Last weekend, I attended the state conference of Ohio Music Teachers Association (affiliated with MTNA). Since moving to Ohio three years ago, I’ve attended the OhioMTA conference every year — and I have to say that this one was the most sensational!
The setting this year was Wilmington College, which has a small and beautiful campus with facilities that were perfect for our conference. It was wonderful to be able to walk in the cool, Fall weather between sessions. Around 120 teachers attended the conference this year.
Our conference schedule was chock full of great sessions! Some highlights: “Music Alive! Sounds that Move, Pictures that Sing” by Clinton Pratt, “Creative Sightreading” by Dr. Cole Burger, “Developing Sound Expectations: Does the Sound Match the Picture” by Scott Donald, “Piano Music for Left Hand Alone” by Jerry Wong, and many others.
I was also extremely honored to have the opportunity to present a session: “Albums for the Young: A History & Overview of the Genre.” I can’t tell you what it meant to me to be able to share my research for this distinguished organization. My topic explored the influence of Robert Schumann’s Album for the Young, Op. 68 and the wealth of children’s music that followed by other composers.
Thanks goes to Susan West and Brianna Matzke for taking these photos. The one below shows a humorous quote of Schumann speaking about Czerny’s music. 😉
By the way, I’m giving the same talk again in Cleveland next month! If you are located in that area, you are welcome to attend. Contact me and I can send you the details.
The featured clinicians at the conference were husband-and-wife-team Louis Nagel and Julie Jaffee Nagel. They each presented a session, and Louis Nagel also gave the artist recital and a masterclass. In the photo below, Louis Nagel works with a student in a masterclass who performed a Mozart concerto with a group of student musicians out of Dayton.
Last weekend’s conference marks the beginning of my serving a term as the VP of Membership for OhioMTA. I know I have a lot to learn about being on the OhioMTA board, but am looking forward to the challenge. 🙂
Attending state-level MTNA conferences is worth every penny, don’t you think? Please comment below: when does YOUR state hold their annual state conference?
MT State Music Teachers Association (MSMTA) is holding their conference 19-21 November in Missoula. We begin our conference with a concert by the piano duo Anderson & Roe!!! They will even do a masterclass for duet students.
Congrats on your position on the board. You will do great! I’ve been Treasurer for a whole lot of years.
Thanks, Carla! Anderson & Roe actually came to the OhioMTA state conference a couple years back!! They were outstanding.
Joy,
I wish I lived closer to hear you! Looks like a fun conference. I was so excited to see that Susan West took some of the pictures for you – I went to college with Susan! Please say hi to her for me the next time you see her! What a small world it is!
Lisa
Ha, yes, what a small world! Susan West is a very good friend of mine!! I’ll tell her you said hi. 🙂
Yes, state MTA conferences are worth every penny! North Dakota had Mary Salee and Tom Gerou at this year’s conference in June. Mary Salee shared many practical teaching ideas and Tom Gerou’s commissioned composition was inspiring. I am privileged and blessed to learn from the MTA community and to serve them by being a state board member.
Could you share your session notes with your website readers? It sounds fascinating!
Hi Jeanette, thanks for your comment! I don’t think I’ll share notes from this session because it is so dependent on hearing the music demonstrated at the piano. I hope to present it more in the future, so who knows — perhaps you’ll have the opportunity to hear it sometime!
Ooh, I’m VP of Membership for Indiana so we should swap notes! 🙂
That would be great, Amy!!