From the President’s Desk: Millie Eben, President
Greetings from the Conference Chair
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE! You can’t possibly resist the lure of our upcoming PMTA/DSMTA conference once you hear about what’s in store for you!
We are being hosted by Dean Timothy Blair at the beautiful new West Chester University. Dean Blair and Dr. Patricia Powell are preparing for our conference with the utmost graciousness and excitement. Their beautiful new facility is also equipped with new Steinway Pianos. We are very grateful to West Chester University School of Music for their hospitality.
The guest artists for the November convention are THE FIVE BROWNS! This dynamic young ensemble of pianists are the biggest classical music sensation in years. This quintet of Juilliard trained siblings will present a concert in the evening. Their fresh energy and sound is opening the doors to classical music for wider and younger audiences everywhere. If you haven’t heard them, you are in for a huge treat.
JUST DUET will be another unique feature throughout this conference. This year we will be offering s number of reading sessions at multiple pianos.
SUSAN OGILVY will be a featured presenter at these sessions. You will have the opportunity to sight-read ensemble music while you meet new friends and make music together!
We have engaged many fine clinicians to present throughout the conference on a wide variety of interesting musical topics. Some of the topics include performances and presentations on technology, Taubman work, Alexander technique, performance anxiety, motivational teaching, practice strategies, and many more fascinating presentations await you at the November PMTA/DSMTA conference.
Mark the dates on your calendar for an exciting joint conference prepared by the Pennsylvania and the Delaware music teachers associations. This is one that you just can’t miss!! Come and see old friends, meet new ones, make music together and enjoy the beautiful facility at West Chester University.
–Debra Ronning, Conference Chair
Conference 2007…Artists and Guests
The Five Browns
We are pleased to announce the concert artists for the 2007 PMTA/DSMTA Joint State Conference in November 2007 will be The FIVE BROWNS. “One family, five pianos and 50 fingers add up to the biggest classical music sensation in years,” declared the New York Post, adding, “When these kids do Rachmaninoff, they’ll make you forget about Marshall amps.” This youthful quintet swept the classical world in 2005 with the release of their self-titled first recording, which landed them at the top of the weekly Billboard charts and, at the end of the year, as one of the Top Classical Artists of 2005. With their next album No Boundaries, The 5 Browns are already delivering their dream of waking up classical music and introducing it to the widest, largest and most excited audience they can find.
Their irresistible story has been seen on Oprah, 60 Minutes, Martha Stewart, Good Morning America and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The “Fab Five,” as People Magazine dubbed them, bring together five distinctive yet discriminating keyboard talents, honed at New York’s Juilliard School, where for five consecutive years they studied simultaneously. With the advice and direction of their manager Joel Diamond, and their parents, Keith and Lisa, they hit on the idea of casting their lot together as a unique quintet of classical pianists, performing on five pianos and in various ensemble combinations. In the wake of the first album’s release, Entertainment Weekly announced, “This quintet of piano prodigies revamps stuffy classics for the Rachmaninoff-impaired.”
James Jordan
James Jordan is recognized and praised from many quarters in the musical world as one of the nation’s preeminent conductors, writers, and innovators in choral music. He has been called a “visionary” by The Choral Journal. His career and publications have been devoted to innovative educational changes in the choral art that have been embraced around the world. A master teacher, Dr. Jordan’s pioneering writing and research concerning the use of Laban Movement Analysis for the teaching of conducting and movement to children has dramatically changed teaching in both those disciplines. Called the “Father of the Case Study,” he was the first researcher to bring forward the idea of the case study as a viable and valuable form of research for the training and education of teachers.
Donald Waxman
Donald Waxman, composer, pianist, conductor and lecturer is a graduate of both the Peabody Conservatory and the Juilliard School. Mr. Waxman has been honored by a Guggenheim Fellowship to Paris, the RCA Composition Prize and the Delius American Chamber Music Prize among many awards and has been commissioned by three MTA state organizations–California, New York and Florida. Though Mr. Waxman has composed for every genre–instrumental, vocal, choral and orchestral, he is particularly well known to piano teachers for his unique contributions to the student literature, in which from the Pageant series of early grade primers to the advanced collections of Etudes, he has tried to marry traditional pedagogical and technical ideas with a contemporary harmonic and rhythmic language.
