UMTA Christmas

Tuesday's meeting was fun, even if lightly attended due to so many "other" activities at this time of year.   We were given the gift of  UMTA Conference Highlights!

Those in attendance enjoyed the Christmas cookies (great ginger snaps!!), crackers and dip, and Christmas salad while we watched the "Peek Into UMTA Studios" that had been presented at the state conference in November.  It was fun to talk about the many different ideas teachers use in their studios.  Even implementing one or two can make all the difference in YOUR studio.  (It did mine!)

There were handouts from some of the workshops held at Conference:

The Joy of Teaching The Untalented

Favorite Apps and Websites

Choosing Literature to Pique Student's Interest


We also had a demonstration of some of the more advanced technique and music being added to Piano Maestro.   Hanon, Czerny, and more.  It was a great reminder that this is an amazing app available FREE (for teachers and students of teachers) on Ipads (only).  It motivates students to practice much more than normal.  It's great for sightreading, rhythm practice, metronome practice, and SO much more!!

Piano Maestro - JoyTunes

There was also a "hands-on" section with play-dough.  It helped us see a very quick and effective way to help our youngest-to-oldest students get correct finger/hand position, and fluid wrist movement.

Play dough Ideas...

If you would like to watch the Studio Tour video, go to the UMTA website here:  Member Resources
Then click the link for Peek Inside UMTA Studios.  It's about 15 minutes long.

Hope to see you next month!   (Dr. Nancy Allred will be presenting her Top Five Technique Tips!)

November 2015 Chapter Meeting

Brandon Lee presented an informative and enjoyable workshop on the things he looks for in a performance when he is judging or adjudicating.  Some are obvious, but were very important reminders and we talked in depth about different aspects.
Here are some of the things Brandon covered:

1. Notes - accuracy
2. Rhythmic accuracy
3. Articulation - slurs, staccato, portato, tenuto, accents, etc.
4. Dynamics - contrast is very important
5. Tempo - clean and slower is better than faster and messy
6. Having a "clean" copy of music for the judge is nice...so they're not influenced by teacher markings and whether they "get it right!"
7. Most importantly, did the performer make me FEEL something?  Did the performance convey emotion?  Was it convincing?

After our discussion, Brandon played six different performances of Chopin's Nocturne Op.15 Nr 2.  We each had music to review, like judges, to see what we liked and didn't like about each performance.  We listened to, and discussed our preferences, without knowing the identity of each performer.  When we had listened to all five, and after making our own decisions on rankings according to our preferences, we were told who each performer was.  VERY interesting!!!  

The six artists were:

1. Eugen d'Albert
2. Rachmaninoff
3. Paderewski
4. Horowitz
5. Rubenstein
6. Yundi Li

As a teenager I listened to a LOT of Arthur Rubenstein recordings and was thrilled when I went to 

one of his concerts (he was 86 at the time!)  I had the privilege of meeting him afterwards and we compared 

our hand sizes while a photographer snapped a couple of pictures.  

Now, 42 years later, I was pleasantly pleased to know I STILL chose Arthur Rubenstein as my favorite performer!!

Thanks for a great Chapter meeting, Brandon, and all who attended!!

Patrice

SHANE BOWLES - St. George Tabernacle 10/7/2015

Shane Bowles - St. George Tabernacle - NEW DAY CONCERT

MODULATING MADE EASY!!

Today was our first meeting held on DSU campus, and it worked out extremely well!!  The parking worked out perfectly, we are so grateful for the passes we were give by DSU to accommodate us, and accessibility works out nicely.

The presentation Shane Bowles gave was perfectly titled!!  It was truly modulating made easy!!  He presented so much information that could be used by a novice, to an expert.  It was SO good that even I was able to go home and apply some of the concepts I learned this afternoon with four of my five Tuesday afternoon students.  One of my students put it into words perfectly.  He said, "Wow!!  This is sooooo cool!!"  I couldn't have said it better!!

If you missed today's meeting, grab someone who was there and ask for some tips!!  And don't miss next month's meeting.  Its going to be great.  Brandon Lee is going to be presenting and teaching us how to improvise easily.

Hope to see you there!!

OCTOBER CHAPTER MEETING

SHANE BOWLES - MODULATING MADE EASY!! 

OCTOBER 6th, noon until 1:00 p.m. 

DIXIE STATE UNIVERSITY PAB 114 

 I have parking passes for UMTA members!

(Good for our Tuesday monthly meetings only...all year long!)

2015 PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS

2015 PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS
October 23-24, 2015

Registration deadline is October 9th, 2015

Get your student list with registration info AND MONEY to Lynn Dean ASAP!

TABERNACLE CONCERT - October 6th, 7 p.m.

NEW DAY

Live concert by Shane Bowles 

FREE

Open to the public

St. George Tabernacle

October 6th, 2015

7:00 p.m.

You, AND your students, won't want to miss this!!

Shane was a quarter finalist in the
 1999 Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition.,
performed at 
New York's Carnegie Hall in 2003, 
Beethoven's third piano concerto, 
to a standing ovation,
and has received numerous awards and honors.

Shane is a charismatic performer 
who thrills his audience with 
his ease of performing 
classical through contemporary compositions, 
as well as original works and arrangements.

It will be a night to remember!!