VMTA Winter Newsletter

February, 2025

President’s Message

The Long View

I often marvel at the unique position I am in as an independent music teacher. Because I primarily employ the Suzuki method, I customarily have students who start at a young age. (Of course, many traditional music teachers do, too!) It’s a special relationship – one that supports and nurtures the student’s musical development through years of lessons, master classes and performances.

But alongside the musical development is the personal development. In my experience, I’ve seen that the younger the student is, the more intertwined are the personal and musical trainings. And observing the positive changes students make is always so encouraging. Certainly, we sometimes have those rocky moments – when, for example, a student hasn’t practiced enough or some conflict at home interferes with his or her attention during the lesson. Because these obstacles do occur, taking the long view is helpful.

Where did the student begin? How hard has the journey been? What advances can we point to in order to instill encouragement in the student? Having another adult involved with educating the student in a one-on-one relationship can be a tremendous help to that student’s maturing – because students sometimes don’t want to hear a correction or advice from a parent, but they will accept it from the teacher.

As I think about these student-teacher relationships, I am reminded of how our national organization, the Music Teachers National Association (https://www.mtna.org/), helps nurture us as teachers, how they strive to present programs and resources for us at different levels of our careers. I am confident that MTNA also takes the “long view” and tries to address issues that are important to all levels of teachers. After all, we teachers also benefit from occasional support in order to continue growing and improving.

This year, I hope you will consider attending the MTNA National Conference (scheduled for March 15-19 in Minneapolis), or the Spring Festival (March 29 in Richmond), the Quad State Conference (October 18 in New Hampshire), as well as other worthwhile programs presented by VMTA and BBVMTA.

-Laurel Ann Maurer

VMTA CALENDAR

MTNA Conference

March 15-19, 2025

Spring Festival

March 29, 2025

General Membership Meeting at Noon

What works when a student doesn’t practice?

Or: What can a teacher do when… ? Or: How can I effectively enlist a parent to help with … ?

We all have such questions. And, like practicing, music teaching can be an isolating activity. Some of us have found online spaces like the Facebook Music Educators Community or the “Colourful Keys Music Teacher Chat” site. With a little tech expertise, VMTA could have its own online discussion space for members.

This idea came up during the VMTA Fall Conference presentation given by Barbie Wong. There was lively discussion about the benefits of teachers sharing their ideas and questions on an online discussion space of some sort. There are many options for how to do this, and some are simpler than others. An effort to set up a ‘sharing space’ associated with the VMTA email account was not successful. Discussion opportunities could be scheduled at predictable times (such as quarterly or monthly) or a teacher could initiate a discussion anytime, and the app could let others know each time it happens.

The VMTA officers want to know whether you would enjoy using such a forum. And since current officers already have many responsibilities for the VMTA, we are hoping that one of you would be willing to set up and manage such a space.

So let us know what you think and whether you can help out with this – send suggestions, comments, and questions to Sarah and Lisa (sarah5432@gmail.com).

-Sarah Griffith

2025 Commissioned Composer: Callum Robechek

I am excited to share that young Vermont composer Callum Robechek has accepted our invitation to be the VMTA Commissioned Composer for 2025! Callum is a recent graduate of Montpelier High School who distinguished himself prior to graduation by participating in the Music-COMP program which pairs young aspiring composers with experienced professionals; he has written works for the Vermont Philharmonic and the Vermont Symphony. He is now in his first year as a composition student at New York University. His new work will be premiered at the fall 2025 Quad State Conference, where we participate with colleagues in New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts. The conference will be hosted this year in New Hampshire and we expect to see an announcement of the date and location soon. As you probably know, state commissioned composers’ works are then entered into the national competition for the MTNA Distinguished Composer of the Year. We look forward to hearing what Callum will bring to us next fall.

-Michael Sitton

Congrats!

Patty Bergeron is excited to announce that her student, Hailey Messier, was the senior soloist with the Vermont Youth Orchestra for their Winter Concert on February 2, 2025. Hailey performed the Grieg Piano Concerto in a minor, opus 16 (first movement).

Hailey is a senior at Essex High School. She has been studying piano with Patty Bergeron since age four and has participated in many Spring Festivals and Monster Concerts, She has participated in the National Guild of Piano Teachers' auditions for 12 years and has earned a Paderewski Medal for 10 years on the national roll (by performing a program of 10 pieces/musicianship phases).

Hailey began playing bassoon at age nine with Julie Wolfe, continuing with Max Grube. She joined the Vermont Youth Orchestra Association as a VYP bassoonist in fifth grade and moved up to the VYO in eighth grade. She has also enjoyed playing in the VYO Wind Quintet since her junior year. Hailey has also been named principal bassoon of the Vermont All-State Festival and New England Music Festival Orchestras. As a sophomore, she was awarded the Vermont All-State Woodwind Performance Scholarship. Hailey was named a 2025 Vermont Presidential Scholar in the Arts and was also recognized as an outstanding performer at the 2024 New England Music Festival auditions, earning a solo performance at the 2025 festival in March.

Hailey loves sharing her passion for music with others by serving as Co-Regional Director of the Back to Bach Project's Waterbury, VT region and co-president of Essex High School’s chapter of the Tri-M Music Honors Society. Outside of music, Hailey competes with the EHS Scholars’ Bowl team and enjoys weekend coffee dates with friends.

ENSEMBLE FESTIVAL A SUCCESS!

