NOTES_Summer 2016lr

Transcription

NOTES_Summer 2016lr

www.ormta.org
2016 ORMTA
CONVENTION
Friday, July 22 and Saturday July 23
Pre- Session Thursday, July 21
MUSIC WRITING
COMPETITION 2016
PEDAGOGY AWARD 2016
ORMTA YOUNG ARTIST
CONTRIBUTION TO
TEACHING AWARDS
Summer 2016
PUBLICATION INFORMATION
ARTICLES
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www.ormta.org
Contents
Calendar of Events
4
Privacy Policy
4
From the Editor
5
From the President
6
From the Branches
7
Tips for Teaching and Hearing Harmonic Intervals 10
Music Writing Competition 2016
12
Tips to Fit Practicing into a Busy Schedule
14
2016 ORMTA Convention
16
Pedagogy Award 2016
23
The Hidden Cause of Performance Anxiety
24
ORMTA Young Artist 2015
27
Annual General Meeting 28
From the Registrar’s Desk
32
Sense33
Provincial Executive and Zone Representatives 34
The definitive information source for Ontario Registered Music Teachers
NOTES Summer 2016
3
Calendar of Events
2015-2106
June 15 June 15 Flex eExams
Music without borders
CONSERVATORY CANADA™ has pushed the
frontiers of innovation and is employing a unique
technology that enables us to reach out to music
students all over Canada. Not only can we
connect with students across the country,
but we are willing to connect with them
ANYWHERE, ANYTIME!
At CONSERVATORY CANADA™ we will enable
students to take exams whenever they are ready
with our new Flex eExams. To find out more,
contact our office.
Nominations for Zone Representatives,
to Provincial Secretary
Branch Delegate names re Annual Meeting,
to Provincial Secretary
July 1 Membership fees are due
July 1 Deadline for BRANCH EXECUTIVE LISTS
for 2016-2017
July 1 Branch concerns to Zone Representative
for presentation to Council Meeting
July 21 Provincial Executive and Council Meetings
July 22 - 23 Provincial Convention; Annual General Meeting, Awards Luncheon and Competitions
www.ormta.org/convention2016
August 1 Requests for ONTARIO YOUNG ARTIST RECITALS to Chairperson
THE ONTARIO REGISTERED MUSIC
TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION PRIVACY POLICY
The Ontario Registered Music Teachers’ Association respects your privacy.
We protect your personal information and adhere to all legislative
requirements with respect to protecting your privacy. We do not rent,
sell or trade our mailing lists. The information you provide will be used to
deliver services and to keep you informed and up to date on activities of
the Ontario Registered Music Teachers’ Association, including workshops,
clinics, conventions, recitals, competitions and other special events,
funding needs, opportunities to volunteer or give, newsletters, NOTES
magazine, membership, brochures, and web-site information. If at any
time you wish to be removed from our mailing list or discuss our privacy
policy in greater detail, simply contact us through our Secretary-Registrar
at 705-267-1224 or via e-mail at [email protected] and we will
gladly accommodate your request. For more info please visit www.ormta.
org and click on “Privacy Policy” at the bottom of the page or contact
Music for Life
1-800-461-5367 | www.conservatorycanada.ca
[email protected]
Provincial Secretary-Registrar, Ron Spadafore.
from your
NOTES Editor!
Summertime ... a chance to take a little time to explore new
remarkable range of individual accomplishments as well as a
music, new teaching practices, reflect and grow.
total commitment to their profession/art.
We can also step back from the whirlwind of teaching to
Also, be sure to check out the winners of the Canada Music
renew and refresh
Week Music Writing Competition. Congratulations to all the
student composers and their teachers on their fantastic work.
So why not sit down in your favourite spot with ice clinking
in your favourite beverage glass, put on some music and
Wishing you all a fun, relaxing, and musical summer!
get caught up on the latest news and a range of interesting
articles from our members in this Summer issue of NOTES?
Yours in music,
Patrick McCormick
Congratulations to the Contribution to Teaching Award
Editor
recipients. The biographies of the winners certainly reflect a
For Greater Success in Teaching and
Dictation
The Student Music Organizer
The Complete Dictation Book
Inspiring Musicians
since 1906
brandonu.ca/music
Also
2015 Student Technique Practice Charts
(Level A to Associate)
Hard copy or Digital
VISIT:
www.studentmusicorganizer.com
NOTES Summer 2016
5
From the President
I spent a good chunk of April on the road
adjudicating at music festivals across Ontario.
In that time, I had a chance to connect with
many of our ORMTA colleagues and work with
their talented students. I saw smiles and tears.
I saw triumph and dejection. I saw a will to be
great and apprehension to try to be great. In a
nutshell, I saw what we do day-in and day-out
encapsulated into a 30 to 45-minute class in a
public community gathering place.
I know it’s cliché to say, but teaching music is all about
That gavel will now be passed on to the most capable
teaching life. Our role goes far beyond notes, rhythm,
hands of Elizabeth Tithecott. Elizabeth is a caring
dynamics and articulation, it’s really about helping our
and compassionate teacher who is so devoted to our
students navigate through this crazy world with the
profession. She has a lot of great ideas in continuing to
help of our glorious art and passion we call music.
move our organization forward.
I’m glad that I have my ORMTA colleagues to help
Thank you colleagues for your friendship and support.
support me through this wild ride. This responsibility of
While there’s much work still to do, we have achieved
teaching one how to live cannot be achieved alone.
so much. I hope you can join us in celebrating that and
our 80th Anniversary at the Provincial Convention in
This will be the final time I use this column to address
Chatham this July!
you as Provincial President as my term comes to an end
in July. I would like to thank all of my Provincial Council
Cheers!
colleagues (both past and present) who have made this
Frank Horvat
such a positive life experience. Without a doubt, it has
been one of my greatest honours to hold the gavel.
6
NOTES Summer 2016
From the Branches
BARRIE
Our Barrie Branch is in full bloom this
Spring! We have many wonderful
opportunities for our members to blossom
and grow.
The Barrie Branch Student competition
was held on April 23. Anne Marie Page
adjudicated and gave excellent comments
to our competitors. She encouraged
performers to “Practice from the heart”
and to “Keep Playing”. Congratulations
to our winners and runner-ups; Evelyn
Liang for the Student Instrumental division
and runner up Nissita Francis (who will be
representing our Branch due a conflict)
and to Audrey Rieckenberg for the Junior
Instrumental division and runner up
Jaiden McDonald (all students of Cheryl
Graham).
scholarship funds for the Jane Black
Memorial Scholarship, Joyce Langford
Memorial Award, and the Maude Fleming
Memorial Award. We have also just
completed a busy music festival season in
which our Branch was pleased to award
the Jane Black Memorial Scholarship for
the first time, to a well deserving vocal
student at the Barrie Music Festival. Jane
had a significant role in the Barrie Music
Festival, chairing the vocal committee for
over 10 years.
Detailed information about our upcoming
events can be found on our branch
website at www.ormtactb.com. Please
also like our Facebook page for instant
updates and branch member news.
At our May meeting, Tatiana Babishina
will be sharing her experience with the
Russian method of teaching beginners.
Hallowe’en Recital (October, 25th), Rotary
Burlington Fall Music Festival week
(November 2nd -14th), Grand Festival
Gala Concert (November 21st) Canada
Music Week Recital (November 22nd) and
Christmas Student Recitals (December
9th) were events that the students of
Hamilton-Halton branch members looked
forward to. These music events created
the much need festivities, enhancement
of music education / professional
development (through adjudications and
masterclasses held in RBFMF and NATS
Festival) within the first semester of the
2015 school year.
We wish everyone a flourishing recital
season.
– Sarah Lawton
CENTRAL TORONTO
The Central Toronto Branch has had a
wonderful spring season. Our first big
event since our winter general meeting
in January was an excellent masterclass
with Bach expert (two time winner of
the International Bach Competition!) Fr.
Sean Duggan. Several of our senior piano
students played their Bach works for Fr.
Duggan and were given very useful and
musically meaningful advice to take with
them into their burgeoning piano careers.
A week later in early March we hosted
a workshop on teaching group piano
lessons led by one of our executive
members, Anita Beaty. Anita gave those
in attendance reasons why group lessons
should be incorporated into the routine
of piano studios from a pedagogical and
also a business perspective. She brought
many props with her that showcased the
different ways she engages the students
in her group lessons at different ages and
levels of development.
