Nineteenth annual Hartman Stickley Memorial Piano Competition

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Announcement is made of the nineteenth annual Hartman Stickley Memorial Piano Competition, which will be held on February 28 & March 1, 2014 in the Spencer Gallery, Downtown Mishawaka Penn Harris Library, Mishawaka, Indiana. The competition is open to pre-college students, ages 4-18. The four winners in each of four divisions will each win cash prizes: $150 for ages 15-18, $100 for ages 12-14, $75 for ages 9-11 and $50 for ages 8 & under, plus the opportunity to play in a winners recital on March 9, 2:30 pm, in the Kroc Center’s Auditorium, South Bend, Indiana. 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 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 Steven Greene and Dr. Susan Merdinger from Highland Park, Illinois, and Dr. Hamilton Tescarollo from Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne, Indiana.
The purpose of the competition is two-fold: 1) to honor the memory of Elnora Hartman Stickley, and 2) to reward talented pianists in the Michiana area. The competition’s goal is to provide a performance venue for piano students in this area. Music is a performing art, and all musicians need many chances to practice the art of performance. This competition provides an excellent opportunity to do just that, along with getting feedback from highly-qualified judges.
Competition applications must be postmarked by January 25, 2014. Brochures and applications are available on the South Bend Area Music Teachers Association website at www.sbamta.org. For further information, please contact the competition chair, Michelle Beyler, at (574) 226-2950.

2013 Opus Winners

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Elementary Category – Elisa Simoni
Junior Category – Joshua Catanzaro
Senior Category – Nathaniel Strout
Young Artist Category – No  entries

Butler University Collegiate Chapter attends 2013 MTNA Conference

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-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→

Wabash Valley MTA Hosts Garnet Ungar

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A recital and workshop by Garnet Ungar, from University of Evansville, was hosted by the Wabash Valley Music Teachers Association (WVMTA) February 7-8. His appearance was made possible by a local association programming grant from IMTA and with the cooperation of Indiana State University (ISU) in providing recital and workshop space.
Garnet’s recital and workshop were well attended by members of both WVMTA, ISU, and the Terre Haute community. His recital featured music of the 19th century – Chopin and his contemporaries. The workshop “Practicing Catalysts” included ISU students and pre-college students of WVMTA members in a lecture/master class format. Dr. Ungar, a gifted performer and teacher, engaged and inspired his audience. It was an outstanding event and fulfilled the purpose of IMTA grants, to support the educational and professional development of teachers and to support the promotion of music in the immediate community.

South Bend Area Music Teachers Association Spring Master Class

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On Wednesday, February 13, the SBAMTA program featured a master class with Professor Giuseppe Lupis of Grand Valley State University located in Allendale, Michigan.  Giuseppe Lupis is known for his explorations of unique repertoire. He is the first pianist to have performed an entire solo piano recital with music by Keith Emerson. Between concerts of the classics, a manuscript work of Italian composer Nino Rota, and his own compositions, he is also one of the few pianists in the world to have mastered and frequently performed entire George Gershwin solo piano programs.  Giuseppe Lupis is an active piano composer and arranger.  A former pupil of renowned concert pianist Aldo Ciccolini, Lupis holds a Doctorate in Musical Arts in piano performance at the University of Georgia, under the tutelage of Richard Zimdars, and a piano performance degree earned with highest honors at the State Conservatory of Music in Bari, Italy, with Pierluigi Camicia. Professor Lupus work with three students  performing, “Venetian Gondola Song in F# Minor, Op. 30 No. 6 by Mendelssohn, Lotus Land, Op. 47 No. 1 by Scott and Sonata No. 2 in D minor, Op. 14, 4th movement.  Dr. Lupis gave insightful ideas on the background of each composer as well has performance practices and technical strategies.
The master class was partially funded by the IMTA Local Association Grant.

AIM seeks member input

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The Indiana Music Teachers Association Achievement in Music program continues to be very strong, with six festivals around the state serving over 700 students each year.  In an effort to keep this program serving the needs of all teachers and students, IMTA will be updating the syllabus for release in 2015.
Currently, we are using the syllabus which was first published in 2005.  There have been no changes to this syllabus since that date.  In 2010, the Board of Directors reaffirmed the use of this syllabus for the period 2010-2015.  If you own a syllabus dated 2005-2010, or a syllabus dated 2010-2015, you own the current syllabus.
The current Board of Directors has authorized the formation of a committee to oversee the upcoming revision process.  Many of our members have made helpful suggestions over the years concerning possible changes they would like to see in the syllabus.  As AIM Coordinator, Douglas Sperry has maintained records of all suggestions for consideration in our review of the syllabus.  At this time, he would like to encourage all who participate in the AIM program to submit any additional suggestions they might have to either to him or their festival coordinator.
In addition, if you have a desire to serve on the committee which will conduct the syllabus revisions, please contact Doug at <[email protected]>.  We will begin our work later in the summer of 2013.
Douglas Sperry, NCTM
AIM Coordinator

Karen Thickstun candidate for MTNA National Office

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Indiana Music Teachers Association Past President Karen Thickstun is on the slate for the 2013 MTNA elections.  Thickstun served as director of the East Central Division and member of the MTNA Board of Directors from 2008–2010 and chaired the Local Association Forum. Thickstun has served on the MTNA nominating committee, Standing Rules committee, Local Association of the Year committee and is currently chair of the Affiliate Grants committee. Thickstun is currently on the faculty at Butler University where she serves as the director of the Butler Community Arts School.
To read more about Karen Thickstun and vote on her behalf, visit http://www.mtna.org/about-mtna/elections/secretary-treasurer/

2013 IMTA Conference Call for Proposals

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The Indiana Music Teachers Association is pleased to announce its 2013 Conference at Butler  University, Indianapolis. The conference will take place November 1-2, 2013.
The Conference Committee welcomes proposals on all aspects of music teaching, learning, creation, performance, pedagogy, technology, scholarship, career considerations, entrepreneurship, 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.
  • Electronic submissions are required.
  • 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 from 200 – 500 words.
  5. A brief biography of all involved persons (250 word maximum per person).
  6. A list of required audio-visual equipment.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE:
Proposals must be submitted by 12:00 midnight EST on Monday, April 1, 2013.
Submit proposals online at https://indmta.org/callforProposals.htm

Northern Indiana Music Teachers learn about Indiana Piano History

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In November NIMTA (Northern Indiana Music Teachers Association) met for a meeting in Huntertown at the Piano Shoppe http://thepianoshoppe.org/ owned by piano tuner and technician Larry Merriman. Merriman has been a piano technician in the area for over 45 years. His shop is in a warehouse that houses a large amount of pianos both ready to be restored or ready to be sold after having been restored by himself. Since piano students often go to their teacher for advice regarding the purchase of an acoustic piano, he discussed basic things one can look for to determine their quality. Larry also explained different issues one may have with an acoustic piano (such as sticking keys) that may be easily fixed without a tuner/technician. Did you know Indiana was the home to several piano manufactures including two in Northern Indiana? Merriman gave the group a unique look at one of those factories. In 1871 the Packard Piano & Organ Company was in Ft. Wayne 1871 – circa 1935. The Estey Piano Corp. manufactured pianos in Bluffton from 1935 – 1982.