Nuances - The Newsletter of MAPTA
Summer 2010 - Vol 40 Issue 9
PCF Entries Due 7/30
Quick Links
 
 
 
 
 
 
Submissions
Complete submissions of articles, events or other piano themed features are welcome. All submissions are due by the 21st of each month to be considered for publication.
 
Nuances Editor:
Grant Billings
c/o Steinway Piano Gallery
6629 Mineral Point Road
Madison WI 53705
 
Studio Exchange Teachers
Contact Gloria Chuang, Denise Taylor, Shad Wenzlaff, Debbie Yee or Joanna Grace if you are interested in being a part of the Studio Exchange Program.
Editor at Large... Again?
Nuances Editor Grant Billings recently had his second national byline. Music Inc Magazine's July 2010 issue featured "Lessons Learned," featuring 20 of the industry's leading retail voices.

Read the feature here.
President's Message   
Debbie Yee

MAPTA President Debbi YeeDear ,
 

Summer is upon us and it is the time for sun, fun and music making!

It's also time for a bonus issue of Nuances to keep everyone up to date with the great happenings of our wonderful organization.

The big summer event is the Piano Composition Festival.  Shad has organized a superb event this year. I'd encourage you to challenge your summer students' creativity by encouraging them to enter this wonderful festival.

And be sure to look at the Piano Play Together Literature which is now available at Ward-Brodt. Summer is a good time to get a start on the duets for the event in November which will feature Robert Vandall as the conductor.

Enjoy this unique summer edition.

Looking forward...

Debbie Yee
MAPTA President
 
Updated Membership Form Available - Renew Today!
 
The 2010/11 Membership Form is now available. Remember, you can still renew your membership!


Do you know someone who could benefit from joining MAPTA?
 Send them this issue of Nuances by clicking the link below.
 

Forward this issue to a Friend
Piano Composition Festival (formerly known as Young Composers Festival)
 Shad Wenzlaff
PCF

The deadline for the Piano Composition Festival is fast approaching!  

Although its name has changed, plans are underway for the 2010 MAPTA Piano Composition Festival with Dr. David Dies, Assistant Professor of Composition, Lawrence University (and UW-Madison School of Music graduate), as adjudicator.  The deadline for composition submissions is Friday, July 30, 2010. This statewide competition is open to MAPTA and non-MAPTA teachers and their students.

If you are planning to submit a student original composition, we are going to do this the same way as last year. Simply forward your student's performance of their composition on a CD.

You need to have all FOUR of the following submitted to Shad before the deadline:

  • Registration Form (signed by the student & parent/guardian both). Please remember to verify birthdate & level.
  • Fee - one fee per entry (checks payable to: MAPTA - $16 is the discounted rate for being an active MAPTA member, active as per the 2010-2011 membership year; otherwise it's $22 per submission - I verify these against our forthcoming MAPTA directory).
  • Composition in a paper-copy format or PDF file. Computer generated or student hand-written is fine - be sure it's legible if student hand-written. Please paginate if more than one page and number measures.
  • Digital recording (burn to a CD please)

As it may not be possible for these materials to be returned, please make copies for your own records.  Also, if there are ANY questions, or you are having trouble with the digital recording, please contact me.  I am happy to make available my recording studio/equipment.  I have a digital piano, and interface that via MIDI with my MAC (Garage Band) via a USB/Midi cable.  This is an easy way to make recordings, and takes at most 10 minutes - but is available subject to my schedule so please plan well in advance.

Completed submission will be confirmed via email early in August.  I will contact all entrants via their teacher before Labor Day.  As per the adjudicator's recommendation, a limited number of students will be invited to perform their original piano compositions at our annual Piano Composition Festival Awards Recital, scheduled for Sunday, September 19, 2010 - 3:00pm. Additional details will be forwarded to invited participants in September.

Based upon those which I have already received, it looks like a good diverse representation of ages & styles!

Thank you... and my best to you and your students,

Shad Wenzlaff
MAPTA Piano Composition Festival Chairperson

Note: Due to a series of issues, we will not be using the online MP3 submission system announced in the May edition of Nuances. I will upload the digital files to the website. At the request of our guest adjudicator, we can ONLY accept a digital recording (MP3 format) on a CD.

PCF entry forms are available by
clicking here
or you can email
Shad Wenzlaff, Festival Chairperson
to have one mailed to you.

Piano Play Together
 Diane Madsen

Thank you, those in attendance at the April general meeting to hear the selections for our upcoming Piano PlayTogether. I would like to thank the following people who assisted on the committee in choosing the music: Patty Ladpli, Joanna Grace, Anita Schulz, Debbie Yee, Linda Johnson, Shad Wenzlaff, Deb Ferris, Diane Madsen and Jeanne Felix.
 
Music List: Those of you not in attendance at the April meeting may download a copy of the music list. This list is also available at Ward-Brodt Music where there will be a reference copy of each piece for you to look at before purchasing for your students. A reference copy of each piece will also be available for viewing at the May brunch.
 
Pre-registration: We are again implementing a pre-registration process for entering your students. There are no forms to fill out at this time. Simply contact Patty Ladpli at ladpli@gmail.com. Include your name, the title of the piece and how many students per piece will be playing. No student names or registration fees are needed. This pre-registration will expire on July 1. This pre-registration will hope to assist the committee in allowing us to fill all ten pianos on each piece. Final registration with student names and registration fees will be due in September. Yes, you may still register students at this time without pre-registering, however by then, some pieces may already be full. Look for these registration forms in your August 2010 Nuances.
 
A letter announcing the details of the event can be downloaded here.
 
No partner? If you have a student who would be interested in playing a particular piece but has no partner, our committee will assist you in finding one from another studio. Just indicate this need in your correspondence with Patty.
 
Teacher Responsibilities: Each teacher registering students will be expected to volunteer in some area for the successful running of this event.
 
Important dates:
Mandatory rehearsals - Sun. Nov . 14 location TBA
Sat. Nov . 20 Oregon Performing Arts Center Oregon H.S.
PPT Event - Sun. Nov 21 Oregon Performing Arts Center
 
Conductor: Robert Vandall- WOW!! MAPTA commissioned a piece that Robert Vandall composed for us. Check out Level V on the music list. (This piece has yet to be named.)
 
Questions: Contact Diane Madsen or Jeanne Felix with any questions regarding PPT.

Anyone who wishes to play or simply be an audience member is welcome to join us.

MAPTA Member Goes to Washington
Grant Billings
Amanda Horn

Our mission was simple; insure that Music and the Arts continue to be part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

Including myself, more than 30 NAMM Members took time away from their businesses and day-to-day schedules May 10-13 to travel to Washington D.C. and engage lawmakers in discussions about funding music and arts programs in public schools as part of NAMM's annual Member "Fly-In." It was truly an experience of a lifetime...
The Final Note
Anti-boredom Month

"July is Anti-Boredom Month...
So Make Some Music!"