We are looking forward to hosting a
Workshop and Masterclass with Thomas
Green. He will be presenting “Prodigies
in Paris” and “Exploring Effective
Fingering”.
Our Teacher’s Recital “Serenade of
Spring” is set for May 28th. We are
accepting donations to build our
April was a busy month as we held our biannual auditions and scholarship recitals.
Our new auditions & scholarship recital
coordinator Hannah Greiner had a full
plate with the largest group of entrants
ever recorded in CTB history! We were
happy to award $1270 in scholarships at
the recital held on April 24th at Glenview
Presbyterian Church.
Future events in the works are our Adult
Student Recital and AGM later in May.
Happy spring everyone!
– Liz Craig
HAMILTON-HALTON
In 2016 New Year - February to May - our
Branch continues to maintain its very
engaging, entertaining, and educational
atmosphere. In keeping with ORMTA’s
motto “ Excellence in Music Education”
the annual First Class Honours Recital and
Awards Presentation was held on Sunday,
February 7th. Our Branch acknowledged
once again those students who achieved
80% and over in their Practical / Theory
Exams as mentored by our very dedicated
Member Teachers. We thank those
parents who see the values and benefits
of a music education. In the 2015 Honours
Roll List the following categories were well
represented: 158 students names appears
in Piano Classical & Contemporary Idioms,
Levels Preparatory A - Licentiate: 84
students in Voice, Preparatory - Level 9:
5 students Instrumental, Sax, level 1 - 8 &
Guitar, Levels 1 - 4: 1 student Pedagogy
NOTES Summer 2016
7
From the Branches
KINGSTON
Our teachers have enjoyed many
interesting events this past fall and
winter. We started off October with a
helpful workshop by Jennifer Knelman
on “Teaching the Millennial Generation”.
This was followed by Johann Derecho’s
inspiring Young Artist tour recital.
November brought another well-attended
Canada Music Week festival, with local
ORMTA member and recent Juno Award
nominee John Burge adjudicating nearly
50 students and selecting some for a
celebratory recital. December’s Candy
Cane recital was a lot of fun as usual for
the younger students.
Intermediate level - Practical and Written:
41 students in Theory, Harmony, Basic Advance; History, Levels 1 - 3; Analysis;
Counterpoint. Fifteen students (of which
4 names receive both awards) were
selected for Branch and Scholarship
Awards.
Pop, Jazz & Jeans Recital held for a 2nd
year on March 5th. Our showcasing
of “... Excellence” continues on May
1st, 6th, and 15th with Southern Zone
Competitions hosted by Niagara ORMTA,
Advanced Student Recital Level 8 and up,
Piano Masterclass with Alexei Gulenco at
McMaster University for Levels 9 and up
respectively.
HANOVER-WALKERTON
On April 16, Huron Harp School’s
ensemble of 31 harpists, directed by
Sharon Johnston, joined together with
the Blyth Festival Orchestra to celebrate
the 10th anniversary of the Harp School.
The Harp School, founded by Sharon, was
inspired by Goderich’s annual Celtic
festival. Sharon has been teaching and
performing for over 30 years and has
several CD’s to her credit. The sell-out
concert included a performance (possible
the first in Ontario) of the Celtic Concerto
by Canadian composer, L. Zaerr.
– Lisa Stewart
General Meeting on February 22nd, AGM
on May 27th keep Members updated
on “Business ... Although death brings
immense sadness to families and friends
of ORMTA Members who transition out ...,
it allows for a reflection and celebration
of those individual’s lives. Erla Jerome
(D: October 15/15); taught Voice and
Piano for 50+ years; was a Member of the
Caledonia and District Music Teachers
Association, and H-H; Lyla Elstone
(D: January 30, 2016); taught Piano &
Rudiments. In their respective roles as
dedicated Music Educators, Erla and
Lyla will be fondly remembered by their
peers and students for their service and
stewardship in their communities.
– Meg Freer
KITCHENER-WATERLOO
The harp orchestra included branch members Dana
Davidson, harpist, and Sharon Jonnston, director.
NOTES Summer 2016
In May we will hold our Evening Stars
recital, a more formal occasion for our
most polished, well-prepared students.
In June we look forward to our AGM
with music education specialists Jodie
Compeau and Rena Upitis leading a
hands-on discussion of digital tools, such
as apps, websites, and a fantastic new
online communication tool for teachers
and students that promotes self-regulated
learning.
Sadly, we said goodbye to long-time
member Mary James, who died on
February 17. Her memory will live on
thanks to donations from members and
friends who will establish an award at our
music festival in her name.
– Kamara Hennessey
8
February brought our annual Kiwanis
Music Festival, with a number of our
teachers’ students winning awards
including the top piano prize. Branch
teachers from Brockville also had students
win awards in their music festival in April.
Our April meeting featured prospective
ORMTA member Debra Readman
introducing us to My Music Staff, the
online music studio organizer that she
uses. A few teachers also participated in
a teachers’ recital at the home of John
Burge.
Our Pop Recital in February organized by
Edith Covach, Carol Ditner-Wilson, and
Ivana Jokic was an entertaining event for
all, which included pop trivia questions
inviting audience interaction and prizes.
Donations of jeans were collected and
brought to OneRoof as well as Thrift on
Kent.
From the Branches
NORTH BAY
The last few months have flown by
in a blink of an eye. In February an
encouraging number of our students
participated in our ACNMP Showcase
adjudicated by North Bay branch member
Frances Balodis. We also had a fun
“Teens in Jeans” Recital on February 6. A
highlight of this event is the pizza party for
the performers and audience that follows
the performance.
More socials including another casual
painting class and dinner at a downtown
pub, and a winter Music Club performance
get-together graciously hosted by member
Elizabeth Sutherland at her home.
We had our Spring general meeting in
March, which included new member Reid
Spencer speaking about “Singing 101”
and (voluntold!) volunteer Donna Mak.
(The things we do for our branch, eh!?) In
April, we held our competitions involving
piano and voice students with wonderful
adjudicating by Tiiu Haamer. Thanks to
Lisa Pardys - competition convenor, and
Jane Trafford - hospitality volunteer, for
their time and organization.
We are witnessing the continual growth of
our “Community Grand Piano Project” as
we build toward our objective of raising
$30,000.00. At the moment, we are just
about half way there with money we have
saved over the past twenty years as well
as donations from our branch members
and the generous support of several local
businesses and individuals.
Our local Kiwanis Festival of Music has
just finished for this year and we are now
turning our focus toward upcoming RCM
theory examinations followed by practical
exams in early June. At this point, many of
us are also planning or have already held
individual spring studio recitals for our
students.
Our branch meetings continue to be well
attended and we look forward to our
final two meetings of the season where
we will put some thought to how we can
make next year better yet. Our meetings
have been enlivened this year by the
inclusion of short presentations on topics
of interest. These presentations have
included the following: improving health
through better posture when performing
or teaching, music lessons from an
adult beginner’s perspective, and two
presentations on nutrition.
– Brian McDowell
On Saturday, May 14th, we will be
celebrating ORMTA’s 80th Birthday
Year with a Spring Recital and Awards
Ceremony at the Great Hall of Conrad
Grebel College. More than 100
enthusiastic students are scheduled to
perform and there will be a few surprises
along with cake!
– Donna Mak
NOTES Summer 2016
9
From the Branches
OTTAWA
Spring was a flurry, quite literally at times,
for the Ottawa Region Branch!
We celebrated our adult students with
masterclasses, workshops and a recital.
We are grateful to our convener Ioulia
Brechun for her amazing work and
dedication to these events, as well as
Carmen Papalia, owner of Ottawa Pianos,
for continuing to provide us with stunning
instruments as our branch’s exclusive
piano supplier.
We also had the opportunity to attend
an Information Sharing Session at the
end of February with Robert Dvorkin,
who explained the basic principles of the
Taubman Approach to piano technique.
On top of that, we had two successful
masterclasses at the University of Ottawa
for our younger, senior level students; one
for piano on February 7th with Professor
David Jalbert, and the other for voice on
March 6th with Professor Christiane Riel.
