“For the Record,” Issue 17: March 1, 2008

From the President’s Desk: Dr. Nanette Kaplan-Solomon

In this exciting primary election season, one can’t escape the flood of rhetoric pouring from the media regarding the future course of our nation. So, for this newsletter, as I fill you in on some future directions for our own organization, please forgive me for adopting some of the themes and buzzwords of the current campaigns.

A leitmotif running through the political spectrum is, of course, the emphasis on CHANGE. So, albeit not as earth shattering as a change in our nation’s military or fiscal policies, let me first of all, inform you of an important change in the date and venue of our annual state conference. Due to some logistical problems with lodging and campus facilities at Slippery Rock University (we couldn’t count on the new Fairfield Inn opening in time; my preferred dining hall is being renovated next fall), conference chair Gilya Hodos and I decided to move the conference site to Mansfield University. The new dates are our usual weekend–November 7-9, 2008. Nancy Boston has graciously agreed to serve as local coordinator, and Gilya is already planning for some fabulous performances and clinicians (see her report in this issue). Please mark your calendars and plan to attend. In addition to convening for our competitions, DSPF, and workshops, we can share post-mortem thoughts on the presidential election!

I would also like to announce a few CHANGES in board personnel. Our new Junior Competitions Chair is Ben Moritz, a faculty member at Mansfield University, and our new Independent Music Teachers Forum Chair is Rosemary Murdy-Haber. Rosemary recently retired from a long career teaching in the public schools, and we welcome the years of experience and expertise she will bring to us.

Another phenomenon during this season has been the influx of enthusiastic young people seeking to be heard. Students and other youth have been participating in caucuses and primaries in record numbers. So in our own microcosm, let me remind you of the electronic vote taking place right now to change our bylaws to allow college student members full rights and responsibilities of membership. What better way to insure the future of our organization than to enfranchise and empower our young members. The voting period extends to April 1. Casting your ballot on line is extremely easy; just go to the website, sign in, and click a button! While you won’t get a sticker that says “I voted”, you will get to see how many people have voted (only 59 as of a few days ago) as well as the percentages of the Yes and No votes!

And speaking of enthusiastic young people, I recently had the privilege of attending the Eastern Division conference held at Penn State University where I heard some phenomenal performances in the Division Winner’s Recital. Pennsylvania can be proud of the many distinctions achieved there. Sarah Shafer (student of Joan Patenaude-Yarnell) won the Young Artist voice competition, Eric Clark,( student of Sergey Schepkin at Carnegie Mellon) , was the alternate in Young Artist piano, Jamie Chimchirian, violinist, (student of Sylvia Ahramjian) received an Honorable Mention in Young Artist strings, and the IUP Saxophone Quartet (Keith Young, coach) received an Honorable Mention in the Chamber Music category. Elisabeth Shafer, trombone, (student of Paul Leskowicz) is the Senior brass representative, and Krizia Nelson (student of Jack Stevenson) received an Honorable Mention in Senior Voice. Beatrice Hsieh, (student of David Brown) received an Honorable Mention in the Junior Piano category, and Reba Meyers, flutist, (student of Wendy Kumer) was the alternate in Junior Winds. Our own Ellen Flint as President-Elect of Eastern Division did her usual magnificent job of organizing the competitions, and our own Jackie Herbein ably coordinated the Junior competitions. Many thanks to Steven and Theresa Smith for hosting and providing the lion’s share of the monitors.

I also had the opportunity while at Eastern Division to share ideas and concerns with several of the other state presidents. While we all face the similar problem of finding enough volunteers to manage the many activities of the state organizations, I did hear some wonderful and creative projects ongoing in other states. I look forward to sharing those ideas with the board at our meeting in June (which by the way, will take place on June 21 at Mansfield University. Lunch at noon, meeting at 1 PM–you are all invited to attend!).

Another ubiquitous campaign motif has been that of universal health insurance. I am pleased to announce that MTNA now offers group insurance at competitive rates. Contact the national office for details!

In another month, I will be attending the National Conference in Denver, Colorado. I am really looking forward to the featured concert by Lang Lang (again–an enthusiastic youth!) , as well as the MTNA Foundation banquet where I will have the pleasure of seeing our past president Millie Eben awarded a Foundation Fellow. I hope to see lots of PMTA members there. The conference sessions will be wonderfully inspiring, Denver is a great city, and it gets a lot more days of sunshine than Pennsylvania, so if you haven’t planned to attend, and you need some brightness in your life, it’s not too late to book a flight and join us.

Whether you value “change” or “experience”, to thrive–our organization needs to have both. Our membership is a marvelous amalgam of new educators and seasoned practitioners. As always, I welcome your comments and/or concerns. In the meantime, I wish all of you a productive spring recital season, and above all, don’t forget to vote!