David Bennett Thomas
David Bennett Thomas (b. 1969) received degrees from West Chester University(B.S.), and The Peabody Conservatory (M.M.). His private teachers include Lukas Foss, Ron Thomas, Jacques Voois, Morris Cotel, and Fred Hersch. Thomas has written in many genres, including works for solo voice, chorus, orchestra, chamber groups, and piano. His works have been performed throughout America and abroad. Mr. Thomas has served as composer in residence at The Adirondack Festival of American Music.
Susan Ogilvy
Susan Ogilvy, Yamaha Keyboard Specialist, owns and operates an innovative music school for “children of all ages” in Denton, Texas. Making use of both acoustic and electronic musical instruments, Susan and her husband Jim recognize the value of our past and the importance of our future. During the summers she is a clinician for the Yamaha Summer Technology Seminars held in various parts of the country. She composes piano solos for Alfred Publishing, The Frederick J. Harris Music Company, and writes electronic keyboard ensembles for Hal Leonard, Stephens Development Co. and Ogilvy Music. Susan holds a B.M.E. and M.M.E from the University of North Texas where she studied piano with Robert J. Rogers and Margaret Grubb. She has worked in the church for 30 years conducting adult, youth and children’s choirs. She is a certified Kindermusik teacher and is rehearsal accompanist for the Dallas Symphony Chorus. Susan’s piano students–ranging in age from 4 to 84–perform in their Keyboard Orchestra at National and State Music Teachers’ Conventions, retirement centers and nursing homes, public schools, outdoor music festivals, and anywhere musical fun is welcome!
Clinicians and Workshops
- Marc Jacoby
Finale 101: Printing Music by Computer using Finale
Sibelius 101: Printing Music by Computer using Sibelius - Jill Hannagan
Nurturing the Ear/Hand Connection in our Students - Richard Veleta
Wit and Declamation in Opus 2, #2: What Beethoven can do with a two-note gesture - Shelley Moorman-Stahlman
History of Piano Technique Pedagogy - Patricia Powell
The Enthusiastic Student: Putting the BRIO back in the Lesson - Sylvia Ahramjian
Practice Strategies for Maximum Effectiveness - Theresa Klinefelter with soprano Anne Sciolla
A Recital of Contemporary Art Song - Robert Bedford
Alexander Technique for Pianists - Rebecca Wilt
The Orchestral Pianist: How to conquer those awful reductions - Donald Waxman
Revisiting FIFTY ETUDES
The Exertude Project–plus David and Goliath–a Tone Poem for Intermediate Piano - Judith Radell and Linda Jennings
Music by Women Composers for Violoncello and Piano - Benjamin Moritz
How to Apply Musical Rhetoric in your Teaching and Performing - Maria del Pico Taylor and Sondra Tammam
The Latest Wisdom about the Taubman Work - Joan Krzywicki
Music as a Second Language - Carol Ann Aicher
Performance Anxiety Related to Practice Tehniques - Yu-Pin Hsu
Understanding Contributing Factors Relating to Musician’s Injury and What to Do About It - Mary Lynne Bennett
Certified teachers: Why we do…what we do. - Paula Skutnick-Henley; Joanne Kirchner and Arvid Bloom
Playing Music: In flow or with anxiety - Judith Kazanjian, R.P.T.
How Your Piano Works - Jacqueline and Clarence Faulcon
Music of Black Composers Art Songs, Folk Songs, Spirituals - Anita Greenlee
That Many Splendored Instrument: The Organ
Join us for Just Duet!–impromptu piano duet and ensemble reading sessions with one of your colleagues at the helm! A chance to just have some fun sight reading piano ensemble music with your friends. - Susan Ogilvy
Forward into the Past–The Consemble–a 21st century venue for intermediate level classical piano works and performers.
