Highlights of the VMTA Fall Conference

Members of the Virginia Music Teachers Association gathered for their annual conference at Shenandoah University November 8-11. With a theme of "The Well-Rounded Music Teacher," the event featured workshops on topics ranging from inspiring practice to understanding "contemporary" music (we still use that term for music composed in the Twentieth Century) to improvising during lessons. I was privileged to be a presenter at this year's conference with a program called "The Best-Known Little Music School in Town." My focus was on promoting the activities of the independent studio by utilizing community newspapers, Facebook, YouTube, and blogging.

Here are some of my favorite moments from the conference:

Kenneth Lee

Kenneth Lee gave a wonderful lecture on inspiring practice. He raised some interesting points that I had not recently considered:

• The student's instrument at home is either a motivator or a hinderance.
• He encouraged teachers to make home visits.
• Teachers might be shocked at the quality of instruments their students have at home.
• If a child loves the sound he is able to produce with his piano, he will probably practice more than a child who can't stand the sound.
• Children need to learn how to slow down their minds and focus on their music while they practice.
• This is not easy. Young minds are used to constantly changing stimuli.
• Focusing activities are often helpful at the beginning of lessons, but they need to be done at home as well.
• A mirror near the piano can help focus as well as make the student aware of his posture.
• Spending 6-8 minutes on simple drills can help prepare the mind for practice.
• Listening to a metronome (ugh!) for a moment or two can help focus.
• To love practice (I love that!), students need five things:
• Focus on a small enough scope
• Skill level of material not too easy or too hard for peak involvement
• Clear and unambiguous feedback.
• Timelessness. You lose yourself in practice and lose track of time.
• Unselfconsciousness. Sometimes a student must be left alone.
• Practice can be an end unto itself. There doesn't need to be a performance coming up.

Here's a quote from Kenneth Lee that really resonated with me.

"The problem with education today is that students are taught a set of questions and answers. They are not taught to think. I believe our job is to rectify that."

Johnandrew Slominski, DMA

 Johnandrew Slominski did a very interesting presentation on piano transcriptions. A transcription is basically an arrangement of a musical work that might originally have been intended for a singer, an orchestra, or some other instrument. Dr. Slominski performed examples of several transcriptions, including one of the Bach organ Toccata in D Minor which he wrote himself. A crowd favorite was his performance of the Earl Wild transcription of Gershwin's "Embraceable You."

I volunteered to improvise with Forrest Kinney, because that's how I roll.

Forrest Kinney's workshop was on improvisation. He's a great improvisor and arranger, and you might be interested to know that he has been invited to play at Bill Gates' home twenty-one times. What a great personality he was! There were kids "dragged in off the street" to improvise with him, and after his presentation, his books, Pattern Play and Chord Play disappeared from the vendor's display before I could get my hands on copies.

My favorite Forrest Kinney quote:

"For an extra five bucks, I'll show you the professional fingering."

Lynne Mackey, DMA

Lynne Mackey is a tiny powerhouse of a pianist. She did a presentation on twentieth century music complete with a performance Roger Sessions' Second Sonata and Frederic Rzewski's Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues. For the latter, Mackey wowed us by repeatedly using her elbow and forearm on the keys.

Contemporary music is often difficult to comprehend, and it can sometimes come across as downright ugly to the listener. In that light, I concurred with a point Mackey made:

"Sessions believed that the key to understanding contemporary music was in repeated hearing."

That's kind of what my husband keeps trying to tell me about Jimmy Eat World.

Alexandre Dossin

The recital hall at Shenandoah was full for Alexandre Dossin's recital. What an eloquent performer!

Dr. Brooke Dezio, guest teacher for The Piano School's
2013 Masterclass for Middle and High School Students

Dr. Lise Keiter was The Piano School's guest teacher
for the 2011 Masterclass for Middle and High School Students

Teachers from the Roanoke Valley at the VMTA Conference