NEW SCHOOL YEAR, ALREADY!!

 Time flies on wings of lightning...or so it seems.  Didn't we just start our summer break?

Today was our first UMTA - St. George Meeting for 2026-27 and it was really nice to be back together!

We started off by discussing several items of business that were important.  E.g. Who all of our past presidents have been since becoming a MTNA chapter in 1994 with Dr. Nancy Allred at the helm!  That was a fun "memory lane" trip!  

We also discussed the deadline (tonight!) for Performance Evaluation registrations.

We need an AIM assistant for Caroline

We need a VP to assist Amanda

We need to see about holding an October chapter meeting, or just attending the UMTA State Conference towards the end of the month.

THEN we shared several of our favorite pieces we enjoy teaching our students, as well as favorite Method books.  There were some great recommendations!

Judy Sepp wasn't able to attend today, but she shared her thoughts via email:

What method do I use ?  Actually, I use many.  It depends on the student, their learning styles and many other factors.  When I lived in Georgia we were in an area with a large military presence.  The predominant population was related to the Base and its support, so the vast majority of my students emanated from that source.  Due to constant relocation of personnel, transfer students were the norm.  They came with many different method books already in progress, therefore it was necessary to adapt to a wide variety, finish out the books and then move on. 

I have come to the conclusion that there is no perfect method.  There are ones that I prefer, ones that fit comfortably with my teaching style.  There are ones that seem to create a positive student response.  This varies as different students have different needs.  Often a student will develop an interest in a specific area, like composition or improvisation.  Some methods will lend themselves better to encouraging those specific  interests.  It is not unusual for me to combine methods to customize teaching for individual needs.

Amanda's Favorite Student songs

End Game - Jennifer Eklund    https://pianopronto.com/sheet-music/piano-solos/end-game-multi-pack/

Can Can - arr by Jennifer Eklund

https://pianopronto.com/sheet-music/piano-solos/can-can-easy-piano/

Fur Elise

Rondo Alla Turca

https://gmajormusictheory.org/Freebies/freebies.html

Test Drive - Easy

https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/chrissy-ricker/test-drive-beginner-abridged/MN0273176

Test drive - Intermediate 

https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/chrissy-ricker/test-drive-intermediate/MN0273223

Linus and Lucy - Easy

https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/jennifer-eklund/linus-and-lucy-peanuts-theme-beginner/MN0213433

Books

Guardians of Arronmore

Playtime piano popular - level 1 (Faber) - Star wars

Playtime piano popular - level 1 (Faber) Hedwig’s Theme

Playtime piano Disney (Faber) He’s a Pirate

Movie themes

Jurassic Park 

Spiderman

Intersteller

Caroline highly recommended The Piano Safari Method by Fisher

Ken shared his love for The Essential Keyboard Repertoire book.

Sandra shared The Rhythm Machine by Lynn Freeman Olson,

The Easiest Gillock Pieces for Beginning Pianist, and

Piano Partners, Bk 1 by Bernard Shaw

Patrice had a few favorites: The Jazz Menagerie Bk 1 by Catherine Rollin,

Celebrated Piano Solos, bk 3 by Vandall, Tricky Traffic by Garrow,

The Flaming Tambourine by Glover, and Toccata by Cuellar.

    

    

    

Closing Social Extraorinaire!

 On Tuesday, May 12th, we all gathered at the home of Mark Gubler for our end-of-year social/potluck luncheon.

Everyone brought something to share and we enjoyed mingling with each other.  It was nice to see members we haven't seen for awhile, and also to meet new members.  Our chapter has such a great membership and we really enjoy being together.

One of our members was gifted several pieces of sheet music from World War I and World War II eras.  It was fun to see them before they are donated to the Southern Utah Veterans Home in Ivins.

During lunch, our current president, Tiffany Barnes, passed the torch to our new chapter president, Amanda Horrocks, who has been serving as Vice President.  She will do an amazing job carrying on a great legacy for our chapter.

Thanks to all for being a part of UMTA - St. George!!  See you in the Fall!

Also, REMEMBER TO RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP HERE:  UMTA/MTNA Membership Renewal

  

  

Un-Broken...

 During April's chapter meeting, I mentioned about my experience using AI to compose lyrics and write a song using AI.  It was a "firehose" experience and was overwhelming until I did it!!  It was all part of "Beyond the Notes" a 4-week piano course I took from Shane Bowles.  

During this meeting I explained that one of my daughters was going through a VERY difficult time...which gave me inspiration for the lyrics.  The rest came from following Shane's easy-to-understand, and follow, instruction!

This song may not win any awards, but it was beyond meaningful to me, and my daughter!!  

