Board voted to remove this position, and merge with the Technology Chair, with a new title to reflect what this position will be.
(ADD) Section 7. The Media Chair shall maintain the Facebook page for WMTA (and any other social media accounts that are
created) for the purposes of publicity and information sharing, and will collect pertinent materials throughout the year (such as confer-
ence booklets) for digital storage, as directed.
Section 9. The Technology Chair will keep abreast of current music-related technologies, assist membership with music technology,
and assist the First Vice-President in planning technology presentations for state conferences.
Rationale: See above.
Section 11. The Website Chair shall maintain the WMTA website and serve as chair of the website committee when significant
website changes are needed.
Rationale: This work is currently done by Administrative Specialist, Katie Butler.
Have you ever wanted to be more involved in WMTA? Now is your chance as we have the following opening positions. Interested email Rachel Fritz at [email protected]. Teacher Award of Excellence Position This position takes the self-reports from teachers, then order awards and then presents them to teachers at the state Conference banquet. Wisconsin Coordinator for MTNA Composition Competition: This position coordinates the Wisconsin state level of the MTNA Composition Competition. Rules and guidelines are determined by MTNA.
WMTA Newsletter Page 14
There were 38 registrants in 10 divisions with 17 participating teachers. This is down a bit from the 47 registrants in 2018 however we had a similar number of teachers participating (18 teachers in 2018). We used a total of 2 rooms at the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater in conjunction with the piano competition on the same day. Every division had a winner declared. This year we had 1 trumpet and 2 harp participants! Judges were all very good, and the day went smoothly for Vocal/Instrumental. We have a wonderful group of participating teachers; many of whom volunteer and cover each other when various teachers need to accompany students during the day. This makes for a very wonderful, smooth day for all. Some of the V/I students stayed to perform on the end of the day recital. The trumpet and harp winner performed and possibly a string and flute student. Badger V/I will be in Stevens Point in conjunction with Badger Keyboard in 2020. The date still needs to be confirmed. Freeze date for entries will be April 15th. Submitted by Opala Bilhorn, NCTM Badger V/I Chairperson
Shout-Out to... • Juanita Becker for her presentation at the College Music Society Conference. • Jessica Johnson, Janet Tschida, Michael Rector, Nicholas Phillips, and Catherine Walby for their
presentations at the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy. • Justin Krueger for his article in the AMT. • Kayme Henkel for her presentation at the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers' Association
Conference. • Rachel Fritz as a presenter at NCKP.
Do you know anybody who deserves a pat on the back. Any member can submit a shout-out for an
upcoming newsletter by emailing either the President, Rachel Frits at [email protected] or the
Administrative Assistant, Katie Butler at [email protected].
WMTA Newsletter Page 15
This month’s IMTF article is by WMTA member Anna Reiser ([email protected]). Anna Reiser teaches piano at the Lawrence University Academy of Music. She is trained in the Taubman Ap-proach and specializes in helping pianists overcome playing related injuries. Do you enjoy reading IMTF articles in our WMTA newsletter? Perhaps you’d like to submit an article for our December 2019 newsletter? Please email Mickey Lytle, IMTF Chair ([email protected]) to express your interest in submitting an article for colleagues to enjoy. Several years ago, at the Well-Balanced Pianist summer program, I learned about performance coach Bill Moore’s Mastery Performance Script. Dr. Moore’s book, “Playing Your Best When It Counts,” includes instructions for creating a detailed description of an ideal performance which is then used for mental practice and visualization in performance preparation. After finding deeper success and satisfaction in my own performances using this tool, I started using it with my students. About three weeks before a performance, I ask my students to fill out a performance script form and to read it aloud twice a day in addition to reading it aloud at their lessons. While I believe this certainly elevates the quality of performances from my students, the most exciting realization for me is that it also elevates my students’ experiences. Personal reflections of their performances con-vey more positivity and self-kindness. Instead of, “I made a mistake at the end of the A section,” I now hear statements like, “I think my dynamics were pretty good!” In January, I accompanied one of my students to an audition and, as we waited outside of the hall where she would perform, I realized I did not know the best way to support her in that moment. Did she want to be alone? Did she prefer not to talk? I realized that knowing what my student needed beforehand would have been better than asking her what she needed from me in the moments be-fore her audition. After this experience, I thought about the performance script and I added a space for my students to write an intention for support people. I encourage my students to begin their intention with “It is best for me…”. Examples include, “It is best for me to be alone right now”, “It is best for me to talk to you after my performance”, and “It is best for me to be quiet right now.” My students practice saying these gentle intentions in case they need to express them to support peo-ple such as parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, and teachers. I have had good feedback from students and parents alike. In the never-ending quest as a piano teacher to honor and connect with each student as an individ-ual, this was an important realization for me. On the following page you will find my newly revised Performance Script. I hope you will feel welcome to use it and revise it as it works for you and your students.
