Sept. General Meeting
Monday, Sept 19, 2022
9:45 AM, IN-PERSON
Rolling Meadows Library
and Online via Zoom.
Meeting ID: 896 1963 3607
Passcode: 219505
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SEPTEMBER
PROGRAM
Helen Grosshans and the “Rethinking NWSMTA Meetings” Committee
"Welcome Back"
Monday, Sept 19, 2022
Rolling Meadows Library and Online Zoom
9:45 A.M. Meeting
OCTOBER
Library Materials Sale Saturday, Oct 1, 2022
9AM - 2PM
and Sunday, Oct 2, 2022
3PM - 7PM
1160 West Mallard Drive
Palatine
Sunday, October 2, 2022
Online registration:
Fall Classical Recital
Checks must be mailed by October 2, 2022
Sunday, October 2, 2022
Online registration:
Fall Pop & Jazz Recital
Checks must be mailed by October 2, 2022
NWSMTA NEW MEMBER COFFEE
Monday, Oct 3, 2022, 10AM
Home of Maureen Flood
539 Prairie Avenue, Barrington
Thursday, October 6, 2022
Email registration: Sonata-Sonatina Festival
FALL CLASSICAL RECITAL
Sunday, October 16, 2022
Rolling Meadows Library
1:30 PM
FALL POP & JAZZ RECITAL
Sunday, October 16, 2022
Rolling Meadows Library
3:30 PM
PROGRAM
Festival of Pianos and Midwest Keyboard Performers Challenge Committees
“The Times They are a’Changin’: All you need to know about the new “Festival of Pianos” and “Midwest Keyboard Performers Challenge” Events
Monday, October 17, 2022
Rolling Meadows Library and Online Zoom
9:45 A.M. Meeting
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A NOTE FROM OUR PRESIDENT |
Dear NWSMTA members, Greetings!
I hope that you all had a great summer and are feeling refreshed. Isn’t summer a wonderful time to travel and get together with family and friends? I think summer is also a good time to take some lessons and to be inspired.
After more than two-years of “isolation”, we are finally ready to get back together in-person at the monthly meetings and other events. Our board members and our “Rethinking NWSMTA Meetings” committee have been working hard to plan out the meetings and activities for this coming year.
Our monthly meeting will be held on the 3rd Monday of every month both in-person and on Zoom. The first general meeting will be on Monday, September 19, 2022, at Rolling Meadows Library. The committee has planned a “Welcome Back Party” after the meeting. Please come and join us and have some fun.
Besides the changes in meetings, there are also some changes in student events. The Awards Competition has been replaced by the “Midwest Keyboard Performers Challenge”. The co-chairs, Brenda Huang and Janice Razaq, will hold a 30-minute workshop after the business meeting in October. Don’t forget to mark this on your calendar.
More good news! The Festival of Pianos is back. Please see the yearbook or website for the dates and location.
I am excited about this coming year of teaching and exchanging ideas. I am also looking forward to seeing you all at the “Welcome Back Party” in September.
Chyi-Ling Evans
President, NWSMTA
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SEPTEMBER MEETING - "WELCOME BACK" |
We are so excited to welcome back our members after two “long cold lonely winters”! Please plan on joining us Monday, September 19, 9:45 AM at the Rolling Meadows Library to get acquainted and reacquainted with each other and with our programs and events. Helen Grosshans and the “Rethinking NWSMTA Meetings” Committee will be on hand to meet, greet, and treat (yes, there will be refreshments!), so come on down to hear the grand plans for our 2022 -2023 school year. Spoiler alert: there have been some changes! If you cannot join us in person, we hope to see you on Zoom (but do keep in mind, no virtual treats can be provided!)
All monthly meetings will be offered in a hybrid format - in person at the library and on Zoom. Since so much quality programming is now readily available online, we have turned the focus of this year’s programs to place more emphasis on our teachers, our events, and on programs that benefit from in-person attendance.
We’re looking forward to seeing you soon!
