September General Meeting
Monday, Sept 18, 2023
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
“Spring Cleaning in September”:
Music Sale, Events Overviews, and Social Mixer
Monday, Sept 18, 2023
Rolling Meadows Library and Zoom
9:45 A.M. Meeting
FALL CLASSICAL RECITAL
Sunday, Sept 24, 2023
St. Michael’s Episcopal Church
647 Dundee Ave, Barrington
1:30 P.M.
FALL POP & JAZZ RECITAL
Sunday, Sept 24, 2023
St. Michael’s Episcopal Church
647 Dundee Ave, Barrington
3:30 P.M.
OCTOBER
NWSMTA NEW MEMBER COFFEE
Monday, October 2, 2023
Home of Marcia Rudin
751 N. Stephen Drive, Palatine 10 AM
AIM COFFEE
Wednesday, Oct 11, 2023
Home of Helen Grosshans
310 W. Hintz Road,
Arlington Heights
9:45 A.M.
FESTIVAL OF PIANOS
Rehearsal: Saturday, October 14, 2023
Golf Mill Shopping Center
Performance: Sunday, October 15, 2023
Golf Mill Shopping Center
PROGRAM
Maureen Flood & Justyna Weirich & Deborah Lynch
“Jazz Combo Experience”
Monday, October 16, 2023
Rolling Meadows Library and Zoom
9:45 A.M. Meeting
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A NOTE FROM OUR PRESIDENT |
Dear NWSMTA members,
This is my 34th year in NWSMTA. Over the years, besides enjoying the benefits from this group – excellent monthly programs, various student events, and informative workshops, I made many friends who have shaped and inspired me. I experienced kindness through a member who introduced me to the group and tirelessly drove me to the monthly meetings. In fact, many other members also reached out and befriended me and I became familiar with the events through their help. I had chances to share meals or coffee with them as I learned about our group and enjoyed their company. By being involved and serving in different committees, I began to feel that I belonged to the group while widening my life experience and skills. NWSMTA has become an important community to me, along with other groups that I belong to. I am truly grateful for those who have given their time and talents to make this group lively and better.
Would you like to make some good friends and have an adventure? There is no better way than to come to the monthly meetings, join a committee, and to serve along with others.
This summer, as many other ones, the committees’ chairpersons and members have worked hard on planning this coming year’s events. This year, to space out the student events more evenly, a few of them have moved to different dates. The Fall Student Recital has moved up to the end of September. The Festival of Pianos is moving back to October, and the AIM theory Level 3-9 Exam will be in December. Please check on those events in the yearbook and website for more details.
Our first general meeting for this year is on Monday, September 18, 2023, followed by a “Welcome Back” party. Come, and join us for fun and conversation over delicious refreshments. I am looking forward to seeing you there!
Chyi-Ling Evans
President, NWSMTA
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- Aim Testing Dates have changed! Please note the earlier testing date of December 3rd for Theory Levels 3-12. Check the Yearbook or the NWSMTA Aim page (under For Members>Student Event Information>Aim) for information and complete list of testing dates.
- Aim Workshop-October 11th @9:45am. Please join us at the home of Helen Grosshans for an informative session on how judging is approached for Aim Exams and tips on how to make the exam a great learning experience for both students and teachers! No refreshments will be served but we shall feast on a plethora of tips and ideas for all things related to Aim. New and Veteran teachers welcomed!
- New criteria from ISMTA for passing all exams is now 70 pt. Check the NWSMTA website Aim page for updated award recognition for various levels.
- We are in need of a Co-chair for the April Exam (Levels 1-2). If interested to get involved, please contact Chyi-Ling Evans (President) or Helen Chang (Aim Coordinator).
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MEETING - SEPTEMBER 18, 9:45 AM |
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REMINDERS FOR MONDAY’S MEETING
September 18, 9:45 AM
Rolling Meadows Library and Zoom
Our first meeting of the year has some unique elements, so if you are attending in person or virtually, please read carefully:
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The business portion of our meeting will be in person and on Zoom. The “program” portion is in-person only.
