Message from the President…

It is with great humility that I begin my term as President of Central Toronto Branch ORMTA. My predecessor, Marjorie Beckett, has provided such outstanding leadership these past three years that the bar has been raised, indeed, and I have very big ‘shoes to fill'. I want to thank Marjorie for her encouragement and guidance so far, and look to all the members of the executive for their perspective and input as we embark on another year of workshops, competitions and information sharing.

I will endeavour to do all I can to provide leadership to keep CTB ORMTA a dynamic and important part of our lives. I believe ORMTA should provide us with the means to share ideas, create new learning experiences, discuss common challenges and of course just allow opportunities to get together for fun and camaraderie.

Collectively we need ‘all of us' as we are represented and take inspiration from members who are established experts and professionals in their chosen fields, but we are also represented by younger members at the beginning of their careers. These new members help us to remember our early days and remind us of just how much our students have taught us as much as we have taught them.

One of my first ‘tasks' as President was to attend the Provincial Conference in Ottawa in mid-July. It is so true that the more you learn about something, the more you realize you don't know. My biggest impression was how ‘big' ORMTA really is and how much dedication and enthusiasm is present in the members who run our branches throughout Ontario . This enthusiasm was infectious and I am excited to be a part of this group and what makes it more amazing is that we are a group of volunteers! Another cliché rings true – the more you put into something, the more you get out of it! So as President, I want to encourage everyone to be open to the possibility of helping out in some small way this next year. The more we all contribute, whether it be your time, your money, your advice, or your participation, the more we all gain. We need everyone's ‘voice'. (Don't let the executive have ‘all the fun'!) As a volunteer organization, we always need help somewhere. Please check out the ‘ Volunteers Needed ' part of the newsletter and see if you can possibly give us your commitment for just one item this year. The person to get the most out of this is you! I promise!

Our executive is busy putting together a wonderful line up of speakers and workshops for this year. I encourage you to attend as your interest guides you. If you don't see anything of interest to you, then let me know what you are looking for! That communication is vital and you will be doing your part to make ORMTA more relevant.

I look forward to meeting many of you this year and wish everyone a successful start up in September.

Susan Griesdale

Congratulations to our amazing students . . .

Dennis Wong, pupil of Gloria Saarinen, received a mark or 93 for his Grade 10 piano exam in January, for which he will receive the Ann Scott Mumford Memorial Exam Scholarship.

Natalia Tishina, pupil of E. Krakopolskaya won the Maria Case Trophy for an exceptional performance of a Canadian composition in the spring Scholarship Recital. Natalia was also our spring 2006 Zone Competition winner which earned her a place in the Provincial finals. Unfortunately she was unable to perform there due to a hand injury.

James Moyer, the winner of our Fanny Levitan award this year, won the Provincial singing competition, representing the GTA Zone. He is a student of Carolynne Godin.

Special Teacher Award –

Central Toronto Branch is very pleased that Maria Case received the Special Teacher Award at the Provincial Convention in Ottawa in July. Maria has been a member of our branch since 1988, serving twice as President, and has continued to make exceptional contributions to our branch, convening the workshops, composing and performing in the Teachers in Concert, to name but a few.

She holds an ARCT in performance, a Bachelor of Music in Composition from the University of Toronto , and has studied choral conducting, orchestral conducting, graduate studies in English literature and jazz studies at Berklee College in Boston .

She is organist and choir director of Glebe Road United Church , conducted the Scarborough Choralaires from 2000-2005, and is now Music Director of the Annex Singers. She performs frequently, as a soloist and as a member of the Artemis Trio and Artemis Ensemble. Her main interest remains composition. Her works include choral, solo piano, a string quartet, string quintet, and various chamber works.

Congratulations, Maria!

ORMTA Convention – July 2006

A wonderful Convention hosted by Ottawa Region Branch scheduled 2 or 3 choices of workshops or lectures in each time slot, beginning Sunday afternoon, accommodating diverse interests. This reporter tried Tai Chi, a help in reducing tension as is Yoga, also offered.

The Sunday evening opening was a concert treating us to music of early Bytown played by La Favoritte-voice and plucked/bowed strings. Ireneus Zuk played piano works by Kossenko and Chopin, followed by tenor Paul Massel in songs by Handel, Schubert, Faure, and numbers from contemporary musicals.

The Art of Practising was a lively workshop with many helpful tips; The Piano Lab presentation by U.of Ottawa, told us of the research in many aspects of piano study. Teaching piano pupils to play in a relaxed manner was an insightful session with Ireneus Zuk; and highlights of exam preparation was a deservedly popular workshop. The Collaborative Piano session illustrated the sensitivity and skills needed to perform with another musician. Elaine Keillor demonstrated facets of early Canadian music and the contribution to music of today. The Annual Meeting, and luncheon had greetings from CFMTA President Pat Frehlich, who gave updates on CFMTA issues and the upcoming Collaborative Conference. All matters for voting were approved. The Provincial Student Competition instrumental) was won by Hayes Leo(Ottawa Zone) and vocal by James Moyer(GTA Zone). The Young Artist is Jennifer Lam, Eastern Zone. We were hosted by the National Arts Centre for the Awards Luncheon, and enjoyed a flute quartet at the Gala Banquet.

Watch for the full report in the next issue of NOTES. Your delegates Susan Griesdale and Jean Collins were honoured to represent you. 

