Newsletter
DEC. 2020
In This Issue
President's Greeting
Spring Speaker Series
Halloween Recitals
Music for Hope
Teachers' Master Class
Recitals and Competitions
Members' Recital
Board of Directors
Member News
NEPTA Facebook

UPCOMING EVENTS:


Monday, Feb. 22nd
10:00 a.m.
Speaker Series:
Artist 
Artina McCain
(online)
 
~

Monday, March 22nd
10:00 a.m.
Speaker Series:
President of 
New England Conservatory
Andrea Kalyn
(online)

~

Monday, April 26
10:00 a.m.
Student Master Class
Dmitri Shteinberg
(online)
PRESIDENT'S GREETING
Dear NEPTA Members,

Oh my, what a year this has been...welcome to the end of 2020!  I couldn't help but laugh when I saw the ornament in the above picture and thought I would share it with you.  Need I say more?  I hope you are enjoying the holiday season and finding moments to laugh despite all that we've been through.   

I'd like to congratulate the NEPTA volunteers, participating teachers and students for the amazing achievements of this past year.  We kept the music playing and it filled our hearts with warmth, hope and inspiration.   There were many heroic moments in our organization, beginning with the moving of our middle school and high school competitions online in record time, just as the pandemic took hold.  Thank you to our competition chairs Shizue Sano and Jia Shi!  Together we also enjoyed celebrating the achievements of our student scholarship winners at the virtual Annual Meeting and reception.  We had loads of fun at the student Zoom Halloween Recitals, dressing up in costumes and decorating our pianos with pumpkins and cobwebs.  This fall, we rallied around our incredible new online charitable event - the Music for Hope Recital, raising over $4000 in one day toward piano students in need. Bravo and thank you!  Pictures and details are included in the newsletter below.

My heartfelt thanks to Sue Demb, website chair, for her incredible dedication in helping everything to run smoothly.  I'd also like to thank our wonderful Vice President, Sivan Etedgee for being there every step of the way, and Eric Bouwman-Wozencraft, NEPTA Recording Secretary, for providing a lovely recap of each presentation, which can be found on our NEPTA Zoom page.  Also, special thanks to Eleanor Perrone, email communicator, for keeping us informed and connected!

We look forward to the future and our first 2021 Speaker Series event on February 22nd with guest artist Artina McCain presenting:  "Kaleidoscope:  Introducing students to underrepresented composers."  On March 22nd, we will be treated to a presentation by Andrea Kayln, President of New England Conservatory, on "Creative Confidence and the Culture of Practice."  Please join us for these special online events.  Many thanks to the Program Committee and Colleen Campbell, chair, for helping to organize them.

All of our recent Speaker Series events and Teachers' Exchange Zoom videos are available for viewing on our website.  Go to the Zoom page by clicking here.  NEPTA teachers can also watch live recitals and presentations in real time on the NEPTA Zoom website page.

My heart goes out to each of you who have lost loved ones, lost jobs, lost income, and faced other challenges this year.  I send my support and understanding, as our family was also affected.  We can pause to reflect on the memories of those loved ones that fill our hearts.  I was thankful to share meaningful moments among my NEPTA colleagues, as some of my best friendships have come from NEPTA.  We continue to look to the future with hope!

I look forward to seeing you at our next event on Monday, February 22nd, with guest artist, Artina McCain.  

I wish you blessings for a happy holiday season filled with joy, love, peace, good health and music!  

Happy New Year!  Here's to 2021!


Diana Tetzlaff
President
SPRING SPEAKER SERIES EVENTS

Mark your calendars and join us for our spring Speaker Series events:

"Kaleidoscope:  Introducing students to underrepresented composers"
Artina McCain

Monday
February 22, 2021 
10:00 am -12:15 pm


Please click here for Artina McCain's 
biography.



"Creative Confidence and the Culture of Practice"
Andrea Kalyn, President 
New England Conservatory

Monday
March 22, 2021
10:00 am - 12:15 pm

Please click here for Andrea Kalyn's biography

The Speaker Series is free to NEPTA members, and the first meeting of the year is also free for non-NEPTA members!  Guests can click here to 
register and receive a link to the meeting.  The non-member fee for all other events is $20.  


To join the NEPTA online zoom meetings please go to:
HALLOWEEN PIANO RECITAL - Oct. 2020 (Grades K - 6)

NEPTA held three Halloween Recitals for grades K-6 on Sunday, October 25th online via Zoom. Many thanks to all of the participating teachers and students. Special thanks to Shizue Sano, Recital Chair and Sivan Etedgee for an amazing afternoon of spooky and entertaining music!  We hope to see you next year!

MUSIC FOR HOPE:  A Charitable Recital (Grades 7 - 12)  
Sunday, November 15, 2020

A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the "Music for Hope" recital to help raise money to support piano lessons for students in need. Its creation was inspired by the crossroads of COVID-19 and racial injustice to provide hope through music.

Recital registration proceeds, and donations raised over $4000 at our three online recitals held on November 15th.  Thank you to everyone and bravo!

Also, a big shout out to Shizue Sano, NEPTA Treasurer, who helped to organize this event.  We heard a wonderful variety of musical styles and even an original composition by one student entitled "Hope".  

The Music for Hope Committee and the NEPTA Board is working on disbursing these funds.  Details forthcoming.