- The business meeting will include overviews of each committee/event.
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There will be refreshments (please BYOB!), and a fun activity that will help us all get better acquainted.
- There will also be a music sale and time to browse.
For music sellers, please:
- Label all music with price and your name.
- Bring an envelope with your name on it to collect payments. Buyers will be on the honor system.
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Let me know approximately how much music/number of boxes you will be bringing so I can plan ahead for set up nancyd4461@gmail.com
For music buyers:
- Please bring cash (lots of singles!) or check.
We hope to see you then!
Nancy Dempsey
NWSMTA Programs Chair
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I realize I’m planning “spring cleaning in September” and now I am bringing up the “h” word (holiday) before the leaves start to change color. So pardon my confusion but please contact me at nancyd4461@gmail.com if you are willing to host our holiday party this December! The host supplies the house and teachers bring a treat to share. Thank you very much!
Nancy Dempsey
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CHURCH PIANIST OPPORTUNITY |
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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 19, Wednesday, September 20, and Thursday, September 21 at Oakton College (1600 East Golf Road, Des Plaines) or if the pianist prefers the audition can be held Online. 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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If you are interested in this position, please contact Katie Mitchell kmitchell@d84.org and tell her Ann Chang referred you.
Thank you so much for speaking with me. We are looking for someone who is interested in playing with us long term, our last accompanist Nick Kabat moved to LA. Our choir is made up of 45 really dedicated 6-8th graders. We perform a fall concert, a winter musical, and a spring variety tour.
The dates for this year are below.
Musical Rehearsals:
2/17/24 HJH Musical Dress Rehearsal 12:30-5:30
2/20/24 HJH Musical Dress Rehearsal 6:30-9:30
2/21/24 HJH Musical-School Performance TBA (sometime during the school day)
2/22/24 HJH Musical 7:00
2/23/24 HJH Musical 7:00
Spring Concert:
4/18/24 HJH Variety Concert 7:00
4/19/24 HJH Variety Tour 9:00-1:30 am (we tour all the elementary schools)
Our pay scale is $45 per hour for rehearsals and $150 for performances. For the musical there is a $100 bonus for conducting our pit which is made up of high school students and professionals. This year our musical is going to be Guys and Dolls!
Katie Mitchell
Hester Junior High Choral Director
2836 Gustav St, Franklin Park, IL 60131
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Dear NWSMTA members,
Welcome back everyone.
I see so many signs of growth in our organization. We started new programs last year and revived some old ones. We started out by contacting the membership to get input and ideas to be of value to the group. We have implemented many of those, and will continue to do so. If you have anything you would like to add, please let any of the board members know. We have had members come forward to join or even lead the events. I suggest that you check out the new programs and reinvestigate former programs. Even better, why don’t you get involved? Find something you are interested in and ask someone how you can help, or how you can get your students involved in the activity.
As a reminder, the newsletter will come out before each meeting, September through November and January through May. If you have anything to share, send me the information by the 5th of the month and I will post it in the newsletter. You may pose a question or topic you would like addressed. The years of experience our members have to draw upon is a wealth of information. I believe our membership is our most valuable resource. In the past, members have suggested concerts, books, websites and materials they have found useful. On our website, we keep a list of websites and podcasts you may want to check out. Please return the favor, by recommending some of your own.
The following have been submitted this month.
To help with AIM ear training – 1 hour loops of intervals for students to practice. They are played in segments that help the students with any level they struggle with.
Exercises to Hear Almost Every Chord – 1 hour of examples for students to practice, with suggestions for how to improve.
If you are selling materials or an instrument, you may post an ad for free. If you know of someone wishing to sell their instrument, we charge a $10 fee. The seller may submit a photo. I will rerun the ad, if the instrument is still available the following month. We also post positions for churches or schools looking for an accompanist. There is no fee for this. We do this to benefit the membership and our students.
Deborah Lynch
Newsletter Editor
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Northwest Suburban Music Teachers Association | https://www.nwsmta.org |
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