The Annual General Meeting and
Luncheon was held at the beautiful Cedar
Hill Golf and Country Club on May 27th,
with delightful entertainment provided by
“Just Duet”, a violin duo featuring Delia Li
Some Tips for
Teaching and
Hearing Harmonic
Intervals
By Anita Beaty
The new syllabus for the Royal Conservatory of Music and
Music Development Program has introduced harmonic
intervals into its aural skills curriculum. The 2008 syllabus only
required the candidate to hear melodic intervals, and now
starting at Level 5 harmonic intervals are being introduced
alongside their melodic forms. At Level 10 the candidates are
asked to identify stand-alone harmonic intervals.
For students who are used to hearing melodic intervals in
relation to specific songs or scalar patterns, this skill can seem
a quite daunting. I am hoping that these tips can help.
Firstly, I play each harmonic interval and ask the student
to listen carefully for the mood or character of the interval
without even trying to think about distance. This generally
leads to four categories of character:
Irritating - Crunchy - Harmonious - Medieval
The words are not always the same as above, but the
characters are similar.
10
NOTES Summer 2016
and Simcha Sutton-Pollock.
Our year ended as busily as it began with
our Zone and Provincial Competitions,
held at the Patrick Cardy Studio of
Carleton University on May 28th and 29th.
Wishing all teachers across Ontario
a restful summer, enabling us to feel
rejuvenated and filled with fresh
perspective upon returning to our studios
in the fall!
– LaDawn Ouellette
-Minor 2nds, Major 7ths, and Minor 9ths are irritating.
-Major 2nds and Minor 7ths are crunchy.
-Thirds and sixths are harmonious
-Perfect 4ths and 5ths are Medieval.
Octaves are generally heard well in the harmonic form, and
Tritones fit into Irritating usually, but some students hear them
as crunchy.
Secondly, once a student has categorized each interval and
really hears them in this way then we add more traits - like
medieval and hollow for the Perfect 5th, or harmonious
and sad for a minor 3rd. The clearer the character the more
confident the student becomes.
Thirdly, once a student has built consistency with their
vocabulary and always says crunchy and distant for a Minor
7th then they can start converting these traits into the
intervallic names.
This process does not need to be rushed, and the first steps
can be practised for a while to build confidence.
This type of learning works well with younger students on
melodic intervals since they can often understand the mood
and character more than the terminology. For example I use
the terms: bright, dark, and empty for Major third, Minor
third, and Perfect fifth.
It is best to practise aural skills with a positive mindset, and
just listening to the qualities of the sounds without having to
give them a number value keeps things positive. It also leads
to better listening - and we all want that.
Music Writing Competition
ORMTA 2016
There were over 60 entries to our Music Writing
Competition again this year, with the students
of some 24 ORMTA teachers participating. Most
compositions were for piano, but there were also
works for voice and various instruments. Thanks
are due again to Ian Green for his promotional
efforts in keeping us all aware of the competition.
Karen Rowell provided clear, helpful, and
encouraging adjudications. It was a pleasure
working with her.
The online submission process worked well, with
very few glitches. It is still a challenge to ensure
that all files make it into the correct folders –
following the naming convention in the rules helps
tremendously with that – thank you to all who read
the rules carefully!
Following are the winners of the various classes. First
place compositions will be forwarded to the CFMTA
Student Composer Competition.
Class P1 (8 years and under – instrumental)
1st place - $30 prize
Zoe Brown - London - Rolling and Bouncing
Student of Rachelle Courtney - London Branch
2nd place - $25 prize
Hayden Baerstoen - London - Slow and Hoppy
3rd place - $20 prize
Nina Kerr - Toronto - Mixed-Up Waltz
Student of Natasha Frid Finlay - Central Toronto Branch
Honourable Mention
Evan Archer - London - Snowflakes Dancing
Student of Louise Gallant-Foxcroft - London Branch
Benjamin Giffin - London - Food Fight
Leah Hale - London - Fluffy Unicorns
Class P2 (8 years and under - voice)
No entries received
12
NOTES Summer 2016
Class A1 (11 years and under – instrumental)
Polina Chernik - Toronto - Variations on an Original Theme
Student of Julia Tchernik - Central Toronto Branch
Susannah Salamon - Tilsonburg - La Esperanza
Student of Marion Miller - London Branch
Sophia Kagolovskaya - Wellesley - Rag Ish
Student of Jason White - Kitchener-Waterloo Branch
Honourable Mention
Stuart Florescu - Toronto - Meet the Spy
Student of Rosalind Johnson - Central Toronto Branch
Tessa Mackinnon - London - Mysterious Mackinnon
James Quinn - Toronto - Star-BBQ
Student of Avila Lotoski - Central Toronto Branch
Class A2 (11 years and under - voice)
Lilly Bartlam - Grand Bend - Picture Frame
Rachel Hershoran - London - The Journey
Class B1 (15 years and under – instrumental)
Leonid Nediak - Kingston - Fantasie No. 1
Student of John Burge - Kingston Branch
Eric Bouchard - Ottawa - Dragon Mountain
Student of Catherine Donkin - Ottawa Region Branch
3rd place- $30 prize
Rachel Andal - Mississauga - Un Corazon Sentimiento
Student of Christopher Foley - Hamilton-Halton Branch
Honourable Mention
Griffin Hook - Thornhill - Night On The Town
Student of Laura Sgroi - North York/York Region Branch
Anne Jewczyk - Newmarket - Chanson pour Nicole
Student of Sheila Vandikas - Newmarket and Area Branch
Class B2 (15 years and under - voice)
Troy Lebane - Toronto - Heartbeat
Kimberly Yang - Markham - Fly Away
3rd place -$30 prize
Kelsey Rombouts - Dorchester - Breakfast
Honourable Mention
Tori Bouck - London - Look To Me
Class C (19 years and under)
Itamar Aharony - Kanata - Gliese 581g Concert Band
Student of Paulette Price - Ottawa Region Branch
Lee Chanheum - Peterborough - Ballade in G Minor
Phillip Christoffersen - Toronto - Anguish and Truimph
Student of Liz Craig - Central Toronto Branch
Honourable Mention
Veronika Henzl - Burlington - Variations
Student of Philip Corke - Hamilton-Halton Branch
Alexander Nediak - Kingston - Prelude in F# Major
Christopher O’Neill - Oxford Mills - As Eagles Fly
Student of Deb Miller-Cushon - Ottawa Region Branch
Dante Pettapiece - Lindsay - The Short-Lived Suite
Class D (open)
(Eleanor Marzetti Scholarship)
Leonid Nediak - Kingston - Rhapsody No. 1
Dante Pettapiece - Lindsay - The Argument
Itamar Aharony - Kanata - Dance of the 12 Monkeys
Student of Paulette Price - Ottawa Region Branch
Karen Rowell (b. 1961) was born in Woodstock, Ontario to a
musical family. She started piano lessons at an early age and
enjoyed performing in the local Rotary festival for years. Taking
the suggestion of Gwen Beamish, at 17 Karen attended the
Banff School of Fine Arts’ Gifted Youth program, studying there
with Willard Schultz. Miss Beamish and James Hibbard were
important instructors and mentors to Karen as she moved from
teen musician to teacher. She holds Piano Performance and
Teacher’s Associate diplomas from the Royal Conservatory of
Music and was awarded the gold medal for the performer’s
Associate with Western Conservatory of Music [Conservatory
Canada]. She also earned her Licentiate and Fellowship in piano
performance with Trinity College of England, followed by an
honours degree in composition at UWO. Karen is very active
with the Royal Conservatory of Music as an examiner in theory,
piano and pedagogy and is now a published composer with
Debra Wanless Music. Many of her compositions are inspired by
the many students who meet with her weekly. Karen is frequently
requested as a festival adjudicator and presenter of music
seminars. Karen and her family now live in London, enjoying a
busy and musical daily life.
A note from Karen:
Thank you all for your wonderful submissions and participation
in the ORMTA composition contest. I am truly amazed at the
wonderful talent that is developing throughout Ontario and hope
that each of you will continue in your compositional journeys.
From beginning compositions for a single instrument to more
advanced works that had multiple instruments, there was a wide
variety of styles explored and so many wonderful melodies in
place. Thank you for including the mp3 files; these allow the
adjudicator to better assess the work in front of them and in the
case of personally made recordings, allow me to hear nuances
that as yet aren’t notated on the page. I give thanks and
applause to the teachers who have taken the time to incorporate
composing into their busy program.
Music is alive in Canada and the future of our own music is going
to be safe in the hands of these budding musicians.
