Here are just some of the winners of the TMTEF awards this summer. There are so many that we couldn’t possibly list them all in one newsletter. However, they are ALL listed on the TMTA website! Congratulations to everyone for the consistent hard work they have continued to apply to their music studies despite the unsettling year.

And a special time at each convention is when we take time to remember and honor those members who have passed away this year. Their names are listed below and their life stories and pictures can be found on the TMTA website.

The 2021 TMTEF $2000 Collegiate Award is being presented this year to Natalie Barella. Here is an excerpt from her application about her goals in studying music.

I am a senior in my final semester at Hardin-Simmons University. I have had a lifelong passion for all forms of music. I saw a sign once that said, “Music is what feelings sound like.” I honestly believe that.

Musicians wear many hats, and as a Piano Performance major, I am dedicated to pursuing a career in music as a professional accompanist, college professor, private instructor and performer. I am currently working towards my Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance degree with a 3.8 grade point average. I am the Collegiate President of the Abilene Music Teachers Association, which is a branch of the Texas Music Teachers Association.

I plan to continue my education to obtain a Master of Music degree in Collaborative Piano at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, starting in Fall of 2021.  I am looking forward to having my studies aimed at fine tuning my skills to become a dynamic musician who can work across all disciplines and with a variety of instruments. With my dream to teach collegiately, I plan to continue my education to receive a Doctorate degree in Collaborative Piano. Although I enjoy teaching children, I find that the older the students are, the greater the passion they have for music. It seems like a dream come true to teach others that equally love and want to pursue what I also love and am pursuing.