National Office Candidates - Music Teachers National Association

American Music Teacher, Feb-March, 2003

In accordance with Article VI, Sec. 2. of the MTNA Byaws, this slate of the two candidates per office was prepared by the MTNA Nominating Committee, consisting of: Joan Reist, NCTM, Lincoln, Nebraska, chair; Arlene Krueger, NCTM, Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Peggy Lewis, NCTM, Arkansas; Paula Gardiner, NCTM, Wilmington, Delaware; Sumy Takesue, NCTM, Van Nuys, California; Norma Seifert, NCTM, Collierville, Tennesse; William L. McKay, NCTM, Richland, Washington; Philelle McBrayer, NCTM, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Charlotte Heermann, NCTM, Lincoln, Nebraska; and Virginia Marks, Bowling Green, Ohio.

President-elect

Judith A. Price, NCTM, from Olympia, Washington, has maintained an independent piano studio for thirty years and holds a B.A. degree in music theory. During her tenure as a private teacher, she has been very involved in her local associations, holding a number of positions, including president. Judy has a special interest in furthering educational opportunities for both students and teachers. As Washington State MTA (WSMTA) Education Board chair and two terms as WSMTA president, her deepening awareness of the challenges facing the private teacher was heightened. As chair of the National Certification Board, following four years as the Northwest Division representative on that Board, Judy worked with others in the formulation of policies and procedures for certification. She has further served the national organization with her work on the MTNA Membership Committee, the Summit for MTNA Leadership Planning Committee, the Finance Committee and as a presenter at the National Conference. As past president of the Northwest Division, Judy just completed a term on the MTNA Board of Directors and as a trustee of the MTNA FOUNDATION Board. In addition to her studio teaching and MTNA service, Judy is active in her community as a collaborative pianist and volunteers regularly as an accompanist for local high school choirs. Judy was co-founder and vice president of the Dorthy A. Anderson International Piano Competition, held in conjunction with Seattle Pacific University and later with the University of Washington. Judy is happily married to her outdoor-enthusiast husband, Ted, and they have two sons.

"As an independent teacher, MTNA has been an important part of my professional life, providing opportunities for growth as a teacher, as well as networking and collegiality with my peers," she says. "I am excited and optimistic about the future of MTNA, its members and their students as we work with the music industry and other organizations to further the cause of music education in America. We can make a difference in our profession and our art as we move forward into the twenty-first century."

Paul Stewart, NCTM, is chair of the keyboard division at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), where he teaches piano performance studies and pedagogy. He holds a, D.M. degree in piano performance from Florida State University, an M.M. degree from the University of Illinois and B.M. and B.M.E. degrees from Indiana University Paul is the MTNA treasurer. During 2000-2001, he served as chair of the National Convention Planning Committee for the Minneapolis and Washington, D.C., Conventions. As a member of the MTNA FOUNDATION Board of Trustees, 1996-1998 and 2001-2003, Paul has chaired both the MTNA FOUNDATION Teacher Enrichment Grant Committee and the MTNA Awards Committee. As a 1996-1998 and 2001-2003 member of the MTNA Board of Directors, Paul was a national representative to Wisconsin, Indiana and Nevada and chaired the MTNA Policies and Procedures Committee (1996-1998). Paul's service to the Southern Division began in 1986 as local chairman for the MTNA Southern Division Meeting/Auditions and continued as college audition chair, vice president for auditions and president. Paul's involvement with the North Carolina MTA goes back to 1973 when he chaired the state Baldwin competition and includes service four times as site chair for state conventions, vice president for conventions and state president, 1985-1987. Paul is a frequent adjudicator for MTNA-related competitions and has given a number of workshops for local Music Teachers Associations. His recent performances include Schubert's Trout Quintet (2002), solo piano recitals in North Carolina (2001) and a premier performance of Jupiter's Moons, a six-movement work by Judith Lang Zaimont that Paul commissioned for the 2000 UNCG Focus on Piano Literature. His article, "The Piano Music of George Rochberg and the New Romanticism," appeared in American Music Teacher in January 1989.

"MTNA has been, and continues to be, a significant part of both my personal and professional lives," Paul says. "It is a privilege to be a member of an association with such a long, distinguished record of service to the teaching profession. The challenge for our future leadership is to sustain and expand MTNA's many excellent programs. We need to be perceptive to the needs of our teachers and their students at all levels and work to support their pedagogical efforts through FOUNDATION grants, local workshops, distance learning, state and national conventions, publications, certification, and local, state, division and national competitions. As MTNA promotes the art of music, we should intensify our search for creative ways to attract even more of our colleagues to join us. Reasonable compensation, benefits and professional growth should be on our agenda as we identify and meet the challenges of the twenty-first century."