– Karen M Rowell
NOTES Summer 2016
13
Tips To Help “Fit In” Practicing
Into A Busy Schedule
By Ian Green
I am the first to admit: we are all very busy! We all have
challenges (some more than others) with managing time. In
our busy lives, we have to make time for a lot of the various
activities that we enjoy. Some of us find the sense of being
organized an easy task, some of us find this a challenging
task to overcome. Based on personal experience, I would
like to share some tips and tricks that will result in successful
practice time at home.
1. Set up a regular schedule
To help make things easy to everyone, set up practicing into
the schedule just like setting up an appointment. This tactic
will help you to find time in your schedule instead of putting
practicing at the bottom of the list.
2. Play fun pieces at the beginning and end of a practice
session
By starting and/or finishing a practice with something
fun, students will stay engaged throughout the practice
session. Keep the mind sharp by learning and working on
new material, however, let your brain rest after processing a
healthy dose of new materials.
14
NOTES Summer 2016
3. Quality vs. quantity
Many of us consider a successful practice session to be a
lengthy marathon in which the student works hard at various
tasks for hours and hours at a time. Success does not come
in large packages. Rather, quality comes in smaller bundles.
Instead of looking for quantity of time, look for quality of time
as students focus on materials that are challenging to them.
This will create a successful experience as well as a successful
practice session.
4. Try to practice every day of the week
Even though this is a lofty goal, it is a similar theme to that
of point #1: consistent practicing (daily is always preferred)
will create the best long-tern results. Consider it from this
perspective: if a student works hard at the lesson and makes
great progress in a particular area and then does not look
at their musical material for 2-3 days, when the student
revisits the materials later in the week, 80% or more of the
new material that had experienced progress will be lost. If a
student looks at new materials the same day as the lesson or
the following day, the progress will stay with them 100% due
to the “fresh” feeling that the new information has over the
student’s mind.
NOTES Summer 2016
15
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS & SUITES,
CHATHAM & JOHN D. BRADLEY
CHATHAM-KENT
CONVENTION CENTRE
Adjacent to the Chatham-Kent John D. Bradley
Convention Centre, this contemporary lodging
includes modern rooms with flat-screen TVs and desks,
plus minifridges and coffeemakers. Kids 19 and under stay free with an adult
and there’s free Wi-Fi in every room, as well as a choice of hard and soft
pillows. Suites add separate living spaces, kitchenettes and dining tables.
The facility offers a free breakfast bar, an indoor saltwater pool and an exercise
room, as well as a video game arcade and parking.
To learn more about the event and to book, modify, or cancel a reservation,
please visit
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS AND SUITES
575 Richmond Street
Chatham, Ontario N7M 1R2
TEL: 519-351-1100 FAX: 519-436-5560
Refer to group code ORM to receive the convention rate of $129.
Convention rate available until June 20, 2016 subject to availability.
Call for Hosting the 2018
ORMTA Convention
ORMTA Provincial Council is sending out a call
to all branches to consider hosting the 2018
Provincial Convention. Discuss ideas with your
members, choose a theme, choose a logo, the
possibilities are limitless. Think outside of the box!
Information and application forms are now
available online at www.ormta.org
We look forward to hearing from you!
Application forms must be submitted by July 1, 2016.
16
NOTES Summer 2016
SPONSORS
& EXHIBITORS
Thank you to our exhibitors
our exhibitors in Ballroom A
Friday, July 22 and Saturday, July 23
Pre-Convention Session Thursday, July 21
John D. Bradley Centre, 565 Richmond St., Chatham ON
Chatham-Kent ORMTA Branch is excited to be hosting ORMTA Provincial Convention 2016
at the John D. Bradley Convention Centre in Chatham, where we will be celebrating eighty
years of excellence!
We are delighted to welcome Kimberly Barber, Professor at Wilfred Laurier University, Dr.
Christopher Foley, Collaborative Pianist, and Dr. Jennifer Snow, Professor at UCLA as our
competitions adjudicators. As well as adjudicating our Provincial Student Competitions and
Young Artist Competition, they will present the following workshops:
Kimberly Barber –“What Every Musician Needs To Know About The Body”
Chris Foley – “High-Tech (and Low-Tech) Workflows to Help You Manage a Studio”
Jennifer Snow –“ Nurturing the Future Generation: Innovation in Music Teaching”
Looking to add to your convention experience. We are very pleased to offer a PreConvention session on Thursday afternoon, July 21, “When the piano sings!” presented
by clinician Martha Hill Duncan. Also on Thursday, we will have the opportunity to visit a
local award-winning winery, Early Acres, 3 km northeast of Chatham, for wine tasting and a
tour of the vineyards. Following the tour, a Meet and Greet will be held at the Holiday Inn
Express from 8 PM to 10 PM.
Come and enjoy professional development, exhibitors, trade show presentations, silent
auction, entertainment, great venue, delicious meals, and friendly fellowship.
and sponsors! You can visit
During the Convention,
8am-6pm
The Royal Conservatory
Yamaha Canada
My Music Staff
One Eye Publications
The Student Music Organizer
Music for Young Children
Red Leaf Pianoworks
Muskoka Birch Bark Cards
Long & McQuade
D&S Pianos /Music Plus
Teaching Aids For Music
Taking Off! With Technique
NATS
The John D. Bradley Convention Centre is located at 565 Richmond Street in Chatham,
where all convention events will be held. Right next door at 575 Richmond Street is the
Holiday Inn Express, where we will welcome everyone to the Meet and Greet on Thursday
evening.
Canadian National
Conservatory of Music
Closing ceremonies and a reception will follow the Young Artist Competition on Saturday
afternoon.
Arbonne
Chatham-Kent ORMTA Branch looks forward to welcoming you to Provincial Convention
2016 in July!
Charline Farrell, ORMTA Convention Chair
Elizabeth Tithecott, Provincial Council Convention Liaison
Debra Wanless Music
Scentsy
Steeped Tea
DoTerra Essential Oils
NOTES Summer 2016
17
2016 ORMTA
Convention Schedule
Thursday, July 21
Meeting Room 1A
1:00 - 4:00 pm
Meeting Room 2
9:00 -12:00 Noon
Meeting Room 2
1:00 - 5:00 pm
Early Acres Winery
6:00 - 7:30 pm
Holiday Inn Express
8:00 - 10:00 pm
Friday, July 22
Ballroom A
8:00 - 6:00 pm
Meeting Room 1A
9:00 - 10:30 am
Ballroom A
10:30 - 11:00 am
Meeting Room 1A
11:00 - 12:00 Noon
Meeting Room 1A
12:00 - 1:50 pm 12:00 - 12:15 pm
Ballroom A
12:15 - 1:30 pm Meeting Room 3A&B
1:00 - 1:50 pm
Meeting Room 1A
2:00 - 4:15 pm Meeting Room 3A&B
2:00 - 2:50 pm
Meeting Room 3A&B
3:00 - 3:50 pm
Meeting Room 3A&B
4:00 - 4:50 pm
Ballroom A 4:15 - 4:45 pm Meeting Room 1A
4:45 - 5:45 pm
Ballroom B&C
7:00 pm Saturday, July 23
Ballroom A
8:00 - 6:00 pm
Ballroom B&C
8:00 - 9:00 am
Ballroom A 9:00 - 9:15 am
Ballroom B&C
9:15 - 10:30 am
Ballroom A
10:30 -10:45am
Meeting Room 1A
10:45 - 11:45 am
Meeting Room 1A
11:45 – 2:00 pm
Ballroom A
11:45 - 12:15 pm
Ballroom B&C
12:15 - 1:30 pm
Ballroom A
1:30 - 2:00 pm
Meeting Room 3A&B
2:00 – 2:50 pm
Meeting Room 3A&B
3:00 - 3:50 pm
Meeting Room 1A
2:15 – 4:30 pm
5:00 pm Pre-Convention Session- Western Zone
“When the Piano Sings!”
Clinician – Martha Hill Duncan
Executive Meeting
Council Meeting
Wine tasting and tour
Meet and Greet
Exhibitor’s Hall Open
“What Every Musician Needs To Know
About the Body”
Clinician – Kimberly Barber
Coffee Break
“High-Tech (and Low-Tech) Workflows
to Help You Manage a Studio”
Clinician – Dr. Chris Foley
Prov. Competition Rehearsals
Break
Buffet Lunch
The Student Organizer-Darlene Irwin
Practical Aids and Techniques for
Successful Teaching Prov. Instrumental Competition
One Eye Publications – Eleanor Gummer
Engaging the Young Student
Red Leaf Pianoworks –
Susan Griesdale and Martha Hill Duncan
Examining Red Leaf Pianoworks
Creative Muskoka Cards – Frances Balodis
“Communicating in a Real Way!”
