The big audacious goal - In Unison - leadership of the Music Teachers National Association

American Music Teacher, Oct-Nov, 2003 by Phyllis I. Pieffer

In preparation for the MTNA presidency, I attended, with National Executive Director Gary L. Ingle, a symposium for association CEOs. Who is MTNA's CEO? Both of us are MTNA's CEO. My role is that of chief elected officer, and Gary's is that of chief executive officer. It is a partnership--we share the leadership. MTNA will only be as effective as we are in working together and as we are in sharing our leadership with the MTNA Board of Directors, with Division and State Officers, with the National Office Staff, and ultimately with you, as members of our association. This reflects the "MTNA triangle": National, State and Local Associations surrounding each member. We work together for success.

As part of this sharing, each summer the Board of Directors meets for an extended session. In addition to business matters, we spend a significant amount of time discussing long-range planning and directions in which we envision MTNA moving. We also spend a weekend in September, the MTNA Summit, with the Division and State Leadership, involving them in this process.

Foremost in the Board's attention was to develop a "big audacious goal" that "reflects what we are deeply passionate about as an organization, what we have the capability to be the best in the world at, and what drives our organization's economic engine" (Tecker Consultants). The Board adopted the following statement:

"MTNA should be the preeminent association for music teaching and the indispensable music resource for the public and the profession."

Along with our MTNA Mission Statement (found on the back of your membership card), these two statements define us as an association and as members:

"The mission of Music Teachers National Association is to advance the value of music study and music making to society and to support the professionalism of music teachers."

Our responsibility then is to try to fulfill our mission and our big audacious goal to the best of our ability as members working together in support of our association.

The Board of Directors adopted the following primary goals for MTNA for the next decade:

* Recruit more active young members

* Improve strategic positioning

* Increase diversity in membership--teachers of orchestral instruments and voice

* Increase diversity in ethnicity

* Seek out partnerships with other organizations

* Shared leadership

* Improve services to teachers of everyday students

* Continue to focus on the importance of high standards

* Promote instant communication

The next step was to develop goals for this biennium--that is, what we hopefully can accomplish over the two-year term of office:

* Promote and market certification as a valuable tool for independent music studio business

* Continue to improve MTNA programs that recognize and reward excellence in the music profession

* Integrate the work of the MTNA FOUNDATION into MTNA and appoint a Development Committee

* Implement the Corporate and Institutional Advisory Councils

* Increase working relationships and partnerships with other music organizations

* Develop tools for the independent music teacher to improve his or her studio teaching through assessment programs

* Explore avenues for teachers to market their studios, increase incomes and broaden their teaching

* Provide incentives for potential members to join MTNA in partnership with states and locals

* Increase diversity of membership

* Develop the Forums as the voice of MTNA members

* Continue the development of the website

* Continue to promote the "Music for Everyone" programs and develop complementary programs that support them and reach the non-keyboard studios

* Develop a document for the lifelong enjoyment of music

Quite ambitious, isn't it? But the Board has already made significant strides in some of the above. Just to mention a few:

* The Development Committee for the MTNA FOUNDATION is already hard at work.

* The Institutional and Corporate Advisory Councils will meet at the 2004 MTNA National Conference in Kansas City, Missouri.

* Teacher Assessment Development and Code of Ethics Revisions have been assigned to task forces.

* Our various award programs are in the process of being reviewed under the guidance of Vice President Gail Berenson.

* The Certification Commission is developing a portfolio approach for participants in the Certification Program. (See Certification News, page 68.)

The Board of Directors is passionate about MTNA, passionate about music making and music teaching and passionate about being the best we can be. Join us in making MTNA the preeminent association for music teaching!

National Conferences

March 27-31, 2004    Kansas City, Missouri
April 2-6, 2005      Seattle, Washington
March 25-29, 2006    Austin, Texas

Phyllis I. Pieffer

President