THE SC ORE. President s Message. Jennifer Merry,

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1 N O R T H S H O R E M U S I C T E A C H E R S A S S O C I A T I O N THE SC ORE President s Message \ It was a treat to attend our September program on piano duos, presented by Ralph and Claire Neiweem. They played a range of duet repertoire with such precision and artistry that it often sounded like a single person instead of two. They shared that they practiced together for two and a half hours each day, an amazing feat in the lives of two busy musicians. There s a reason why many great duet partners are often married couples, siblings or family members. These are the people who see each other often enough to schedule impromptu rehearsal sessions! I have fond memories of playing duets with my younger sister as a teenager.!1 Jennifer Merry, Being fascinated with figuring out popular tunes by ear, I made arrangements of tunes like Crocodile Rock (I m dating myself here...) teaching her to play the primo parts as I banged out secondo. While we had our occasional argument, playing together was generally a fun and entertaining experience for us. In my studio through the years, I have taught a number of siblings and have paired them together in duets whenever possible. When it works, this can have great benefits for the students: they will often be inspired to count, listen and practice much more when they are responsible for playing with someone else. Of course, sibling pairs don t always work. I recently had non-identical twin brothers who could not sit on the bench without elbowing or shoving each other when one made a mistake. That pair was short-lived. But others have been more successful. I now have a brother-sister pair who are a delight and look forward to exploring this repertoire with them. It can be very motivating and meaningful when siblings, friends, or parents and children play together!

2 OCTOBER 23 PRESENTATION FRANK WINKLER Traveling Through Harmonic DiversionsWith Turnarounds, Parallels, and Bridges FRANK WINKLER was born and raised in Chicago. He received his Bachelor s Degree from DePaul University in 1961 and a Masters from Northwestern University in He and his wife Nancy have been married fifty-six years, raising four children, and now have four grandchildren. He has taught orchestra and chorus in public schools in Skokie, Wilmette, Morton Grove, Glenview and Northbrook. While conductor of the Harper College Symphony Orchestra for 20 years, he conducted all the Symphonies of Beethoven and Tchaikovsky as well as concerti and symphonies of Mozart and Brahms, also specializing in contemporary works. His jazz and theatrical experience has brought him to perform in the major concert venues of America and Europe, including the Tonhalle in Vienna and the Philharmonic Hall in Berlin. He has performed as pianist with the Bolshoi and Royal English Ballets and with Vivian Della Chiesa, Marni Nixon, Frederika von Stade and Kathleen Battle, as well as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Entertainers he has performed with include Bob Hope, Ray Bolger, Liza Minelli, Sammy Davis Jr., Andrea Bocelli and Frank Sinatra, to name but a few. He was vibraphonist with the Art Van Damme Quintet for twelve years. As an educator he has been on the orchestral faculties of Merit Music Program and Betty Haag Suzuki Academy. Under the auspices of the Chicago Symphony, he has been a member of the Tononi Ensemble, the Brostoff Duo and the Gold Coast Chamber Ensemble, appearing numerous times on WFMT and the Chicago Humanities Festival. In 1990 he made a cameo appearance as the orchestra conductor in Carnegie Hall in the movie Home Alone II. He is in his 18th year on the faculty of the Music Institute of Chicago in Winnetka, having formerly been Director of Orchestras and Chamber Music, now exclusively teaching piano. For the last twelve years, he has been guest conductor for the Music Institute s Chorale Summer Masterworks Singalong Series. He is the founding director of the Symphonic Pops Orchestra of Chicago, having toured with them in Taiwan. He toured with the Buddy Rich Jazz Band also performing with Joe Daley, Clark Terry and J.J. Johnson and toured India with the Chicago Jazz Quintet. He sings tenor with the Coriolis a cappella choir of Evanston and for three years has been orchestral pianist with the Evanston Symphony.!2

3 October 23 Pre-meeting: Ron and Ann Surace Present GEORGE GERSHWIN from TIN PAN ALLEY to BROADWAY to CARNEGIE HALL The program will highlight Gershwin s musical career and his stylistic development from Tin Pan Alley to Opera and the Concert Stage. A few vocal examples will demonstrate Gershwin s evolution from Ragtime to Broadway to Opera The I Got Rhythm Theme and Variations for piano and orchestra shows his later interest in classical forms. Each variation creates a new mood and a new sound: a Waltz Triste, a Chinese variation. Conceived as a concerto for piano and orchestra, the piece was also arranged by the composer for two pianos. Gershwin loved jazz and was strongly influenced by it. But he was also a serious classical musician, and this is evident in much of his music. As a teenager, someone heard him practicing Bach preludes. Are you studying to be a classical pianist? No, I m studying to be a jazz musician!!3