Coffee Break
Provincial Vocal Competition
Gala Banquet
Entertainment: Giocoso Chamber Group
and others!
Exhibitor’s Hall Open
RCM-Sponsored Breakfast Presentation:
Preview 2016 Theory Syllabus –
Dr. Janet Lopinski
Break
AGM (members only)
Coffee Break
Clinician – Dr. Jennifer Snow –
“Nurturing the Future Generation:
Innovation in Music Teaching”
Young Artist Rehearsal
Break
Awards Luncheon
Break (Silent Auction)
Take OFF! With Technique –
Alessandra DiCienzo and Rebecca Goode
Take OFF! With Technique
Teaching Aids for Music – Laurie Oakley
Making Rhythm Notation Fun Through
Tactile Exploration and Games
Young Artist Competition
Awards Ceremony and Reception
Schedule Subject to Change
18
NOTES Summer 2016
Convention Registration Form “A”
COMPLETE REGISTRATION
Paid by May 30, 2016
Registration may also be done online. Visit ormta.org/convention2016
NOTES Summer 2016
19
Convention Registration Form “B”
Registration may also be done online. Visit ormta.org/convention2016
20
NOTES Summer 2016
Martha Hill Duncan
Martha Hill Duncan is an award-winning composer, choral
conductor and piano teacher. A transplanted Texan, she
received a vocal diploma from the Houston High School
for Performing and Visual Arts and graduated from the
University of Texas at Austin with studies in composition
and piano. After immigrating to Canada, she continued her
musical studies with Dr. Samuel Dolin in Toronto.
Martha is known for her piano and vocal compositions with
many of these works appearing in the Royal Conservatory
of Music, Canada Conservatory, Canadian National
Conservatory of Music and Contemporary Showcase
syllabi and publications. Several of her vocal and choral
works honour her adopted country of Canada. Her opera,
Searching the Painted Sky, with Waterloo librettist Janet
Windeler Ryan was premiered by The El Paso Youth Opera
in New York City in January 2014 and in Toronto, July 2015.
Martha is a founding member of Red Leaf Pianoworks a
cross-Canada composers’ collective and websource for
new piano repertoire and conducts the Kingston women’s
choir She Sings! She is also a piano examiner for the Royal
Conservatory of Music, and is a frequent clinician and
adjudicator. She enjoys sharing her musical experience,
insights and challenges with students, fellow teachers
and composer colleagues. She lives in Kingston, Ontario
with her husband Martin, an astrophysicist. They have two
grown children - Alex, a mathematician, and Claire, a singer
and voice over artist. For more information, visit www.
marthahillduncan.com
Dr. Christopher Foley
Christopher Foley is a pianist dedicated to the fields
of teaching, chamber music, art song, opera, and
contemporary music. At the Eastman School of Music, he
received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 1994, majoring
in Piano Accompanying and Chamber Music as a student
of Jean Barr and David Burge. He is on the faculty of the
Royal Conservatory of Music, where he teaches piano and
vocal literature. He also currently serves as Senior Examiner
and Adjudicator Certification Program Specialist for RCM
Examinations. For the Royal Conservatory’s 2015 Piano
Syllabus, he appeared as both performer and Artistic
Advisor for the recordings, and was a contributor for the
technical requirements and repertoire revisions. Prior to his
appointment at The Royal Conservatory, he taught at the
University of British Columbia and Vancouver Academy of
Music.
As pianist and repetiteur for Tapestry Opera, he has been
involved with numerous productions, as well as being on
the creative team for Tapestry’s unique Composer/Librettist
and Director/Musical Director laboratories. In 2010 he was
the that company’s first Leadership Legacy Intern, where
he created the Tapestry Songbook, a workshop and recital
program aimed at educating emerging singers and pianists
in the new opera development process. At the 2012 Honens
International Piano Competition, he provided the color
commentary for CBC’s live global webcast of the final
concerto round. As author of the Collaborative Piano Blog,
he writes about issues of importance to the collaborative
pianist, as well as current musical events in Toronto and
elsewhere. Dr. Foley has recently appeared as pianist and
coach for the singers featured on the Bravo!Canada reality
show Bathroom Divas.
NOTES Summer 2016
21
Dr. Jennifer Snow
Dr. Jennifer Snow is an established educator and performer. She
has held the positions of Vice President, Teacher Education and
Chief Academic Officer, Examinations for the Royal Conservatory of
Music and Senior Vice President of Education with Chromatik. She
consults with a range of organizations on curriculum design, teacher
education, and interdisciplinary education. A passionate educator,
Jennifer was previously on the keyboard faculty at the renowned
UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music where she taught piano,
collaborative piano, and pedagogy.
Jennifer is a frequent speaker and invited clinician who has presented
at a wide range of conferences including Music Teachers National
Association (MTNA), National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy
(NCKP), European Piano Teachers Association, NGCAE, NATS,
National and International College Music Society, World Piano
Pedagogy Conference, Canadian Federation of Music Teachers’
Associations (CFMTA), International Conference on Multidisciplinary
Research Music Pedagogy, the International Society of Music
Education (ISME), and numerous state and provincial music teacher
conferences. She has served on the editorial board for American
Music Teacher magazine, Royal Conservatory Advisory committee,
and the CFMTA International Research Advisory Committee. She
is a member of the AHRC Research Network on music learning and
technology in the U.K. Currently, she is President of the California
Professional Music Teachers Association (CAMPT).
In addition to her deep commitment to education, Jennifer is a
versatile performer who has appeared as a collaborative pianist
throughout Canada, the United States, Asia, and Europe.
Kimberly Barber
Canadian mezzo-soprano Kimberly Barber’s eclectic and varied
career combines not only the standard repertoire sung on some of
the great opera house and concert stages of the world for the last
30 years, but also contemporary and baroque works with smaller,
experimental companies. She is a champion of the music of our time,
frequently giving world and Canadian premieres of new music.
Her operatic repertoire encompasses more than 40 roles, many of
them from twentieth century or lesser-known works, and her concert
repertoire stems from every genre. She has recorded for Deutsche
Grammophon, CBC Records, Naxos and Dutton Classics. Her
wide-ranging career as an operatic performer, concert, recital and
recording artist in Europe, Asia and North America and the breadth
of her pedagogical experience qualify her ideally to train emerging
vocal artists who hope to excel at an international level.
In demand as a guest lecturer, panellist, consultant and pedagogue,
Kimberly Barber gives master classes and workshops around the
world at universities, conservatories and Young Artist Programs.
She adjudicates widely, and is frequently called upon to serve on
advisory panels for the arts. In May 2005 she was the live colour
commentator for CBC Radio’s coverage of the Montreal International
Voice Competition. An Associate Professor of Voice at Wilfrid Laurier
University since 2002, she acts as Administrative Coordinator for
their Opera Program. Her research interests are centred on the Art
of Practice, body-mapping and effective use of the body in vocal
pedagogy, as well as the innovative use of e-portfolios in the voice
studio to document and reinforce vocal development and effective
practice. Now licensed as an Andover Educator®, she teaches Body
Mapping to Musicians in workshop settings, privately, and as a
cornerstone of her pedagogical model in the voice studio.
22
NOTES Summer 2016
PRESENTERS FOR THE TRADE SHOW SESSIONS
Darlene Irwin has a Bachelor
of Music in Education from the
University of Toronto and an
Associate Diploma in Piano
Performance (A.R.C.T.) from the
RCM. She is a member of ORMTA.
Formerly on the teaching staff of
the Royal Conservatory of Music,
Darlene has taught private piano in
the Barrie area for many years.
Eleanor Gummer has been teaching
piano and theory for over 30 years,
producing many award winning
students. Ms. Gummer is a former
Senior Examiner for the RCM and is
active as an adjudicator and clinician.
She is the Founder and Director of
Whitby School of Music as well as coauthor of Pianokids®.
Susan Griesdale, a founding
member of Red Leaf Pianoworks is
an award winning Composer, Piano
Teacher, Clinician, and Adjudicator.
An Associate Composer of the
Canadian Music Centre (CMC),
Susan has published collections for
piano, violin, flute, chamber music
for toy pianos and choral works.
