Indiana Music Teachers Association expresses its deepest condolences to the family of Lon Sherer on his passing. Mr. Sherer was the 1989 Teacher of the Year and was a great teacher and musician. Many teachers have fond memories of his programs he gave for the Goshen-Elkhart MTA.
Notes of sympathy can be made here.
Another state conference has come and quickly passed! Indiana’s 2017 Fall State Conference at Indiana Wesleyan was full of our favorite conference events including sessions, featured artists, banquet and membership luncheon. It also hosted a new and exciting format of sessions called lightning sessions where 6 presenters presented a 5-minute “lightning” sessions in one hour slot.
If you were lucky enough to join us or if you had to sit this one out, enjoy these highlights and we’ll look forward to seeing you at the 2018 conference October 5-6, in Fort Wayne at Sweetwater Sound!
Be sure and follow the IMTA Facebook page to keep in touch with the most up-to-date happenings!
Award-winning pianist Aviram Reichert performed a solo recital and presented an advanced piano masterclass. Reichert is a former medalist of the prestigious Van Cliburn International Competition.
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09.25.2017 update: Submissions for Teacher of the Year are no longer being accepted for 2017.
At the upcoming Indiana state conference, we will be awarding our annual “Teacher of the Year” award – one of IMTA’s highest honors.
This award recognizes an individual who demonstrates excellence in teaching and service to the music teaching profession and community. Recipients are nominated by current members and are selected by members of the Board of Directors. Individuals and/or Local Associations may nominate someone for this award.
For more information or to nominate a teacher, please contact Robert Palmer.
The deadline is August 31, 2017.
It is my great pleasure to present the award for the IMTA ”Teacher of the Year” for 2015. As it is our long-standing, tradition, during my speech I will keep the identity of the winner in the dark as long as I can.
This year’s IMTA Teacher of the Year is that special combination of a superb pianist, musician, and an inspiring /dedicated teacher. This person is able to translate the many aspects and details of teaching into language that is understandable to this teacher’s students. This person’s enthusiasm engages them, captures their imaginations. A giant creator of young musicians. A person who has the passion and love of music.
As a colleague, this year’s Teacher of the Year is very supportive and generous with time. “An inspiration to me in my own teaching. If you need advice to guide you in your responsibility as a teacher, you can come to this person anytime because this person is approachable and so helpful to give you practical and valuable tips in teaching!” “Kind and thoughtful judge. I really enjoy the comments. My students always enjoy performing for this person, because HE genuinely enjoys hearing them.”
From his students: ” he was the driving force to transfer the piano art form from a hobby into a professional career.” Another writes “He’s been a great inspiration to many of us as we’ve grown into our respected professions, and the fruits of his labor prove the level of musicianship he both possess as an individual and earnestly gave to us as his pupils.” “ He always gives his full energy to his students and is generous with his time. I am a much better teacher because of his efforts than I would have been otherwise.
In the midst of his busy schedule in the northeast corner of the state, he finds time to help with their annual AIM festivals and Hoosier auditions! His masterclasses offers insightful teaching and practice techniques to teachers and students. He is invaluable at our annual AIM festival, from judging the repertoire of students at all levels, to training college students and young teachers in adjudication skills, to helping set up for the facilities. He organized a monster concert with 32 pianists and two conductors that culminated with three musicians on each of eight Steinway grand pianos as part of a fundraiser to purchase a 9’ Steinway grand piano for the John and Ruth Rhinehart Music Building at IPFW.
He is the Director of Keyboard Studies at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. He coordinates the MTNA Young Artist and Chamber Music and is active in the local NIMTA group and contributes greatly to his position at IPFW. He is a treasure to that community. It is my honor to announce the Indiana Music Teachers Association Teacher of the Year for 2015– Dr. Hamilton Tescarollo.
Congratulations to Juliana Lockman, IMTA’s 2014 Teacher of the year!
Juliana is a highly respected, caring, and talented piano teacher and has done so much promote piano in our region of Indiana. She has been a tremendous mentor for area teachers, motivating, stimulating, and assisting new members to our piano association, including helping them to become nationally certified.