I am so grateful for the opportunities we have as muscians to continue to learn and grow!

Un-Broken

Un-Broken by Patrice Hunt

I was walking through the shadows,


Heavy heart and silent cries.


Every echo of the past spoke


Of dreams I’d watched capsize.


I was hurt and I was frightened,


Thought I’d break beneath the strain—

Then Christ stepped into my darkness


And walked with me through the pain.

I whispered “broken” so often it felt true,

But He spoke life to my heart and pulled me through.


Through Christ, I will overcome.  

Even when I fall, His strength is where I run.


I was broken, now I stand—
By His grace, I will overcome.

I was tangled up in anger,


Let it steal what I could be.


Felt inadequate and ignorant,


Blind to what He’d see in me.

But Christ taught me to be honest,


Face the fear I used to hide—

And the moment that I trusted


Was the moment my fear died.

Once terrified of falling, now I walk unafraid—


His truth shatters every lie my doubt has made.


Through Christ, I will overcome.


Even when I fall, His strength is where I run.


I was broken, now I stand—
By His grace, I will overcome.

He sees every scar, every tear I cried.


He walks through the storm, ever by my side.


When the night returns, I won’t run or hide—


His light is the reason I survive.

Through Christ, I will overcome.


Even in the night, His hope will still remain.



Though I’m weak, still I stand—

Held by nail-scarred hands…

Through Christ, I will overcome


I thought I was alone,


'Til He whispered to my soul:  

“In Me, you’ve overcome--


I’ve made you whole.”

April's Appetizer of Teaching Takeaways

 Patrice Hunt was our presenter today and shared some of the "nuggets" she has cleaned from presenters over the past several years.

She described the large black tote with bright yellow lid that has been a thorn in her piano room's side for the past couple of years.  She finally pulled it out of the room, and refused to let it return.  Upon opening the lid, she discovered some treasures:  notes taken at different conferences since 2017 that had great impact on her piano teaching!  She shared five of those with us today.

#1 - Dr. Jared Pearce's explanation of SIPS.  Short Interval Practice Sessions.  He gave out timers (as did Patrice!) to everyone present as he explained their use.  Set the timer for one minute and practice one measure, or one line, depending on need.  See how many times you can get it correct in one minute, even if it's played slowly.  When that part is learned, move to the next section and play for a "SIP" until learned.  Then add those two sections together, etc.  SIPS really work, whether for a beginning student who is getting frustrated with learning, or an advanced student who is trying to learn a difficult piece.

#2  Beyond the Notes was a 4-week teacher training course offered by Shane Bowles at the UMTA Conference in 2025.  Patrice signed up for it and loved it.  There was a whole slew of stuff that was covered in the 4 weeks, but one of the things Patrice shared was the inversions taught.  The handout had some great ways to practice inversions including root position (major and minor), 1st inversion (major and minor) and 2nd inversion (major and minor) with the left hand playing the root note in octave form. 

         

#3  Caroline Jennings at SUPPC 2022.  What causes stress in our students?  NUTS

The acronym stands for the following contributors to stress:

1.  Things that are Novel...or new.  A new piece, new environment, new family situation, and so more.

2.  Things that are Unpredictable.  A sudden fall-apart in a recital; changes that weren't anticipated.

3.  Things that can be perceived as a Threat (to ego or self).  Think safety or competence.

4.  Things that are Stressful.  There are Positive stresses (brief and tolerable) vs Toxic stresses (frequent and prolonged)

Fix the things you can control and it will reduce your stress.  Understanding where it's coming from helps.

#4  Jerald Simon's Variations on Mary Had a Little Lamb.  

Patrice combined several of the variations into one sheet for her students.  The book is a great resource!

         

#5  MTNA's publication AMT.  Sometimes we run out of time to read important things pertaining to our teaching.  Patrice highlighted the last page of the magazine as a MUST READ of every issue, even if you don't read anything else!  "I Named a Feather Macaroni!"

OUR NEXT CHAPTER MEETING WILL BE OUR CLOSING SOCIAL MAY 12th AT MARK GUBLER'S HOME (close to Dixie High School).  Potluck lunch!!

SUPPC 2026 - Southern Utah Piano Pedagogy Conference

 If you missed this amazing Conference, or need a quick reference, here are some important links:

Southern Utah Piano Pedagogy Conference

Dr. Jared Pearce - Minute Measures:  How to Boost Your Productivity

Mark Gubler:  The Inner Game of Music

Patrice Hunt: Tips and Tricks of the Teaching Trade

Caroline Jennings:  Building Passion and Cultural Awareness Through Music

Dr. Jared Pearce - Building Technique

forScore and Mobile Sheets

To find other links: Google Southern Utah Piano Pedagogy Conference 2026

Merry Christmas to All!!

