Newsletter
April 17, 2021
SPRING CLASSICAL RECITAL and POP & JAZZ RECITAL
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
AIM EXAMS
 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
TEACHERS' MUSICALE WATCH PARTY
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. 
PIANO FOR SALE
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
PIANO FOR SALE
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
A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
 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