4 Ron and Anne Surace Biographies DR. RON SURACE holds a DMA degree in classical piano performance and a lifetime of experience in jazz. He earned performance degrees from Kent State, Oberlin, Northwestern, and Cincinnati College-Conservatory and studied jazz with George Shearing. He has taught on the faculties of Jacksonville State University where he was awarded Faculty Scholar Lecturer of the Year Award; the University of Cincinnati; St. Thomas University; and Del Mar College. He currently teaches piano at the Music Institute of Chicago, Lake Forest campus, and conducts the popular 17-piece big band, In Full Swing, which has earned thousands of dollars for charities. He was the Silver Medal Winner for jazz composition and performance at the Downbeat Music Festival USA National Finals in Oakland California. He won the NEA/GTA Southeastern States National Endowment for composition, and his works were featured at the regional convention and at numerous Arts festivals. His wife, Ann, also performed with him on piano and sang his original art songs. His opera, Wonderland was produced by the Festivanni Arts Council with Ann singing the role of Alice. Ron s Jacksonville State University jazz band was chosen by audition to represent New York s Friendship Ambassadors Foundation in an Eastern European good will tour. The following year, he and Ann were invited to travel with a cultural delegation of musicians and artists on a tour to Moscow in Ron has recorded for Columbia Pictures and Southport records. He has performed as pianist with Ray McKinley (Glenn Miller), Sy Zentner, Ralph Martieri, Bob Crosby, Steve Allen, and Bob Hope. ANN SURACE is a piano instructor at the Music Institute of Chicago at Lake Forest and Director of Music/Organist at Christ the King Anglican Church in Evanston. She holds a MM in piano performance from Northwestern University where she studied with Gui Mombaerts and taught in the preparatory department under Guy Duckworth. Her BM in performance is from St. Olaf College under Charlotte Donhowe. There she minored in violin and was principle first violin in the college orchestra. Her musical background is enriched by may years of study in violin, clarinet, organ, and voice, with experience in orchestral, chamber, and church music. She was soprano soloist in countless oratorios and she sang the role of Alice in her husband's chamber opera, Wonderland." Ann's teaching career began in her mother's piano studio at age 13. After college she taught on the faculties of St. Olaf College, the U of Cincinnati College Conservatory, and Jacksonville State University. When her two children were young she taught piano in her private studio for several years. As a young adult she won the Farwell Piano Competition and was a finalist in the National Association of Teachers of Singing voice auditions at the graduate level. Many of her students have won prizes in competitions: Several first-place state winners of the AMTA Mason-Hamlin High School Auditions and AMTA Baldwin Competition; NSMTA Sonata Festivals and AIM auditions; and numerous scholarships in piano and voice.!4

5 MTNA Members of the Year 2017 A big congratulations to Dawn Johnson and George Radosavljevic, who were both voted NSMTA Members of the Year 2017! DAWN JOHNSON grew up in northern Minnesota and moved to the Chicago area in 1978 to study piano performance with Mary Sauer at DePaul University. Prior to coming to Chicago, she attended the University of Minnesota and North Texas State University where she studied with Artist In Residence, Stephan Bardas. She currently maintains an active piano studio in Glencoe, IL. Today, Dawn s interests are in developing an adult piano method using a sound-beforesymbol pre-reading approach. This approach, entitled Intuitpiano For Adults, allows students to translate familiar tunes directly from sound to the piano keyboard. Dawn is married with two adult children ages 21 and 24. Both sons are her first priority and she loves spending time in Glencoe as well as northern Minnesota. She is an active member of The North Shore Music Teachers Association. Most recently she was the Second Vice President and Membership Chair, and she currently serves as a Social Media and Marketing Chair. Pianist GEORGE RADOSAVLJEVIC is well-known in the Chicago area as both soloist and collaborative pianist. Most recently he has been heard in recital at the historic Glessner House Museum in Chicago and the Cathedral of Saint John in Milwaukee, as well as in lecture-recitals throughout the Chicago area. Mr. Radosavljevic has appeared on the Dame Myra Hess Concert Series, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chamber Music Series, and in many solo and ensemble concerts broadcast live on WFMT Radio. His playing has been called "polished and elegantly shaped" by the Chicago Tribune and "consistently enchanting" by the Pioneer Press. Mr. Radosavljevic appears as orchestral pianist with the Lake Forest Symphony and is currently on the faculty of the Music Institute of Chicago and DePaul University School of Music, Community Music Division. He is a founding member of the piano trio; Trio Capriccio, and is the director of the RMU Chamber Ensemble (Ensemble in Residence at Robert Morris University), which provides educational concerts in a variety of venues. Mr. Radosavljevic has also concertized with his son, Bass-Baritone Leo Radosavljevic, most recently in Tallinn and Pärnu, Estonia, as well as at Ravinia Festival last fall. He is a board member of both the North Shore Music Teachers Association and the Chicago Area Chapter of the American Liszt Society. Mr. Radosavljevic holds the degree Master of Music in Piano Performance from DePaul University as a scholarship student of Dmitry Paperno. In his free time he enjoys golf, skiing, and visiting art galleries.!5

