Printed on 2/1/12
< Back to 2003-4 Newsletters
September 2003
From the President's Desk
Judy Johnson
Welcome back! Although we all look forward to summer, it always seems to be a relief when school begins and we can return to a "normal" schedule. But then we have to deal with all of the sports issues that definitely affect both lesson scheduling and practicing. I will pass on an idea used by one of my piano moms. She went to the coach and said, "My daughter needs to take a piano lesson every week. When would you like her to do that?" The coach gave her a day and time and we scheduled it! Wow! Sometimes being proactive really makes a difference.
We are excited about our program for the year. You will get your roster and program guide at the September meeting. One program will involve, we hope, every member of our group. The January meeting will be a recital of French Music by our own members. One of the best ways to keep our skills sharp is to keep practicing ourselves, so here is an incentive. Pick out a song by a French Composer (or pull out an old one and dust it off) and start practicing. The difficulty doesn't matter, teaching pieces would be wonderful. We just want to hear from all of you.
Please plan now not to miss our celebration on October 8. This is our 35th year and we are proud to be able to be involve in a profession that brings so much joy to so many.
Thanks, Thanks, Thanks!!
I can't tell you how overwhelmed I was to receive such a substantial check for my expenses at the State and National Conferences. I tried to talk some of the officers out of it, but to no avail. I am honored to have represented you and to have had the opportunity to attend. They were both very exciting and uplifting. I recommend them to everyone.
Next year's MTNA Conference will be in Kansas City on March 27-31. I don't plan to go this year. The CSMTA Conference will again be at Silver Creek on June 3, 4, & 5. I will be going and hope many of you will as well. We really do have a great time and learn a lot!
September Meeting
Our first meeting of the new LAMTA year will begin at 9:03, Wednesday, September 10, at the home of Debbie Rickard, 3118 Hiawatha Drive. (Turn north on Glendevey off 29th Street. Take the first left, which is Granada Drive, then right on Hiawatha.) Nancy Kaesler will present the program"What Judges Listen For!" Isn't that something we all want to know when Achievement Day or Piano Festival comes around? Nancy is a wonderful teacher, an excellent judge, and a delightful person. Don't miss this meeting! A salad luncheon will follow, so bring your favorite salad to share and enjoy some visiting and sharing after the program.
Meet Nancy Kaesler
Our September program will feature Nancy Kaesler, from Golden. Nancy's charming southern accent tells us that she was raised in Texas. She graduated from SMUtwice! Her first degree was in English, and fifteen years later she earned a degree in Piano Pedagogy and Performance. She was drawn into her current field because "I finally figured out why, after a 15 year absence, that I needed to play the piano. I wondered why I cried every time I heard a piano concert! So I borrowed a piano, went back to school, and here I am. I've been teaching about 39 years."
Nancy's favorite composer depends on the day of the week. She likes a variety, but certainly favors Rachmaninoff, Mozart, and Copland. Her favorite vacation destination would be Africa., but she has yet to visit that continent. Her favorite colors are wine/magenta/maroon.
Nancy herself enjoys being an adjudicator and has judged for Guild, for Texas and Colorado events. She likes to write and has published articles some of our professional journals. She likes to teach teachers and thus has started a class called "You and Your Studio: an Overview of Piano Pedagogy and Studio Management." She had been very active in MTNA and is currently the Membership VP for Foothills MTA. Join us for Nancy's presentation!
Piano Festival
Piano Festival will be held November 15, at the CSU Music Building. The required piece must have been composed after 1950. The additional piece of your choice should be from a contrasting period. Applications are due on October 15, to the Ft. Collins Treasurer. Students must be at Achievement Day Level 6 or above. Many thanks to Ann Bunyan who will be chairman of the Piano Festival this year.
Newsletter: Asset and Liability!
Sandy and I have been having conversations about our newsletter. Wedefinitely feel that it benefits all of uskeeps us informed and in touch.But it is expensive. Caroline reports that the average cost is $25 per issue. When you divide that by our approximately 25 members, it comes to $1.00 per issue for 10 issues.That means that approximately 2/3 of our local dues is used up by newsletter expenses.Wow!
Grand Junction has started using e-mail,but they send their newsletter as an attachment and I can never open it.We could use straight e-mail, but it would be very straightforwardno columns, graphics etc., and you would need to be aware that it was coming and remember to check your in-box. Ft. Collins is using e-mail to alert members that their newsletter is available on a web-site. We don't know if all of you have access to the Internet.E-mail would be very inexpensive, saving us close to $250.00 each year.
