December 2012 - the MSMTA

MCMTA
December 2012
Montgomery County
Music Teachers Association
newsletter
Visit us on the web: http://MCMTA.MSMTA.org
Brian Ganz and Chopin!
Brian Ganz will be performing an all-Chopin recital at our upcoming December
meeting. Need any more be said
Brian is widely regarded as one of the leading pianists of his generation.
For many years he has made it his mission to join vivide music making with
warmth and intimacy onstage, often guiding listeners on a journey of discovery
inside the composer's craft.
"Recently I had the privilege of visiting Poland, the homeland of Chopin,"
Brian says. "I knew that Chopin was a national treausre, but had not known
that he is THE national treasure. There are pictures of him everywhere...he is
truly the spirit of his country. The trip was very moving to me, and intensified
my connection to the man and his music."
Senior Concerto Competition
The MCMTA Senior Concerto competition was held at Jordan Kitt's Music in
Rockville on November 17 and 18. The winners will be playing the Mozart Concerto
in A Major K488 with the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, Scott Wood
conducting. The concert will be held on Sunday, Feburary 24, 2013 at 3:00 pm at
Bethesda Presbyterian Church, 7611 Clarendon Road in Bethesda. Participating
teachers were Hyun Park, Conchita Jan, Sergei Morozov and Li-Ly Chang. The Senior
winners follow, Junior and Intermediate results on are inside on page two.
1st Movement
Performer
Alternate
Lili Sun
Ariel Hsu
2nd Movement
Performer
Jessica Li
Alternate
Savannah Du
Honorable Mention Winston Wu
Crystal Liu
William Brauneis
Christine Jean
3rd Movement
Performer
Savannah Du
Alternate
Crystal Liu
Honorable Mention Mary Wan
Grace Chan
The next members'
meeting is Tuesday
December 11, 2012 at
Jordan Kitt's in Rockville
12303 Twinbrook Parkway Rockville, MD
10:30 Business Meeting
and Program
Followed by Luncheon
November
Meeting Review
In her presentation “40 Things I’ve Learned
in 39 Years of Teaching” Michiko Yurko covered
topics ranging from how to (carefully!)
choose students (and their parents), through
tips on how to run our studios, how to help
our students practice, the manner in which
we conduct lessons, all the way to how to
take care of ourselves – a much neglected
topic. Michiko shared with us her many
practical, common sense, and insightful ideas
presenting them clearly, in detail, with good
humor and interspersed with anecdotes we
all can relate to. What a treat!
If you missed it you can still get a taste;
Michiko has shared her handout with all of
us on our YahooGroups list-serve (look in the
Files section). You will still have missed her
stories but the handout is quite extensive.
– Immanuela Gruenberg
December 2012
page one

More Results:
1st Movement
Junior Concerto
Performer
Avery Liou
Alternate
Eirena Li
Honorable Mention Jessica Lin
William Chan
Lulu Chang
Lihua Mo Hunter
2nd Movement
Performer
Emily Tong
Alternates
Andrea Chen
Jamie Wang
Honorable Mention Simon Cantor
Eirena Li
Titus Liu
Alvin Ya
3rd Movement
Performer
Eirena Li
Alternate
William Chan
Honorable Mention Lulu Chang
Max Li
Flora Li
Judges were Elena Arseniev and Margarita Gramaticova.
Intermediate Concerto
1st Movement
Performer
Alternate
Christine Cho
Grace Chen
2nd Movement
Performer
Julia Lutong Li
Alternates
Isabella Chang
Honorable Mention Valentino LaVilla
Elementary Recital
Fall and Winter are very busy seasons for those who participate
in MCMTA elementary recitals. The first elementary recital of the
2012/2013 school year took place in October 20th 2012.
48 students from 9 Montgomery County Piano studios
participated in the recital. Just ten days before Halloween the
children were happy to dress up in their costumes and play their
favorite "spooky" songs, etudes, folk songs and classical music
pieces at the elementary level.
I would like to thank all the teachers who helped prior recital
to make it run smoothly and happy. Special thanks to Dr. Svetlana
Volkova who helped to type all the 3 recitals programs.
Susan Roberts amd Suzanne Ferall were wonderful monitors.
Larissa Domracheva and Deborah O'Neill helped with registration.
Larissa Domracheva also provided a lot of candies and fall
ornaments.
Winter holidays are in town! Come and join our winter music
celebration piano recital on December 15th at Montgomery
College.
– Olga Soukhoveev
Elementary
Recital Chair
3rd Movement
Performer
Alternate
Isabella Chang
Martin Torrey
Judges were Bok Hwa Kim and Alla Merport.
Please see the Senior Concerto write-up on page one for
information on the performances of the winners.
December 2012
page two