UMTA Southern Utah Chapter Service Recital at St. George Rehab

On December 9 at noon, the UMTA Southern Utah Chapter presented a service recital at St. George Rehab that brought joy and connection through music. Residents were invited to participate with percussion instruments, singing and playing along as the music unfolded. Performers Tiffany Barnes Watts, Mark Gubler, Jerald Simon, and Rebecca Spear shared a variety of selections, creating an engaging and welcoming atmosphere. Adding to the magic, a couple of the residents joined in by breaking out their guitars and serenading everyone in the room. The 45-minute recital was a wonderful experience, filled with music, smiles, and meaningful shared moments.

 

Getting Your Students (without saying a word!)

 Dr. Carmen Hall, UMTA President, and musician extraordinaire paid our St. George Chapter a visit and shared a great presentation with us on inspiring our students.  

We all shared some of our own ideas of motivating students:  bribery, rewarding, compliments, critique, and others!

We underestimate the effects of positive reinforcement.  Recording a lesson session to hear how you as a teacher come across may be an excellent tool for improving your teaching.  

Sometimes questions of curiosity, rather than inquisition, can be effective.  

• Can I give you some feedback?
• That is really good.  You at about 90-95% there.  Is that good enough for you, or would you like to polish it a bit more?
• Are you enjoying learning this piece?
• Shall we try your scales with a different rhythm?  
• How would you like to do it?

The more you try it, the better you'll get at asking questions...

Having a way for students to measure their progress can be very effective.  Whether it's leveling up on technique, or playing more difficult pieces at each piano recital, students like to see and recognize their progress.

Encouraging students to come up with their own practice games, and then sharing them with you at their next lesson.  

Every student is different and unique.  As teachers, one of our important jobs is to discover what the student responds to and makes them light up.  We need to be creative and pay attention to our students.

What is YOUR Intention??

 Nancy Guymon gave a great presentation on "Sharpening Your Tools..." and there were some great takeaways!

• Isador Philip - contrary motion, isolated finger movement practice.  Nancy had once of her students (Dena Young) at our meeting to demonstrate this technique.  We (some of us) learned what a whole note and a line on either side of it equals:   It's a note that is held for 8 counts.  The benefits of this contrary motion exercise were discussed and we were encouraged to try it out!

  For the full version of this exercise, click HERE.

  

• INTENTION:  Nancy explained that it's important to help our students identify what their intentions are...maybe they've been called goals before, but using different terminology may help our studentts.  "What is your intention?"  Ask your student to be specific in pinpointing what it is THEY plan to do during the coming week to improve their piano skills.  It takes a bit of effort to help them be specific in identifying what they want to do, and what they are willing to do to improve.

Nancy gave each teacher present a white board to use in their studio to help facilitate this discussion.  

I tried it out on a few of my students on Wednesday and Thursday.  It opened up some good dialog and self-assessment!  We'll see how their "intentions" play out this coming week!!

 

(I wish I had thought to take a picture with each student holding their "Intention" board.

Our next chapter meeting will be held November 11th.  

Dr. Carmen Hall, UMTA President, will present:

 "Motivation, Without Saying a Word"

Noon, 155 Eccles Bldg, Utah Tech Campus

Let The School Year Begin!!

 Although summer is a nice break from routine, school starting up and getting back into our routines is also nice!

Our first Chapter meeting was held September 9 and was enjoyable getting back together with music colleagues.  We shared some thoughts, games, and other ideas that we have enjoyed implementing with our students.  

One game/activity was building scales and chords with blocks.  (See the black and white blocks in the photo)  This can be geared to student level whether it be five finger scales, or full scales with lots of sharps or flats.  Very tactile and fun!

There was a composer look-alikes packet that was shared.  It is out of print and not accessible anywhere, so the pictures were scanned and can be found HERE!.  There are some really great ideas.

We hope to see you at our next Chapter meeting, October 14, 2025, held at Utah Tech, 115 Eccles Bldg.

QUESTIONS:  Call or text 435.632.6733

            

Ready, Set, AIM!!!

 We had a great presentation today by Caroline Jennings!

She shared a great deal about adjudication especially for when we have the responsibility to judge piano students for AIM or other events.  There was an excellent handout of ways to say "Good Job!"

Caroline covered SOME of the upcoming AIM information.  But there is more to come!  Here are some of the details we need to know!

Registration Due

Tuesday February 11, 2025

Please fill out this online form and share it with Caroline when filled out. (Use the share button in the upper right hand corner to jenningsstudio@gmail.com)

Registration fees Due

Tuesday February 11, 2025

make a check out to “St. George UMTA” $35 per student

Test Distribution

A few weeks after February 11

Caroline will order all testing materials and ID sheets for everyone.

