Happy New Year! I hope each and every one of you had a safe and restful holiday season. We all seem to begin this New Year running as we are preparing students for festivals, auditions and recitals.
Our 47th annual conference at Coker College was a wonderful event. Our Vice-President for Conferences Linda Li-Bleuel and local host Joanne Kampiziones did a marvelous job of coordinating the excellent recitals and inspiring sessions. Vice-President for MTNA Competitions Derek Parsons deserves our grateful praise for the efficiently run competitions. Congratulations to all our winners who recently competed at the Southern Division recently at Furman University.
Camille Miles, our MTNA Foundation Chair raised $760 for the foundation. How wonderful! I'm sure we all enjoyed the many items that were collected for the raffle. Mark your calendar for Nov. 6-8 at Bob Jones University for our 2008 conference to see what is in store.
I hope many of you are considering traveling to Denver for the MTNA National Conference March 29-April 2, 2008. As always it looks like a jam-packed event with recitals, competitions, master-classes, sessions and the wonderful exhibit hall.
Over the past several months I have had the privilege of attending local associations meetings and programs in Columbia, Greenville, Charleston, Anderson and Myrtle Beach. I hope to get to the others before my term as president is over. I have appreciated the invitations to speak and for the opportunity to meet so many of our members.
In closing, I hope everyone has a productive semester as you prepare your students to achieve their goal in all performing opportunities that await them in the months ahead.
David Thompson, President
South Carolina Southern Division Results
- MTNA Young Artist Performance Competition
Voice Honorable Mention: Maria Antunez (Deanna McBroom)
- MTNA Junior Performance Competition
Woodwind Winner: Faith Russell, flute (Mary Ally B Purtle)
- MTNA Senior Performance Competition
Piano Winner: Katherine Harris (Marina Lomazov)
Woodwind Alternate: Chelsea Cox, oboe (Mary Ally B Purtle)
- MTNA Chamber Music Performance Competition
Honorable Mention: Converse College Undergraduate String Quartet,
coached by Sarah Johnson
- MTNA Senior Composition Competition
Winner: Dale Alan Forsythe (Peter Davis)
Opportunity for Service at State Auditions
If you are planning to enter students in our State Auditions, please send Helena Meetze names of students who would be interested in monitoring or providing other light duties. Contact Helena at: (803) 776-6500 or hmeetze@bellsouth.net.
South Carolina Foundation Fellow
A total $760 for the South Carolina Foundation Fellow was raised at the 2007 Conference! My goal for the 2008 Conference is $1000. If we raise this amount, we can name a South Carolina Foundation Fellow. From reading the bios of past recipients, this is an honor that should go to someone who is a great contributor to music and who is/was active in the MTNA on the local, state, or national level. The recipient can be living or deceased.
Please submit nominations to me in 200 words or less describing who you believe should be the recipient of the 2008 Foundation Fellow award and why. Please include an e-mail address and phone number where you can be reached for any questions. You may e-mail nominations to me at camilledmiles@yahoo.com, or mail them to my home at 1679 Partridge Drive, Aiken, SC 29803-5715. Submissions will be accepted until the next Board meeting.
News from Dr. Scott Price
I wanted to share some news with our SCMTA membership. I recently learned that my on-line journal Piano Pedagogy Forum is the recipient of the Music Teachers National Association 2008 Frances Clark Keyboard Pedagogy Award. This is a huge honor for us and I'm so proud that SCMTA is represented by this award. The following is some of the information I received in the notification:
This annual award was established by a bequest to MTNA by the renowned pedagogue, Frances Clark. It is given to a person or company who has made significant contributions to the field of keyboard pedagogy through the creation and development of products and publications that further the profession. Past recipients are The Pianist's Guide by Jane Magrath (2001), Freeing the Caged Bird by Barbara Lister-Sink (2002), Creative Piano Teaching by James Lyke(2003), The Well-Tempered Piano Teacher by Marienne Uszler (2004), Guide to the Pianist's Repertoire by Maurice Hinson (2005), the Yamaha Disklavier (2006) and Frederick Harris Celebration Series: The Piano Odyssey (2007). According to the committee, the Piano Pedagogy Forum is making a significant and unique contribution to the field of piano pedagogy and they are pleased to make this nomination.
This is very exciting for me, my editorial board, USC, and I'm so pleased that we can represent our organization here in South Carolina
Sincerely,
Scott
Dr. Scott Price
Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy Head, Piano Area
USC School of Music
http://www.music.sc.edu/ea/keyboard
Important Bylaws Information
Approved changes voted on by the SCMTA Executive Committee and Board, January 26, 2008.
- Amend Article I - Membership, Section 4:
Replace: Senior Membership shall be open to all individuals sixty-five (65) years or older who have actively been professionally engaged in any field of music activity and who have maintained MTNA membership for a minimum of five years.
With: Senior membership shall be open to all individuals seventy (70) years or older who have actively been professionally engaged in any field of music activity and who have maintained MTNA membership for a minimum of five years.
- Delete from Bylaws, Article IV, Section 2:
In order to enter students in SCMTA Auditions, annual dues must be paid by July 1. In order to enter students in MTNA Competitions, annual dues must be paid by the first day of September. - Bylaws, Article XI, Section 1:
Replace: Written notice of the proposed amendment(s) must be submitted to the SCMTA Board at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance of the meeting.
With: Written or electronic notice of the proposed amendment(s) must be submitted to the SCMTA Board at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance of the meeting.
- Bylaws, Article XI, Section 2:
Add: Upon recommendation of the Executive Committee these Bylaws may also be amended by a two-thirds vote via an electronic ballot open to the members of the SCMTA Board. The ballot and proposed amendment(s) must be submitted to the SCMTA Board at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance of the required return time. The date and time for return of the completed ballots must be clearly stated on the ballot.