April General Meeting
Monday, April 19, 2021
Zoom ID: 798 765 8928
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APRIL
AWARDS COMPETITION
Will not be held this year
AIM: LEVELS 10-12 PERFORMANCE EXAMS
Sunday, April 18, 2021
Online exams Judging starts
PROGRAM
Stephen Alltop
"All Keyed Up: How Composers Choose Their Keys"
Monday, April 19, 2021
Online Zoom
9:45 A.M. Meeting
SPRING CLASSICAL RECITAL
Sunday, April 25, 2021
"Live" performance on Zoom
1:30 p.m.
Chair: Chyi-Ling Evans
SPRING POP & JAZZ RECITAL
Sunday, April 25, 2021
"Live" performance on Zoom
3:30 p.m.
Registration deadline:
April 17, 2021
Chair: Janna Gainulin
MAY
TEACHERS' MUSICALE
Monday, May 3, 2021
Online Zoom
Monday, May 10, 2021
Deadline: Annual Report/Budget Request
Forms Due for 2022 events
JUNE
BOARD MEETING
Monday, June 7, 2021
9:45 A.M.
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A NOTE FROM OUR PRESIDENT
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Spring for me means attending my family’s reunion at the southern tip of the state - Fort Massac State Park - Illinois’ oldest state park (1908). It is one of my favorite places, having been there many times. My parents were both from Metropolis (you can Google that or get out a map). Illinois is a large state and most of it has nothing in common with Chicago. When I was young, this state park had a wildlife refuge area where you could see buffalo, peacocks, guineas, and other animals that were common in the area. The wildlife area is no longer there, but the George Rogers Clark memorial and the fort are still there. An episode of The Fugitive with Tommy Lee Jones was filmed here several years ago! Here you see me taken by surprise while eating a brownie!
Enough about me and non-musical issues! I attended a Zoom meeting for other ISMTA State Presidents today (April 7). Ilia Radoslavov from Illinois Wesleyan University met with us to discuss issues that we want the State board of directors to address. I mentioned our desire to have some guidance from ISMTA regarding standards or processes they recommend we use for AIM evaluations. Other chapter presidents would like to see this also. Those of us present outlined how our chapter handled the AIM exams this past year, and our methods were similar. Some chose to strictly observe the use of original scores for the Performance exam and hand-carried books to the teachers who would evaluate their students. Some used Zoom and YouTube, or a hybrid of pre-recorded music and live music. We shared stories and ideas of what worked for us and the struggle we had by doing whatever we had to do to make AIM work this year.
Another issue that was mentioned was that of allowing Collegiate students to enter their students in the AIM evaluations, and how this could be addressed from the standpoint of the dues they pay. We are looking forward to hearing if the State board has any recommendations on either of these issues. Ilia promised to report back to us following the Board meeting on Sunday, April 11.
Also, some Presidents are looking to the State for guidelines of where to have their chapter meetings other than Zoom. Are there locations available that do not charge a fee? Members are eager to return to in-person meetings as soon as it is safe to do so. It was pointed out that we have to go along with the State (Governor) guidelines for when we can meet again in public.
I hope you all hve a successful Spring Recital, if you are having one. My studio is having our 5th Annual Studio Ensemble Recital (a.k.a. Studio JAM session) on May 2. This will be an indoor/outdoor recital! It’s always fun for the students, and the parents enjoy seeing the students perform in a more relaxed, informal setting (my studio!) Since we have piano students, drum students, guitar students, and a flute student, I’m expecting a good variety of music and musical styles. Instructors and parents will be playing with students, and students may be playing with other students. It’s always interesting and motivating for students to hear others play. Of course some may not be comfortable meeting with the group, and Zoom is always an option.
I wish you all good health and prosperity to finish out our teaching year!
Brenda Buchanan
President, NWSMTA
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APRIL PROGRAM - STEPHEN ALLTOP
"All Keyed Up: How Composers Choose Their Keys"
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SPRING CLASSICAL RECITAL and POP & JAZZ RECITAL
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Do you have students itching to perform? The Spring Classical Recital and Spring Pop & Jazz Recital will be held live online via Zoom on Sunday, April 25, 2021. The Classical Recital will be at 1:30 PM and the Pop & Jazz Recital at 3:30 PM.
