2016 Conference – Call for Proposals

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9/09/2016 update: Submissions for the 2016 Conferences are no longer being accepted.

The deadline for proposals for the 2016 IMTA State Conference at Goshen College is Wednesday, June 1, 2016.
The 2016 conference will take place on September 30th and October 1st in the Goshen College Music Center.
The Conference Committee welcomes proposals on all aspects of music teaching, learning, creation, performance, scholarship, career considerations, and other areas of interest to independent and college music teachers.
GENERAL GUIDELINES

  • Membership in IMTA is not a requirement to submit a proposal or present a session
  • Participants must be willing to present on either day of the conference, should their proposals be accepted
  • Conference presenters are not compensated or reimbursed for expenses, and must pay published Conference fees
  • Electronic submissions are required with attached bio and Jpeg photo (headshot) of presenter(s)
  • Conference sessions are generally 50 minutes including Q & A time

 
Complete proposals include the following:
 

  1. Name, institutional affiliation, if applicable, email, mailing address, telephone
  2. The proposal title
  3. The proposal format: paper, performance, composition, workshop, or lecture-recital
  4. An abstract of 250 words or less
  5. A brief biography of all involved persons (250 word maximum per person)
  6. Equipment needs

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Proposals must be submitted by 12:00 midnight, EST, on Wednesday, June 1, 2016.
ACCEPTANCE NOTIFICATION: You will be notified by email no later than July 1, 2016
SUBMIT TO: Beverly Lapp, IMTA Conference Onsite Chair, via email to beverlykl@goshen.edu.

2016 Opus Competition Festival Winners

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I am very pleased to announce that the 2016 Opus Competition Festival results are in and students did a fantastic job! This year, we received 23 works for all 4 categories and many high-quality compositions made the festival very competitive. Congratulations to all the students who submitted entries! We were very fortunate to have nationally known teacher and composer, David Schneider as our judge this year. He told me that he was very impressed and extremely pleased with the compositions and stated that all of the students should be very proud of their works! I am sure teachers and students alike will be encouraged by his amazingly insightful comments.

The winners in each category are:

Elementary: Charlie Conner, student of Jean Ho
Junior: Timothy Duke, student of Nancy Spahr
Senior: Abigail Moh, student of Donald Campfield
Young Artist: Ian Callen, student of Caroline Ahn
 
The winners in each category have the opportunity to perform their composition at the IMTA State Conference in the fall of 2016 at Goshen University.
Winners of each category will receive their entry fee paid in full by IMTA into the state round of the MTNA Composition Competition in September 2016. Please note that IMTA will not pay any applicable non-teacher fees for entry into the MTNA Composition Competition.
A special thank you to teachers for continuing your students to compose, it has been a pleasure serving as the new chair for the Opus Festival this year and I look forward to chairing this event in upcoming years.
 
Sincerely,
 
Caroline Ahn
Opus Composition Festival Chair, 2016

Hartman Stickley Memorial Piano Competition – Winners Recital

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Event: Hartman Stickley Memorial Piano Competition – Twenty-First Annual Winners Recital
Date: Sunday, March 13, 2016
Place: Louise E. Addicott and Yatish J. Joshi Performance Hall, IUSB, South Bend, Indiana
Time: 2:30 pm
Free Event and Open to the Public
Announcement is made of the twenty-first annual Hartman Stickley Memorial Piano Competition Winners Recital, which will be held on March 13, 2016 in the Louise E. Addicott and Yatish J. Joshi Performance Hall, IUSB, South Bend, Indiana, at 2:30 pm.
The competition itself will be held on March 4th & 5th at the Northpoint Vineyard Church (formerly known as Harris Prairie Christian Church), Granger, Indiana,. and is open to pre-college students. The winners from each division will perform in the Winners Recital on March 13 and will receive cash prizes:

  • Division VI Ages 16 – 18       $175
  • Division V Ages 14 & 15       $150
  • Division IV Ages 12 &13       $125
  • Division III Ages 10 &11       $100
  • Division II Ages 8 & 9           $75
  • Division I Ages 7 & under    $50