Theory and Ear Training Tests Due

Saturday April 26, 2025

Once these tests are distributed, teachers will proctor these tests for their own students. DO NOT GRADE your own students' tests.

Technique and Keyboard Skills

Friday April 25, 2025

Teachers adjudicate assigned students in their own studios. (home or commercial space)

Performance

Saturday April 26, 2025

These will be held at the Jennings’ Home 851 East Lizzie Lane, St. George. There will be a visiting adjudicator.

FAVORITES You May Not Know About...

Our October 8th Chapter meeting had Patrice Hunt sharing some of her "favorite" tips, tricks, and more.

She started out by sharing something she learned 5 years ago at a St. George Chapter meeting entitled, "Breaking the Curse of the Poor Sightreader."  (You can search for the write-up by plugging in the first three words in the search bar on this blog.)

Starting with one of the strategies shared at that meeting, even though she initially thought it wasn't very useful information, she showed us a great way to teach note recognition. using just 30 notes of a deck of flashcards (C2 - C6).  Her preferred flashcards are the double clef flashcards (white) by Jane Smisor Bastien sold at Daynes Music, Amazon (usually backordered!) or your favorite music store.  Watch the chapter Zoom recording to see how this works, using three different ways for students to know and say all 30 cards in under 1 minute.  It has made a big difference in Patrice's studio.

October Chapter Mtg Zoom Recording  Passcode is:  %nzE6&cj

Next she shared an easy way she teaches her students to learn to play two octave scales with hands together.  

C-G-D-A-E all use the same strategy.  "Start - doors - 3's- 1/2, 2-1 / 3's - doors - Thumbs - doors - 3's - 1/2 2/1  - 3's - doors- ends."  Again, watch the video if you need more details.  She also included "Scale hints" for all 12 major scales.

Patrice shared her "Practice chart" printed on mailing labels that she uses on her student's assignment book.  They write in the minutes practiced each day of the week.  This is good for their accountability and takes about 5 seconds to place on their assignment page for the week.

 

We also discussed "The Royal Household" and how it helps students prepare for recitals/evaluations.

King=Rhythm   Queen = Dynamics   Prince= A GREAT Ending

Along with this, Patrice shared Dr. Lynn Dean's "Maintenace Mode" of practicing a recital piece 4 times daily at Slow, Medium, Fast and Slow speeds. 

Lastly we discussed some great pieces students love that are easily taught by rote initially:  Nimble Fingers by Vandall; The Great Smokey Mountains by Glover; and Buzzing Bee by Nevin.

If you missed this, we hope you'll join us in November for another great chapter meeting!

September 2024 - UMTA Chapter Meeting

 September 10, 2024

What a great way to start off the new school year!!  Meeting new music friends and sharing some great music ideas via games!!

Debbie Clementson started things off with a music game she created after a favorite of her grandmothers.  She had cards with prompts, such as:  What symbols tells you to hold a note longer than it's value?  (Hopefully they come up with "fermata" then they start grabbing letters from the large pile of letters in the middle of the table until they've spelled that word.  Another card might ask:  How many beats does a whole note get in 4/4 time?  They quickly spell out "FOUR!"  And so on.  A fun way to review some music ideas that may need polishing.

Patrice Hunt had everyone grab a pair of drumsticks and divided the group into four sets.  Each group was given a separate rhythm sheet entitled "I Love Eating Hot Dogs."  They had to pay attention to their group's rhythm sheet as all the groups played together.  It's a great way to involve a lot of students while practicing counting aloud and doing something different from other groups.  She also shared the Rhythm Cups game, seen in the video at the top.  Very fun for students!!

We then divided into three groups where each group was taught, and played, a different game.  Then we rotated a couple of times so we all got to learn/experience different games.

Amanda Horrocks shared a game of Tic Tac Toe using dice with different note values on them.  Each person took a turn rolling and if you had that on your card, you got to put a gem on it.  This game and many others can be found on The Practice Shoppe

Danielle Smith brought a game, along with Mel Burke, and Caroline Jennings all brought games that I didn't get to play!!  Hopefully, they'll send information on what their game was called and how to play it!!

Everyone brought treats to share and it was a wonderful 50 minutes together.

Next month's meeting will be Tuesday, October 8th at noon.  Patrice Hunt will be sharing several ideas you may never have heard of:  

• The Royal Household
• Two handed scales - two octaves...made easy!!
• Ideas for mailing labels for your piano studio
• Favorite pieces that can be initally taught by rote

It's going to be fast and furious...you will not be bored!!