Other News. Pages 5-6. to your students, please consider volunteering as chair or co-chair. Mary Beth Molenaar NSMTA President

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by the elusive Gold Medal something that is fairly difficult to achieve. Teachers often find other venues where average performers have a better percentage for success.

If this event would be of value March 2015 Belmont Village Recital, SVSO Concerto Competition to your students, please consider volunteering as chair or co-chair.

It feels as though I ve been working harder than ever preparing students for festivals, competitions, and recitals this season.

1 C THE S ORE N O R T H S H O R E M U S I C The Monthly e-newsletter of the NSMTA March 30 Program Craig Sale on successful performance, Mary Beth Molenaar on student retention Pages 2-3 T E A C H E R S Jennifer Merry, Editor AIM & Competition Other News Page 4 Pages 5-6 AIM Performance entry deadline is TODAY, Competition repertoire President s Message For many of our students, success is defined by the elusive Gold Medal something that is fairly difficult to achieve. Teachers often find other venues where average performers have a better percentage for success. At recent meetings we ve talked about a new participation-based, less competitive event. Watch for an online survey where you can voice your opinions on how this event will be shaped. If this event would be of value March 2015 Belmont Village Recital, SVSO Concerto Competition to your students, please consider volunteering as chair or co-chair. Craig Sale s March 30th program on Guiding Students to Successful Performance comes at just the right time this year. It feels as though I ve been working harder than ever preparing students for festivals, competitions, and recitals this season. 1 A S S O C I A T I O N Mary Beth Molenaar NSMTA President We re all flying around this time of year making final decisions on AIM pieces, searching for just the right MTNA and Reference MTNA VIP Newsletter, Minutes from Feb. 23 NSMTA meeting Pages 9-10 piece for recitals, or just looking for a piece that will motivate practice once the weather turns warmer. I usually look for spring pieces that fit my student s temperament. One of my 8th graders is working on the old pupil saver, The Great Smoky Mountains, by Glover. He LOVES all the flashy hand-over-hand arpeggios and applying what he s learned about chord inversions in AIM. For a family who visited Machu Pichu last summer I assigned pieces from the Musica Latina books by Rossi (new on the AIM list). They think the Latin rhythms are cool and are actually counting out loud (imagine that). While I assign plenty of vegetables throughout the year, right now I m looking for a few dessert pieces that students will enjoy sharing in our spring recital which coincides with the time I m asking families to re-up for the fall. Perhaps we could all share our favorite pupil-savers on our Facebook page.

N E W S At the next meeting, March 30... (one week later than usual) Meetings are at The Music Institute of Chicago, 300 Green Bay Rd.

presenting on March 30 Guiding Students to Successful Performance from the presenter, Craig Sale What is a successful performance? What is an unsuccessful one?

2 N E W S At the next meeting, March (one week later than usual) Meetings are at The Music Institute of Chicago, 300 Green Bay Rd., Winnetka, IL, :30-10:00 AM Mary Beth Molenaar Girl Scout Tricks 10:00-11:00 Business meeting & refreshments 11:00-noon Craig Sale Guiding Students to Successful Performance Craig Sale presenting on March 30 Guiding Students to Successful Performance from the presenter, Craig Sale What is a successful performance? What is an unsuccessful one? What do teachers need to do to help students of any level and ability achieve what they will know is a successful performance? With musical understanding of the repertoire and thorough practice preparation, all students are capable of successful performance. This workshop explores how teachers can help their students achieve this goal as it addresses these areas: Guiding artistry in preparation and practice. Beginning with the selection of repertoire and continuing with the initial presentation of the piece, a teacher lays the foundation for the student s ability to be able to communicate the piece in performance. Maintenance and memorization. Finding ways to practice which maintain the student s interest is essential. Using memorization techniques which engage the student in a meaningful way also lead to successful performance. Performance anxiety. Teachers should be able to address this issue as needed with their students and need to do so with both compassion and objectivity. Biography of Craig Sale Craig Sale, NCTM, is Director of the Preparatory and Community Piano Program at Concordia University Chicago, where he also teaches university courses in piano pedagogy. He serves on the Board of Trustees for the Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy. Craig is an Associate Editor for Clavier Companion magazine and served as Editor for the recently released The Success Factor in Piano Teaching by Elvina Pearce. He is the co-author of The Music Tree: Activities 3 and The Music Tree: Activities 4 (published by Alfred Publishing Co.) He has presented workshops for piano teachers across the United States and is a frequent adjudicator at Chicago area events. Craig holds a B. Mus. degree in piano performance from Northwestern University where he studied piano with Donald Isaak, a M. Mus. degree in piano performance from the University of Illinois/Urbana-Champaign where he studied piano with Ian Hobson and piano pedagogy with James Lyke, and a Professional Teaching Certificate from the New School for Music Study where he studied piano pedagogy with Frances Clark and Louise Goss. 2