Volunteers Needed:

We are asking for some help to ensure that our activities run smoothly.

Please consider helping us out just this once this year. You won't regret it!

• Currently we need someone to coordinate ‘refreshments' for our sessions such as the Autumn Tea & General Meeting (date) , and/or the Fall Workshop (date). It is not necessary for the coordinator to attend the sessions. This person needs to arrange, through others, for the food to be there. If you can act as Refreshment Coordinator for just one session, that would be great! …or for all of the sessions, that would be wonderful!
• We also need volunteers who would be willing, from time to time, to either bake or buy (you will be reimbursed) some of the goodies needed.
• Don't forget to let your high school students know that they can get ‘community service credits' if they volunteer to help us at any of our functions. We certainly could use their help at the fall or spring Auditions and Scholarship Recitals, the Book Sale in late spring, and especially this fall we need help with keyboard input, folding and stuffing envelopes and mailing to help get our Directory produced and ‘out there'.
• We also need someone with computer knowledge who knows their way around ‘Microsoft Excel' and would be willing to spend a few hours helping to format and print our Directory. Printing expenses (paper, ink) will be reimbursed.
• This year we need someone to help out with the GTA Zone level Competition in the Spring (May 6) – specifically to help with registration of the competitors, and/or to just ‘be there' on the day of competition to provide direction to the participants and their families.
• We always need someone who, from their home, can phone some of our members to remind them about an upcoming workshop and important events.

If you would be willing to help out with any of the above, please call Susan Griesdale at 416-462-3108, or email at sgriesdale@rogers.com . Your name will be forwarded to the person in charge who will call you right away and help you get started.

NEW! TEACHERS' TIDBITS

Teachers are always looking for different approaches in handling student learning styles. We have a wealth of experience among us so let's share some of our ideas that worked! If you have any ‘tricks of the trade', we would love to hear about them! Submit them to Leanne Kloppenborg at kloppen@sympatico.ca or call 416-462-0785 for inclusion in the next newsletter.

Teacher Tidbit # 1 from Susan Griesdale……………..

“One of the best parts of teaching is the opportunity to be creative! I would like to share one of the ‘tactics' that has worked for me. I sometimes have students who learn the first 8 or 16 bars of a piece really well but then get bogged down for the middle or last part and struggle to make progress, even though we've ‘mapped' the entire piece at the outset. I have noticed that it is a ‘learning pattern' with these students. So I will review and map the entire piece with them at the beginning and then will take their music away from them, scan it, take the scissors and then cut it up into ‘logical chunks'. I then assign them ‘a little chunk' to take home and practise. Usually this first assigned chunk is either the start of the middle section, or the end (depending on the piece) or it could be just a few bars of a technically challenging part. When that is learned for notes, fingering, phrasing, dynamics etc, I give out a new ‘chunk'. Of course, we now have to add ‘the bridge or cadence' as part of the practise. Slowly we build the piece and find that all parts will be equally strong when the piece is finally learned. I have also found that these students tend to practise more readily as they find tackling a ‘one or two line' piece of paper somehow less daunting than having the whole score.”

Two Upcoming CTB Events:

Friday, September 29 , from 9:30am – 12:30 , Christopher Kowal , Chief Examiner Practical Subjects for the Royal Conservatory of Music, will present a pedagogy workshop for teachers and student teachers. Learn more about the Intermediate and Advanced Levels of the New Piano Pedagogy Certificate Program. At the Women's Art Association, 23 Prince Arthur Ave. (between Bedford and Avenue Road, orth of Bloor). Free of charge. Contact Maria Case at mscase@sympatico.ca for more information.

Sunday, October 1 , from 2 – 4 p.m. join the other members of Central Toronto for our Autumn Tea and General Meeting, featuring David Fallis , Music Director for Opera Atelier, Artistic Director of the Toronto Consort, Conductor of the Toronto Chamber Choir - in the Atrium, 21 Shaftesbury Avenue (across from the Summerhill subway station). He will be presenting little known keyboard and vocal repertoire of the Medieval, Renaissance and early Baroque eras for today's students. Come and discover “new” repertoire that would be ideal for your students. David will share his extensive experience and enthusiasm for pre-1700 music. Feel free to bring a friend, colleague, or senior student. For more information, call 416-462-3108

Upcoming Workshops in Bolton-Brampton-Caledon Branch

The Bolton-Brampton-Caledon branch of ORMTA is hosting a workshop: “Baroque, Classical and Romantic Music”, reviewed through a discussion of each period's art, architecture, social values and especially the study of specific key works. The clinician is Clayton Scott.

It will be held on Monday, October 16 th , 2006 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Location: Paule Kerlukies' studio: 16 Regan Road , Unit 46 in Brampton . (Head north on Bovaird on McLaughlin Road . Turn east of Lowey and south on Regan – both re right hand turns)

Cost: Members - $20; Non-members - $25; Students - $15

Contact: Wanda Hicke 905-857-3256

CODA… Let us know the special events, performances, awards and successes in your studios, and we will publish them as space permits. The next issue will see the introduction of a new column, Student Excuses! I think my best excuse as a Music History student was that my dog had eaten my Beethoven books – which was true – and I even had the books to prove it! Such a hungry Beagle! So – send in your students' excuses – best one wins a subscription to our newsletter! – Leanne (416-462-0785 or kloppen@sympatico.ca )

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