Category Archives: Current Events

Watch the Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

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One of my early music inspirations was the CD “World’s Favorite Piano Music” by Van Cliburn. I think because of that and because of the opportunity I had to hear him in person at the 2006 MTNA Conference, he will always have a special place in my heart. The piano competition he began in 1962 is getting ready to hold its fourteenth event.

30 of the finest pianists from around the world will be converging on Fort Worth, Texas, May 24-June 9 to participate in the competition. And the rest of us around the world are privileged to be able to tune in to watch the live webcast on the Cliburn website.

And for those who are in Fort Worth or close enough to make the drive, you should check out the wonderful free events open to the public that are being held in conjunction with the competition. If I was closer, I would sure love to get in on some of these!

The Inaugural World Pianist Invitational

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Destined to take its place among the world’s premier international classical music challenge events, the World Pianist Invitational is a two-part competition.

Phase I – which officially launches this week – is an online entry activity through which aspiring competitors, aged 5-29,will submit a video recording of their classical piano performance to a blue chip panel of international judges. From those submissions – and we are capping the entries at 2,500 – five finalists across five age groups (25 performers total) will be invited to participate in Phase II – a live concert performance at the world renowned Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Washington, D.C.

Sounds like a pretty exciting new event for pianists! You can find out more on the World Pianist Invitational website.

Theta Music Winter Competition 2013 Starts Today

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Theta Music, one of the best sites for on-line music theory games is commencing their 3rd Annual Ear Training and Music Theory Competition today! This is a great way for teachers and students to have some fun while building their skills. It’s a one-day competition, so sign up and start playing now for your chance to win up to a $30 Amazon gift certificate!

Happy New Year and a Special Offer!

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Welcome to 2013!

It’s always exciting to start a New Year, contemplate possibilities for growth, launch new ideas in the studio, renew each student’s vision for success, and dream that maybe, just maybe, this is the year when I will become completely organized and efficient as a business owner/teacher! It’s good to dream, right? :-)

We should be back to a regular blogging schedule next week, but in the meantime I thought I would launch the New Year with a special offer for all Music Matters Blog readers. From now until January 15th, you can get $5 off any purchase in the Music Matters Blog Store! Maybe a new Practice Incentive Theme, or the 5 for Fun book of games and activities for the private piano lesson, or a beautiful and organized Book of Scales and Keys will be just the thing to jumpstart the New Year in your studio. Enter this coupon code and you’ll get $5 off your total order amount: 06PF9J98

MTNA Offers $500 Scholarship to a Teacher Pursuing RMM

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MTNA recently sent an e-mail announcing a $500 scholarship to teachers interested in pursuing RMM (Recreational Music Making). If  you’re thinking about attending the MTNA Conference in Anaheim, CA next March, this would be a great opportunity to receive funding to help cover those costs!

Here’s the content of the e-mail for those who are interested:

Thanks in part to a generous grant from the NAMM Foundation, the National Piano Foundation is offering a limited number of scholarships up to $500 to MTNA-member piano teachers who are interested in and committed to learning more about Recreational Music Making (RMM), and developing an RMM program for their studio and/or their community. These scholarships are to be used for travel, lodging, membership and registration fees and other costs associated with attending MTNA’s 2013 Pedagogy Saturday event.

The RMM Teaching track at Pedagogy Saturday 2013 is an excellent opportunity for piano teachers to learn about RMM teaching, with a variety of topics and presenters. It will be held at the 2013 MTNA National Conference, at the Disneyland® Hotel in Anaheim, California, March 9.

To be considered for a scholarship, applicants:

  • Must have a minimum of two years piano teaching experience (group teaching experience preferred)
  • Must be age 21 or older
  • Must be a member of MTNA (a portion of the scholarship may be directed toward MTNA dues)
  • Must demonstrate a commitment to developing an RMM program for their independent studio or their community (in partnership with a local piano retailer, music school, senior center, or other appropriate venues.)

Scholarship applicants must submit a short application form, a resume of their teaching experience and a 500-word essay on why they want to pursue RMM teacher training and how they plan to implement a program in their local community.

The application deadline is December 31, 2012. For more information and applications, click here. You can find the application under “Quick Links” in the bottom right corner.

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

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The studio is closed for Thanksgiving this week, so I’ll be taking the week off of blogging as well. Hope you all have a wonderful time of celebration and rest with your families. Here’s a video of one of my favorite songs that reminds me to have an attitude of thankfulness for the many blessings God has given me: Blessed Be Your Name by Matt Redman

Come to California for MTNA 2013!

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California in March sounds like a wonderful way to spend part of spring break in 2013, don’t you think? :-) If so, then check out the 2013 MTNA National Conference, and make plans now to attend! The MTNA Conference is always a wonderful opportunity to attend sessions, find out about the latest materials, observe masterclasses, listen to fabulous concerts, collect lots of free music books and resources, and spend time with music-teaching colleagues from across the country! I always look forward to seeing new places, meeting new colleagues, and catching up with old friends.

Send me an e-mail if you’re planning to attend and might be interested in getting together while we’re there. Early registration deadline is December 1, so head to the website now to receive the best prices!

And I Thought 16 Pianos Was a Lot!

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For many years I have been intrigued by the concept of a multi-piano concert. This year, thanks to an invitation from the Kansas City Music Teachers Association, six of my students and I are going to participate for the first time in their flagship event featuring 16 pianos and 32 pianists! We are so excited to have this opportunity and are having a great time working on the fabulous repertoire selected for the occasion.

However, I couldn’t help but be lured in when I saw a blog post recently titled, “Ever Heard 50 Pianos Playing Together?” Apparently, at the International Choir Championships coming up on November 8-14, 5- pianos will be placed at the base of the Canton Tower in China for the closing concert. BTW, have you ever heard of these choir championships and the World Choir Games? I’m not a singer, but what a unique cultural experience it would be to go and observe something like this! Check out the promo video:

Visit the INTERKULTUR YouTube channel for more videos!

The Creative Life – Day Four

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The conference ended Saturday morning with a time of singing together, a few final thoughts from Michael Card, and lots of farewells and gathering of contact information before heading our separate ways. We were asked to fill out a survey about the conference. One of the questions was, “How have you seen God work in your life as a result of your time here?” My response sums up how I feel about the overall experience, “He has refreshed me through the beautiful setting; blessed me through the sweet and servant-hearted staff; encouraged me through the love and fellowship of the other attendees; humbled me through my weaknesses; and taught me through the rich teaching and example of the speakers/workshop instructors.”

with Phil Keaggywith Michael Card

I had no idea what to expect when I registered to attend The Creative Life conference, but it has honestly been a life-changing experience. Sometimes we don’t realize how small we’ve made the box in which we live until we have an experience that shakes us up and dumps us completely outside that box. Between the Pattern Play teaching intensive at the beginning of the month and this Creative Life conference toward the end, I feel like I’ve been duly shaken and dumped. :-)

In its own way, each experience has left me with more questions than answers and forced me to think more deeply about my role as a musician and teacher. And yet, even as I’ve wrestled with difficult questions, and struggled to come up with answers for myself, I am so grateful for the opportunity to re-evaluate and refine my musical philosophies. I think that I have grown immensely through the process, and look forward to resuming lessons with my students – not with all the answers, but with a broader and more enriching set of tools that I can use to inspire and equip them for musical excellence and service.

Read more about The Creative Life: Intro | Day One | Day Two | Day Three