What do you think? Are we ready to chuck snail-mail? Some feel that the e-mail is very impersonal and that it is worth the money to have something in color and creatively printed in hand.Perhaps we could solicit some advertising to help pay for the printing and postage?Be prepared to discuss this issue at our September meeting.
Student Placement Service
Having a sourcefor student referral is a great benefit of membership. If you haven't filled out your form and sent it to Betty Lou, please do.Then all youhave to do is call her to activate or inactivate.She is getting lots of calls,solet her know if you need students at 669-3473and, please, let her know when you do not need students so she will stop referring them to you.
Special Summer Workshop
Many thanks to Judith Ramirez for arranging for many ofus to attend the Movement Workshop presented by Alexandra and Roger Pierce. It was fun and we learned a lot about applying natural body movements when interpreting music.
Welcome New Officers
President: Judy Johnson
Vice-president: Carol Condit
Secretary: Rene Clay
Treasurer: Tania Newgord
Library Display
I hope you all had a chance to see our display at the Loveland Public Library. It was spectacular! A true masterpiece! All of the credit goes to our wonderful Bev Haag.She is a true professional.She said she almost wrote a book once about bulletin boards.She laughed at me as I stood there with my mouth open, listening to her ideas and then seeing it all unfold. I just put in the staples. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Bev. You really made us look good! Yes, I did take pictures.
Chopin Award
Two awards were made this year:Nikki Mugnofrom Thompson Valley High School and Gabe Recchiafrom Berthoud High School. Each received a certificate and a check from LAMTA for $50.00. Their names were engraved on the plaques at each school.It has been many years since an award was made in Berthoud.Thanks to Judith Ramirez and Debbie Rickard for presenting the awards.
Vocal Recital September 6
This is a "don't miss" recital, held right here in Loveland. Charles Edwin Taylor, Baritone, was a Regional Winner of the Metropolitan OperaCompetition in 2001. (One of 10 in the country.)He was an understudy at the Met in 2002 and did an Opera Study Abroad in Italy in 2003.Dennis Giauque, his accompanist,isan accompanistat the Met. They will perform on September 6, at 5:00 p.m. at Mountain View Presbyterian Church.
Piano Available
For Sale:Very nice WurlitzerUpright, 30 years old, and in good condition.Owner is moving to Good Samaritan and wants toplace her 36 in. spinet ina good home. Price:$800.00 Call:Gene Johnson 970-635-2364
Judy Johnson
Welcome back! Although we all look forward to summer, it always seems to be a relief when school begins and we can return to a "normal" schedule. But then we have to deal with all of the sports issues that definitely affect both lesson scheduling and practicing. I will pass on an idea used by one of my piano moms. She went to the coach and said, "My daughter needs to take a piano lesson every week. When would you like her to do that?" The coach gave her a day and time and we scheduled it! Wow! Sometimes being proactive really makes a difference.
We are excited about our program for the year. You will get your roster and program guide at the September meeting. One program will involve, we hope, every member of our group. The January meeting will be a recital of French Music by our own members. One of the best ways to keep our skills sharp is to keep practicing ourselves, so here is an incentive. Pick out a song by a French Composer (or pull out an old one and dust it off) and start practicing. The difficulty doesn't matter, teaching pieces would be wonderful. We just want to hear from all of you.
Please plan now not to miss our celebration on October 8. This is our 35th year and we are proud to be able to be involve in a profession that brings so much joy to so many.
Thanks, Thanks, Thanks!!
I can't tell you how overwhelmed I was to receive such a substantial check for my expenses at the State and National Conferences. I tried to talk some of the officers out of it, but to no avail. I am honored to have represented you and to have had the opportunity to attend. They were both very exciting and uplifting. I recommend them to everyone.
Next year's MTNA Conference will be in Kansas City on March 27-31. I don't plan to go this year. The CSMTA Conference will again be at Silver Creek on June 3, 4, & 5. I will be going and hope many of you will as well. We really do have a great time and learn a lot!
September Meeting
Our first meeting of the new LAMTA year will begin at 9:03, Wednesday, September 10, at the home of Debbie Rickard, 3118 Hiawatha Drive. (Turn north on Glendevey off 29th Street. Take the first left, which is Granada Drive, then right on Hiawatha.) Nancy Kaesler will present the program"What Judges Listen For!" Isn't that something we all want to know when Achievement Day or Piano Festival comes around? Nancy is a wonderful teacher, an excellent judge, and a delightful person. Don't miss this meeting! A salad luncheon will follow, so bring your favorite salad to share and enjoy some visiting and sharing after the program.
