President’s Letter
Dear BAMTA members,
I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine’s Day! January’s program, featuring David Foreman’s From Piano Performance Major to Video Game Music Composer was a very interesting and refreshing revelation of one of the fulfilling, exciting (and even lucrative!) directions music study could lead to. We were all of us heartened to know that his original music training (in this case with Rebecca Martin) enabled him to follow his dreams and provided a solid foundation for his career in music composing, and that he has found an outlet where his skills as a musician are genuinely needed.
In contrast, but no less valuable, is the fact that studying music enables young minds to develop more fully in other areas of learning. This month’s program on Wednesday, February 17th will feature learning specialist Mimi Ward on The Value of Music Study for Written and Spoken Language. (Our schedule has been changed so that Carol Wickham-Revier will present her program in March instead of this month). Mimi’s previous workshops have been an inspiration to all of us, and I hope you will make an effort to come to her presentation scheduled at 10:00 am. (See below). The General Meeting at 9:00 am, as always, is open to fresh faces and new input, so please consider getting involved!
Lastly, the Pass-Along website will soon be a part of our organization’s communication network (thank you, Brenna Berman, for putting this together!), and I hope everyone, including myself, will get comfortable using it!
Best,
Emily Miller
BAMTA President
BAMTA Presentation:
The Value of Music Study for Written and Spoken Language
Mimi Ward, MA CALP, is a Certified Academic Language Practitioner who specializes in working with students who struggle with dyslexia. A mother of three children who all study music, she has personally seen the benefits of music education on reading and writing skills. She is excited to share new research coming from Harvard supporting the value of music education for all children but especially those who struggle with written language.
Mimi has spoken to BAMTA twice before and we always love her presentations!
Scholarship Committee
Volunteers needed to serve on the 2016 scholarship committee. The time commitment is 2 – 3 hours in June. Please let Mitzi Babb know (mitzi@thebabbs.com) if you are interested.
CSMTA Announcement
CSMTA is pleased to announce to the membership that Sheila Hamaker has been selected as the 2017 MTNA Fellow Nomination. She is a dedicated piano teacher who has been very active in CSMTA in local associations and the state board since 2000. Learn more about Sheila by going to our website to see an article posted there, and look for an article about Sheila in the April News & Notes.
Since there is no longer a silent auction at the CSMTA conference, they are soliciting local association and individual member support, asking you to send a check made out to MTNA Foundation Fund and put “Sheila Hamaker” in the “For” column. Mail the check to: MTNA National Headquarters, 1 W. 4th Street, Suite 1550, Cincinnati, OH 45202. …or… go online to the MTNA Foundation site at https://www.mtnafoundation.org/contribute/donation-form/ and indicate that it is for “Fellow – Sheila Hamaker”
Felicity Muench and Kevin Garry have released a new CD – “Amoroso Guitar Duo – Romantic Music from South America”. The album features works by Piazzolla, Jobim, Montes, Pujol and Timoteo. Their brilliant ensemble work delivers lush 19th -century harmonies, Latinate rhythms and charmed melodies evoking both the fire of romantic passion and the tenderness of deep emotion. The album is available at http://www.felicityguitar.com/ or http://www.cdbaby.com/