6 ISMTA TEACHER OF THE YEAR We are thrilled to announce that our very own Jennifer Cohen was chosen to be ISMTA Teacher of the Year for 2017! Jennifer was nominated by our group in the Spring, and went through an application process that included letters of recommendation from colleagues, students and parents. She will be honored at the ISMTA conference banquet on November 3rd. A big congratulations to Jennifer! Jennifer Cohen, NCTM, is an active member of NSMTA, having held positions as past president and Sonata-Sonatina Festival chair. She is the current AIM chair Certification chair. In addition to her many local positions, Jennifer serves as the Illinois State Competition chair and recently, she served as the East Central Division National Commissioner for MTNA Certification. She enjoys mentoring members pursuing National Certification. Jennifer s teaching career began in high school, under the tutelage of her piano teacher, Elvina Pearce, who she gives much credit for giving her the guidance and mentorship to pursue a career in the teaching field. Jennifer received a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Oberlin Conservatory, followed by a Master of Music in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Northwestern University in Her teachers include Robert Shannon, Julian Martin, David Kaiserman, and Frances Larimer. Upon graduation, she continued to teach at the Music Academy at Northwestern University until 1997, where her duties included teaching students of all ages and levels as well as supervising student teaching of undergraduate and graduate candidates in the Piano Pedagogy program. She was also instrumental in implementing the Pre-Piano Program for preschool and kindergarten age students. Jennifer taught keyboard skills at DePaul University from , where she served as the program coordinator from Other teaching appointments include the Piano Preparatory Division of North Central College in Naperville, IL and development and teaching of group piano classes at the Buffalo Grove Park District in Buffalo Grove, IL Jennifer has presented at local associations and state conferences. Many of her students have been award winners in local piano festivals and competitions as well as being invited to perform at state and national conferences. All her students participate in AIM with many advancing to level 12. She has been teaching in the north and northwest suburbs for over 30 years and currently maintains a large, thriving home studio in Hawthorn Woods.!6

7 Northwestern University Music Academy Faculty Recital You are invited to attend the Northwestern University Music Academy faculty recital. NSMTA members performing include Annie Hsiao, Grace Juang, Karen Kan-Walsh Yeeseon Kwon, Heidi Mayer, Mary Beth Molenaar, Katie Randolph, Jia-Yee Tang, and Jennifer Merry! November 12th, 2:00 p.m. 70 Arts Circle, Ryan Center, Evanston Galvin Hall The recital will include a variety of works by romantic and contemporary composers including exciting 2-piano, 8-hand works by St. Saens Danse Macabre, and Sabre Dance by Khatchaturian. Please come!!7

8 IMPORTANT! NSTMA YEARBOOK CORRECTIONS PIANO COMPETITION, pages Rule 8...Students will not be able to warm up at the Intelligent Fingers Piano Studio, and neither parents, teachers or students are invited into the room where students are judged. Rule 12: First place winners will be allowed to compete in the same division again. In the Primary Division: the Kabalevsky piece should read: Theme and 5 Variations, in F major, Op. 51 #1 SONATA-SONATINA FESTIVAL, pages There are a few errors in the Yearbook regarding the application procedures for this year s Sonata-Sonatina Festival. Some of these will directly affect you and your students, so please make a note of these changes: 1. You may now enter a maximum of 10 students, rather than The fee is now $30 per student, NOT $ If you don t do the volunteer work this year, you won t be allowed to enter students next year. All of correct information is listed on our website, nsmta.org. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Bruce Berr at berr@comcast.net.!8

