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January Minutes
For the January minutes, please click here. |
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Upcoming Events
February 18 - Program -
IMT; "So How Did It Go?"
February 24 & 25 - Workshop
Scott McBride Smith
Countryside Unitarian Church
March 4 - AIM Judges' Meeting
9:30 AM, RML
March 17 - AIM Performance Exams, Level V - XII
March 18 - Program
What Every Piano Owner Should Know, Steinway in Northbrook
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 A Note from Our President
Dear Members,
Winter is almost over, according to well known groundhog Punxsutawney Phil -- and it can't come to an end soon enough for me! It's been a strange one, with one week's temperature going from 63 degrees to 1 in 48 hours! I am looking forward to our Independent Music Teachers' meeting and our annual workshop next week, to give me some much-needed inspiration and motivation to bring me out of the winter blues.
A few last-minute reminders for everyone:
- The memorial service for John Giovannoni will be held on Sunday at the Music Room in Palatine from 2-8 and will be a celebration of his life -- more of a "party," as he wanted it to be.
- Ron Yadeau will be presenting a piano recital on Sunday February 17, 2 p.m. at the Gail Borden Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin, IL. Free tickets are available from the library Information Desk by calling (847) 429-4680.
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The Joint Western Suburban Spring Workshop is coming right after ours -- This will be held Thursday, February 28, 2013 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Registration will be available at the door starting at 8:30 a.m.
Early Bird registration of $25.00 is open until February 21, 2013; at the door, registration at the door is $30.00 and students are $5.00.
Their presenter this is year is the acclaimed Ludmila Lazar from Roosevelt University. She will be presenting a workshop entitled "Shall We Dance?" introducing a pedagogical approach to teaching meters, rhythms and expression. Please let me know if you would like a flyer -- I can email it to you.
I hope to see everyone at our workshop next weekend, with Dr. Scott McBride Smith as our presenter! Thank you to Brenda Buchanan and her committee for all their hard work in planning it.
Maureen Flood. President
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College Scholarship
Remember the deadline is April 1 for the $1000 college scholarship. Your student may apply via you tube or send a DVD to the college scholarship chairperson. If your student is graduating high school this year and enrolling in a college or university to major in music, (any instrument, as long as the teacher has been a member of NWSMTA for at least 3 years) he/she is qualified to enroll for this scholarship. The enrollment form is on the website, as well as the rules. This is a great scholarship to help the student with their expenses at school. If you have any questions, please call or email.
Pat Borchardt
847-356-6016
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AIM News
From the ISMTA AIM Piano Chair, Mary Beth Molenaar
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AIM Syllabus Revision release target date: March of 2014
Watch for the Dear AIM-y column in the next ISMTA newsletter with helpful hints on including technique in your student's lesson.
Level Progression: Below are some reminders about procedure. Most of this information is in your syllabus Forward.
* Students may progress to the next level of theory the following year even if they haven't completed the performance part of that level.
Examples:
1. a student who completes AIM IV theory and then backs out of the performance exam for whatever reason may move ahead to AIM V theory and performance the next year if they're ready.
2. a student could take AIM IV theory one year and take the matching AIM IV performance level the next year to complete the level and receive a certificate, This works well for students who are struggling and need to space out their preparation. The chair should count this student as registering for level IV both years on the participation report. The student should register and pay again for AIM IV in the second year.
3. a student could take a 1B exam early in the year and jump to a level 1C or II exam during the performance time if it works in their chapters exam schedule because they are completing the entire test at one sitting.
4. teachers may always administer the sample test in the Syllabus on their own to determine whether a student is ready to jump to the next AIM level between formal exams. Students cannot receive pins, certificates, etc. from ISMTA unless they take the formal AIM exam in accordance with local chapter testing procedures.
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Recital Invitation
 I cordially invite you as fellow ISMTA members to a piano recital I will present on Sunday February 17, 2 p.m. at the Gail Borden Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin, IL. Free tickets are available from the library Information Desk by calling (847) 429-4680. I'm sure that they could be held for you.
The program will be:
C.P.E. Bach: Sonata in G Major
Georges Enescu: Sonata in F# minor, Op. 24, No. 1
Petr Petrovich Podkovyrov: Four Piano Pieces
Chopin: Polonaise in Ab Major, Op. 53
It would be wonderful to see you there! Thank you for your kind attention.
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Note from the Editor
Since it's President's Day, I thought you might enjoy a bit of trivia about the presidents' pianos. I'd love to see the list of their piano teachers.
1st President - George Washington - Longman & Broderip Harpsichord; Schoen & Vinsen Pianoforte
2nd President - John Adams - Currier & Co.