Nancy Dempsey, Programs Chair
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Countryside Church, 1025 N Smith Rd., Palatine, is offering church-member rates to NWSMTA teachers who would like to hold a recital in the sanctuary. The room has a 9 foot Steinway concert grand piano, can seat 260 people, and offers a bright and pleasant environment. The fee for a recital is $175.00. For more information, contact Laurie at ccuu@ccuu.org
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Federated Church of Wauconda is looking for a Music Director. They have an organ and a piano at the church and are looking for someone to play either instrument at their 9:30 A.M. Sunday service. The salary is competitive. They have a small women's choir. If interested contact Chuck Burton at 847 494- 0983 or cburton6771@gmail.com
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'RETHINKING NWSMTA MONTHLY MEETINGS" COMMITTEE |
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At the June Board meeting, in light of pandemic malaise and a steady decline of attendance at monthly meetings over a number of years, a committee was appointed to consider changes to our operations. Helen Chang, Nancy Dempsey, Chyi-Ling Evans, Maureen Flood, Helen Grosshans, Deb Lynch, and Vonnie Mrozinski worked over the summer to brainstorm and implement some new approaches. The following was approved at the June 27 special Board meeting:
Monthly Meeting Environment
- A hybrid format will be the norm going forward. In-person meetings will take place at the Rolling Meadows Library with a Zoom link provided.
- The President will need to lead the meeting in person. If she is unable to be in person, she will appoint another member to take the lead.
- People who are in person speak first followed by those online
Business Meetings
- The meetings will continue monthly.
- The business portion will be recorded for the Recording Secretary but not posted on the website.
- Business meetings will be allotted between 15 and 40 minutes depending on the amount of business that is traditionally transacted on those days. Routine announcements should be made in the newsletter.
- A winter business-only virtual meeting will be included in the schedule.
Programs
- In light of the fact that much quality information is now available online, programs will be geared to those that benefit from in-person attendance or that have direct relevance to our student events
- The programs will be recorded for posting on the website
- Presenters will be given 60 - 90 minutes for a program
- In lieu of a workshop this year, Susan Tang from Northeastern Illinois University will present on Music of Composers of Diversity with a lecture at our November 28 meeting, and a masterclass on January 16 (school holiday). February 20 (school holiday) will be reserved for a snow date
Engagement/Involvement
- Communication will be increased through the newsletter and social media
- In August, Board members contacted all teachers by phone to obtain their feedback on how the association can better support their teaching.
- A “Welcome Back” meeting will be held in September as a social event with refreshments and a program that highlights our events and programs
- Teachers will identify themselves at meetings
- Clipboards will be passed at the meetings for committee sign ups, and a virtual clipboard will be offered on Zoom
- Teachers and clinicians will be invited to go to lunch following meetings
- A luncheon will be planned similar to the one held this year - casual and more cost-effective
New Venues
- Informal meetings in a home with a topic will be offered when requested
- A 9:00 - 9:30 time prior to monthly meetings will be offered for a variety of issues when requested
Many thanks to committee members for all of their creative and hard work this summer!
Nancy Dempsey, 1st Vice President & Programs Chair
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MASTERCLASS, MUSIC OF COMPOSERS OF DIVERSITY
DR. SUSAN TANG
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January 16 (Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday)
Start preparing your students now for a masterclass presented by Dr. Susan Tang from Northeastern Illinois University featuring “Music of Composers of Diversity”. The Monday, January 16, 9:45 AM meeting will take place on a school holiday with a snow date scheduled for Monday, February 20 (another school holiday). This is a wonderful opportunity to explore for yourself and with your students new and exciting repertoire by composers of diverse backgrounds.
Since much of this music has been forgotten or overlooked, Dr. Tang has referred us to a website which provides a database for many of these piano pieces.
- Search by title, composer, nationality, gender, level, etc
- Click on a specific piece to see sources for scores, leveling, and, in some cases, recordings.
Dr. Tang also mentioned that the music of black composer Florence Price provides a large selection of repertoire with a wide range of playing levels for our students. Some of her music will be available to browse at our September 19 meeting:
AiM levels will be assigned to pieces by submitting a request to the AiM Committee. In addition, a category for “Music of Composers of Diversity” will be included for the new Awards event, “Midwest Keyboard Performers Challenge”.
