Dear Sally,

Thank you to all who attended our WSFMC General Meeting, luncheon, and birthday party! It is so nice to meet in person at least once a year to reconnect with our colleagues, share ideas, and provide encouragement to each other. Thanks to each and every one of you who attended. Thank you for all the fabulous gift baskets and flowers that were raffled off. Thank you to the Executive Board, and Risa Jun, for the set up and clean up. None of this could have happened without your efforts and attendance. THANK YOU!

Aristotle said (and is often misquoted): "In the case of all things which have several parts and in which the totality is not, as it were, a mere heap, but the whole is something besides the parts." You probably know this quote from its misquote "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts." As a State music club, we have several "parts," (i.e. people, responsibilities) and when we bring all these parts together, as we have the privilege of doing once a year at our State Meeting, we feel like more than "a mere heap." There is energy/synergy when we come together, and that helps drive us to continue moving forward, pursuing our cause to bring music to those we teach and provide opportunities to perform. Bottom line, that's why meeting in person at least once a year is so important.

So, let's move forward with renewed energy for this year of music!

Please send articles for Melody Lines to me at wsfmcpresident@gmail.com. Please send no later than a week before publication. Publication months are October, December, February, April, June, August.

PLEASE click on the LINKS for valuable information. Thanks!

Sally L. Palmer

WSFMC President

e-mail: wsfmcpresident@gmail.com

Welcome!! Lorraine Nelson, of the Overlake Federated Music Club, is the newest member of the WSFMC Executive Board. Lorraine was nominated for the position of Washington State Representative to the NFMC Board. The nomination was taken to a vote at our general meeting, and the vote was 100% affirmative. Thank you Lorraine for your willingness to serve and for your willingness to represent Washington State at the National Conventions.

STAY TUNED! Our WSFMC Website is currently under construction. We will be bringing you an updated, professional, easy-to-access on your computer and your phone, state website by the end of October. The goal is to help prospective new members find us and learn about our organization. The current website is still up and running until the new and improved site is produced. We want you to be proud to show our website to your friends and colleagues who may be interested in what we have to offer. Exciting times ahead!

FESTIVAL BULLETIN UPDATES - It is crucially important that you check the 2024-2028 Festivals Bulletin Updates. There are many updates and there will continue to be so. For example, some of the previous Bulletin selections have now been added to the new Bulletin, but you won't know about them unless you check the updates! They are easy to find:

Go to nfmc-music.org Click on FESTIVALS for a scroll down menu

Click on BULLETIN UPDATES

JUNIOR COMPOSERS COMPETITION

Make Plans for 2025 JCC Submissions. NOW is the time to encourage students to create their compositions!

• The deadline for submitting entries to the Junior Composers Contest is January 25, 2025.
• Applications, compositions, and mp3s must be downloaded on the NFMC online application portal (https://forms.nfmc-music.org).
• Payment is to be made online at http://www.nfmc-music.org/payment. 
• The entrant categories include Class I (up to age 8), Class II (ages 9-12), Class III (ages 13-15), and Class IV (ages 16-18).
• Pieces may be composed for one or more instruments.
• The compositions receiving 1st and 2nd Place in each category will move on to the Western Regional Junior Composers Contest.
• Entry fees are: National Fee for Classes I – IV: $5.00 State Fee for Classes I – III: $22.00 State Fee for Class IV: $25.00

For the Junior Composers event, students may participate by joining ONLY the national NFMC organization with the online membership form. Alternatively, if a student participates in junior festival, they are already recognized as a member of NFMC, as well as a member of their teacher's junior club. This allows them to also participate in the Junior Composers Contest. 

Please contact Washington State JCC Chair Mary Kaye Owen at mary.k.owen@att.net if needed.

November is American Music Month

The National Federation of Music has declared the month of November as American Music Month. The Professor Rudolf R. A. Schramm Parade of American Music honors its founder, Ada Holding Miller, by encouraging NFMC clubs to increase programming and performance of American music; to bring more recognition to American composers; to stimulate public appreciation and awareness of American music; and to broaden the knowledge of American music.

The NFMC offers awards to Senior Clubs who best meet the Parade of American Music contest requirements. Awards: $300 first place, $200 second place and $100 third place (2 – third place awards). The program(s) must be held during the month of NOVEMBER. Contest entries must be sent directly to the NFMC, postmarked no later than MARCH 1st. Email entries are acceptable.

Entry requirements and more information can be found on form AM 1-1 on the NFMC website. Look under the Publications link, and click on American Music Division. This is a great opportunity to introduce your students to American Patriotic and Folk Songs that they may also want to perform in the APFS event at your club's Festival!

Where do I find more information about what goes on in our state?

In order to keep our State General Meeting moving along, this year it was decided to have several divisions provide written reports instead of presenting them in person at the meeting. Their reports are filled with good information so please take a moment to read through them. They are all compiled into one document so you can scroll through if there is one or more particular reports you are interested in.

CLICK HERE FOR STATE BOARD REPORTS

Where do I find more information about what goes on at the National level?

Ever wonder what some of the NFMC Divisions are all about? Do you even know the names of each of the Divisions and what they have to offer? Our National President, Deborah Freeman, sends out IN TUNE with NFMC each month which includes some awesome information that you may not have ever heard about if you don't stay "In Tune!!"