Juliana is talented, dedicated, responsible, conscientious, organized, energetic, hard-working, and a self-starter. This individual is extremely dedicated to her students, matching her teaching style to the student’s needs. She is always learning new ways to keep her students engaged; to make them better musicians. She attends conferences regularly to keep her teaching fresh and to stay abreast of current teaching theories, always happy to share her findings at association meetings.
Juliana has served as the President of our Local Music Teachers Association twice and Vice President once. She commissioned a piece for the association to perform together and served on the highly respected area Piano Competition Committee and its Scholarship Fund Committee. She has chaired and co-chaired AIM auditions numerous times and she has chaired the Piano Ensemble Concert twice. When her students had a long drive to South Bend for their National Guild Auditions, she started her own audition center for them in Elkhart.
Her students have been recipients of many awards through the years, most notably in the Stickley Piano Competition and the IMTA Composition Contest. When one of our association members mentioned that she would like practice tests to help her students prepare for AIM auditions, she created practice tests for all twelve levels and sent them to every AIM teacher!
In addition to her volunteer and teaching responsibilities, she has motivated others with her regular chamber music performances. She has served as IMTA Treasurer for many years. Juliana can always be counted on to step up and volunteer for whatever is needed. When she says she will do something, she will do it – VERY thoroughly!
Indiana Music Teachers Association appreciates her and everything she does! Congratulations!
Editors note: As is customary with this annual presentation, the previous Teacher of the Year introduces the current recipient in a way that attempts to keep the identity of the recipient “secret” as long as possible. These are the comments read by 2012 Teacher of the Year, Bill Hughes.
This individual is described as a “total musician.”That musicianship is expressed in a variety of ways.
This very talented pianist’s performances have been described as “top notch.” This person’s playing displays finely developed technique and keen stylistic understanding in performances in a broad range of styles—from very early music through Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier to music written “yesterday.” This individual’s playing of recently composed music displays “intense energy” and a keen understanding of the music’s idioms and structures.Continue reading
Dr. Claudia Bossard, IMTA president read the following presentation at the Friday evening banquet honoring Bill Hughes, Teacher of the Year
Good evening. It is my pleasure to reveal the name of the 2012 IMTA “Teacher of the Year.”
As is customary with this annual presentation, during my remarks, I will attempt to keep the identity of our recipient “secret” as long as I can. What follows are testimonials to this person’s career from former and current students and colleagues.
This individual is an extremely dedicated and inspiring teacher.
This person is a “master teacher” in our state and community.
This human being is active in support of IMTA programs and colleagues.
By putting each student “at ease” in their lesson by focusing on the discovery process – of what is in the score and what it takes physically to produce the right sound – this individual makes learning contagious and gets students engaged in the process of learning.
Everyone is fond of this person!
As a teacher, this dynamo has that special combination of knowledge and personal warmth that I aspire to have!
This individual has earned my admiration as a musician, my respect as a teacher, and my friendship.
The disciplines HE has taught me have helped me as I face the challenges of work and life.
I commend his holistic approach to music and life as an example of how music can enrich multiple areas of life.
The commitment to his students and his art are extraordinary.
This gentleman has to be one of the most genuinely nice human beings on the planet!
This person has an endless reservoir of anecdotes and stories about composers and performers that add so much to the learning experience with him.
He is skilled in creative methods of teaching the piano.
It is a privilege to be one of his students.
He is one of the most complete musicians I know and he has dedicated his life to sharing it with students.
I consider the time I spent with him in his studio not only important to my development as a musician but as a leader.
I was prepared to quit playing the piano until I met this motivating teacher.
A former university professor, he is always supportive of pre-college students as he shares his knowledge and expertise with enthusiasm and a refreshing approach.
I consider my life to be abundantly richer for having him as a teacher and friend.
In case you do not know who this individual is yet, please join me in honoring Dr. Bill Hughes as our 2012 IMTA Teacher of the Year!
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
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