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For the Record |
| ISSUE 3 ::
Monday August, 23 2004 |
PAST ISSUES |
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From the
President's Desk
James Douthit, President
On the website, Dictionary.com, the word
"conference" has three subdivisions listed
under that definition. The first two are:
a. A meeting for consultation or discussion
and
b. An exchange of views.
The Pennsylvania Music Teachers Association
Conference scheduled for November 5-7, 2004,
at Duquesne University will provide both of
these opportunities, plus more. Nanette
Kaplan Solomon has done a fantastic job of
planning our conference programming and the
site coordinator, Ken Burky, has worked with
Nanette to organize a weekend that will be
educational, entertaining, and enjoyable.
The information detailing the conference can
be found in this Newsletter as well as on
our website,
www.pamusicteachers.org.
First, our conference will provide the
opportunity for discussion and consultation.
We have a line up of artists and speakers
that will provide information on a multitude
of subjects: music technology, music
cognition, body awareness, student-parent
lessons, performance anxiety, jazz for
children K-8, music for aging populations,
and a special woodwind clinic, just to name
a few. I don't know of anywhere you could go
in the state of Pennsylvania within the
space of 3 days and have the opportunity to
consult and discuss this breadth of subjects
with experts and fellow teachers who are
involved in the daily task of bringing the
best possible music instruction to students
throughout our state. Those of you that
regularly attend conferences know that the
presenters give you a wealth of information
that can sustain and enrich your teaching
forever. One presentation might just give
you the information you need to reach that
student that seems apathetic about their
lessons, or that technique problem that you
just can't quite solve.
Secondly, In addition to listening to these
presentations, you also have the opportunity
to discuss this information or exchange your
views with other teachers. While I have a
great deal of respect for all of our
presenters, I also feel that a large part of
what I learn at a conference has to do with
bringing the information to me personally by
discussing with others the topics that have
been presented. Often, the most fascinating
and enriching part of any presentation is
the question and answer period that ends the
session. Teachers are able to ask the
questions that relate to their own
individual problems and concerns, and in
those exchanges a wealth of information can
be found.
Conferring with other teachers is an
important activity. Many of our members
teach private lessons in their own studios.
When I was doing this, I found it rewarding,
but I also found it very isolating.
Sometimes, I just wanted to walk out in the
hall and tell a colleague what a great
lesson I had just experienced, or on the
other hand, scream in frustration as a
student (yet, again) had failed to count the
first bar of the piece they've practice for
four weeks which had been circled with so
many colored pencils it looked like a
rainbow! Isolation makes our teaching very
unique, but it also makes it very one
dimensional. We need the "revival" that we
can gain from listening and discussing with
others. We need to be able brag about our
successes and share our frustrations with
other teachers who do the same thing each
day.
I know it can be tempting to find many
reasons not to attend the state conference,
and there are many factors that make it
difficult to put into your schedule. We are
all busy and over committed. However, I
promise you, that if you come to the
conference, you will hear some ideas and
inspiration that can move your teaching
forward. That's why we have this conference.
It is not merely a few activities around a
competition, but it is a chance to spend the
weekend exploring what you love doing with
people that enjoy doing it as much or even
more than you do!
If you don't like to travel (like me),
invite a friend to come with you. You can
share a room and the burden of getting there
and coming back together. As a special
incentive, the PMTA Board has decided that
all first time conference goers who are
nonmembers may register at the member rate.
Additionally, collegiate students can attend
for free! (Collegiate sponsors, get those
students together for a field trip!) We need
to attract other teachers and future
teachers interested in our organization, so
that we can continue to grow and move
forward as we meet the many challenges that
face music teachers today. We have an entire
society that rarely values what we do. While
the answering machine skit was hilarious at
last year's IMT Luncheon, the sad truth is
that we get these calls everyday from our
students and their parents who challenge our
self-value as teachers as well as the value
of devoting our careers to teaching the art
of music, something we care about so deeply
and passionately. While our conference
cannot solve all of these problems, we can
move closer towards contributing to the
solutions.
Millie Eben, our President Elect, is working
with great haste and efficiency to add to
our conference with the PMTA/MTNA
Competitions as well as the second year of
our Keystone State Competitions. You'll find
information on those activities and boxes to
check for helping with the conference and
competitions on the registration form. The
winners' recital for each of these events is
something you don't want to miss.
I look forward to seeing many old friends
and many new faces at the November
conference at Duquesne. Your students will
appreciate the fact that you took the time
to attend! |
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