July 1, 2021
President’s Note

I hope you were able to drop in on some of the 2021 TMTA Un-Convention last weekend. It was great to see friends’ faces – and we learned so much from all the sessions and meetings. Thanks again to President-Elect Richard Fountain, NCTM for all his efforts in making this a success. Now onward to the fall and beginning plans for the 2022 Mega-Convention in Dallas next summer. You won’t want to miss that!!!

You’ll find other news below about Certification, MTNA/TMTA Performance Contest, and the amazing Meg Miller, who was just named a TMTA Teaching Fellow by her home association. What an inspiration she is to us all.
 
Here is another video from Teacher Enrichment Conference clinician, Martha Hilley. If you haven’t made plans for this event, please consider doing so – the plans for it are amazing. You won’t be disappointed! Here is a link to further details and the registration form. See you there!

Until next time –

Be Safe, Be Healthy, and Be In Tune with TMTA

Dr. Roy Wylie, NCTM
TMTA President
TMTA Past Presidents meet during the 2021 Un-Convention

L.-R: Joy Finley, Janelle Schlaudt, Teresa Crawford, Celinda Hallbauer, Susan Conner, Karen Wallace, Rick Valentine, Ruth Pitts, Sharon Callahan, and Sherry Frush
MTNA/TMTA Performance Competition News!
Michael Clark, DMA, NCTM, MTNA/TMTA Performance Competition Chair
 
The 2021 MTNA/TMTA Performance Competition will be held live at the University of Houston this year on the weekend of November 13-14. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, September 15, 2021, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. You can find complete information about repertoire and registration procedures here.
Get Certified as NCTM during the … gap year!
Hsinyi Wang, NCTM, DMA, TMTA Certification Director
 
I have been teaching online for fifteen months and two more to go before returning to campus. And I have not met four of my private lesson students in person.

The year of pandemic kind of sucks, I thought, but then I realized that was not entirely true. It was really good to sleep in more frequently, take my dog Brio (as “Brioche”, or for musicians, con Brio) on long hikes, and … well, no need to clean up my house before students show up for lessons. Oh, my yard looks tidier, and backyard is no longer a jungle.

In some way, it is almost like a gap year. With fewer gigs and zero commute (and Blackboard doing some of the grading), I gained more time to think and reflect. I finished drafting my updated teaching curriculum with lots of new tools and pedagogical approaches, and formed a clearer vision of my own teaching career – kind of in time for my 50th birthday!

It is not surprising to know that many of my fellow music teacher colleagues took the chance and created new assets for themselves as well.

For the 13 teachers who are currently working on the NCTM projects, and 1300 who are thinking to start the application and win the award next year, the application process actually is easier than it looks. Let me know if you need any help!
2021 TMTA Teaching Fellow Award

Austin District Music Teachers Association has honored their member, Meg Miller, with a 2021 TMTA Teaching Fellow Award.

Margaret Faye "Meg" Miller, NCTM has been a vibrant member of Austin District MTA since moving to Austin, Texas in 2014. Before her move to Austin, Meg served as president of three different MTNA affiliates, and was the founding member of two of these associations. Meg is 91 years of age and is still teaching! She has been a music teacher for 72 years and many of her former students have become music teachers themselves.
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