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WMTA Newsletter Page 16
(Continued from Previous Page)
Performance Script
Name:
Title of Piece:
Date of Performance:
Intention for my support people:____________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.
I wake up on the day of my recital and I feel __________________________________.
I arrive at the recital hall and I feel __________________________________________.
I am happy in my heart. Right before I begin my performance, when I am sitting on the
piano bench, I feel _______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.
My cue is ______________________________________________________________.
I begin playing. I hear the music and I feel ____________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.
My hands and arms feel __________________________________________________.
My body feels __________________________________________________________.
I let go and listen. As the piece unfolds, I feel __________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.
I finish the piece strong and I feel
___________________________________________.
After my performance, I __________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.
I am full of happiness and gratitude.
WMTA Newsletter Page 17
Chippewa Valley Music Teachers Association President: Esther Pedigo ([email protected])
Website: cvmusicteachers.org The Chippewa Valley Music Teachers Association is a growing and active group of 33 members from the Eau Claire region. Our teachers represent vocal, piano, organ, string, woodwind, theory, and ear-ly childhood specialties. With this diversity, we emphasize programs and events that speak to needs of all our members and provide opportunities beyond what might be perceived as “piano specific”. We are happy to make progress here. This year there is a renewed emphasis on Mentoring. The goal is 3-fold: to reach out to the new teacher, the new member and assist members with the practical challenges of District Auditions and Federation Festival. Even more, we want to foster relationships, because that is where members feel like they belong and have a reason to stay. To that end, CVMTA provides programs, socials and performance events for its members, which give opportunities for professional growth, networking and comradery. Programs are scheduled every other month, September through March, on Saturdays, 12:30 – 3 PM at UW-EC in Room 160. Each meeting provides a time for networking, called Connections, in addi-tion to an educational program and business when needed. September 21 “The Lesson Notebook: A Book to Judge by It’s Cover!” – Dr. Paul Wirth November 16 “Music Learning Theory (Edwin Gordon” – Sarah McCaffrey Ritchie January 18 “On-Line Teaching Simplified” – Melissa Willis March 14 “Bringing Sports Concepts to Music Lessons” – Aeron Ogden Socials are seasonal: August 26, 6:00 PM; December 7, 4:00 PM; Spring - TBD Our performance offerings for 2019-2020 are as follows: October 12, 4:00 PM Student Collaborative Recital November, 11:00 AM Fall Gala at Books-A-Million Cafe February, TBD Master Class February, TBD CVMTA Teacher Recital
March 7 Federation Festival April 18, All Day WMTA District Auditions CVMTA is also Senior Club for Wisconsin Federation of Music Clubs. Our members have an oppor-tunity to be members of the Senior Club. Therefore, they can participate in WFMC performance op-portunities and other events, including the Federation Festival in March.
WMTA Newsletter Page 18
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WMTA EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING MINUTES Waunakee, WI
June 7, 2019 9:30am – 12:00pm Present: Nicholas Phillips, Rachel Fritz, Drew Donica, Kayme Henkel, Sandra Statz, Teresa Drews, Opala Bilhorn, Justin Krueger, Sydney Alex-ander, Mickey Lytle, Mary Anne Olvera, and Katie Butler.
Call to Order/Welcome: 9:35am Adoption of Agenda Approval by Consensus. Approval of Minutes Approval by Consensus. Reports of Officers
President, Rachel Fritz – Current resignations are; Drea Wagner as VP Membership and Teacher Award of Excellence. Justin Krueger as Certification Chair and Peggy Otwell as MTNA Competitions and WMTA Competitions Chair. Krueger will be taking over as VP Membership. Sam Ecoff will be taking over as WMTA Composition Chair.
Immediate Past President, Nicholas Phillips, NCTM – No report. 1st VP-Conference, Kayme Henkel, NCTM – See attached report. 2nd VP-Membership, Drea Wagner– No report. Treasurer, Sydney Alexander – Income from membership dues and conference fees is $79,455.29 and expenses from confer-
ence, grants, and auditions is $69,212.73. The current balance is $10,242.56. The Checking account has $31,195.36, the money market account has $10,236.36 and the CD’s have $141,648.85.