3rd President - Thomas Jefferson - Astor Pianoforte
4th President - James Madison - Square Grand (name destroyed by fire)
5th President - James Monroe - Astor Piano
6th President - John Quincy Adams - Currier & Co.
7th President - Andrew Jackson - T. Gilbert & Co. Square Piano
8th President - Martin Van Buren - Hallet & Cumston Square Piano
9th President - William Henry Harrison - Haines Brothers
10th President - John Tyler - Thomas Tomkinson Upright Piano
11th President - James Knox Polk - Astor & Harwood Square Piano
12th President - Zachary Taylor - name unknown
13th President - Millard Fillmore - name unknown
14th President - Franklin Pierce - Chickering Square Piano
15th President - James Buchanan - Chickering Grand Piano
16th President - Abraham Lincoln - Chickering Square Piano & Chickering Upright
17th President - Andrew Johnson - Steinway & Sons Square Piano
18th President - Ulysses S. Grant - Melodeon
19th President - Rutherford B. Hayes - Bradbury Upright & Harpsichord (name destroyed by fire)
20th President - James A. Garfield - Hallet & Davis Upright
21st President - Chester A. Arthur - Piano cannot be located.
22nd President - Grover Cleavland - Combination Piano & Harpsichord (name destroyed by fire)
23rd President - Benjamin Harrison - J. & C. Fischer Upright Piano, Haines Brothers Square
24th President - Grover Cleveland - (same as above)
25th President - William McKinley - A. H. Gale Co. Square Piano
26th President - Theodore Roosevelt - Chickering Upright, Steinway Grand Piano
27th President - William Howard Taft - Baldwin Grand Piano
28th President - Woodrow Wilson - Ernst Rosenkranst Square Piano, Knabe Grand
29th President - Warren G. Harding - A. B. Chase Electric Player Piano
30th President - Calvin Coolidge - Sohmer Upright Piano
31st President - Herbert Hoover - Knabe Grand & A. B. Chase Grand
32nd President - Franklin D. Roosevelt - Hardman Grand
33rd President - Harry S. Truman - Steinway Grand, Baldwin Grand & Steinway Upright
34th President - Dwight D. Eisenhower - Hallet & Cumston Upright
35th President - John F. Kennedy - Ivers & Pond Grand Piano
36th President - Lyndon B. Johnson - Style L. Steinway, Knabe Console
37th President - Richard M. Nixon - Geo. P. Bent Upright, Baldwin Vertical
38th President - Gerald Ford - No personal piano
39th President - James (Jimmy) Carter - Ludden & Bates
40th President - Ronald Reagan - Steinway Grand
41st President - George Bush - Did not own personal piano.
42nd President - William (Bill) Clinton - Baldwin Grand in the Governor's Mansion.
43rd President - George W. Bush - No personal piano. Steinway Grand in the White House residence.
Sincerely,
Deb Lynch, Editor
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 Workshop
We welcome Scott McBride Smith as our clinician for this year's workshop on February 24th and 25th at Countryside Church in Palatine. Sunday's program, 3:00 - 4:30 P.M., will be for teachers, students and their parents. And for your students, it's free (parents are a mere $5). The topic will be The Power of Efficient Practice; Cures for the Practice Blues. If you're attending the workshop, Sunday's session is included. You will want to recommend this session to your students and their parents. This should be a positive influence on your student's practice habits, and you will be glad you encouraged them to attend.
Monday's sessions will cover fingering, teaching boys and stage fright. Be sure to register soon, especially if you would like to order lunch for $11.
It's not too late to invite friends, or anyone you think may be interested. They do not have to be members of NWSMTA to attend.
For a quick link to the brochure click here.
Brenda Buchanan
Chair of Workshop Committee
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February Program
This month's IMT program will be presented by our own members; Helen Grosshans and Deborah Lynch. The topic will be Evaluation. They will concentrate on students evaluating others and students evaluating themselves.
In order for a student to do any evaluation, their ear must be trained. And the flipside is, as they evaluate themselves and others, their ear becomes more educated.
We want to move beyond asking the student, "How did it go?" following a performance. The answer, "Fine," doesn't help us or them.
Come discover new alternatives and share your ideas, as NWSMTA helps each other. This presentation promises to sweeten your day!
Deborah Lynch and Helen Grosshans
IMT Co-chairs
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Hospitality
A card was sent to Susan Payne following her knee replacement.
Janice Wilkans
Hospitality Chair
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Northwest Suburban Music Teachers Association
Maureen Flood, President
Joan James, Webmaster
Deborah Lynch, Newsletter
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