Contestants who receive honorable mention will also win cash prizes. All awards will be dispersed following the recital.
The competition, sponsored by the South Bend Area Music Teachers Association, is open to piano students of teachers residing in Allen, Berrien, Cass, and St. Joseph counties, Michigan; and Elkhart, Kosciusko, LaGrange, LaPorte, Marshall, St. Joseph, and Starke counties, Indiana. Prize money is made available through the Elnora Hartman Stickley Scholarship Fund.
Judges will be:
Divisions I, II, III:
Dr. James Helton, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana
Dr. Joyanne Outland, Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Dr. Lori Rhoden, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana
Divisions IV, V, VI:
Dr. Wael Farouk, Roosevelt University Chicago, Illinois
Nicole Lee, Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Indiana
Lori Sims, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan
For further information, please contact the competition chair, Michelle Beyler, at (574) 226-2950 or e-mail (mbbeyler@aol.com). You may also visit the South Bend Area Music Teacher Association’s website: www.sbamta.org.

President's Message, Spring 2016

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Welcome to the Spring Semester, IMTA Members!christina headshot
Just as we count on the coming months to deliver us warmer temperatures and pleasant flowers, we also find this time of year heavy with expectations to bring our students’ efforts to fruition via countless festivals, competitions, and year-end performances. Whatever your personal teaching situation looks like, I wish you a successful spring term, complete with students who memorize their pieces ahead of deadline, travel plans unencumbered by weather conditions, and plenty of anxiety coping techniques! J
Like a teacher, constantly focused on equipping students with the most effective skills, I find myself considering how we, as an organization, can have a greater impact on music education and advocacy at the local, state, and national levels. Rest assured, your IMTA Board of Directors is a dynamic group of individuals who are volunteering their time to enhance the benefits of this fine organization.
In the coming months, I hope you will notice a positive difference in the communication you receive as an IMTA member, as well as enhanced features of our organization. If you see a need we could help fulfill, please contact me at your earliest convenience (cwpiano@comcast.net).
Wishing you the least-harried spring semester yet!
 
Christina L. Whitlock, M.M., N.C.T.M.
IMTA State President

2016 East Central Division Winner

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IMTA congratulates Maya Kilburn, WINNER of the East Central Division MTNA Performance Competition in Junior Strings!

2016 ECDA winner Maya Kilburn

2016 ECDA winner Maya Kilburn


 
Miss Kilburn performed an impressive program at the Division competition on January 16, 2016. She and her collaborator/father, Dr. Ray Kilburn, took top honors for their presentation of the following works:

  • Concerto No. I in G Minor, Opus 26 (Max Bruch)
  • Praeludium and Allegro in the Style of Pugnani (Fritz Kreisler)
  • Romanian Folk Dances (Bela Bartok)

Maya will now advance to the MTNA National Performance Competition, to be held at the National Conference in San Antonio, TX.
Please join us in celebrating this fine young musician!
Maya’s bio is as follows:
A native of Muncie, IN, Maya Kilburn is 13 years old and studies with Mimi Zweig at the Indiana University Jacobs School String Academy. She began her studies at age 4 under Anna Vayman, and subsequently studied with Chin Mi Kim in Indianapolis. Over the past year, Maya won the junior divisions of both the Muncie Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition and the New World Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition, subsequently performing movements from the Kabalevski and Wieniawski 2nd concerti in concert with each of these orchestras. She then won the MTNA junior strings competition at both the state and division levels, and will compete as one of seven national finalists in Texas this spring. Maya has also won 1st prize in the Indiana Music Teachers Association Competition strings division in 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015, Indianapolis Matinee Musicale 2013, and was also a prize-winner in the Forte String Competition of Indianapolis in 2011 and the Sejong Competition in Chicago in 2012.  She has been active performing on many recitals with the IU String Academy Violin Virtuosi at Circle Theatre in Indianapolis, with IVCI Laureate David Chan at the Indiana Landmarks Center, with Atar Arad and Joseph Swenson, and with the Bloomington Symphony. She has also performed in master class for such artists as Jinjoo Cho, Blair Milton, and Jonathan Swartz. Maya has performed on many recitals with her parents in the Midwestern US, Japan and Central America, and was recently featured on an Indiana Public Radio broadcast. She is very much looking forward to a 3-week concert tour with the Violin Virtuosi in Argentina this June. In her spare time, Maya enjoys reading, writing stories, sometimes in collaboration with her best friend Olivia, and spending time with her ARF rescued dogs Cocoa and Sophia.

