August 2016
Friday, Aug. 19th, 9:30 a.m. – August Kick-off Brunch: Come enjoy some great food and great company as we begin our new DVMTA year. Our committees will have all the information you need to involve your students in our amazing events. Location is LDS Church, 1266 S. 32nd St. Mesa (Southern & 32nd St.)
Friday, Sept. 30th, 9:30 a.m. General Meeting at My First Piano – Music Marathon and Original Composition registrations due
Welcome to the DVMTA 2016-17 Year! We are so happy to welcome everyone back after our summer break. We look forward to an upcoming year of busy and exciting events. Our Committees have been working hard planning, so make sure to check out the DVMTA Website to get all the event details.
The DVMTA theme for this year is “Moments that Matter”. No two teachers are alike in their teaching philosophies, styles, personalities, and studio dynamics. Yet we all have students that matter to us, and we matter to them. We celebrate each students’ victories, no matter how small, and are excited when they are excited. We feel their pain when they fall short in a performance or a personal goal, and do our best to find a way to move forward. We encourage them when things seem too difficult, and praise them when they finally overcome an obstacle. These moments don’t always involve music. Sometimes we are just there to give personal encouragement on a bad day, or to share in the excitement of an accomplishment that’s been a long time coming. Whatever the circumstance, our students will remember us for a lifetime, and my hope is that we are all able to recognize, appreciate, and share the moments that matter. Have a wonderful teaching year!
-Shannon Payne, DVMTA President
Membership Renewal:
If you have not yet renewed your membership for this year, please do so as soon as possible, so we can have updated and accurate membership lists. This is very easy to do online at DVMTA.org, there is a link right on the Home Page. There is still an option to print a membership form and mail it to Tammy Shorts. Look on the website in the “Docs” tab under the “Events” link.
Website Update:
Website updates are ongoing, and will be for a while, it’s all very exciting! We look forward to offering event registrations online this year, and will provide more information as we get closer to Music Marathon and Original Composition.
We want to make sure all current members are able to log in to the website. If you have not yet accessed your password for DVMTA.org, or have forgotten your password, please go to the website before Aug. 31st to do so. There is an option in Log-In to “Reset Password” that will help you do this. If you have any problems please click on the link for “Website Help” at the bottom of the website.
Please note: After Aug. 31st there will be some event documents that will only be available to current members (those who have paid membership dues for the current year), and members will be required to log in to access these. This will help us maintain accurate membership lists for event committees. Those who have not renewed by Aug. 31st will not be able to access these documents until membership is renewed. In addition, members will be required to log in to register online for events. All event dates and general/student information will still be available without logging in. If you do not have internet access and need printed event packets for the year, there will be a few available at the General Meetings.
Sizzling Hot Tunes
Start now! Have your students
create/improvise and write down
their ideas on staff paper
or notate on the computer
for the
DVMTA Original Composition Festival
Saturday and Sunday Nov. 19th-20th
AZ Piano in Phoenix
Our fabulous evaluator, Penni Scott, needs compositions earlier this year.
The submission deadline for compositions and manuscripts is Fri. Sept. 30, 2016.
Cavalcade of Rhythm
Mark your calendars now for the annual Cavalcade of Rhythm! This is DVMTA’s ensemble event featuring 20 pianos, 14 directors, and hundreds of pianists! Audiences both young and old will be thrilled and inspired as they join us for “Magical Melodies” with music of all kinds, spectacular illusions, and juggling. Join us at Mesquite High School in Gilbert on Saturday, February 25, 2017. Registration begins Friday, October 28 at the DVMTA general meeting and closes on November 18. With all the talent that will be on stage, you’re sure to be entertained!
Achievement Day
Achievement Day is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 13, 2017. This event is a great way to have all of your students recognized for their hard work no matter the level at which they are performing. Students have the opportunity to show their skills in many areas including performance, technique, sight-reading, and ear-training in order to earn a certificate, a ribbon and an optional trophy. Achievement Day is also a magnificent opportunity to hold us, as teachers, accountable for making sure that students are doing much more than just learning to pound out song after song week after week! Because of this, preparation for Achievement Day should be a year-long endeavor! Scales, ear-training, sight-reading and theory should all be an integral part of the weekly lesson. Check out the list of requirements online now and plan a course of study for each of your students according to their current level of study. Some hints will be included in future newsletter on ways to accomplish this. Check back with the website occasionally throughout the year as well. Pending approval, there may be a few additional options for students to choose from or other small changes that will make a great event even better! If you have any questions about the event, contact Carolyn Rooder macroo@cox.net or 602-527-1721 and she will help you.
Awards Plus is DVMTA’s recognition for students who participate in many DVMTA events. Two awards are given: Senior Scholarships and Devoted Performers. A letter of intent to apply for either award is due by December 1, 2016 to Lorri McHardy and complete applications will be due by March 31, 2017.
The Senior Scholarship is a cash award of up to $250 given to high school seniors who have excelled in piano and have participated in numerous DVMTA events over the years. They are expected to have been studying for at least eight years and show a history of DVMTA participation comparable to a Devoted Performer. They also must show additional music commitment by participating in band, orchestra, choir or other public performances.
The Devoted Performer award is a cash award of $100 given to a student who plays in at least 4 of the 5 DVMTA events for 3 out of 5 consecutive years. Any age student is eligible to receive this award as long as they have been participating in DVMTA events for at least 3 years. Students may win this award more than once, but no years may overlap.
Both of these awards require a teacher to keep careful records of each student’s participation in DVMTA events. A yearly tracking form is available on the website. Personally I find using a spreadsheet to be more convenient. I can see years at a glance and easily count how many events a student has played in during that time. Other teachers track each student with their own form. Whatever system works for you is the best, but some sort of record-keeping is necessary for all DVMTA teachers. Even if you’re not planning to put any students in this event, you may change your mind five years from now, so please keep track of your students’ participation in DVMTA events.
If you have any questions about Awards Plus, please contact Lorri McHardy at lmchardy@yahoo.com or 480-399-0084.
|