Don’t forget to vote… not only in your Presidential primaries, but also to VOTE for the PMTA Bylaws Amendment. All active PMTA members received an email with instructions on how to do this. Go to the Home page of the PMTA website and click on the first announcement to take to you to the voting page. Enter our generic username (pmtamember), and password (musicrules) to access the ballot. Then click yes or no. Voting CLOSES April 1, 2008. An easy way to make your voice count without having to attend a meeting! Click here to vote.

Security Clearances a Good Idea for All!

Message from Millie Eben, Past-President / IMT

I had a first this past week. During an interview with a potential new student, the parent asked if I had my clearances. It took a moment for me to realize what she was referring to. But, fortunately I could answer “yes,” and I proceeded to pull them out of the file. I had obtained my clearances while volunteering at a local daycare center. All public school teachers–and anyone volunteering or working in a school, including parents–are required to have their criminal and child abuse clearances. On the PA state Department of Education website, you’ll find this statement:

“ALL students teachers (participating in classroom teaching, internships, clinical or field experiences) and prospective employees (including but not limited to administrators, teachers, substitutes, janitors, cafeteria workers, office employees) of public and private schools, IUs and area vocational-technical schools, including independent contractors and their employees and bus drivers, who have direct contact with children, must provide to their employer a copy of their Pennsylvania State Criminal History Background Check and their Federal Criminal History Record that can not be more than one (1) year old.”

Many other organizations involved with children are now requiring its volunteers and employees to obtain criminal background checks. That includes churches, clubs, community sporting leagues, library staff, medical staff, etc. It seems a logical step for Independent Music Teachers to do the same for our own protection as well as that of the children entrusted to our care. Of course with so many more applying for clearances, processing is taking much longer. But I would encourage you all to do it anyway, it’s well worth the peace of mind.

For more information, or to obtain your clearances, visit these websites:

Sister Carole Riley, Chair

Duquesne University Piano and Voice Club members are seeking to contact other university students who are interested in forming a yahoo group dedicated to discussion of practice habits, forming studios, policy statements and other topics. If you or your students are interested, click here for email or contact me at the address below. You may also contact Jennifer Noel, our president.

Sister Carole Riley, CDP, Ph.D.LPC
Professor of Piano and Music Education
Director of Graduate Studies
Mary Pappert School of Music
Duquesne University
Pittsburgh Pa. 15282
412-396-5057 (cell: 412-901-4259)

Becky Billock, member of the Greater Pittsburgh Chapter, will be presenting a concert through Pittsburgh’s Tuesday Musical Club on Saturday, April 19, 2008 at 2pm. The concert is free and open to the public and will be held in St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 5801 Hampton St., Pittsburgh, PA 15206. Ms. Billock is an active soloist, chamber musician, teacher, lecturer and adjudicator, with a specialty in contemporary women composers. The first half of the program will highlight music by several American women including Ruth Crawford Seeger, Marion Bauer, Emma Lou Diemer, Amy Beach, and Libby Larsen. The second half of the program will feature pieces by Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Dr. Gilya Hodos, NCTM, Conference Chair

The PMTA State Conference will be held November 7–9th, 2008 at Mansfield University. We are gearing up for an OUTSTANDING conference filled with inspiring performances and excellent workshops. We are extremely fortunate to have pianist Brian Ganz as our Conference Artist and Suzanne Guy as our Pedagogue-in-Residence.

While neither of these luminaries needs an introduction, a recent review in the St. Louis Post–Dispatch observes the “Note-perfect cascades of rippling arpeggios, melodies soaring into space and microscopically sculpted phrases only begin to describe Ganz’s breathtaking technique and spectacular musicianship“.

In great demand as a clinician, as well as a regular columnist to Clavier, Suzanne Guy divides her time between teaching, performing, writing, and professional travel. Mrs. Guy will be featured in a variety of workshops and master classes where she will present material from her newly published book in her Expressive Etudes series and share her wisdom and inspiration with teachers and students alike.

In keeping with the themes of our two guest artists, the focus of this year’s conference will be centered around the topics of pedagogy and performance. We are seeking clinicians to present workshops on practical subjects that can support teachers’ in their educational quest for their students. You are welcome to contact me for more specific information.

Registration information will be coming soon. I am looking forward to seeing all of you in November at Mansfield University for a truly stimulating and inspirational conference!!!

Submitted by: Sue Garnhart

Dorothy Whitlinger, 87 and an active teacher, passed on in late fall. She was a charter member of GPC, a long and loved teacher of piano in the South Hills of Pittsburgh; an accompanist; duet partner, especially with GPC member, Muriel Deul; and animal lover. She was a student and proponent of the technic , “The Act of Touch“ by Tobias Mathay. Her children honored her with a Memorial Service at Southminster Church in Mt. Lebanon, PA.

Sincerely,
Nanette Kaplan Solomon, President
Pennsylvania Music Teachers Association

Our Sponsors