N E W S NSMTA President Mary Beth Molenaar presents at our pre-meeting: Girl Scout Tricks what music teachers can learn about retention from scouting from the presenter, Mary Beth Molenaar There won

As a former leader, I will share ideas from scouting on ways to retain our students. Some questions to be explored: Why is spring registration important? What is the role of recognitions?

With fewer students taking lessons these days and more students dropping out, it behooves all of us to try to keep students engaged whether or not our income depends on it.

3 N E W S NSMTA President Mary Beth Molenaar presents at our pre-meeting: Girl Scout Tricks what music teachers can learn about retention from scouting from the presenter, Mary Beth Molenaar There won t be any little Girl Scouts selling cookies at this pre-meeting workshop but we may have a few boxes open at our break. As a former leader, I will share ideas from scouting on ways to retain our students. Some questions to be explored: Why is spring registration important? What is the role of recognitions? What social experiences can we provide for students? What are ways we can address a teen s drive for independence and risk-taking? With fewer students taking lessons these days and more students dropping out, it behooves all of us to try to keep students engaged whether or not our income depends on it. Biography for Mary Beth Molenaar Mary Beth Molenaar was a Girl Scout leader for ten years. While many girls drop out of scouting after elementary school, Evanston Troop 20 continued through high school with seven girls graduating as Scout Ambassadors last summer. Along the way, the troop earned several music badges and led workshops on music for middle school scouts. Mary Beth has a doctorate degree in piano performance and pedagogy from Northwestern where she directs the University s community music program. In addition to administrative work, she teaches children and adults of all ages and levels. She has served as the ISMTA Achievement in Music Piano Chair since Molenaar is an MTNA Foundation Fellow and is a nationally certified teacher of piano and organ. She loves to knit, garden, and raises monarch butterflies Please be sure to submit news and announcements for the next SCORE by April 10! 3

4 N E W S AIM News From Jennifer Cohen, AIM co-chair The AIM Enrollment deadline is TODAY, Friday, March 13, 2015 Remember that you may add, change or delete student records until the enrollment deadline, even if you have already submitted your student enrollments. Be sure to submit your enrollment fees for level 1 and 2 students, either via online payment option through PayPal, or by sending one check for total fees to your site coordinator. Judges Meeting Notes from the March 9th meeting are available on the website. If you were not at the judges meeting, please be sure to download the notes and read them carefully. We discussed changes in the AIM Technique, as well as changes in the score sheets. Be sure that your students are preparing the technique from the 2014 AIM Syllabus. For Level 12 students who will be presenting a recital: Enroll student to take the Technique portion of the exam on either April 26 or May 3. Please put Technique Only in the Total Playing Time box. Please list all the repertoire in the enrollment form. Forward the repertoire approval from Debbie Gillette to your site coordinator. If the approval was sent in writing, either scan the approval letter including all repertoire selections and it or mail a copy of the letter to your site coordinator. Please program notes to Jennifer Cohen at least one week prior to the recital. In the revised syllabus, 2 points are awarded for completion of program notes. Only 1 judge will be evaluating all level 12 Performance exams or recitals. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact one of the coordinators. Jia-Yee Tang, Northwestern site co-coordinator, jiayeetang@gmail.com Louise Chan, Northwestern site co-coordinator, louise.k.chan@gmail.com Jennifer Cohen, Lake Forest site coordinator, Jicohen1@aol.com The recital may be scheduled at any time in NSMTA Competition From Christine Hwang, Competition Chair The 2015 NSMTA Piano Competition Saturday, May 2 nd at Northwestern University in Evanston The application deadline is April 1 st and the competition application is available online: Piano Competition Repertoire 2015 All selections should be played in the order listed and without repeats unless otherwise indicated. Primary Division Grades 1-3 Tchaikovsky: Old French Song from Album for the Young (In Music for Millions, Vol. 17) Beethoven: German Dance in G WoO 42, No.6 (In M.M. Vol. 27) (play the repeats in the Trio only) Elementary Division Grades 4-6 Scarlatti: Sonata in c minor K.11/L. 352 (with repeats) Ibert: The Little White Donkey (#2 from "Histoires") Junior Division Grades 7-9 Schumann: Arabeske, Op.18 Haydn: Sonata in G major, Hob. XVI: 40, 2nd mvt. (Presto) Senior Division Grades Fauré: Nocturne #4 in E-flat major, Op. 36 Bach: Italian Concerto, 3rd movement (Presto) Please see the competition application in the reference section 4

