2020 Collegiate Symposium to be held at Ball State

Former Butler Collegiate Member Wins MTNA Studio Fellowship

Congratulations to former Butler Collegiate Chapter MTA member Karen Lien, winner of the Mary Sue Harris Fellowship, awarded annually by MTNA!
The $3,000 grant, funded by the MarySue Harris Endowment Fund, is presented annually to a recently graduated independent teacher who demonstrates commitment to the music teaching profession and outstanding studio development.
Read more below about Karen including details on her active role in the Butler Collegiate Chapter and the wonderful Indiana teachers with whom she studied.Continue reading

Butler University students reflect on National Conference experience

This past March, members of the Butler MTNA Collegiate Chapter attended and presented at the MTNA National Conference in Chicago, thanks in large part to the generous support of the Indiana Music Teachers Association.  After writing proposals, learning that one was accepted out of over twenty applications, preparing and rehearsing for months, six of our members were able to present a session entitled, Creating a Musical Wonderland: Teaching Composition Through Storytelling.  Preparing a session and attending the conference was a fantastic experience for all of us. We were able to network with other music teachers, learn about new teaching products, and discover new ways to engage our students.  You can read more about each member’s experience below.
Over the four days at the MTNA conference, I attended numerous presentations directly applicable to my own lesson teaching, in addition to the presentation that our chapter gave. Our presentation was very well received and will hopefully inspire other teachers to incorporate composition and improvisation into their lessons. Some of the most beneficial presentations I attended were teaching master classes given by Jane McGrath and Marvin Blickenstaff, in which they taught children in a lesson setting in front of the audience. Watching these two master teachers provided me with practical strategies and points of view that I look forward to implementing in my lessons. I also attended many of the Young Professionals Track presentations, which were relevant to my plans to be an independent piano teacher. I feel the trip was highly beneficial, both because of the presentations I attended and the presentation I participated in. -Scott Keegan, 2nd year Masters Student in CompositionContinue reading

IMTA congratulates Erin Peyer on selection of RMM Studio Fellowship Award

Congratulations to Erin Peyer, second year graduate student in Piano Pedagogy at Butler University, for her selection as recipient of an RMM Studio Fellowship Award, presented by the National Piano Foundation. “The RMM Studio Fellowship Award is presented annually to new or established independent piano teachers who demonstrate a clear understanding of Recreational Music Making (RMM) philosophy and practices, and a proven passion for creating new music makers with RMM-based teaching.”  The award includes 2 new digital pianos from Yamaha or Kawai. Additionally, recipients will be assigned to an RMM teacher/mentor who will consult with them in all facets of starting, developing, and teaching an RMM program.  After graduation next month, Erin plans to launch an independent studio in her home town of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and will include RMM classes for teens as a focus of her teaching.

Butler University Collegiate Chapter attends 2013 MTNA Conference

-Editor’s note, this post is a series of reflections by the members of the Butler University MTNA Collegiate Chapter
The Butler MTNA Collegiate Chapter attended their third MTNA National Conference this year, thanks in large part to the support of the Indiana Music Teachers Association.  For all three members who attended, it was their first time experiencing the national conference.  On Pedagogy Saturday, they presented a poster showing the chapter’s activities throughout the previous year.  The conference was a fantastic and greatly fulfilling experience for all three members.  You can read some of their personal reflections below:Continue reading

Butler University students share reflections on the 2012 MTNA Conference

The Butler MTNA Collegiate Chapter attended their second MTNA National Conference this year thanks to the generous support of Indiana Music Teachers Association. At the conference they presented the collegiate session “Getting Started with Online Marketing,” which displayed strategies for online marketing specifically for music teachers. This was the chapter’s second presentation at a national conference, their first being “Grow and Play Together: Preparing Children to be Successful Collaborative Musicians” at the 2011 MTNA National Conference in Milwaukee, WI. The conference was a rich experience for all members of the chapter. You may read some of their personal reflections below:Continue reading

Nominate a STAR student

Indiana Music Teachers Association invites college faculty to participate in the IMTA Student Achievement Recognition (StAR) award program. (This program replaces the MTNA StAR program that was discontinued by MTNA.)
To participate in the program, faculty members nominate a deserving student, either undergraduate or graduate, who will graduate during the current academic year, and who plans to teach music performance in an independent or collegiate studio following graduation. Please inform the IMTA state collegiate chapters chair (Dr. Lori Rhoden – lrhoden@bsu.edu) by email of your award recipient selection prior to June 1. Award recipients will not be recognized after June 1.
 

Collegiate Chapter News – Fall 2011

IMTA Collegiate Chapters News Fall 2011
by Lori Rhoden
The Collegiate Chapters Forum at this year’s IMTA conference featured Amy Chaplin, who recently completed her Master of Music degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy at Ball State University.  Amy has opened her own music teaching business, “Studio 88,” in Bluffton, Indiana.  Amy shared with the students and faculty who attended the forum about the process of opening her studio.  Look for her on Facebook to see pictures and find out more about her new studio!
All collegiate chapter members are encouraged to submit applications for travel grants to attend the 2012 MTNA national conference in New York.  The deadline will be in January – look for more information soon on the website or contact Dr. Lori Rhoden, lrhoden@bsu.edu.Continue reading

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

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