Dr. Tang will also be presenting a lecture at our November meeting, "The Chicago Connection: Exploring the piano music of Florence Price, Margaret Bonds and Betty Jackson King through the Keys to Inclusion Initiative." The November and January programs together will offer us an alternative to a workshop for this year.
Please send your questions and your entries for the masterclass by Monday, December 5, to nwsmta99@gmail.com. We are being flexible with time allotted to the masterclass, but Dr. Tang will choose the final program.
Nancy Dempsey, Programs Chair
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Oakton Six Piano Ensemble Auditions |
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Be part of a unique musical experience as a member of the Oakton Six Piano Ensemble. Auditions for this internationally acclaimed touring group are scheduled on Tuesday, September 20. Wednesday, September 21, and Thursday, September 22 at Oakton Community College (1600 East Golf Road, Des Plaines) or if the pianist prefers the audition can be held Virtually. To schedule an appointment or to inquire about alternative audition dates, contact Glenna Sprague, at gsprague@oakton.edu or 847-635-1905.
The group performs repertoire from the classical, ragtime, jazz, and popular periods that is transcribed for the six pianos by the ensemble’s founder and conductor, Glenna Sprague, Professor and Coordinator of Music at Oakton, where she also teaches piano. Performing with a conductor, the rich layered sound of the Six Piano Ensemble is comparable to that of an orchestra, with each member playing a different part of a composition as the melody transfers from pianist to pianist. The ensemble provides an excellent opportunity for those pianists who do not want to perform as soloists, but want to keep up their playing skills and be part of an ensemble situation.
The group has performed both internationally and throughout the United States, including the World Conference of the International Society for Music Education (ISME) at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow; College Music Society International Conference in Vienna, Austria; Hawaii Music Teachers Association in Honolulu; MTNA National Conferences in Atlanta and Spokane, numerous MTNA state conferences, GP3 National Conference at University of Oklahoma; Steinway of Chicago Community Concert Series, Navy Pier, Civic Opera House, and the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy in Chicago.
Critics hail the Oakton Six Piano Ensemble as “extraordinary, innovative, technically superb and musical.”
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Our library of books, DVDs, CDs and videos has been utilized less and less over the years, even before Covid-19. Due to the wealth of information online at Wikipedia, pedagogical sites and YouTube it is more convenient to look there for necessary information with perhaps more pertinent results. In June the Board decided to stop growing the library and have a GIGANTIC SALE of all materials at BARGAIN PRICES!! The purpose of previous library sales has been to clear out old no longer valuable sources. THIS SALE will feature all holdings in the library!! Check our website at nwsmta.org>For Members>NWSMTA Library for a complete listing of all materials. The listing of books has been color-coded to draw attention to newer materials and make the 8 pages more accessible. The SALE will be on Saturday, Oct. 1, 9:00-2:00 and Sunday, Oct. 2, 3:00-7:00 at 1160 West Mallard Drive, Palatine. Call or email Suzanne Fleer at 847.202.8934, suzannejf2@comcast.net with any questions. |
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Please come for coffee, tea and breakfast goodies! All new members and "newer" members are invited, as well as all committee chairpersons.
Come and learn about all NWSMTA has to offer you and your students.
Please RSVP to Maureen Flood, by text or phone call, to 847-208-4518, or email Mfloodamir@aol.com
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The POP & JAZZ RECITAL WILL BEGIN AT 3:30 P.M. |
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SUNDAY NOVEMBER 6TH, 2022 at Harper College, Music Instruction Building
By now, you should have received your electronic entry form for the 2022 Sonata Festival. All you need to do is open the form and fill it out online.
The students will benefit from the critique of highly qualified judges. Gold, Silver or Bronze medals will be awarded to those with qualifying scores.
