Newsletter
October 2015
In This Issue
Greetings
October Meeting
Recent Passing
NEPTA Resources
Recital Information
Competition Information
Need Help?
Grants-in-Aid
Member Spotlight
Volunteer Opportunities
Lost and Found
Raffle Winners
Looking Ahead
Facebook
Music Sale
Parking
UPCOMING EVENTS
 

Monday, October 26
9:30AM
Phillip Kawin 
"Playing With the Piano: Essentials of Tone Production and Pianism"
The First Parish, Watertown
NEPTA Music Sale 9AM

* * * 
 
Monday, November 23
9:30AM
Teachers' Exchange
Sarah Takagi
"Authentic Musicality And Understanding Through Improvisation"
Wellesley Free Library

* * * 

Monday, December 14
9:30AM
Tamás Ungár MasterClass with NEPTA Members
A Scholarship Fund Benefit
The First Parish, Watertown
NEPTA Music Sale 9AM
 

MEMBER NEWS

Concert
Solo Piano Recital
Yelena Beriyeva
Sunday, October 25
5PM
The Boston Conservatory
Seully Hall (4th floor)
8 Fenway
Boston, MA 02215 
yelenaberiyeva.com

Works by Tony Schemmer, Frédéric Chopin, Claude Debussy, Modest Mussorgsky

* * * 

Benefit Concert for 
The Last Call Foundation
Sunday, November 1
4PM
Reception to follow
M. Steinert & Sons,Natick

Rafael Popper-Keizer, Cello
Constantine Finehouse, Piano
Yelena Beriyeva, Piano
Charles Blandy, Tenor
The musicians will perform works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johannes Brahms, Alexander Scriabin, and Randal Despommier

Admission: $15 
 (cash at the door)
Seating is limited
 in order to reserve your seat.

* * * 

Benefit Concert for the 
 Patrick D. Wood '01 Memorial Prize
Playing for Patrick
Deborah Yardley Beers
Sunday, November 1
2PM
Chapel, Pomfret School
398 Pomfret St.
Pomfret CT

including works by Deborah Yardley Beers, Howard Frazin, Anne Warde

Performances by Deborah Yardley Beers, Kathleen Stephenson Sadoff, and Margreet Pfeifer Francis
Suggested Donation: $20


Submitting News
Member News needs to be submitted to Donna Gross Javel by the first of each month to be included in that month's newsletter. Please see the website for further information about
.  
OCTOBER GREETINGS

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

Hello! It looks as if NEPTA is off to a very good start of the 2015-2016 year! The September meeting was well attended and the general response to Gerald Klickstein's presentation was quite favorable. The meeting minutes, as well as the slides that Gerald Klickstein has made available to us, can be found on the NEPTA website. 

Many thanks to Caroline Germeys Ly for taking the meeting minutes this month and for uploading the slides and minutes to the website. 

Special thanks -and congratulations- to Tong Liu
and Kathryn Rosenbach who volunteered to participate in
the meeting by performing as "students" so that Gerald Klickstein could demonstrate some of his ideas on effective practice. They were clearly advanced students! Tong Liu and Kathryn Rosenbach each gave very fine performances: Kathryn Rosenbach performed Ravel's "Les Oiseaux Tristes" and Tong Liu performed Mozart's Sonata in D Major, K. 284.  

There was a wonderful current of energy in the room and I have a feeling that with your presence it will be there again for the October meeting!   
 
Donna Gross Javel
NEPTA President
 
OCTOBER 26 MEETING: PHILLIP KAWIN
Our next meeting is Monday, October 26. Phillip Kawin will present his topic "Playing WITH the Piano: Essentials of Tone Production and Pianism."  Click here to visit Phillip Kawin's website and learn more about his professional background.

The meeting will begin at 9:30AM at The First Parish in Watertown. Our never-fatiguing and devoted Librarian and Chair of Music Donations, Ruth Ross,
will be there early (with her many boxes of music) to prepare for the music sale that will begin at 9AM.  If possible, plan to arrive to the meeting early and take advantage of the music sale and the opportunity to connect with other members.  I realize that many of you travel a great distance so arrive when you can. I look forward to seeing you there! 