Certification Meeting

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Curious about how to become a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music? Our certification, chair, Nancy Spahr will be giving an informal talk on the MTNA certification process at the home of member Sally Eppert (8580 Shoe Overlook Dr. Fishers) on Saturday, February 6 from 12:00-2:00. Please contact Nancy nbspahr01@comcast.net to let them know you’re attending.
Certification Image_382x299
 

Hartman Stickley Memorial Piano Competition

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 HARTMAN STICKLEY MEMORIAL PIANO COMPETITION
 
Event: Hartman Stickley Memorial Piano Competition
Dates: March 4 & 5, 2016
Place: Harris Prairie Christian Church, 14719 SR 23, Granger, IN
Times: Approximately 10 AM – 6 PM on Friday, March 4, and
Approximately 9 AM – 4 PM on Saturday, March 5
 
Free and Open to the Public
Announcement is made of the twenty-first annual Hartman Stickley Memorial Piano Competition, which will be held on March 4 & 5, 2016 at the Harris Prairie Christian Church, Granger, Indiana. The competition is open to pre-college students, ages 4-18. There are six divisions where winners will receive cash prizes:
 
Division I        ages 7 yrs. and younger; $50.00
Division II       ages 8 & 9; $75.00
Division III     ages 10 & 11; $100.00
Division IV     ages 12 & 13; $125.00
Division V       ages 14 & 15; $150.00
Division VI     ages 16, 17 & 18; $175.00
Contestants who receive Honorable Mention will win cash prizes as well.
The competition, which is sponsored by the South Bend Area Music Teachers Association, is open to piano students residing in Berrien, Cass & St. Joseph counties, Michigan; and Allen, Elkhart, Kosciusko, LaGrange, LaPorte, Marshall, St. Joseph, and Starke counties, Indiana. Prize money is made available through the Elnora Hartman Stickley Scholarship Fund.
Judges will be: Dr. Wael Farouk, Roosevelt University, Chicago; Nicole Lee, Valparaiso University; Lori Sims, Western Michigan University; Dr. James Helton, Ball State University; Dr. Lori Rhoden, Ball State University; Dr. Joyanne Outland, Indiana University Purdue University, Fort Wayne Continue reading→

President's Message, Fall 2015

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christina headshotFall greetings to you!
Whether you are an independent teacher or a university faculty member, one thing is sure:  the August/September rush is intense!   As educators, this time of year presents itself as an annual whirlwind of new schedules, fresh ideas, changing student rosters, and an endless list of things we would do “if we had the time”.
Needs trump wants (after all, isn’t that what being an adult is all about?), yet it’s easy to let deadlines and expectations pull our focus from the things that nourish us the most.
At the annual IMTA membership meeting last month, I referenced this important truth:  We are better together.  Whether it’s “talking shop” at a state or national conference, attending a local association meeting, or simply reading your American Music Teacher journal, I think we can all agree:  We are better together.  Through the opportunities provided by IMTA, we learn about new materials, explore alternative learning models, empathize with one another, build professional standards, and challenge one another.  Each event leads me to find a stronger sense of self:  what I believe musically, who I wish to be professionally, and how our purpose fits into this crazy world.  I hope you do not overlook this important benefit of membership.
Since I mentioned being together, it is important to give our 2015 State Conference committee at Vincennes University another round of applause!  Matthew Latta, Lisa Miller, and Claudia Bossard worked together like a well-oiled machine to put on an innovative conference, full of many IMTA firsts.  Our traditional conference events featured Logan Skelton, Diane Hidy, and Marietta Simpson (in addition to seventeen other presenters!).  Additionally, this year’s committee organized new events, like the high school Festival Chorus with Greg Gilpin, and countless assiduous details.  I cannot wait to sport my IMTA State Conference t-shirt around town!
This early-semester rush will soon lead to the bustling holiday season, which will transition into the cold winter slump, culminating in the frenzy of spring.  I hope you will continue stay in close contact with your IMTA colleagues as your to-do lists continue to grow.  After all, we are better together.
Looking forward to an exhilarating two years of being President,
 