Reports of Program Chairs Arts Awareness and Advocacy, Teresa Drews– No report. Badger Keyboard Competition, Drew Donica – See attached report. We had low numbers at the East site so it is recommended
we keep it on Saturday in future years. Teachers also gave feedback that having at least one Sunday date available is help-ful. Due to site schedules there are challenges to find ideal dates.
Badger Vocal/Instrumental Competition – Opala Bilhorn, NCTM – See attached report. Numbers were down a little this year. We would love to hear from teachers about what would encourage attendance. The board discussed strategies for im-proving volunteer availability and distribution during all the Badger competitions as a whole.
College Faculty Representative, Jessica Johnson, NCTM – No report. District Auditions, Sandra Statz – See attached report. The procedure for the composition database went smoothly this year.
Currently WMTA has the rule that during the oral part of the theory test, students have two hearings. There has been some confusion due to differences between facilities and practices in different districts. The board discussed current bar-riers and whether or not two hearings was sufficient. It was determined that additional technology resources provided to each district could help with equity. Nick Philips motioned that WMTA provide 1-2 wireless speakers and a usb drive for each district for use with theory tests. Seconded by Kayme Henkel. Motion passed unanimously. The finance committee will work out the specific details of the equipment.
Independent Music Teachers Forum, Mickey Lytle, NCTM – See attached report. The newsletter articles have been going over well. Additional ideas for how to fulfill the position would be appreciated.
Local Associations, Mary Ann Olvera – See attached report. Concerns from the Local Association presidents are focused on how to motivate members to participate. The board discussed ideas such as teacher wellness and teacher retreats as well as the need for a personal touch. The board also discussed why members may not join a local association as well when they are members of WMTA. The board discussed the social impact and connections between members, both good and bad, and how that impacts participation.
Standing/Special Committees Finance Committee, Sydney Alexander – The biggest item of discussion from the Finance Committee is in the ways we can use
the WMTA funds to encourage further participation in the Local Associations through available grants. $100 grants are currently available. The board discussed further potential funds and how they could be used for bringing in presenters, events, or other local benefits. There was also discussion about additional transparency of the state budget and how funds used to boost membership helps everybody. Nick Philips motioned that we continue with the $100 LA grants, but set aside an additional $1000 for grants that Local Associations to submit applications for the Finance Committee to re-view. Seconded by Mickey Lytle. The board discussed details and restrictions to how the money could be distributed. Mo-tioned passed unanimously.
Old Business Update Bylaws – The board has already discussed the idea of discontinuing the Technology Chair and Archivist position and
combining them to create a new Media Chair. Nick Philips volunteered to determine the new wording so it is ready to be voted on this fall.
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Milwaukee Historical Society – Our archived documents are paper copies stored in bankers boxes. The board discussed if action was needed.
2020 foundation Fellow – Next year’s national Conference is in Chicago and will be in Minneapolis in a couple years. It is $1500 to fund a fellow each year. The board discussed what we look for in nominees and potential nominations for this year. Kayme Henkel motioned to nominate a specific member for this years Foundation Fellow. The name was seconded by Nick Philips. Motion passed unanimously. The name will be announced at the 2019 Conference.
State Piano Competition – This idea was proposed as to create an additional elite competition for the winners of each district from auditions. We don’t currently have a state competition. The board discussed ideas, timing, ages, and geographical logistics. One idea is to have three judges hear all the grades and to have students perform in more of a recital format. The board discussed who might be willing to chair or head a committee for the event if we wanted to start it next year. After discussion it was decided to create a committee to further review the idea.
MTNA State/Local/Teachers of the Year – We submitted for all of these awards last year. The board discussed if we want to move forward and submit for these each year, if so, who should do the submissions. It was determined we would submit something if there was a real purpose for the submission.
New Business Collegiate Study Grants – We received nine applications for summer study grants. Three candidates were chosen by the
finance committee. The board voted on how to distribute the funds. Kayme Henkel motioned to give each $500. San-dra Statz seconded. Motion approved unanimously.