CLICK HERE FOR IN TUNE WITH NFMC SEPTEMBER 2024

Competitions and Awards I am the chair of the WSFMC Awards and Competitions. In this month’s newsletter I will share with you the four NFMC National Junior Competitions that include the piano. The entry fee is very low- only $10 per contest except $20 for the Michael Edward’s one.

The applications and requirements can be found on the NFMC Home page. On the menu symbol click Competitions & Awards, then click Junior Division and finally all the Junior Division Competitions appear. Everything is now done online including the application as well as uploading the video.

I will briefly describe four JUNIOR piano competitions that are available for 2025. I have included the new award money that has increased over last year. I have a request for this coming year’s Junior Competitions: Could you teachers please inform me when you enter one of your students in any of these competitions. We want to recognize your students in one of our future Melody Lines, whether they are a National winner or not. Just being in the competition takes a lot of work!

1. Lana Bailey Piano Concerto Award:

The student be must a senior in high school and cannot be over the age of 18 as of May 1, 2025. The student must perform, by memory, either the first or last movement of one of the concertos that are listed in Festival Bulletin. Required are 2 letters of recommendation in addition to a college acceptance letter. All of this is to be sent to the National chairperson by May 1. First Place award is $1500 and Second Place award is $500. The National Chair is Lana Bailey, zblb@verizon.net. Deadline for entering is May 1, 2025.

2. Marilyn Caldwell Piano Award:

The student must be in 10th, 11th or 12th grade in High School and cannot be over the age of 18 as of March 1. The repertoire must consist of memorized pieces lasting between 10-15 minutes. There is a guideline on the requirement page listing appropriate level pieces for this competition. One of the compositions must be by an American composer. First Place award is $1250 and Second Place award is $750. The National Chair is Linda Lind, 4420 Miller Pkwy, Manhatten KS 66503 lindalindva@gmail.com The deadline for entering is March 1, 2025.

3.NFMC Michael Edwards Graduating Senior Performance Award:

This competition is open to any high school senior pursuing a music performance degree who will be attending an accredited music school. The student must not be over the age of 18 as of May 1, the deadline for entering. The student should perform 4 compositions of at least 3 musical eras including one American composition. The entry must include two letters of recommendation as well as a letter of acceptance by the college, university or music conservatory. This competition has an attractive award of $5,000. Entry deadline is May 1, 2025. The chair is Michael R. Edwards, 3900 Galt Ocean Drive #317, Fort Lauderdale FL 33308, micedwards@aol.com.

4. Stillman Kelley Instrumental/Thelma Byrum Piano Awards:

This competition is open to piano/violin/cello/flute players. The student must not be over the age 18 as of March 1. There is no minimum age for this competition but the playing level has to be at a high school level. The time limit for the program must be between 15 – 20 minutes. One of the compositions has to be by an American composer. First Place prize is $2,000, Second Place prize is $1,000, Third Place prize is $750, five regional awards of $500. The Thelma Byrum Piano Award of $750 will be given to the highest scoring pianist who did not receive the top three Stillman Kelley prizes. The new chair for this competition is Jason Sifford, jason@siffordmusic.com. Deadline for entering is March 1, 2025.

Submitted by John Van Lierop, Jr         State Awards/Competitions Chair

Have you checked out the NEW event for PIANO in the new Festivals Bulletin yet? Page 41

POPULAR PIANO SOLO!!

Make sure to read the rules section

LIABILITY INSURANCE COVERAGE 2024 - 2025

NEW FEES per EVENT!!



NFMC and its members are purchasing Liability Insurance only. This provides coverage to a third party for bodily injury or property damage the entity causes. You must be a member in good standing to obtain insurance!

National designated deadline to submit requests:

August 15 for events September 1 – December 31

December 1 for events January 1 – August 31



• Cost per event is $20. Add $5 extra per event if registered after the designated deadline
• Cost per event having consecutive days is $25.
• An event on a single day but at multiple sites costs $20 per site.
• No requests will be processed without an accurate address and date of event.
• If an event requires a rider of an additional insured, give the exact language required.
• Any changes requested after a certificate is issued will result in a $5 change fee.
• If you need to change an event date, and wait to inform NFMC until the original date has passed you will owe another full event fee. There is NO credit in that situation.
• A certificate verifying insurance coverage is issued only to an event that requests it. Certificates will be sent to the state liability chair and will be mailed to requested members.
• Coverage is not guaranteed until payment is received and processed by NFMC Headquarters. "No payment = No Insurance" 

WSFMC members:

Inform Insurance Chair by email in advance when you will make the payment online,

so Yelena can process the submission the same day you make the payment.

Make payment on www.nfmc-music.org/payment/

Select "Liability Insurance" under Plans

and Fill in your "Event Name, Date and Location" under Notes

Email payment receipt and forms below to YelenaBalabanova@gmail.com

CLICK HERE for the 2024-2025 Liability Insurance Request Form

Letter from NFMC Chair

Child Protection Policy Form

Preventing Child Abuse Policies and Procedures

Dr. Yelena Balabanova, WSFMC Liability Insurance Chair