Martha Hill Duncan is an award-
winning composer, piano teacher,
and choral conductor, and RCM
examiner. Her piano and vocal
works can be found in Red Leaf, The
Royal Conservatory, Conservatory
Canada and the Canadian National
Conservatory of Music publications
and syllabi.
Frances Balodis enjoys making
cards with birch bark. She is the
Director of The Muskoka Men of
Song, a 38-voice choir Bracebridgebased. A member of the North Bay
ORMTA branch, Frances continues
to teach, conduct workshops and
adjudicate.
PERFORMER:
Carolyn, David, Madeleine,
Sophia and William Tran
Passionate about piano performance
and teaching, Alessandra DiCienzo
and Rebecca Goode each maintain
full time piano studios where they
teach private and group piano
classes, theory and history. They
enjoy creating educational and
motivating products for their
students and are constantly inventing
creative and fun ways to engage
students of all levels.
PEDAGOGY
AWARD 2016
Laurie Oakley is a graduate from
York U with a BFA and has her Gr
10 RCM diploma. She is currently
teaching privately at the Montessori
Country School in Nobleton and
holds the position of choir director
at Palgrave United Church. She
started her company Teaching Aids
for Music (T.A.M.) two years ago and
currently has two teaching products
on her website
www.teachingaidsformusic.com with
more teaching tools in development.
Dr. Janet Lopinski, Senior Director
of Academic Programs at the Royal
Conservatory, has performed as
soloist and collaborative pianist, and
has presented lectures, workshops
and master classes across North
America, Europe and Korea. She is a
graduate of the Royal Conservatory
(ARCT gold medalist), University
of Toronto (Bachelor of Music) and
University of Cincinnati (Master
of Music and Doctor of Musical
Arts). She has taught piano, piano
pedagogy, music history and theory
at the Royal Conservatory. Dr.
Lopinski is the Founder and Artistic
Director of the Canadian Chopin
Society
Megan Kuntz was born and raised in Hanover,
ON. She was home-schooled through elementary
school and high school, and comes from a family of
11 children. She is thankful to her parents who gave
her the opportunity to begin studying piano at 8
years old under Patti Schmidt from Walkerton, ON.
It was within these first years of lessons that she
knew she wanted to become a piano teacher. She
also spent two years studying under David Cotterell
from Durham, ON.
She completed her ARCT in Piano Performance in
2011, then went on to study piano pedagogy under
Margot Hundt from Hanover, ON. She completed
both Elementary and Intermediate Pedagogy
certificates, and was very honoured to receive the
Regional Gold Medal from the Royal Conservatory
of Music for achieving the highest mark in Ontario
and Quebec for the Intermediate Pedagogy
examinations. She has completed the Advanced
Piano Pedagogy program with RCM, writing the
written examination in August 2015, and the
practical examinations at the end of January 2016.
She enjoys teaching piano at Chesley District
Community School, as well as from her home
studio. She is also a ballet instructor at the local
dance school. In addition to teaching, she also
plays the piano at her church and at weddings.
She is passionate about music, and is thrilled
to have the opportunity each day to share her
knowledge and passion for music with her students.
NOTES Summer 2016
23
Weighted Touch: The Hidden
Cause of Performance Anxiety
By Alan Fraser
An infant if dropped will reflexively
stiffen its body in free fall.1 I have often
wondered about the poor babies who
participated in the research project that
discovered this, but in any case the study
proves this fear reaction is natural and
instinctive.
What light does this shed on the
controlled fall into the piano key, the
hallmark of the arm weight school?
Could this falling evoke a similar
physiological fear response and
contribute to stage fright? Attempting
to relax may achieve the opposite of our
aim – if it sends our arm into free fall.
I’d like you to do a little experiment.
Practice the following series of exercises
daily for a week or two just before you
have a performance, and notice whether
they lead to a greater feeling of ease
on the keyboard and a subsequent
reduction in stage fright.
Walking on the piano keys
Lay the outer edge of your left hand
along the very edge of the piano
keyboard, catching just enough of the
white keys to hold several of them down.
With your right fingers, walk along those
keys that are already down.
How did you walk? Was there a falling
motion at each step, as some part of
your finger/hand structure gave way
trying to relax as we do when we play?
Or did your fingers walk as you yourself
would walk down the street? Imagine
your hand as a little person. The finger’s
distal-medial joint (the nail joint) is
an ankle, the medial-proximal joint
(the middle knuckle) a knee, and the
metacarpal-phalangeal joint (the top
knuckle) a hip joint. The forearm is a kind
of laid-out torso. When one walks down
the street, the hip joint doesn’t give
way at every step. Each stride actually
confirms the hip joint’s position riding
high on top of the legs and supporting
in turn the buoyant mobility of the torso
and head.
Try to walk on the pressed-down keys
again, consciously using a slight pull in
the stepping finger to launch the hand’s
hip joint, the top knuckle, up into a high
position. The knuckle develops a little
hillock. If you do this really well, there’s
even a little bit of white on top of the
hillock – now it’s a snow-covered Alp.
This motion consolidates the structural
integrity of the hand’s natural arch that
runs from fingertip up to the metacarpalphalangeal joint and down to the wrist.
Notice that when you stand well on the
finger, there’s a sense of calm, of ease, of
stability and capability – all qualities that
are lacking when you fall.
The lumbrical muscle activates in
‘pianistic walking’
The sense of the finger’s capable stability
is created mainly by the lumbrical
muscle. It doesn’t curl the finger but
moves it as if it was one bone only,
bending the whole finger in towards the
palm. The fingertips approach the heel
of the hand, not the middle of the palm.
In our little person analogy, the lumbrical
is the hamstring of the finger.
Timing the action of the lumbrical
Play a note using the lumbrical’s whole
finger flexion action. If it begins to
contract before the sound arises, the
finger’s standing-up action creates the
sound by moving the key.
Play the note again, but now let that
same contraction happen a split-second
after the sound: now a completely
different movement function is at work.
The key is moved by some sort of a
falling motion of the arm or hand, and
the lumbrical now contracts to catch
the hand and prevent it falling further.
There’s an almost unavoidable stiffening.
Many of us, trying to relax as we play,
inadvertently fall into this second
movement pattern. The hand stiffens to
maintain its posture on the key, forcing
1
24
NOTES Summer 2016
the arm to make a relaxation movement
to release the tension. This movement in
turn may destabilize the hand causing it
to contract even further.
Using your fingers to stand up and walk
on the keys is a simple way to avoid
this cycle of contraction and relaxation
altogether. Their walking movements
create the sound; the result of the
walking movement is a poised readiness
for the next step – no relaxation move
needed.
Many of us fall into the keys because
the key obviously goes down to make
a sound, so shouldn’t we go down too?
But notice that the fingers’ walking
motion does not change when that
motion moves a key down to the
keybed.
To feel empowered and at ease on the
keyboard, free yourself from the illusion
that piano playing is about the keys
going down. Yes, the key actually does
descend, but for every action there’s an
equal and opposite reaction. There’s
an “up” in your hand, the action of
the finger standing and the hip joint
rising. This equal and opposite reaction
neutralizes the descent of the key
making you poised, in balance, calm,
and ready for the next step.
Find ways to get that key down without
following it down. Don’t press the
key down; enter the space the key is
occupying. Begin lower than the key
and slide into it, as if you were gliding
into a tunnel. This is indirect attack, the
hallmark of the Leschititsky approach.
Slide up from a white key into a black
key, somehow getting the black key
down and sounding the note, but
standing up in the process.
Monster mash the keys
Or lay the entire palm on the keys, the
fingers lying flat out, and begin to draw
the fingertips toward the heel of the
hand without curling the fingers at all.
Moshe Feldenkrais, Body and Mature Behaviour, Somatic Resources, Berkley, CA, 1949, 115
With my young students I tell them the
hand is a sleeping monster in a swamp,
and ever-so-gradually that monster is
waking up – watch out! A gentle flexion
of the whole hand as it lies on the keys
will mash the keys down. Do it a little
quicker and a Harry Partch-like chord
will sound. But you didn’t press and keys
down, you were just doing a grasping
movement of the fingers. The top ridge
of knuckles rises while the keys “by
accident” descend.
The wonders of grasping
Grasping is an excellent way of replacing
“down” with “up” in your piano
technique. Grasping is the fundamental
action of the human hand, and it consists
of opposing the thumb to the fingers.