Registration will be done online at the NWSMTA website only. The deadline for registration was April 11, 2021 for the Classical Recital and April 17, 2021 for the Pop & Jazz Recital.
The recitals will be recorded for NWSMTA members and participating students to view. Parental permission for video recording and photography is required for all enrolled students. You will find the form on the website.
Chyi-Ling Evans, Classical Recital
Janna Gainulin, Pop & Jazz Recital
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Dear AIM Teachers of Level 10-12 students:
Thank you for registering your students using OPERA. This year the April 18 AIM repertoire exams for levels 10 through 12 will be entirely virtual. There is no need to use any online platform such as Zoom, FaceTime, etc. All material will be entered as pre-recorded videos of the repertoire pieces as well as the technique. Therefore students and judges will not have specific exam times, just deadlines for completion. Details for teachers and students are below.
All performance link submissions were due by 10:00 pm on Friday, April 16.
Music score PDF link submissions were due by 10:00 pm on Friday, April 16.
All technique video submissions are due by 7:00 pm on Sunday, April 18.
Judging of student technique and repertoire must be completed and entered by
Saturday, May 8.
Goal to have student score sheets available online by Wednesday, May 12.
Recitals must be completed by July 31.
Suzanne Fleer
Suzanne Murray
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TEACHERS' MUSICALE WATCH PARTY
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Monday, May 3, 2021 Online Zoom
Our Teachers' Musicale will be held on Monday, May 3rd at 10:00 AM as an online watch party. The performances will be pre-recorded.
If you are interested in performing, please contact Janna Gainulin at jgainu@yahoo.com.
Requests should be submitted by no later than Wednesday April 26th. Please send all program information (title of the piece, movement, composer and approximate time length.) Pianists may perform multiple pieces, but individual performances should not exceed 20 minutes.
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Kawai Model: RX-2
Excellent Condition
5' 10"
Year: 1997
Serial #: 2355857
Includes: Dampp-Chaser for humidity control, marble piano lamp and pedal riser for children.
Price: $10,000 or best offer
Contact: Thao Tran email: thao.kim.phuong.nguyen@gmail.com
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Charles Walter Console
Excellent Condition
Model: 1520 Serial #: 523119
Year: 1997
43” Cherry Console
Queen Anne Model
Hand-made in U.S.
Maintained diligently and in excellent condition.
View more information here.
Price: $2395.
Tuner available to demo it and confirm condition. NW suburban non-smoking home.
847-275-0063
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Dear NWSMTA members,
Most students tell me the worst thing about performing is the fear of forgetting the music. At one of our programs last year, Susan Osborn spoke of having students map out their pieces to help with memory and creating stories to guide the dynamics, phrasing and tempo.
I like to have students purposefully create a stronger memory of their piece. For my youngest students I create a picture map of their sixteen measure pieces. I started doing this when I noticed they would be half way through a piece and ask, “Where am I?” I would quickly respond, “Phrase three.” More than once this happened while grandson, Seth, was playing. When I responded with the phrase number he was in, he shouted back, “What piece?” They seemed to enjoy the pictures I used, and started creating their own. I have promised that they are welcome to use them in the recitals, if it makes them more comfortable. I have yet to have a student use that option.
If this helped students become more secure in their performances, it would be worth it. I also think it is a way to help students learn about form, character of a passage, dynamics or articulation. It gives a reason to speak about aspects of the piece and how to use music to communicate what you want a listener hear.
It also affects how mindfully a student practices. They are more likely to listen to themselves to check that they have achieved their goal. When a student listens to themself, the results are going to be better. And can you imagine how wonderful it would be if they tried different dynamics, touches or musical expressions? I have had the pleasure of having students return for their next lesson anxious to share their ideas with me. These young people are already musicians. They like to puzzle out what the composer intended. Now, they are musicians that are communing with the composers.
Deborah Lynch
Newsletter Editor
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Northwest Suburban Music Teachers Association | https://www.nwsmta.org
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