Use of IMSLP Music for Auditions – The current rule for WMTA is that if you use downloaded music it must be approved in advance by the district chair. There was a disqualification event this year regarding this rule and executive board agreed that the situation was handled correctly and discussed how to handle complications regarding this situation in the future. The board discussed the use of downloaded music in the industry and within WMTA. A great deal of discussion was made regarding legality and WMTA’s current policy and procedure. In the future teachers will attached a Copyright Representation and Indemnification Agreement Form for downloaded music that can be pro-vided to accompany the music that will clarify responsibility for ownership of legality so the district chairs will no longer be responsible for making this judgment call. This form will be available to teachers on the WMTA website.
Review of Disqualification Penalties – The board discussed whether changes need to made to the penalty process. The board found that the disqualification policy was clear.
Announcements The Next executive board meeting will be Thursday, October 17th at 8:00pm in a room TBD at the Lismore hotel. Adjournment 11:45am.
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WMTA ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCEL MEETING MINUTES Waunakee, WI
June 7, 2019 1:00pm – 4:00pm Present: Nicholas Phillips, Rachel Fritz, Drew Donica, Kayme Henkel, Sandra Statz, Opala Bilhorn, Justin Krueger, Sydney Alexander, Mickey Lytle, Mary Anne Olvera, Katie Butler, Mary Warnecke, Julie Hildebrandt, Marilyn Lee, Carmen Shaw, Catherine Walby, Judy Ballard, Emily Schultz, Carol Lombard, Abby Patchet, and William Whipple.
Call to Order/Welcome: 1:00 pm Adoption of Agenda Approval by Consensus. Approval of Minutes Approval by Consensus. Reports of Officers
President, Rachel Fritz – Current resignations are; Drea Wagner as VP Membership and Teacher Award of Excellence. Justin Krueger as Certification Chair and Peggy Otwell as MTNA Competitions and WMTA Competitions Chair. Krueger will be taking over as VP Membership. Sam Ecoff will be taking over as WMTA Composition Chair.
Immediate Past President, Nicholas Phillips, NCTM – No report. 1st VP-Conference, Kayme Henkel, NCTM – See attached report. As a reminder, the early bird deadline for this year is August
15th and the Regular registration deadline is September 25th. 2nd VP-Membership, Drea Wagner– No report. Treasurer, Sydney Alexander – Income from membership dues and conference fees is $79,455.29 and expenses from confer-
ence, grants, and auditions is $69,212.73. The current balance is $10,242.56. The Checking account has $31,195.36, the money market account has $10,236.36 and the CD’s have $141,648.85.
Reports of Program Chairs Archivist Arts Awareness and Advocacy, Teresa Drews– No report. Badger Keyboard Competition, Drew Donica – See attached report. We had low numbers at the East site so it is recommended
we keep it on Saturday in future years. Teachers also gave feedback that having at least one Sunday date available is help-ful. We are at the mercy of the Universities schedule availability, but we do try to take good dates when they are availa-ble.
Badger Vocal/Instrumental Competition – Opala Bilhorn, NCTM – See attached report. Please let Bilhorn know if you have any ideas for how to improve this competition and it’s attendance.
Collaborative Performance Forum Chair, Kristen Ihde, NCTM – No report. College Faculty Representative, Jessica Johnson, NCTM – No report. District Auditions, Sandra Statz – See attached report. The procedure for the composition database went smoothly this year.
The board voted on a new equipment procedure during the executive board meeting. Details on this action will be re-viewed in the summary of executive actions below.
Independent Music Teachers Forum, Mickey Lytle, NCTM – See attached report. Additional ideas for how to fulfill the position would be appreciated.
Local Associations, Mary Ann Olvera – See attached report. MTNA Certification Chair, Justin Krueger, NCTM – See attached report. MTNA Composer Commissioning Chair, Michael Mizrahi – See attached report. MTNA/WMTA Student Compositions, Vacant – This position may be split into two positions. Let Rachel Fritz know if you or
somebody you know would be interested in moving forward with the MTNA position. The WMTA Student Composition Chair position will be filled by Sam Ecoff.
MTNA Foundation Chair, William Whipple, NCTN – Traditionally the local associations provide a basket of goodies to be raffled off during Conference and the funds go towards the Foundation Fellow for that year. The board discussed how this prac-tice was going and if we should continue with this tradition. The event will continue forward as it has meaning the local associations can choose to do nothing, make a cash donation or provide a silent auction item. Other organizations, busi-nesses or members can also provide silent auction items if they want to.
Teacher Award of Excellence – Vacant Technology Chair, Vacant – No report. Wellness Forum Chair, Jessica Johnson, NCTM – No report.