On Saturday afternoon, November 10, 2024, at the Richmond Library, the Vermont Music Teachers Association held its annual autumn Ensemble Festival with 35 performers. It was filled with an interesting variety of piano duets: mother-daughter, father -daughter, brother-sister, sisters, brothers, friends and even twins. In addition to piano duets. there was a flute-piano duet, a flute duet, and a family trio with piano, oboe and trombone. In all, there were seventeen ensembles from the studios of seven teachers (Patty Bergeron, Ed Darling, Lisa Goodrich, Marie Johnson, Laurel Maurer, Lilly Ramsey and Yin Stewart). Special thanks to these dedicated teachers for preparing their students’ performances at a fun filled afternoon of families and friends making music together and sharing it with each other.

-Marie Johnson

Ensemble Festival Chair

Monster Concert

The BBVMTA held its 15th biennial Monster Concert on January 24, 2025. The concert featured six pianos with duets and trios playing simultaneously. One hundred piano students began learning their parts with their private teachers in October and rehearsed for the first time as a group on Friday, January 24. A second rehearsal was held Saturday, January 25, with a concert of all ensembles held at 4:30 that afternoon. Dr. Ginger Yang Hwalek was the conductor for the event. This was Ginger’s eleventh time conducting this concert.

Joining the pianists at the concert was a flute ensemble led by Laurel Ann Maurer. The group performed several pieces. Including a selection that was accompanied by 3 pianists (“mini-monster style).

Students performing in the monster concert were from the studios of: Lesley Becker; Patricia Bergeron; Edward Darling; Lisa Goodrich; Carleen Graff; Keren Johnson; Marie Johnson; Laurel Ann Maurer; Emily Mott; Susan Nicholas; Lilly Ramsey; Jina Smith; Yin Stewart; and Melissa Towle.

Thank you to our sponsors, especially Music and Arts for donating the use of 4 instruments used in the event.

-Patricia Bergeron

Monster concert participating teachers

Seniors and juniors at monster concert

Young flutists waiting to play at monster concert

Opportunities

BOWS - Burlington Orchestra Workshop for Strings

Spring 2025 Session

April 5, 12, 19, 26 and May 3, 2025. Saturdays 10 am - Noon.

BOWS offers a chance to explore string orchestra/ensemble music from the Baroque Era to the Present, and to participate in the music-making experience with others.

Spring Repertoire:

Florence B. Price: Adoration

G. P. Telemann: Concerto for Four, TWV 43:Es1

Antonín Dvorak: Serenade in E Major, Op. 22

More details

Middlebury Community Music Center’s Chamber Music Camp

July 7 – 11, 2025. 9 am to 3 pm

Ages: 12 – 18

The MCMC Chamber Music Camp is a music camp for students ages 12 – 18 who play violin, viola, cello, double bass, or piano and are interested in learning the exciting art of chamber music. This camp focuses on small ensemble playing while building independent musicianship. Throughout the week, students are divided into ensembles (string trios, string quartets, string quintets, bass ensembles, piano ensembles, and piano/string ensembles) comprising 3-5 members.

More Details

Choose to Teach Initiative

The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) offers a monthly 1-2 minute video series "designed specifically to help educators remain motivated through the sharing of words of encouragement and support from respected colleagues who have successfully navigated these last few, exceptionally challenging years."

"The goal of the Choose to Teach initiative is to help educators connect with the impact they have on their students, schools, and community, as well as reconnect with why they decided to become an educator. It's brought to you by the Music Achievement Council. Educators can receive more free content, just like this, and tips to recruit and retain more students at www.msfq.org/guide. "

https://www.nammfoundation.org/educator-tips/supporting-music-education-choose-teach

Noteflight Learn

Noteflight Learn Enrollment and Resources

One of the perks of VMTA membership is access to the Noteflight Learn online program for teachers to develop lesson content for composition, performance, and theory (for example), and for students to explore composing, sharing, and collaborating as part of their music study. More details and links can be found on the VMTA website under Teacher Resources. In addition, many interesting articles from the Noteflight BLOG (no login required) are available here. The most recent article is called “How Backward Chaining Can Help Novice Composers.”

-- Sarah Williams

Look for details and resources at the following links:

Noteflight Learn

Links for Noteflight Learn Tutuorials

Noteflight Learn Webinars

Contact Sarah Williams or complete and send the Enrollment Form on the VMTA website page.

Remember to check out MTNA eFestival opportunities!

The MTNA eFestival runs year-round. No deadlines!

For more information, Click Here

VMTA Board Members

President:

Laurel Maurer

802-881-9153

laurelannmaurer@gmail.com

Immediate Past President:

Marie Johnson

802-879-8863

President-Elect:

TBD

Secretary:

TBD

Treasurer:

Sarah Williams

802-223-5307

sarah5432@gmail.com

Conference Chair:

Patty Bergeron (interim)

802-878-9873

pcberg86@gmail.com

Non-Competitive Auditions:

Lilly C. Ramsey

802-879-7425

cldkramsey@comcast.net

Competitive Auditions:

Linda Buermeyer

802-439-6469

linduxbuermeyer@yahoo.com

Certification:

TBD

Newsletter:

Yin Stewart

802-310-2110

yinmeistewart@gmail.com

Membership:

Patricia Cleary Bergeron

802-878-9873

pcberg86@gmail.com

Web Publicist:

Sarah Williams &

Patty Bergeron

Composer Commissioning:

Michael Sitton

802-839-8336

michael.sitton1@gmail.com

GET INVOLVED WITH YOUR ORGANIZATION!

Volunteers are needed to serve on the VMTA board! We currently need to fill the following positions:

President-Elect

Secretary

Conference Chair

Certification Chair

Come and join our wonderful group of board members and see how your organization works!

Wanted: FRESH ENERGY for Website-Builder review and comparison so that VMTA is prepared for upcoming changes to the current plan and services. Do you have those skills? Or do you know someone who would be willing to help out? If we do nothing, we will be paying more and getting less. Can we do better for our students and teachers?