THANK YOU to the following participating teachers:

Irina Gelman, Vivian Fang, Yelena Zadova-Kanter, 
Nina Grimaldi, Lilit Karapetian-Shougarian, 
Joshua and Sarah Del Dotto, Bert Yocom,
Tanya Schwartzman, Yun Lee, Anna Arazi, 
Olga Berkovich, Victoria Suchodolski, Sivan Etedgee, 
Rita Mikulinsky, Eleanor V. McLaughlin,
Yidan Guo, Caroline Ly Germeys, Yu Ya Huang, 
and Niva Fried.

If you are interested in helping to raise money for 
Music for Hope, please consider a tax deductible donation to NEPTA which is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization by clicking here.
TEACHERS' MASTER CLASS - Nov. 2020


NEPTA's Master Class with guest artist, Spencer Myer, was held online on November 23, 2020 as a benefit for NEPTA's Susan B. Demb Teacher Enrichment Grants.

Click here for Spencer Myer's biography

We heard a delightful program of Beethoven,
Bach and Schumann!

Many thanks to our three performers:  
Elena Drabkin, Aleksandra Lvin and Natacha Rist. 

Click here to watch the Teachers' Master class Zoom Video.

More information on how to apply for the Susan B. Demb Teacher Enrichment Grant for $500 due May 1, 2021 is found by clicking here.
STUDENT RECITAL AND COMPETITION DEADLINES

Recital and Competition registration is available online at the NEPTA website by  clicking here.  All of our programs will be online until further notice.

Recitals will be held "live" on Zoom. If it is not possible for a student to play live on Zoom due to technical difficulties or other challenges, the student may submit a video to the recital chair at least one week before the event. A series of recitals for each category will be held between 2:00-8:00 pm.

Recital Deadlines:

Int. II Recital (Grades 7-12) Deadline: 12/31/20
20th/21st C. Recital (Grades K-12) Deadline: 1/28/21
Composition Recital (Grades K-12)  Deadline: 1/28/21
Jazz and Pop Recital (Grades K-12)  Deadline: 1/28/21
Senior Recital (Grades 9-12)  Deadline: 2/7/21
Duet/Ensemble Recital (Grades K-12)  Deadline: 2/14/21
Adult Recital (18 years or older)  Deadline: 3/25/21

Competition Deadlines:

Mildred Freiberg Competition (Grades 6-8) will be held on Sunday, April 11, 2021.  The application deadline is Thursday, March 11, 2021.  YouTube videos must be emailed to the chair by midnight 3 days before the competition date on Thursday, April 8, 2021.

The Ruth Davidson Competition (Grades 9-10) and the Alice  Hamlet  Competition (Grades 11-12) will be held on Sunday, April 18, 2021.  The application deadline is Thursday, March 18, 2021.  YouTube videos must be emailed to the chair by midnight 3 days before the competition date on Thursday, April 15, 2021.

How to set-up for a Zoom recital: click here
How to submit a YouTube video: click here
MEMBERS' RECITAL - DEADLINE: January 21, 2021

The NEPTA Members' Recital will take place on Sunday, March 21 at 3 pm via Zoom. Members may play "live" or submit a video.  We have decided to extend the deadline for submissions for the Members' Recital to January 21. Hopefully this will give you some more time to consider performing in this wonderful recital with your colleagues.

This is a recital of solo, four hand, and two piano performances by NEPTA Members.   A non-NEPTA member may perform as part of a duet/duo team as long as the other performer is a NEPTA member.  (This will be a one-time allowance for this recital only.) Repertoire selections should be 10 minutes or shorter.

If you are interested in performing at this concert, please send an email with "Members Recital Submission" in the subject line to Sivan Etedgee:  sivanpiano@gmail.com

1) First and second choice of repertoire, with timing for each piece
2) Names of all performers involved
3) Whether you have performed in a previous NEPTA members recital 

Priority will be given to last year's performers who were unable to perform because of the Pandemic Lockdown. 
PLANNING NEPTA's 2021-2022 PROGRAM   

The NEPTA Program Committee invites you to share your ideas and suggestions for the 2021-2022 season. We will meet on February 1 to select next year's speakers and programs. Before then we would like to learn what topics you want to know more about, whom you would like to hear as a speaker or master teacher, or if you have attended a presentation that you think would be of interest to our membership. Please send any suggestions about topics, speakers and master teachers to:

Program Committee Chair Colleen Campbell at wellesleypianostudio@gmail.com. 

Thank you! 
NEPTA BOARD OF DIRECTORS


Many thanks to our Board of Directors who continue to work hard behind the scenes:  Vice President Sivan Etedgee, Treasurer Shizue Sano, Executive Secretary Caroline Ly Germeys, Recording Secretary Eric Bouwman-Wozencraft, Cindy Null, Robin Cho, Bonnie Anderson, Yun Lee, Vivian Handis, Nilly Shilo, Vivian Fang, Diane Anderson and Tanya Schwartzman.

MEMBER NEWS SCHEDULE
 
Member news emails will be sent in September, November, January, March, and May. Please submit member news to Ellie Perrone at e.pi@me.com with the subject line NEPTA Member News and follow the member news guidelines on the website  www.nepta.com

NEPTA'S FACEBOOK PAGE  
 
Post your news including pictures, videos and recordings. Members can share and post general information such as concert listings, upcoming competitions, job opportunities, piano sales, and the latest news on our Facebook page.

NEPTA's Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/NEPTAPiano/, or go to NETPA's website and follow the Facebook link.