Christina L. Whitlock

2015 Conference Wrap-Up

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2015 Conference wrap-up (Vincennes University – September 25-26, 2015)

A note from ITMA President, Christina Whitlock:2015 Conference image
The 2015 IMTA State Conference in Vincennes was a smashing success!
As your new State President, I want to sincerely thank you for attending.  I think we can all agree the weekend was full of new ideas, gracious colleagues, and inspiring artistry.  Each attendee brings original insights to the conference experience, so I appreciate your commitment to attend.  It wouldn’t have been the same without you!
I’m sure you’ve been busy buying Post-It notes and washi tape like crazy (thanks to Diane Hidy), and I know Logan Skelton has us all ready to teach more Bartok.  Vincennes University proved to be incredible first-time hosts (thank you, Matthew Latta, Lisa Miller, and Claudia Bossard!), and Caroline KyungA Ahn’s commissioned composition When the Ocean Speaks blew us away.
A few follow-ups:

  • If you have conference photos to share, please send them to me.  Members of the IMTA Board of Directors can upload them directly to our DropBox account, or you may reply to this message.
  • I would love to collect a few Conference Reflections to include on the IMTA website.  If you feel so moved, please reply to this message with a brief write-up of your Conference experience. You might find yourself published on the website soon!

Please spread the word of your positive conference experience to your friends and colleagues.  I hope to see many of you at the MTNA National Conference in San Antonio (April 2-6)!
Visit the Photo Gallery to see more images from this year’s conference.

Reflections from attendees:

There was an obvious theme throughout every presentation and performance at the 2015 IMTA State Conference at Vincennes University.  Music is powerful, music is joyful, music allows us to express ourselves – it unites us in spite of our differences.  As performers and teachers, it’s our job to demonstrate this power to students by tapping into our own creativity and inspiration for life long learning. 
 We celebrated 90 years of life and 50 years of teaching with member Lois Clous – a perfect exemplification of life-long learning.  Our piano clinician, Diane Hidy reminded us music is not taught for a “competitive advantage”, but to foster a “form of expression.” Interspersed with her brilliant, fun and creative ways to make music learning easier, Diane reminded us to take time to know our students, to meet them where they are, to be excited about what they’re excited about.  Keynote speaker, Greg Gilpin urged us to spread joy, to see ourselves in our students and to “play well with others”. Our conference artist, Logan Skelton exemplified the power of expression through a stunning recital performance and instilled in us new joy for the music of Bartok.  He left us with these powerful words to explain Bartok’s weaving together of folk music in his compositions – Bartok thought his job as a composer was to “bring together the brotherhood of all people in spite of war and conflicts”.  Lastly we connected, not only with new ideas, but with each other – we shared stories, we shared teaching ideas, we enjoyed the incredible hospitality of Vincennes University, we laughed and most importantly, we left renewed, feeling fortunate to be part of such an incredible community of music teachers and ready to breathe new life into our teaching.
Melissa Willis
Indianapolis, IN

 
As a newly teaching piano teacher, I found IMTA to be an invaluable experience which I intend to repeat annually.  Not only was the conference well-situated, well-organized and well-run, but the content was everything I had hoped it would be.  The master classes of Logan Skelton, the  teaching tips from Diane Hidy, the insightful exhortations from Greg Gilpin, web resources from Amy Chaplin, and the kinesthetic advice from Natalie Wood, Lori Rhoden, Kate Boyd and Vicki King were all extremely valuable.  Add to that the myriad tips from fellow attendees, and you have a “must-see” event.  Kudos to IMTA for a rich and productive conference.”
Kelly Havens
Granger, IN

2015 IMTA Teacher of the Year

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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.
 
 
2015 teacher of the year