2013 MTNA Conference – Tuesday Early Afternoon – Willis Showcase

We had a nice alfresco lunch on the outdoor patio, and now it’s back into the conference hotel for the final showcase.

Glenda Austin is giving an overview of some of the new Willis publications featuring the works of some of their composers who have been household names for years: John Thompson, Edna Mae Burnam, and William Gillock.

Classic Piano Repertoire (Intermediate to Advanced) is a compilation of some of Edna Mae Burnam’s most popular pieces of sheet music. The pieces lie well under the fingers, making them accessible to even younger students.

Glenda proceeded to play selections from William Gillock’s piano repertoire collection.

Glenda encouraged attendees that even if they don’t have students ready for these pieces to learn the music themselves for their own enjoyment and pursuit of musical excellence. She played Gillock’s “Fountain in the Rain” in its entirety because she said that out of her “top ten” this might be her number one.

Next she played several lovely pieces from “Romantic Reflections” by Carolyn Setliff, then a few excerpts of her solos “Chop Suey,” then “Flight of Freedom,” inspired by watching webcam filming of a family of eagles.

She briefly highlighted her new series, “Solos for the Sanctuary,” especially designed for church musicians, then concluded the showcase by playing her new piece in the style of Gillock, “Valse Belle.”