9 Southern Illinois Piano Festival, October 14-18, 2017 Guest Pianists Nina Ferrigno from Washington University in St. Louis and Sandro Russo from New York will join SIU Piano Faculty Artists: Yuko Kato and JunghwaLee during an exciting 5 day period, comprised of 4 concerts, 3 masterclasses and 2 clinics including Solo and Duo Piano Recitals on SIU Carbondale Campus. All concerts and masterclasses are free and open to the public. The festival information and the registration forms can be found on our website: Attend the ISMTA Conference in November! Make plans now to attend the ISMTA conference on November 3-5, 2017, held this year at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, IL. NSMTA members George Radosavljevic, Svetlana Belsky and Karen Kan-Walsh will be presenting sessions, and Dawn Johnson and George Radosavljevic will be honored at the banquet as NSMTA members of the year. In addition, Jenny Cohen has been selected as the ISMTA Teacher of the Year! Congratulations to all of our members! The conference artist is Panayis Lyras, a professor of piano and artist in residence at the Michigan State University. The conference hotel is the Comfort Inn, 1500 Highway 50 in Bourbonnais. More information can be found by visiting the ISMTA website:

10 AIM NEWS AIM Theory online enrollment will begin November 6, 2017 on our website, AIM Theory Judges meeting is Monday, November 13, 2017 Time: 9:30 am Place: Marlene Chatain s home 2545 Greeley Ave Evanston, IL AIM Theory online registration deadline is December 8, 2017 AIM Theory Exam Dates January 21, 2018 January 28, 2018 Locations: Northwestern University Music Institute of Chicago, Lake Forest campus 1818 Hinman Ave 40 East Old Mill Road Evanston, IL Lake Forest, IL Enrollment Fees: (please note the increase in fees for levels 9-12) Levels 1-2: $15.00 Levels 3-8: $25.00 Levels 9-12: $30.00 Students in levels 1A, 1B, 1C and 2 can take the exam on either of the 2 Theory exam dates at either location OR on April 15, 2018 at the Music Institute of Chicago, Winnetka campus only. Please make note of this when preparing your early level students. AIM Syllabus and Workbooks are available for purchase through the ISMTA website. To order: Go to Go to Shop in the top menu bar and select AIM Syllabi or AIM Workbooks from the drop down menu. You will be directed to the online store where you can select your items and check out. (continued on next page )!10

11 AIM NEWS (continued) Here is some additional information regarding the online registration: All teachers will need to create a new account again, even if you have an account from last year. You can use the same and password, or create a new password for this year. Once you create your account, go back to the login page to start your enrollments. Please fill in your Volunteer Availability form for judging or monitor assignments. Please be as flexible as possible. Enroll each student separately. You will be able to add, delete or change any student or student information until the enrollment deadline. Enrollment fees are payable online through PayPal, or by sending one check will all student enrollment fees to your site coordinator. Make checks payable to NSMTA. Please double check for correct spelling and accuracy of all information entered! If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Cohen at Jicohen1@aol.com or Jia-Yee Tang at jiayeetang@gmail.com. Jennifer Cohen, AIM Chair Congratulations to the following students on successfully completing AIM level 12 this year! Kayeman Tu, student of Ann Birman Yiting Zhao, student of Jing Chang Tiffany Yen, student of Jennifer Cohen Emma Hedges, student of Debbie Gillette Sicheng Zhou, student of Annie Hsiao Ashley Kim, student of Brenda Huang Freddie Tang, student of Brenda Huang Kimiko Darcy, student of Brenda Huang Lauralyn Lin, student of Brenda Huang Nicholas Huang, student of Brenda Huang Corona Chen, student of Grace Juang Daniela Ostrov, student of Larisa Kitaychik Rayann Yao, student of Layla Li Libby Apley, student of Susan Osborn Luke Phillips, student of Susan Osborn Nicole Keresh, student of Tatyana Stepanova Katie Mueller, student of Jessica Walker Melody Yelenosky, student of Martha Yelenosky Hannah Xu, student of Vivian Zhao!11

12 - - - Announcements Would YOU like to present a pre-meeting program? This year, we ll continue to offer NSMTA members the opportunity to present pre-meeting programs. Do you have some teaching ideas you'd like to organize and share with your colleagues? Perhaps you have experience with technology and how it can help in the private lesson studio? We hope to focus on technology in some of our pre-meetings this year, so if you use computer programs, i-pads or special apps in your teaching, we want to hear from you! Pre-meeting programs are just thirty minutes long, and take place from 9:30-10:00 AM, before the NSMTA business meeting at 10 AM. If you've got an idea and some possible dates, please them to: Jennifer Merry, jmerry@comcast.net, or Eric Sutz, ewsutz@aol.com.!12