Category Archives: Conference

IMTA honors Mimi Zweig as 2011 Teacher of the Year

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This year’s IMTA teacher of the year has a long history of exceptional teaching that draws many students from far and wide to experience a phenomenal teacher who is truly devoted to students.  A fabulous teacher with a reputation for extremely high demands of students, this person has boundless energy for teaching extra lessons, arranging for performance opportunities for her students, and seeking out funding for special events.
This person is equally at home coaching beginning students as well as more advanced students who have gone on to have significant careers in music. SHE has been described by colleagues as an amazing pedagogue who possesses a comprehensive understanding of the human body and its relationship to the instrument.  She is not only a superb teacher of technique, but she also understands the emotional, inner meanings of the music and conveys this information to her students in remarkable ways.  Her ability to inspire and motivate children of all ages, and her musical depth and creativity are amazing.  She works tirelessly to help students reach that next level, never giving up on a single child.  Her “non-judgmental” philosophy – where mistakes are information and all problems can be resolved through careful analysis and correct repetition – has assisted multiple generations of students through the process of learning the VIOLIN.Continue reading→

Important Parking and Conference Travel Information

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CONFERENCE PARKING
Parking passes for Friday will be mailed to those who send requests with registrations prior to the September 30 deadline.  Those who register after that postmark deadline, requesting a pass, should park in a visitor garage, check in, and make sure they have their pass at exit of the garage. The pass remains the property of the university, and two-day attendees should return their pass to check-in on Saturday.  Friday-only attendees are requested to return their pass by mail. Information about Indiana University parking, and the locations of parking spaces can be found at the link below.  Our best advice is to park in the garages.  The Jordan Avenue Garage (5 minute walk) and the Atwater Garage (10 minute walk) are the two closest garages to check-in outside Auer Hall on the 2nd floor of the Simon Center (corner of Third and Jordan).
Map of IU Parking Facilities
DRIVING DIRECTIONS
Driving directions to the Indiana University Campus can be found on the Bloomington Indiana Visitor Information Center or by using any of various online map tools. Specific directions to the parking garages follow:Continue reading→

James Tocco Masterclass – Invitation from Dr. Karen Taylor

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Dear IMTA Colleagues,
I’m writing to invite you to nominate talented young pianists to perform in this year’s IMTA conference master class with James Tocco, of the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. As you know, this year’s state conference will be take place Oct. 21-22 at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington.  The  master class will be Saturday October 22 in Ford Hall (Simon Center) from 10:00am-11:50am.
I am coordinating the pre-college portion of this class. To select performers I invite you to submit CDs of talented students. Applicants should not only play well—they should also be able to respond well in a public master class. Prof. Tocco normally teaches advanced college pianists. He gives a wonderful master class…but you may want to alert interested students that his expectations will be high.
Students should be secure performers who can change on the spot, and who are not overly sensitive to public criticism. Parents should be strongly encouraged to bring young performers the night before so they will be well rested and can warm up.Continue reading→

2011 IMTA Conference Update!

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The 2011 Indiana Music Teachers Association Conference on October 21-22 will be held at Indiana University.  This year’s Conference Artist is Mr. James Tocco.  Mr. Tocco is internationally renown as a recitalist, orchestral soloist and Chamber musician.  He has been widely praised for his interpretations of Beethoven, Chopin, and Liszt. This year’s Conference offers an impressive array of topics from lecture/recitals to three exciting Tech sessions.  The Tech sessions are titled: Teaching Piano Literature with the Variations Digital Library, Teaching Piano-is there an app for that? and Building a Teaching library using Social Media Tools. Conference attendees will have many choices to make during the two day event.
On Friday we have the College Faculty Forum, Independent Music Teachers Forum and the Collegiate Chapter Forum in one time slot. The last session before the banquet offers two opportunities:  Guiding Young Composers or Brazilian Modern Nationalism-An exploration of Camargo Guarnieri’s 10 Momentos.
On Saturday, from Mr. Tocco’s Masterclass to the world premiere of the 2011 commissioned work by Aaron Travers to a performance by our own Hoosier Audition Winners and Opus Composition Festival Winners, there will be something for everyone. Our on-site Conference Chair David Cartledge has organized an amazing Conference!
Two days in southern Indiana during the turning of the leaves, with time to study, converse with fellow musicians and enjoy a world class concert by our Conference Artist is an opportunity not to be missed..