Meet Nancy Kaesler
Our September program will feature Nancy Kaesler, from Golden. Nancy's charming southern accent tells us that she was raised in Texas. She graduated from SMUtwice! Her first degree was in English, and fifteen years later she earned a degree in Piano Pedagogy and Performance. She was drawn into her current field because "I finally figured out why, after a 15 year absence, that I needed to play the piano. I wondered why I cried every time I heard a piano concert! So I borrowed a piano, went back to school, and here I am. I've been teaching about 39 years."
Nancy's favorite composer depends on the day of the week. She likes a variety, but certainly favors Rachmaninoff, Mozart, and Copland. Her favorite vacation destination would be Africa., but she has yet to visit that continent. Her favorite colors are wine/magenta/maroon.
Nancy herself enjoys being an adjudicator and has judged for Guild, for Texas and Colorado events. She likes to write and has published articles some of our professional journals. She likes to teach teachers and thus has started a class called "You and Your Studio: an Overview of Piano Pedagogy and Studio Management." She had been very active in MTNA and is currently the Membership VP for Foothills MTA. Join us for Nancy's presentation!
Piano Festival
Piano Festival will be held November 15, at the CSU Music Building. The required piece must have been composed after 1950. The additional piece of your choice should be from a contrasting period. Applications are due on October 15, to the Ft. Collins Treasurer. Students must be at Achievement Day Level 6 or above. Many thanks to Ann Bunyan who will be chairman of the Piano Festival this year.
Newsletter: Asset and Liability!
Sandy and I have been having conversations about our newsletter. Wedefinitely feel that it benefits all of uskeeps us informed and in touch.But it is expensive. Caroline reports that the average cost is $25 per issue. When you divide that by our approximately 25 members, it comes to $1.00 per issue for 10 issues.That means that approximately 2/3 of our local dues is used up by newsletter expenses.Wow!
Grand Junction has started using e-mail,but they send their newsletter as an attachment and I can never open it.We could use straight e-mail, but it would be very straightforwardno columns, graphics etc., and you would need to be aware that it was coming and remember to check your in-box. Ft. Collins is using e-mail to alert members that their newsletter is available on a web-site. We don't know if all of you have access to the Internet.E-mail would be very inexpensive, saving us close to $250.00 each year.
What do you think? Are we ready to chuck snail-mail? Some feel that the e-mail is very impersonal and that it is worth the money to have something in color and creatively printed in hand.Perhaps we could solicit some advertising to help pay for the printing and postage?Be prepared to discuss this issue at our September meeting.
Student Placement Service
Having a sourcefor student referral is a great benefit of membership. If you haven't filled out your form and sent it to Betty Lou, please do.Then all youhave to do is call her to activate or inactivate.She is getting lots of calls,solet her know if you need students at 669-3473and, please, let her know when you do not need students so she will stop referring them to you.
Special Summer Workshop
Many thanks to Judith Ramirez for arranging for many ofus to attend the Movement Workshop presented by Alexandra and Roger Pierce. It was fun and we learned a lot about applying natural body movements when interpreting music.
Welcome New Officers
President: Judy Johnson
Vice-president: Carol Condit
Secretary: Rene Clay
Treasurer: Tania Newgord
Library Display
I hope you all had a chance to see our display at the Loveland Public Library. It was spectacular! A true masterpiece! All of the credit goes to our wonderful Bev Haag.She is a true professional.She said she almost wrote a book once about bulletin boards.She laughed at me as I stood there with my mouth open, listening to her ideas and then seeing it all unfold. I just put in the staples. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Bev. You really made us look good! Yes, I did take pictures.
Chopin Award
Two awards were made this year:Nikki Mugnofrom Thompson Valley High School and Gabe Recchiafrom Berthoud High School. Each received a certificate and a check from LAMTA for $50.00. Their names were engraved on the plaques at each school.It has been many years since an award was made in Berthoud.Thanks to Judith Ramirez and Debbie Rickard for presenting the awards.
Vocal Recital September 6
This is a "don't miss" recital, held right here in Loveland. Charles Edwin Taylor, Baritone, was a Regional Winner of the Metropolitan OperaCompetition in 2001. (One of 10 in the country.)He was an understudy at the Met in 2002 and did an Opera Study Abroad in Italy in 2003.Dennis Giauque, his accompanist,isan accompanistat the Met. They will perform on September 6, at 5:00 p.m. at Mountain View Presbyterian Church.
Piano Available
For Sale:Very nice WurlitzerUpright, 30 years old, and in good condition.Owner is moving to Good Samaritan and wants toplace her 36 in. spinet ina good home. Price:$800.00 Call:Gene Johnson 970-635-2364
< Back to 2003-4 Newsletters
