Memorable conference for collegiate chapters - Collegiate Chapters

American Music Teacher, June-July, 2003 by Martha F. Hilley

The 2003 MTNA National Conference will surely go down in the memory books as one of the best. This was the first time all collegiate chapter sessions were presented by collegiate chapter members. For those of you who did not have the opportunity to catch one of the presentations, I send my deepest regrets--they were wonderful!

Sunday morning started off early with the National Student Advisory Council. I want to thank Kassandra Jenkins from Arizona State University for hosting this session. Those attending were eager to share their ideas and concerns.

Mid-morning brought the Western Michigan University MTNA Collegiate Chapter with Is Clementi Getting You Down? Discover an Innovative Approach to Finding New Repertoire for Your Intermediate-Level Students. Many in the audience left the session with a copy of "12 pieces of the 21st Century," a collection of new repertoire from commissioned student composers that was performed by student piano instructors and collegiate chapter members. The presenters took a moment to talk about each piece before it was performed. This excellent idea used the resources in the students' own backyard!

Sunday afternoon was the Collegiate Chapters Reception. It was my opportunity to recognize the members of the Weber State University Collegiate Chapter as recipients of the 2002-2003 Collegiate Chapter of the Year Award.

Also included in the reception program was an excellent presentation by the West Virginia University Collegiate Chapter, A Survey of Music Methods, Materials and Teaching Strategies to Aid Music Instructors in Teaching Culturally Diverse Students. Chapter members, as well as a collegiate chapter member from Texas Tech University, introduced the audience to teaching materials from the European Union, Malaysia, Taiwan, China and South Korea. Included in their discussion were particular features of the music, such as pictures, text, musical and pedagogical highlights and, in some cases, a short history of piano pedagogy in the particular country or region, The presenters were Hooi-Yin Boey, HyeGyung Ji, Amanda Lee, Pei-Sien Lim and Christine Tan.

On Tuesday, the University of Utah Collegiate Chapter enchanted attendees with an original "operetta," Music and Drama: No Grimm Tale. Bravo to these students, who have reached out to Salt Lake public school students with drama and music as a vehicle to teach grade-schoolers musical concepts. We loved meeting "Granny G," "Melody and Harmony" and even "Atoneality"! What a treat to watch the faces of forty grade school students in attendance. If you are in the Salt Lake City area, check with these thespians to see where they will be performing next. It is truly worth the time and effort. Presenters included Kimberly Baker, Alexis Bostkovich, Byron Bowers, Jacey Egbert, Kathryn Erickson, January Held, Janalyn Holman, Nathan Johnson, Tracy Lipke, lan Smith, Lindsey Sorenson, Rachel Watrous and Jill Wilding.

It has been such a thrill to have the opportunity to work with "the future of our organization." Getting the chance to see them in action at a national conference has been the perfect ending to my term as national collegiate chapters chair. If these students are any indication of who is out there, we have nothing to fear about the future of MTNA--we will be in good hands. Thank you, and I will see you all in Kansas City!

Martha F. Hilley, NCTM

National Collegiate Chapters Chair

Austin, Texas

Martha Hilley is professor of group piano and pedagogy at The University of Texas at Austin.