Lay only the flat underside of your four
fingers on the surface of the white
keys and bring your flattened thumb
with some vigour to clamp against the
underside of the fingers. The hand
naturally stands up as you do this, and
done vigorously enough, the action will
sound some notes.
As you brought your thumb in under
your fingers, your hand stood and your
shoulder let go. Your hand now stands
comfortably on key, and the fingers and
thumb are galvanized in their opposition
relation to each other. When your
thumb opposes itself to the fingers, they
increase in their elasticity and they stand
up better. It is even easier to sense how
empowering the action of standing is
compared to the inert act of falling.
Grasping and curling don’t go together
Oppose your thumb to your fingers
once more; then curl thumb and fingers
slightly and try the same action. Notice
how much more difficult it is. The curling
interferes drastically with the thumb’s
ability to come across under the hand
and meet the fingers.
But we have to curl our fingers to play
the piano, so why is this straight-fingered
grasping so important? It activates the
lumbricals and teaches them that even
when we do curl, we should keep that
arch-generating part of our hand very
much in the game.
Performance time is approaching,
you don’t have time to do a major
makeover of your piano technique.
But it doesn’t take much to give your
hand an experience of lying, standing,
walking, running, jumping or hopping
on the keys in a way that respects the
dynamics of human movement – to
give your hand a taste of well-organized
movement on the keyboard. And every
little improvement is a step in the right
direction. Not only that: you’ll notice that
when you stand and walk well on the
NOTES Summer 2016
25
keyboard, your musical goals are much
easier to attain. Things sound better. We
are designed to rise up, not fall down,
and when we bring that dynamic to our
relation to the keys, we feel better, play
better, and are less prone to crippling
stage fright.
Stage fright – a necessity?
A word about stage fright: let’s say
your technique is in great shape; there
are no hidden weaknesses or a feeling
of falling to give you a sense of panic
or inadequacy, but you still feel this
gnawing, empty sensation in the pit
of your stomach as the dread day
approaches. Did it ever occur to you
that this is a natural part of life, and you
would be weird if it weren’t happening
to you? Glenn Hall, the great Chicago
Black Hawks goalie, upchucked before
every game of his entire career. He got
nervous – but he played great.
Recently a student of mine was feeling
awful on the day of her performance
but did something different from her
habitual. She had always gotten down
on herself, spending countless hours
trying to figure out why she was so
screwed up as to have these attacks of
nerves. What was wrong with her? This
time she realized there was nothing
wrong with her; it’s simply a part of the
game. She accepted. And she played
well. It wasn’t the stage fright at all that
had her screwing up in performance – it
was her resistance to the stage fright.
Once she accepted it as a natural part of
life, it was clear sailing. She still felt lousy,
but her performance didn’t suffer.
Stage fright stems from the internal selfperception, “I can’t.”
The trouble is, we inadvertently do so
many things to reinforce that perception,
and relatively little to change it.
Our whole mode of concert preparation
tends to be rooted in “I can’t.”
If “I can,” why then would I have to
try out the pieces on the day of a
performance? Our conscious minds
MUSIC
must be present when we play, but the
main communication of a performance
is between the performer’s subconscious
and the audience. We prepare our
pieces not so we can mechanically
reproduce them with our conscious
mind in continual, complete control,
but so that our left brain can cede
ultimate control to the right, allowing a
communication that’s holistic, emotional,
spontaneous and spiritual.
When you try out the pieces on the day
of the performance, you satiate your
unconscious. It gets lulled into a false
sense of security and is not on full alert.
You step on stage and you don’t have
your subconscious at your disposal.
Practicing the pieces right before is like
feeding guard dogs a nice piece of steak
so you can slip past them undetected.
But you don’t want to do that to your
subconscious! When you step on stage
your subconscious should be like a dry
sponge, waiting to soak up the musical
material, digest it and release it to the
public. It should be hungry, thirsting for
fresh experience!
Helping Teachers and
Their Students Since 1956
Integrate your studies in performance, music history, and
theory while exploring the edges of music. Discover music’s
relationships to technology, film, gender, and global culture.
Each year, thousands of dollars in scholarships and awards
are given to new and returning music students!
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Sales Rentals Repairs Lessons In-Store Financing Print Music
uwaterloo.ca/music
26
NOTES Summer 2016
ORMTA YOUNG ARTIST TOUR 2015
“We felt privileged to witness such a fine young man in concert
this past Saturday. He was very poised and he treated us to a
beautiful concert. His program was excellent. We all enjoyed it
very much. It was also a pleasure to meet both of his parents.”
This was a typical response to our 2015 ORMTA Young
Artist, Johann Derecho, this past fall during his tour of
Ontario. Johann, a student of Sergei Pavlov of Scarborough
branch, is a dynamic and technically brilliant performer who
entertained and inspired every branch he visited. Stops on
his tour included Sarnia, Kitchener-Waterloo, Central Toronto,
Kingston, Windsor, Scarborough and Newmarket & Area.
We were all privileged to hear and support another great
Young Artist in 2015. Thank you to all participating branches
and convenors for their hard work making this tour a success.
Johann’s bio and more concert details are available at http://
www.ormta.org/events/young-artist-tour
I would encourage all branches to consider hosting a
guaranteed high quality recital for the upcoming 2016 tour
– it is worth it! Applications for branches that wish to host a
concert are available on our website.
– Susan Robinson, ORMTA Young Artist Tour Convener
NOTES Summer 2016
27
ONTARIO REGISTERED MUSIC TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING - SATURDAY JULY 23, 2016
John D. Bradley Convention Centre
565 Richmond St. Chatham ON
PROXY FORM
To be handed to the Secretary or Chair of the Meeting within 48 hours of the Meeting
(excluding Saturdays and holidays).
I, __________________________________________, certify that I am entitled to vote at an
ORMTA meeting, and do hereby give my proxy to
____________________________________________, who may or may not be a member
entitled to vote at an ORMTA meeting, but with this proxy is entitled to attend and act at
the meeting in the manner, to the extent and with the authority conferred by this proxy.
This proxy holder shall attend in person, or cause an alternate proxy holder to attend, the
meeting in respect of which the proxy is given and shall comply with the directions of the
member who appointed the person.
This proxy is only valid for the Meeting dated ________________. It may be revoked by the
member or the member’s attorney signing a note of revocation up to an including the day
of the meeting, and received by the chair of the meeting.
__________________________________________
Signed (by the member or by the member’s attorney)
28
NOTES Summer 2016
ONTARIO REGISTERED MUSIC TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING SATURDAY JULY 23, 2016
Chatham-Kent John D. Bradley Convention Centre, 565 Richmond St., Chatham, ON
AGENDA
6. Election of Zone Representatives
1. Call to Order
7. President’s Report
2. Introduction of Council Members
8. Open Forum
3. Minutes of the last Annual Meeting (July 2015)
9. Results of Voting as Presented by Scrutineers
4. Matters for Voting
10. Announcements
5. Motion to Elect Scrutineers
11.Adjournment
NOTES Summer 2016
29
30
NOTES Summer 2016
MEMBER
HAPPENINGS
Jarred Dunn
– Concerto
performance
with the Belarus
National Radio
and Television
Symphony
“Particular attention was
drawn to young Canadian
pianist Jarred Dunn, who
performed the popular D Minor
Concerto of Mozart. Invited
on the recommendation of the
conductor, the Canadian pianist
demonstrated on the stage
not only technically perfect
performance, but attentive
listeners felt his understanding
of Mozart’s style, in a perfect
ensemble with orchestra,
with a subtle and deep inner
experience created by a real
musician.”
– Tatyana Yakusheva,
First Channel of the
Belarusian Radio
NOTES Summer 2016
31
WELCOME
TO NEW MEMBERS ACCEPTED SINCE OUR LAST ISSUE OF NOTES
ALEXANDER MCLEOD - ETOBICOKE - MISSISSAUGA BRANCH
SHARMINI ARULANANDAM - ETOBICOKE - MISSISSAUGA BRANCH
DANIELLE GIRARD - OTTAWA REGION BRANCH
GABRIELA SZTEIN - OTTAWA REGION BRANCH
CLAIRE DOYLE - OTTAWA REGION BRANCH
EMILY MALACH - NORTH TORONTO BRANCH
ERIN MILLEY-PATEY - HANOVER - WALKERTON BRANCH PRIMARY
BRANCH; OWEN SOUND BRANCH, ASSOCIATE BRANCH
DARREN LEE - CENTRAL TORONTO BRANCH
PIERRE-ANDRÉ PASHLEY - KITCHENER - WATERLOO BRANCH
AMANDA DE BOER - OSHAWA & DISTRICT BRANCH
ELIZA YEE HONG - MARKHAM - STOUFFVILLE BRANCH
REBECCA BASTMEYER - AJAX - PICKERING BRANCH
32
NOTES Summer 2016
Q&A time again!