Teaching & Performance Techniques for the iPOD Generation
The Digital Keyboard Orchestra–from Studio to Stage
Dorothy Sutton Performance Festival
Chris Macy, Chair, Greetings all!
As a past student of Dorothy Sutton’s, I am honored to be participating as the new chair for the DSPF. It is a pleasure working with the volunteer steering committee of dedicated teachers on our mission of preserving and expanding the benefit of this wonderful event.
I am sure many of you have heard about the changes for this year’s state festival, and I would like to re- assure everyone that the committee’s strategic vision for the future of this event remains focused on providing high quality opportunities for all of our students, and excludes neither our majority mainstream nor our standouts.
Thank you all for your ongoing participation, volunteer efforts, and advocacy of this ever-so-important event. I look forward to many successful festivals to come. You may contact Chris Macy directly with questions by e-mail.
Primary changes in the festival to note for this year’s statewide DSPF:
- There will be no solo adjudications at the state level event
- To be eligible for a state showcase recital, students must receive highest ratings [(O)- outstanding] on all areas of judging at the local level, and must pass the theory test with a 90% or above
Additional procedural and regulatory items:
- Teachers participating in the state level DSPF must be active PMTA members
- Students participating in the state level DSPF must reside in Pennsylvania
- Adjudications at the local level can be open or closed
- Theory test administration and grading may be performed by individual teachers
- The performance time limit for the State Showcase Recitals is eight minutes per student
From the President’s Desk, Millie Eben, N.C.T.M.
While summer winds down, your officers are busily preparing for what is going to be a tremendously exciting annual conference this November. Delaware State MTA President, Lisa Papili, and I hope you’ll make attendance a priority. Conference Chair, Debra Ronning, and committee have outdone themselves with this all-star lineup. Dr. Timothy Blair and Dr. Patricia Powell have been working tirelessly to ensure our weekend will be comfortable and inspiring as we enjoy the new music facility at West Chester University. Be sure to visit the PMTA website for complete conference details and ongoing updates. I encourage you to make your reservations early!
Speaking of the website–hopefully you’ve all noticed the major renovation that the PMTA website has just received. Administrative Assistant, Karen Nagle, and I have been working closely with the Reading Eagle Internet Services in updating, streamlining and expanding what our website can do. And there’s more to come as this is a continual work in progress! Visit us at www.pamusicteachers.org.
We welcome a few new faces to our Board of Directors:
- Secretary: Candy Hutchins, Pittsburgh
- College Student Chapters: Sr. Carole Riley, Pittsburgh (actually changing jobs!)
- College Faculty Forum: Jocelyn Swigger, Gettysburg
- Dorothy Sutton Performance Festival: Christopher Macy, Reading
- Local Associations Co-Chair: Valerie Ushock, Greensburg
- Composer Commission: Paula Skutnick- Henley, West Chester
When you see them, please say ’Thank you’ for giving their time to PMTA! There are a few more openings expected in November. If you’d like a chance to work with some of the most dynamic people in this organization, now’s the time! Let me know if you’re interested.
At this next conference, we’ll be voting on the new slate of officers for the 2007-2009 term. They are:
- President: Nanette Kaplan-Solomon
- President Elect/Competitions Chair: Jacqueline Herbein
- Second Vice President/Conference Chair: Gilya Hodos
- Secretary: Candy Hutchins
- Treasurer: Nancy Zipay DeSalvo
- Immediate Past-President: Millie Eben
- Past-President/Representative at Large: Gloriana Sewell
I look forward to seeing all of you in November!
Membership
Ann Trexler, Chair
StAR Members
StAR–A College Student Recognition Award program that affords a graduating student a complimentary professional affiliation in MTNA and PMTA with a complimentary active membership for one year. Other New Members
* ReinstatedWelcome New Teachers
Welcome New College Students