Eileen Geske is Teacher of the Year

American Music Teacher, June-July, 2004

At the 2004 MTNA National Conference in Kansas City, Eileen Geske was honored as MTNA Teacher of the Year. Geske holds a bachelor's degree in music education from Valley City State University (VCSU). Both prior to earning that degree and after its completion, Geske has pursued additional professional development through attendance at workshops, conventions and concerts, as well as private study.

Geske has thirty-seven years of teaching experience in the private studio in addition to being a public school teacher. Her students frequently have performed in the North Dakota Music Teachers Association (NDMTA) and MTNA advancing and non-advancing competitions, NDMTA rallies, NFMC Junior Festivals and for the National Guild of Teachers of Music. They have won awards at the state, regional and national levels.

Geske has been an active member of NDMTA and MTNA since 1978 and twice has served as president of the Valley City Music Teachers Association. She has been an NDMTA certified teacher for the past seven years.

In addition, Geske has contributed through her twenty-four years of service to the National Federation of Music Clubs. She also has been a member of Music Educators National Conference (now the National Association for Music Education) and the National Guild.

Geske also is known as a performer. At VCSU, Geske performed in numerous recitals and other forums. She has served her communities for more than thirty-five years as a church organist and through frequent performances of special music.

"The Teacher of the Year, Eileen Geske, reflects the true spirit of our teachers within MTNA," says MTNA President Phyllis I. Pieffer, NCTM. "She is totally dedicated to providing the best possible music education for her students, by preparing herself through the pursuit of lifelong learning and by becoming a certified teacher."

Geske's greatest contribution to music education has been in the area of private teaching. In addition, her ability to motivate the large numbers of students who participate in community and competitive events and who continue that participation after they leave her studio sets her apart from other teachers. She has privately conducted her own "Music Teachers Nurturing Audiences Campaign," and over the years she has treated hundreds of students to field trips to area recitals and symphony concerts.