Notes from our President
We had an enjoyable and informative program at our November
13th meeting from our own member Michiko Yurko entitled “40 Things
I Have Learned in 39 Years of Teaching” that gave us some great ideas
for our own teaching studios. Michiko graciously agreed to share her
handout with the entire membership by allowing us to post it on the
listserv (MCMTA at yahoogroups.com). So if you were unable to attend
but would like to see some of Michiko’s great ideas, be sure to visit the
listserv. Haven’t joined yet Just go to http://groups.yahoo.com/ and
search for MCMTA. Put in a request to join with a note that you are an
MCMTA member and start receiving all the great information on discount
tickets and postings by our members.
Please mark your calendars for the upcoming MSMTA convention on
January 12th and 13th at the University of Maryland in College Park.
Conference and registration information is available on the MSMTA
website.
Please join us on Tuesday, December 11th for our holiday potluck
lunch and program. We will be treated to a performance by Brian Ganz.
No tickets to buy - it’s one of the benefits of MCMTA membership! There
is a short business meeting at 10:30am followed by the program and
then the luncheon. Bring a dish to share, but please keep in mind that
it must be ready-to-serve as we will not have the capability of heating
dishes up at Jordan Kitt's Music. Please join us for a great day of music
and camaraderie!
– Lori McCarthy, MCMTA President
MSMTA Conference
There were some omissions in the previous registration
form (the one in the October Maryland
State Music Teacher's Association Newsletter), so
if you have not registered, please use the revised
form or register online at http://msmta.org/
The conference schedule is also online and
detailed descriptions of sessions will be posted
soon). Hope to see many of you at the conference!
– Junko Takahashi, MSMTA President
There will be a discussion about proposed bylaws
revisions at the December 11th meeting. It has been
several years since they were last revised and inclusion
of internet and other items have been proposed
by the Board.
Upcoming Events:
The next MCMTA meeting is December 11, 2012
The first meeting of 2013 is February 12
MCMTA Judged Recital December 9, 2012
At Montgomery College Rehearsal Hall
Elementary Recital December 15, 2012
"Autumn Magic" at Montgomery College
Music Building (51 Mannakee St. Rockville)
Festival 2013: All Things French and Spanish
February 24, 2013 (deadline is January 26)
We're on the web: http://MCMTA.MSMTA.org
Please join us at YahooGroups.com (List name is
MCMTA)
December 2012
page three

Montgomery County Music
Teachers Association
December 2012 Newsletter
Susan Burkhalter reports that one of our MCMTA
members, Christine Couch has passed the Colleague
Exam, the third most difficult American Guild of Organists
National Certification test, which she took in
June 2012. Christine is a piano teacher and church
organist at St. Jude's Catholic Church in Silver Spring.
The Colleague exam includes five performance
pieces of classical music which are required, two
hymns, a vocal music or choral music piece, and also
keyboard skills tests on modulating and improvisation,
sight-reading, and transposition. Only 21 minutes
of preparation are given for the keyboard skills
portion of the test. Preparation for the test takes at
least one year of rigorous study and practice, usually
working with a teacher. The test is given locally and
recorded, then sent to New York City for grading by
the judges.
Newsletter Deadline is
January 25, 2013
Please submit information for the
next newsletter before January 25, 2013.
Please send submissions to :
Cynthia Cathcart, phone 301-587-6267.
email Cynthia@PotomacTalent.com
(please put MCMTA in the subject line)
December 2012
page four
Member News
Musical Arts International Inc. will present its
holiday Concert "Misto Di Voci" on December 9,
2012 at 3:00 at Calvary Lutheran Church, 9545
Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring. It will feature David
Yarbrough, violin, Paula Hickey, Clarinet and Daniel
Lau, Piano. 301-933-3715 for more information.
Friday Morning Music Club
The FMMC Competition for High School Pianists will take place on April
13, 2013. The competition is open to piano students who are currently
enrolled in grades 9 through 12, living within a 50‐mile radius of Washington,
DC. First place winners from previous years are ineligible. Please note
that you do not have to be a member of the FMMC to enter a student in
the competition.
The location of the competition is National Presbyterian Church at 4101
Nebraska Ave., NW in Washington, D.C. The date is April 13, 2013, with an
application deadline (postmark) no later than Saturday, March 13, 2013.
Prizes are awarded at the discretion of the judges, and range from $700
for first prize, to $500 for second prize and $300 for third prize.
Winners will also be presented on a student concert later in the season.
All winners will receive a one‐year membership in the Student Division of
the Friday Morning Music Club.
Students must play works from each of four categories: the Baroque
Period; the first movement of a sonata from Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn or
Schubert; a substantial work from the Romantic Period; and a work from
the Impressionist, 20th or 21st century. (Please see the website fmmc.org
for specific requirements and excluded works).
If you have any questions please contact MCMTA member Lois Jones
at LoisSmithJones@gmail.com or by phone at 301-654-6275. Complete
details and the application are available at fmmc.org.
Holiday Luncheon Notes
Please bring items to share during our holiday luncheon, which follows
Brian Ganz's performance at our December meeting. We only have access
to a very small microwave oven, so please try to bring food dishes that do
not require re-heating. We have also in the past had members suggest
that nuts be avoided if they are not essential to your recipes.
We hope to see everyone on December 11 at the Jordan Kitt's in Rockville
for this special time together.