RECENT PASSING OF CAROLINE HEATHERTON
Caroline Heatherton
I recently received an email from our dear member, Elizabeth Landman, telling me of the recent passing of  Caroline Heatherton. Since I have never met Caroline Heatherton, I thought I would share Elizabeth's email with you in addition to the text from the Boston Globe obituary.

Here is the email (you will find the obituary at the end of the email):

I am sad to report that Caroline Heatherton passed away last Thursday, October 8, after a lengthy illness.  There will be no service in Lexington.  Instead a service will be held for her by her family in Torrington, Connecticut.  Her friend, Robert Wakefield, told me there will be a death notice in the Globe tomorrow (Wed., Oct. 14). (Robert's address is 16 Fairlawn, Lexington, in case you want to send a card).

Caroline was a very lovely, gentle person who loved music, enjoyed teaching others, and was a member of the Lexington Garden Club for many years. For some years she assisted me with the NEPTA Ensemble Recital and also led workshops for CAMSA.  I will miss her.

With kind wishes,
Elizabeth Landman

Here is the obituary that was published in the Boston Globe:

HEATHERTON, Caroline A. (Clark) Of Lexington. Formerly of Harwinton, CT. October 8th, 2015. Dear sister of Corinne C. Remeika and her husband Joseph G. of Columbia, MO and Eleanor J. Clark of Palmer, MA. Former wife and dear friend of Robert A. Wakefield of Lexington. Also survived by one nephew and two nieces. Memorial services will be held at Center Congregation Church Main St. Torrington CT on Sunday October 18th at 3pm. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend. In lieu of flower donations in her memory may be made to Big Brother, Big Sister Foundation 5 Mear Road, Holbrook, MA 02343. Interment Winchester Center Cemetery, Winchester CT. Arrangements under the direction of the Douglass Funeral Home, Lexington www.douglassfh.com
781-862-1800

NEPTA RESOURCES
MEMBER NEWS GUIDELINES
All Member News should be submitted according to the guidelines that are described in detail at this link to the NEPTA website.

PROGRAM BOOKLET

Please note that the NEPTA Program Booklet Janice Spillane produced and designed so beautifully contains all the information you need. 

WEBSITE

Get to know the NEPTA website!  All the information that is in the Program Booklet is on the website: www.nepta.info. 

Please note that Meeting Minutes and past issues of the NEPTA Newsletter are available on the website.  The meeting minutes are usually posted within two weeks of each meeting.  
Guidelines for submitting Member News are also on the website. Many thanks to Caroline Ly Germeys and Sue Demb for maintaining the site and keeping it up to date.   

 

 
NEPTA NEWSLETTERS
This year, the NEPTA Newsletters will be issued every month from September through May.  We plan to send them out around the 15th of each month.  Many thanks to Cindy Null for all the time she puts into these newsletters. Additional thanks to Tina Liu who has offered to provide backup by publishing one of the newsletters this year. 

EMAIL COMMUNICATIONS
Many thanks to Eleanor Perrone who has volunteered to be our Email Communicator, and has already provided us with many important emails.

FACEBOOK PAGE 
If you are on Facebook, please 'like' our page, New England Piano Teachers' Association. This is a public page which means that it is available to anyone in cyberspace. You are encouraged to share your news on this page and visit it to find out more about your colleagues.

HELP DESK FOR ALL ONLINE REGISTRATION
Diana Tetzlaff is available to talk members through the process on the phone.  She can be reached at 617-816-1777.  

Tina Liu will help members register online during the breaks of some of the NEPTA meetings.

RECITAL APPLICATIONS AND DEADLINES
As of October 15, all Recital and Competition Applications are up and available on the website. Detailed recital information is in the Program Booklet and on NEPTA website. 

Please check the Program Booklet for the time limits and requirements. There will be no exceptions to the  time limits. Our volunteers give many hours of their time to make these recitals possible for our students. Adhering to the time limits facilitates their work. Want to help? Contact Donna Gross Javel.