N E W S Student Recital at Belmont Village Sunday, February 15, 2015 On Sunday, February 15, 2015, high school student Emma Wilcox organized a piano recital at the Belmont Village retirement home in

Selections included such favorites as "Fur Elise" and "Amazing Grace", as well as "Reflets dans l'eau" by Debussy. The recital was well-attended and appreciated by all residents.

5 N E W S Student Recital at Belmont Village Sunday, February 15, 2015 On Sunday, February 15, 2015, high school student Emma Wilcox organized a piano recital at the Belmont Village retirement home in Glenview. The recital included performances by 13 students of NSMTA teachers TC Anderson, Galina Kostukovsky, Jennifer Merry and Mary Beth Molenaar. Selections included such favorites as "Fur Elise" and "Amazing Grace", as well as "Reflets dans l'eau" by Debussy. The recital was well-attended and appreciated by all residents. A special thanks goes to Emma for organizing this event! Quotation of the Month My heart, which is so full to overflowing, has often been solaced and refreshed by music when sick and weary. attributed to Martin Luther 5 Please your suggestions for a future Quotation of the Month to Jennifer Merry

A N N O U N C E M E N T S Oakton Six Piano Ensemble Concerts The Oakton Six Piano Ensemble, under the direction of Conductor Glenna Sprague, will present concerts on Saturday, April 25 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 26 at 3:00 p.

6 A N N O U N C E M E N T S Oakton Six Piano Ensemble Concerts The Oakton Six Piano Ensemble, under the direction of Conductor Glenna Sprague, will present concerts on Saturday, April 25 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 26 at 3:00 p.m. in the Footlik Theater at Oakton Community College, 1600 East Golf Road, Des Plaines. The rich, layered sound of the Six Piano Ensemble compares to that of an orchestra, with each member playing a different part of a composition as the melody transfers from pianist to pianist. This year s concerts features Sonata in D Major by Mozart; Le petit âne blanc (The Little White Donkey) from Histoires by Ibert; Waltz movement from the Masquerade Suite by Khachaturian; Samba triste and Ragtime waltz (Homage to Scott Joplin) from the Four Piece Suite by Richard Rodney Bennett as well as other selections. Tickets are $17 for general admission, $14 for seniors and students, and $12 for group rate. For ticket information, call the Oakton Box Office at or order tickets online at Following each concert, there is a reception. The Six Piano Ensemble was formed by Glenna Sprague, Professor and Coordinator of Music at Oakton, where she also teaches piano. One of the members of the Ensemble is Beatriz Levi, who is also a member of the North Shore Music Teachers Association. The group performs repertoire from the classical, ragtime and popular periods that is transcribed for the six pianos by Professor Sprague. Critics from Vienna to Honolulu hail the internationally acclaimed Ensemble as extraordinary, innovative, musical, and technically superb. The artistic success of the Oakton Six Piano Ensemble has resulted in prominent concert engagements across the United States and Europe, including the College Music Society International Conference in Vienna, Austria; MTNA National Conferences in Atlanta and Spokane; numerous MTNA state conferences; GP3 Conference at University of Oklahoma, National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy; Steinway of Chicago s Community Concert Series; and the Music Teachers Association of California State Convention in Los Angeles. The ensemble has released its second CD entitled, Oakton Six Piano Ensemble: Live in Concert II Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition Since 1980, The Skokie Valley Symphony has sponsored a Young Artist competition, offering cash prizes and the opportunity for students aged 16 to 22 to perform a concerto with the SVSO. Many winners have gone on to successful careers in music.the SVSO is seeking applicants for its current competition, which takes place on Saturday, March 21st and Northeastern Illinois University. The extended its deadline date for the Young Artist Competition is March 20, Age requirements are from 16 to 22 as of January Any orchestral concerto will be accepted for the audition. The audition is open to all orchestral instruments, piano, and guitar. The competition will be held at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. Additional information, applications and requirements are on Applicants can be from the USA and any country. Please see the competition flyer in the reference section on the following page 6