If you are new to NWSMTA, or even if you're not, you may wish to get involved with your colleagues by volunteering to work on the day of the Festival. You can help set up before the festival, assist as a monitor or help with the Gold Medal Recital featuring the Gold Medal winners. Any help will be appreciated. Please contact Michelle Ryder-Smith at 847-902-6465 or at zimbabart@comcast.net if you are able to help. |
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MIDWEST KEYBOARD PERFORMERS CHALLENGE |
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Replacing the Awards Competition, the Midwest Keyboard Performers Challenge is a new way of looking at ways to motivate and encourage budding pianists in the art of piano performance. Taking a decidedly different pathway to “judging”, students are grouped together in small recitals 15-25 minutes long. Each recital has a theme or category. The students will present themselves and interact with their peers and the judge. The performances will be awarded points according to the piece level and the quality of the playing. Students can enter as many categories as they wish and the accumulated points can be exchanged for a trophy.
Categories
Baroque Period
Classical Period
Romantic Period
Impressionist Period
Contemporary Period
Music of Composers of Diversity
Etudes
Jazz and Rag
Original Compositions
Duet (1 piano 4 hands)
Method book pieces (3-piece groupings)
Family Time Commitment
This will not be a typical in-and-out event where parents can drop off their kids and wait in the car. We would like to develop a healthy support system for our students where parents and teachers are asked to take an active role in cheering and attending performances. We are hoping that this will be the equivalent of a sporting event where families can meet and kids can make friends. We are hoping for 1.5 to 2 hour time commitment from the children who will perform in the recitals.
Deadlines and Event Date
Deadline: January 15, 2023
Late Fee Deadline: February 1, 2023
Event Date: Sunday, February 26, 2023 at Harper College
Registration Fee: $10 per category
Late Registration Fee: $15 per category
Category Registration and Scoring
Students may enter as many categories and as many pieces in each category as they wish. Each piece entered in any given category is $10 with the exception of method book pieces, which are to be performed in a three-piece group. The combined three pieces would have an entry fee of $10.
Benefits of Participating in the Event
- Students preparing for AIM or any other event can use the Midwest Keyboard Performers Challenge as a practice event.
- Students who are new to piano performance and would like to practice in front of a friendly audience.
- Students will get feedback from a judge.
- Students will get a chance to hear peers perform a variety of repertoire.
- Students will have a chance to meet other like-minded performers of their age.
- Teachers and families have a chance to be involved in a bigger musical community than their own studios.
Who is running the event?
Currently Brenda Huang and Janice Razaq. We are looking for committee members to help iron out details and coordinate on the event day.
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CAMP AND COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS |
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The Camp and College Scholarships are for any instrument, but the student must be studying the instrument with a teacher who has been a member of NWSMTA for at least two years.
Camp Scholarship
The Camp Scholarship has two divisions:
Junior- up to 8th grade.
Senior- 9th through 12th grade.
1st place winners in each division receive $300 and 2nd place winners in each division receive $200.
College Scholarship
The $1000 College Scholarship is open to graduating high school students who will be either majoring or minoring in music at a College or University.
Enrollment form, information regarding all requirements and rules are on the website. Click on FOR MEMBERS> STUDENT EVENT INFORMATION> COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP.
Deadline to apply is May 1st.
Please contact me if you have any questions.
Suyi0923@hotmail. com
224-571-3531
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Dear NWSMTA members,
Isn't it wonderful to have friends and colleagues that understand what an honor it is to teach students the music composed by the greatest musicians to have ever lived? And how exciting is it to discover the music of composers that have just begun to be recognized as worthy of having their music studied by the future performers of the world? I am excited to be a member of NWSMTA at a time when old friends are joining in new adventures and new friends are taking off together to explore new ways to teach students to learn, think and create.
If you have not used the program Achievement in Music for your students, I recommend that you look into it. I have witnessed my students growing in their ability to understand how to turn written notes into music, how to play from a lead sheet and the ability to analyze a piece so they can memorize music with ease and confidence. If these are skills you want for your students, I recommend that you at least look into what AIM could do for your teaching and them. It's a program that will help you fill in any holes in a transfer student's education.
Fortunately for you, AIM will be hosting some informative sessions for interested members. I always enjoy learning a new trick or two that make difficult concepts easier or a new way to teach something that brings out the "ah-hah" that lets all the pieces fall into place. Watch for upcoming notices of these AIM sessions.
Deborah Lynch
Newsletter Editor
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Northwest Suburban Music Teachers Association | https://www.nwsmta.org |
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