Standing/Special Committees Finance Committee, Sydney Alexander – In the past we have had $100 grants available for each Local Association. The board
voted to have an additional $1000 grant pool available for local associations to apply for funds based on specific pro-posals. The finance committee will be flushing out additional guidelines and details.
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Old Business New Business
Summary of Actions by Executive Committee – During the executive board meeting several decisions and votes were deter-mined. Each is listed below:
• The Executive Board discussed how the oral part of theory exam was being ministered in the different districts and voted to provide equipment. MP3 files will be created and provided on a flash drive and Bluetooth speaker will be provided for everybody so it is the same for every single site. The group discussed different ways that this would apply to the different traditions within districts. The biggest reason for this clarification on the existing rule is because it’s important that, as a state, we perform these tests with equality across all students in every district. As always, any students with special needs can be accommodated by contacting their district chair.
• The bylaws will be updated for vote this fall. The wording will reflect the executive boards vote to combine the combine the Archivist and Technology Chair. We will need a person to fill the new Media Chair position.
• The Executive Board names a foundation fellow for 2019. The administrative Council discussed the potential for picking the foundation fellow before June to benefit from having MTNA add donations to the dues renewal. Rachel Fritz will look into this and determine if an adjusted timeline will work out.
• The Executive Board discussed the potential for creating a new state wide piano competition for the winners of the districts. Notes on this proposal are in Sandra Statz attached report for District Auditions. The board will be form-ing a committee to explore the idea further. The Administrative Council brainstormed on additional ideas. If it moves forward it may result in extra points, but not a cash award. The event could potentially be sponsored by somebody. This would be for Keyboard only because the vocal is already a true state competition and keyboard is not.
• The Executive Board decided not to submit awards for MTNA national competitions unless we have a compelling reason to do so.
• The finance committee selected three students for the WMTA Collegiate Study Grants. Each will be given $500. As a reminder, the trip doesn’t need to be a big event for students to submit an application.
• The current rule for WMTA is that if you use downloaded music it must be approved in advance by the district chair. There was a disqualification event this year regarding this rule and executive board agreed that the situation was handled correctly and discussed how to handle complications regarding this situation in the future. After a great deal of discussion during the Executive Board regarding legality and WMTA’s current policy and procedure, it was decided to use a new Copyright Representation and Indemnification Agreement Form to accompany downloaded music that will clarify responsibility for ownership of legality. The district chairs will no longer be responsible for mak-ing this judgment call. The Administrative Council brought up another item for clarification. During this year’s audi-tions, a teacher submitted two pieces so the student could choose. The student only played one and wasn’t up for an award due to the discrepancy. District Chairs have no way to catch these type of situations and teachers should be aware and use care when entering information.
Announcements Next administrative council meeting will be Saturday, October 19th during lunch at the Annual Conference in a room TBD at the Lismore hotel. The deadline for August newsletter submissions is July 15th.
Adjournment 2:44pm.
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The 19th annual Sonatina Festival aims to raise awareness, appreciation, and understanding of the Sonata and Sonatina musical forms. As many music auditions and competitions are held in the spring, this festival encourages musical preparation during the fall semester by providing a performance goal for pianists of all ages and levels. We hope to see you in Madison on Novem-
ber 9th for this exciting day of music-making!
Please visit www.sonatinafestival.org for more information.
Mickey Lytle, NCTM, festival founder and coordinator
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Have You Moved? All membership changes, including renewals and address changes, should be made on the MTNA website by updating your member profile. www.MTNA.org
PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT LINE MTNA provides free counsel for members. Contact the MTNA National Headquarters with any busi-ness or pedagogical questions. (888) 512-5278 -or- [email protected] They will gladly assist you in areas such as business plans, contracts, copyright concerns, legal stand-ards, property acquisition, zoning laws, partnerships, grants, acoustic building standards, ASCAP matters, certification, teacher development, group affiliations, music supplies, equipment purchasing, lesson plans, customer fees, health insurance and teacher networking.
The WMTA Newsletter is published four times a year during the months of February, May, August and December. The deadline for sending submissions is the 1st of the month before the issue pub-lishes. Please contact our central office to learn more about the requirements and opportunities for advertising in this and other WMTA publications.
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letter. All submissions should be submitted 2 to 4 weeks in advance and must be received by the
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tion. Please do not send pdf documents. All content is subject to edit and
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