This past March, independent music teachers from all over the U.S. gathered in Orlando, Florida, for the 2018 MTNA national conference. Held at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, the conference proved to be informative and inspiring on many levels.

I was delighted to hear the keynote speaker – Dr. Eckart Altenmuller from Hanover University in Germany – talk knowledgeably about music-related injuries. He detailed various studies of a musician’s brain and body, the relationship of emotions to brain chemistry, and the process of learning music with an instrument. What did I take away from his extensive presentation? Many things, of course, but to me, his most important assertion was that the optimal time to start a child’s music education is between the years of four and six-and-a-half.

Two other informative presentations concerned teaching students who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, or ASD. In recent years, I personally have taught several students with ASD; thus, I was eager to hear what experts in the field could tell me. A basic tenant was that the teacher can teach the same lesson to both normal and ASD children but use different means to do so. And, no surprise, the techniques of the Suzuki Method are ideal for ASD students.

On a personal note, I ran into a student I taught 10 years ago when I lived in Utah. She now attends Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, and was one of the MTNA national finalists. It was a pleasure to hear what a beautiful flute player she has become in the intervening years. I encourage each member to plan to attend the national conference. It is one of the best ways to infuse your teaching with fresh ideas, new approaches, and lots of important and useful information.

See you in Spokane in 2019!