It has been an exciting year so far in Central Toronto Branch, and I enjoyed the opportunity of meeting many of you at our events in the fall. In October, Clayton Scott gave an informative and entertaining workshop entitled Music History: Dead or Alive? The overwhelming response to this question was that music history is alive and well, and in very good hands - ours. The children who participated in this workshop enjoyed the presentation almost as much as the adults who attended. Our fall Auditions went very smoothly, and the resulting Recital yielded some fine performances. Congratulations to everyone who was involved. We have a number of upcoming events which are described in this Newsletter - I hope you will read on and find time to attend. I look forward to seeing you,

Frank Horvat has been working hard to put together a varied and exciting programme. This year's concert is Sunday, March 4th, 2:00PM at the Lyceum Club, 23 Prince Arthur Ave. (see enclosed flyer) This annual recital is always enjoyable and artistically rewarding, a perfect Sunday afternoon outing for friends and family. This year the funds raised will go towards the refurbishment of the piano at the Women's Art Association, a venue which we use for many of our events. This event is appropriate for students of all ages - we urge you to actively promote this concert in your own studios - please feel free to photocopy and distribute the enclosed flyer to your students and their families. A reception follows the programme, and it is exciting for students to be able to talk with the artists.

To promote student involvement, we will once again hold a Student Review Contest. A Junior scholarship of $35.00 (12 and under) and a Senior scholarship of $50.00 (13 and older) will be presented to the students who write the best reviews of the concert - this is open to students of all Central Branch members. Reviews are adjudicated by an impartial adjudicator with a background in musical criticism. A guideline sheet called "How to Write a Review" will be available to teachers and students at the March 4th Concert.

Students' reviews should be received by March 31st. The winning reviews will be reprinted, with the students' names and ages in the Spring Newsletter. Please send to: 259 Howland Ave, Toronto, M5R 3B7.

Just a reminder that the application deadline for the Spring Audition is Tuesday, March 27th. Auditions will be held all day on Saturday, April 7th, and during the morning on Saturday, April 14th - this should alleviate the scheduling problems which we experienced last year. Be sure to make your date and time preferences for each student clear - it is very difficult to accommodate changes once the schedule is made up.

If you require application forms or the Rules & Regulations form, please call Maria Case at 944-9260. For newer members who may wish to learn more about this fine opportunity for their students, please call our Auditions & Recitals convenor Ford Barker at 964-6682.

The date for our June Luncheon and Annual Meeting is Sunday, June 10th, 1:30-4:30. Those who attended last year agreed that it was a delightful occasion; we began with a wonderful lunch catered by Nimble Foods, enjoyed a short recital programme given by scholarship winners and accomplished a lot in a lively general meeting. You are welcome to invite a friend, spouse, senior student or colleague. More information will appear in the next newsletter, along with the mail-back registration slip.

The Central Toronto website has been up and running since September/99 and continues to grow in resources, links, usability, and most importantly, popularity. In a two-month period (November & December 2000) we had 470 visits to the website, and the numbers are growing. This year we added a clickable map of the GTA so that prospective students and their families may obtain listings of ORMTA teachers in their areas. I have already heard from some teachers in our Branch that they have received calls this way - we can all expect this to increase. Many thanks to Frank Horvat for his work on the map project and for taking over the upkeep of the website.

One of the most exciting developments this year has been the positive response from other branches in the Toronto Zone towards our website. At this point, North York, Etobicoke-Mississauga, and Markham branches have joined us on the website, and other branches are expressing their interest. This not only helps greatly with our expenses, but creates a stronger public image for our organization from which we can all benefit.

Central Branch members should be aware that they can still choose to have their bios posted on our website - or can make update existing information. Please be assured that your privacy will be respected, and only the information that you give us will be posted. Please contact Maria Case (944-9260) if you require a Website Bio form or an Member Events Form. We would like to know of any concerts, recitals, workshops, etc. in which you may be involved so we can post these in the upcoming events section of our website. If you have not yet visited the website, you can find it at www.ormtatoronto.org.

The Executive is pleased to announce that Gloria Saarinen is this year's recipient of the Special Teacher's Award. Gloria enjoys a dynamic and varied career as a soloist, chamber musician, lecturer and teacher. An article on Gloria will appear in a future NOTES issue - congratulations to our distinguished colleague!

Joanne Bright wishes her colleagues in Central Branch to know that she is available to do supply teaching. This is not a commonly offered service, and can greatly assist a teacher in maintaining continuity within his/her studio should health or travel commitments interrupt regular teaching. Joanne teaches piano and rudiments, and may be reached at 416-421-5592.

The Markham - Stouffville Branch is hosting a Workshop entitled "Dalcroze Eurhythmics: Principles for Piano Teachers." Clinician Shirley Aenne will be discussing this approach to music education based on the body's natural sense of rhythm. (comfortable clothing recommended) Time: Monday, February 26, 10AM to 12:30 Place: Markham Public Library, Program Room, on the lower level (south-east corner of Highway 7 & Highway 48, next to the arena for parking, there is a lot behind the library Fee: Members $15, non-members $20, students $10 Contact: Judi Ayotte at 905-294-2925 for further information

The TD Bank National Piano Concerto Competition, a biannual project of the Toronto Symphony Volunteer Committee, will take place May 5-6 of 2001. To be eligible students must be no older than18 years by June 30th, 2001. The first round is a solo recital, maximum 30 minutes in length. The final round is a complete concerto by Beethoven, Chopin, Grieg, Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Schumann or Tchaikovsky. (It is possible to receive committee approval for concertos not on this list.) The first prize is a performance with the TSO in the Light Classics Series, plus $3000.00. Second and third prizes re $1500.00 and $1000.00 respectively. There is a special $500.00 award for the best performance of a Canadian work. Applications are due March 1st. Inquiries may be directed to: Toronto Symphony Volunteer Committee National Piano Competition 212 King St. West, Suite 550, Toronto, phone: 416-591-1501, fax: 416-591-0213

It is with great sadness that we report the death of Marilyn Littlefield, a long-time Central Branch member. Marilyn had many friends in the branch who will remember her for her intelligence, humour, and dedication to the art of teaching. Marilyn passed away in January of this year.

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