Recent topics:
Website use reminder: In order
to make an online payment, it
is necessary to login to the site
and your profile. Login to the site
with your email address (top right
corner). If you can’t remember or
have not chosen a password, click
“Forgot password” (top right/
to the right of Login) and you will
be prompted to select a word of
your choice. After logging in, click
on “My Profile” on the ORMTA
homepage directly above the
logout area (top right corner). This
should take you to your information
including invoice. It’s all quite
user-friendly once you become
familiar with the site. Please keep
your contact data updated since
branch lists are generated from this
information.
Email addresses: Please keep your
email addresses updated in your
profile and inform your branch and
the Province if you have acquired
your first email address.
NOTES hard copy: The
subscription fee for hard copy
NOTES is $12.00 and is not
included in the electronic invoice. If
you change your mind at any time
(prefer the hard copy delivered),
please inform us and the annual
subscription fee of $12 will be
applied.
Branch levies: Some 2016-17
invoices include the branch levy (a
fee initiated and governed at the
branch level).
21 branches accepted the courtesy
offer from the Province to collect
the branch levy on behalf of the
branch: Ajax-Pickering, Brantford,
Central Toronto, Chatham-Kent,
Etobicoke-Mississauga, HamiltonHalton, Hanover-Walkerton,
Kingston, Kitchener-Waterloo,
London, Markham-Stouffville,
Newmarket & Area, Niagara Falls,
North Toronto, North York-York
Region, Oshawa District, Ottawa
Region, Oxford County-Woodstock,
Thunder Bay, Timmins and WindsorEssex County.
Special Projects fee: This is
a mandatory group fee. It is a
small portion of the Provincial fee
designated annually for a specific
project or event. The chosen
2016-2017 Special Project: Venngo
MemberPerks Program for ORMTA
If you haven’t already done so,
please visit ormta.venngo.com
to access your perks. The perks
are specifically tailored to your
geographical area and may be
accessed by setting up an account
using your ORMTA profile email
address.
Not all branches have the
additional branch levy fee but every
Active member pays the branch
portion fee.
Electronic payment reminders
were requested by many in the
membership. These reminders are
automatically programmed into
and generated from the site. If you
have recently paid or are carrying a
small balance, please disregard the
reminder.
The branch fees have been
separated on the invoice for clarity.
Both the Branch levy and the
Branch portion fee will be returned
to the branch.
Membership fee payment by
cheque or money order is still
accepted.
Branch scholarship donations
and tax receipts reminder: CRA
approved the issuing of tax
receipts at the branch level. The
branches may now issue their
own tax receipts. These monetary
donations must be directed towards
scholarships and be recorded/
saved in the branch files for seven
years. There is no minimum eligible
amount.
Please contact me for further details
Have a wonderful summer and
hope to see you at the ORMTA
Provincial Convention 2016 hosted
by the Chatham-Kent Branch of
ORMTA (July 22-23, 2016)
If you are planning to travel by
train: Don’t forget to use your
Venngo Member Perks to receive
your Via Rail discount!
Nancy Dale, Provincial Treasurer
[email protected]
NOTES Summer 2016
33
ORMTA Provincial Council 2015-2016
Executive
PRESIDENT Frank Horvat – 503-16 Brookers Lane, Toronto ON M8V 0A5; Phone: 416-503-4789
E Mail: [email protected]
CFMTA Delegate
FIRST
VICE PRESIDENT
Elizabeth Tithecott – 34 Gladstone Ave., Chatham, N7L 2C1; Phone: 519-351-6387
Convention, Finance Chair
SECOND
VICE PRESIDENT
Kathy Schmidt – 588 Riverview Dr.; Thunder Bay; P7C 1R7; Phone: 807-577-6999
Professional Development
PAST PRESIDENT Sue Jones – 259 Crocus Ave., Ottawa, K1H 6E7; Phone: 613-523-5317
Performance Competitions; CFMTA Delegate
TREASURER Nancy Dale – Box 1639; (58 Shakespeare Ave.); Niagara – on – the - Lake; L0S 1J0
Phone: 905-468-5639
SECRETARY-REGISTRAR
Ron Spadafore – Box 635 Timmins, P4N 7G2; Phone: 705-267-1224 Fax: 705-264-0978
Zone Representatives
CENTRAL (year 2) Susan Robinson - 147 Brookside Cr.; Kitchener, N2N 1H2 Phone: 519-742.4129
Young Artist Tour
EASTERN (year 3) Judy Home - 4-110 Mary St. West; Whitby; L1N 8M5; Phone: 905-665-8484;
Cell: 905-903-8484; E Mail: [email protected]
Bylaws
GREATER TORONTO
(year 2) Alice Dearden - 2 Norval St., Toronto, M6N 3Z2; Phone: 416-763-0490
Canada Music Week/Music Writing Competition
(year 2) Irene Fong Leung - Box 23552 Dexter, 5899 Leslie St., Willowdale, M2H 1J0;
Phone: 416 496-9680; E Mail: [email protected]
ORMTA Pedagogy Award
(year 2) Eric Shaw - 172 Redpath Ave.; Toronto; M4P 2K6; Phone: 416-884-4846
Membership
NORTH CENTRAL (year 1) Laura Gray - Harriston, Onatario; Phone: 519-338-5891
E Mail: [email protected].
Advertising
NORTH EAST (year 2) Frances Balodis - 1204 Ed Briese Rd. (Ullswater) R. R. #1 Utterson; P0B 1M0;
Phone: 705-769-3449; E Mail: [email protected]
Fundraising
NORTH WEST OTTAWA REGION (year 3) Kathy Schmidt - 588 Riverview Dr.; Thunder Bay; P7C 1R7; Phone: 807-577-6999
Professional Development
SOUTHERN (year 2) Jacqueline Huffman-Krisza - 1026 Earl Cres.; Burlington: L7T 3P9;
Phone: 905-333-3128; E Mail: [email protected]
College/University Liaison
WESTERN (year 7) Elizabeth Tithecott - 34 Gladstone Ave., Chatham, N7L 2C1; Phone: 519-351-6387
Convention, Finance Chair
(year 2) Tania Granata - 89 Switch Grass; Nepean; K2J 5Z3; Phone: 613-447-2618
ORMTA Contribution to Teaching Award
(year 1) Olivia Riddell - Ottawa, Tel: (613) 680-2996
Affiliate Teacher Liaison
MEMBER AT LARGE (year 3) Ian Green - 214 Huxley Ave. South; Hamilton; L8K 2R3; Phone: 905-483-2776
Email: [email protected]
Communications
BOARD OF EXAMINERS Nancy Hughes, Derek Oger, Audrey Jean Wells
34
NOTES Summer 2016
Yamaha has been a strong supporter of the Ontario Registered Music
Teachers Associations and would like to thank all teachers for their
dedication to the arts and music education. Yamaha continues to
support music festivals, music education and art foundations and is
proud to have Yamaha pianos featured in international piano
competitions, played by top artists and found in top institutions
and concert halls around the world.
ca.yamaha.com
Yamaha Pianos,
first choice of:
FB: Yamaha Canada
Twitter: @YamahaCanMusic
Ontario Platinum and Premiere dealerships for Yamaha Pianos:
BELLEVILLE
MISSISSAUGA
SARNIA
TORONTO
KITCHENER / WATERLOO
OTTAWA
SAULT STE. MARIE
WINDSOR
LONDON / WINDSOR
PICKERING
TIMMINS
Pinnacle - 613-969-0050
Music Plus - 519-745-8530
D&S Pianos - 519-641-4343
Toronto Piano Group and
Music Education Centre
905-361-5664
Ottawa Pianos - 613-731-5678
905-831-6388
Jack Kennedy's Music - 519-336-3971
Algoma Conservatory - 705-253-4373
905-731-7725
Ouellette’s Music - 519-254-1192
Music Box - 705-268-2221
NOTES Summer 2016
35

NOTES_Summer 2016lr

Transcription

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