R E F E R E N C E The Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra The Bonnie & Lee Malmed Young Artist Competition And Mittenthal Chair Audition March 21, 2015 Northeastern Illinois University Chicago

7 R E F E R E N C E The Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra The Bonnie & Lee Malmed Young Artist Competition And Mittenthal Chair Audition March 21, 2015 Northeastern Illinois University Chicago Illinois First Prize $1200 Second Prize $800 Winners to perform with the SVSO during its Season Applications, rules, and additional information at: info@svso.org EXT3014 7

8 R E F E R E N C E 2015 NSMTA Piano Competition Application Saturday, May 2th, 2015 Northwestern University Name: Address: City: State: Zip: Division: (please circle one): Primary (Grades 1-3) $30.00 Elementary (Grades 4-6) $30.00 Junior (Grades 7-9) $30.00 Senior (Grades 10-12) $30.00 Please note: All fees are non-refundable and send in ONE CHECK for TOTAL AMOUNT of all students entering from EACH TEACHER. I certify that the above information is correct. I have read and agree to abide by the regulations in the current brochure/directory. Signed: Date: (contestant or parent) Teacher Name: Sponsoring teacher must be a current NSMTA member as of October 31, 2014, who has paid membership dues. Teacher signature: Teacher phone: Make checks payable to NSMTA Student Foundation. Send to chairperson: Dr. Grace Juang 2770 Kingston Road. Northbrook, IL gracejuang@gmail.com All applications must be postmarked by April 1, LATE or INCOMPLETE applications will NOT be considered. 8

9 R E F E R E N C E VIP Membership Newsletter Mentorship Local With Local; Local With Collegiate Members Zachary Lopes, DMA Assistant Professor of Piano Western Kentucky University March 2015 Issue 23 Remember back when you were an undergraduate music major? Inexperienced and perhaps a bit aloof, but hungry for knowledge and opportunities? I think we can all agree those first four years of post-secondary education were formative in both our musical and personal lives. A time when we didn t really know what we wanted for our careers, but had somehow stumbled into music because a certain passion stirred within us. As I reflect back on my undergraduate years, some of my fondest memories were the teaching observations I did for my pedagogy courses. It was as if I was venturing into the wild to see independent music teachers thriving in their natural habitat. Just seeing their studios would have been enough of an education for one day as an undergraduate. However, observing their teaching methods, the tools and tricks they used, and how they engaged their students throughout each lesson was a truly transformative experience. I can safely say my deepest pedagogy learning has come and will continue to come from the mentorship of great teachers. Making the leap from undergraduate to independent professional is tough and often discouraging without the right guiding hands. In many ways it is our duty and obligation to mentor these budding music teachers if not only to ensure sustainability of our profession, but also to foster the fresh ideas and vitality young professionals bring. In the same way, while they may not outwardly express it, college students ARE eager for career mentorship and guidance. Just this past January at the MTNA Collegiate Chapter Piano Pedagogy Symposium in Dallas, Texas, I witnessed a wonderful example of collegiate member mentorship. Several MTNA members in the Dallas area opened their homes to host collegiate members during the weekend long conference. Here are a few more ideas: Take Initiative And Be Collaborative Independent teachers, reach out to faculty and collegiate members at universities or colleges in your region. Offer your studio for pedagogy observation. Ask collegiate students to perform during an end of semester studio recital or have them work with students during a group lesson/performance class. Offer a teaching internship, where students can observe your teaching and help with the organizational aspects of running an independent studio. Invite collegiate members to participate in or present research at a local association meeting. Invite collegiate students to help with local MTNA festivals and events that involve working and interacting with students. Collegiate faculty, reach out to independent teachers in your region. Invite independent teachers in your community to guest lecture for studio class or pedagogy class. Offer university facilities or utilize university resources to sponsor a local MTNA event. Provide performance and educational outreach opportunities that will benefit both pre-college students and college students. Collaboratively, develop a new event such as festival, competition or summer camp that actively involves independent teachers, collegiate members and collegiate faculty. Work to build relationships with excellent independent teachers in your area to connect students with great mentors. Give Incentive Let s be honest, the average music major schedule is jam-packed and piling yet another thing on top requires some serious incentive. Well, MTNA membership offers some serious incentives, including: Extremely reasonable collegiate membership dues and national conference rates. MTNA Collegiate Chapter Piano Pedagogy Symposium, which gives opportunity to present research and connect with young professionals from around the nation. The Pedagogy Saturday Young Professional Track at the MTNA National conference, which is geared and planned specifically for collegiate members and young professionals. Grants to attend the national conference, fund collegiate chapter projects and aid with other professional development. Countless discounts and membership benefits. A large network of seasoned teachers that can offer a wealth of experience, wisdom, and mentorship throughout their careers. Last, but certainly not least, encourage collegiate members in your community to attend local, state and national MTNA conferences throughout the year. I know my first national conference had a huge impact on both my teaching and career! 9