2011 IMTA Conference Schedule

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Updated 10/18/11
2011 INDIANA MUSIC TEACHERS ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
2011 INDIANA MUSIC TEACHERS ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE
SCHEDULE
FH: Ford Hall, Simon Center
AH: Auer Hall, Simon Center
M: Simon Center (M267 is inside the library, all other rooms are outside)
MC: Musical Arts Center (MC040 and MC427 are accessed via the rear stage door)
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21
8:00am:                Administrative Committee (M298)
10:00am:              Session 1-A  Beverley Simms (MC040)
Contemporary Literature for Elementary and Intermediate students
Session 1-B Tech Session: David Cartledge (M149C)
Teaching Piano Literature With the Variations Digital Music LibraryContinue reading→

In Their Words: Butler University Collegiate Chapter reflects on 2011 MTNA National Conference

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Butler MTNA Collegiate Chapter attended the 2011 National MTNA Conference in Milwaukee, from March 26 through 28. Not only it was the first time for all of us attend a national MTNA conference, but also for a first time, we were chosen to present a session, “Grow and Play Together”, about preparing children to be successful collaborative musicians. We learned a lot from the process of preparation and the conference itself. It would not be possible for all of us to attend the conference without IMTA’s generous contribution to our trip. Thank you very much! Here are our reflections from the conference.
Attending the 2011 Conference in Milwaukee was truly an experience I will not forget! Hearing from experienced music educators expanded my thoughts on teaching and performing, with a wealth of new techniques and effective strategies. I particularly enjoyed this year’s keynote speaker, Bill Moore. His analysis of performance practice was fascinating, offering me great insight as I found myself learning more about not only my students’ varying performance traits, but also my own. Seeing the scope of publishing companies present at the various sessions and exhibit hall also reminded me of the expansive resources available to me as an independent teacher! In the process, I received many new ideas that I have already begun to implement in my students’ lessons. For example, while at the conference I had the pleasure of observing Scott McBride and Christopher Norton present their “American Popular Piano” method series. It was interesting to note the way these books effectively blend the processes of traditionally learning a piece with improvisation, and I have since incorporated similar improvisatory exercises with my student’s current repertoire.
-Caitlin FosterContinue reading→

IMTA 2011 Preliminary Conference Program and Lodging Information

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The IMTA Conference Planning Committee is pleased to announce  James Tocco, College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati as the 2011 Conference Artist and Aaron Travers, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music as the Commissioned Composer. This is sure to be a sell-out conference, so be sure to reserve your hotel early!
Hotel information:
Holiday Inn Express & Suites: 117 S. Franklin Road. 812-334-8880 $99-109.  Identify as member of IMTA. Cut-off date: 9/23
Quality Inn: 1100 W. Rappel Drive. 812-323-2222. $89.99.  Identify as member of IMTA, group #496039.  Cut-off date: 9/6
Hampton Inn: 2100 N. Walnut.  812-334-2100. $99. Identify as member of IMTA, group code MTA.  Cut-off date: 9/21
Indiana Memorial Union: 900 E 7th St (on campus). 800-209-8145. $122-162. Identify as Jacobs School of Music. Cut-off date: 9/21

2010 IMTA Teacher of the Year - Lori Rhoden

2010 Teacher of the Year, Lori Rhoden

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2010 IMTA Teacher of the Year - Lori Rhoden
It’s always the greatest of honors to be recognized by one’s peers.   And it’s surely a privilege for me to introduce your IMTA Teacher of the Year for 2010.  Let me first recount a bit of personal experience.  Many years ago I was teaching a group of somewhat reluctant theory students.  I was constantly on their tails, asking them to master the subtleties of chromatic voice leading or the long-range implications of remote-key relationships.  The semester ended with the usual intensive flurry; the exams were graded; the student evaluations came in.  My chair at the time complimented me on the positive evaluations from what she knew was a reluctant class.  I told her I was pleasantly surprised and mentioned that one student had even written “This class was fun!”  My chair snorted, “That’s not the point!”  Being a somewhat contentious brat in my younger years, I shot back:  well, I  think that’s exactly the point … if they could have a good time while being subjected to a fairly rigorous approach, they just might have the motivation necessary to alter a bit in the future the way they perceive the important works of the repertoire.  My chair responded, “But aren’t you the one who chides your piano students:   if you’re having a good time in the practice room you must not be doing it correctly?!”  Yes, that was me.  And to this day, even after all these many decades of working with college students, I’m still searching for that balance of rigor and inspiration in my teaching:  the toil and sweat to develop our craft on the one hand, the unearthly inspiration from the great masters of the past and present on the other —  if we might only unlock their profoundest secrets.Continue reading→

Call for Proposals – 2011 IMTA Annual Conference

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Deadline:  June 1, 2011
The Indiana Music Teachers Association is pleased to announce its 2011 Conference at Indiana University, Bloomington. The conference will take place October 21-22, 2011.
The Conference Committee welcomes proposals on all aspects of music and music.  Proposals on all aspects of music teaching, learning, creation, performance, scholarship, career considerations, and other areas of interest to independent and college music teachers are especially encouraged.Continue reading→