10 R E F E R E N C E Minutes of the NSMTA Meeting on February 23, 2015 Called to order at: 10:00 a.m., at the Music Institute of Chicago, Winnetka, IL PRESIDENT'S ITEMS: We have three members for the Nominating Committee. Jennifer Merry will chair. Other members are Betty Benton and Lynd Corley. Positions open: Treasurer and Membership. OFFICER REPORTS: Treasurer's Report (Joni Kurtenbach): Balance as of January 31, 2015 is $21, Secretary's Report - Nancy DeHaven The minutes were approved as distributed. First Vice-President and Programs Chair - Bruce Berr The March meeting will be on March 30, delayed one week from the usual 4th Monday due to the MTNA National Convention. Second Vice-President and Membership Chair - Yvonne Harada We now have 132 members. Corresponding Secretary - Jennifer Merry Deadline for the SCORE remains the 10th of each month. Hospitality Chair - Susan Corkum Susan continues to look for help with the responsibilities for her position. AIM - Jennifer Cohen April 19 is Levels 1 and 2 at Northwestern University only. April 26 and May 3 is Level 3-12 at both locations. If you (or your students) have feedback about the theory exams, please let Jennifer know. The new sample exam audio files are being put online. The tempos are a bit faster than last year. SONATINA FESTIVAL - Bruce Berr In general things went well. Special thanks to last year's chairman, Eric Sutz, who, by passing everything on in a very organized fashion, helped this year's program to flow that much more smoothly. Also special thanks to Brad Cohen for his technical expertise. There were about 15 no-shows, likely due to there being snow on the day of the event. For the future, we need to discuss the issue of people signing up to pay rather than to help out. This is not sustainable. This year there were many fewer gold winners than in the past, which by itself might not be significant, if it weren't for the fact that in past years 60% of the gold winners played music that is early advanced or beyond, and this year only 12% did so. TEACHERS' RECITAL - Marlene Chatain Waiting to hear from teachers! SCHOLARSHIP - Betty Benton May 1 is the application deadline for the both the College Scholarship and the Summer Camp Scholarship. COMPETITION - Grace Juang Look for the repertoire and application to be posted in the SCORE. OLD BUSINESS: FACEBOOK - Eric Sutz Please post, or send items to Eric or Mary Beth. 10

Please e-mail any lighthearted or humorous

11 A N N O U N C E M E N T S Scherzo Finale Even crotchets need a social life! Please any lighthearted or humorous studio photos for Scherzo Finale to Jennifer Merry 11

President s Message Debbie Gillette

President s Message Debbie Gillette There s something about back to school that never ceases to arouse excitement in my piano teacher mind. Students come back to lessons with a fresh eagerness, a renewed