Please note that help is available for anyone who needs assistance with the online registration process.  Information about how to receive help is explained in the "NEPTA Resources" and the "Need Help?" sections of this newsletter.

JUNIOR I RECITALS: for students in grades K-6  

Date: January 10, 2016 
Deadline: December 10, 2015

JUNIOR II RECITALS: for students in grades K-6 
Date: January 10, 2016 
Deadline: December 10, 2015

INTERMEDIATE I RECITALS: students in grades 6, 7 and 8 
Date: January 24, 2016 
Deadline: December 23, 2015

INTERMEDIATE II RECITALS: students in grades 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 
Date: January 31, 2016 
Deadline: December 23, 2015

ENSEMBLE RECITAL: for students in grades K-12 
Please note the location for this year: M.Steinert & Sons, Natick Mall
Date: February 27, 2016 
Deadline: January 7, 2016

COMPOSITION RECITAL: for students up to and including 18 years of age
Date: February 28, 2016 
Deadline: January 28, 2016

JAZZ & POP RECITAL: for students up to and including 18 years of age
Date: February 28, 2016 
Deadline: January 28, 2016

20th/21st CENTURY RECITAL: for students in grades K-12
Date: February 28, 2016 
Deadline: January 28, 2016

SENIOR RECITAL: for students in grades 9, 10, 11 and 12
Date: March 6, 2016
Deadline: February 6, 2016 

SNOW DATE FOR ALL WATERTOWN RECITALS
March 20, 2016 - 2PM-8PM

ADULT RECITAL: for students 18 years of age or older
Date: April 3, 2016 
Deadline: March 3, 2016
Location: Metrowest, Boston
 
COMPETITION APPLICATIONS & DEADLINES
Please note that all the competitions will take place in Natick this year.

MILDRED FREIBERG: MIDDLE SCHOOL*
Location: M. Steinert & Sons, Natick, MA
Date: Saturday, April, 2, 2016
Deadline: Wednesday, March 2, 2016

RUTH DAVIDSON: HIGH SCHOOL*
Location: M. Steinert & Sons, Natick, MA 
Date: Saturday, April 9, 2016
Deadline: Wednesday, March 9, 2016

ALICE HAMLET: SENIOR*
Location: M. Steinert & Sons, Natick, MA
Date: Saturday, April 9, 2016 
Deadline: Wednesday, March 9, 2016

*AWARDS RECITAL
All competition winners are expected to perform in the Awards Recital which will take place at The First Parish of Watertown on Monday, May 23, 2016, at 9:30AM-12PM.

NEED HELP WITH ONLINE REGISTRATION?
If you would like help with registering your students for recitals or competitions, two of our members have volunteered to help you. 

Diana Tetzlaff is available to talk members through the process on the phone.  She can be reached at 617-816-1777.

 

Tina Liu will help members with Recitals and Competitions registration during the October meeting, and with the Dues and Luncheon registrations during the March meeting.

 

Thank you Diana and Tina!


SEVEN GRANTS-IN-AID STILL AVAILABLE
We began the year with eight awards in the amount of $125 being available to students in need.  There are still seven grants remaining.  To apply, a brief note from the teacher (email is acceptable) stating the family's need and reasons for financial assistance should be sent via email to Carol Chaffee,  Scholarship Chair.

 

NEPTA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
This month I'd like to introduce you to Kathryn Rosenbach, a volunteer who wears many hats: Chair of Composition Recitals, Chair of Jazz and Pop Recitals and Chair of the Louise Hodder Olsen Award.  Many thanks to Kathryn for her many contributions to NEPTA.  

Kathryn Rosenbach was born in Buffalo, NY and began her early musical training pianist at the age of three. She was born into a musical family -- her father Daniel Kayne was a well-known jazz pianist in Buffalo. As a child she studied flute, piano, music theory and sang. One of her teachers, Livingston Gearhardt, was a respected pianist and composer who served as a mentor for Rosenbach at an early age. She studied at the Chautauqua Institute, Fredonia State College, the Cleveland Institute for Music and received BFA and MFA degrees from SUNY at Buffalo.

Rosenbach pursued her doctoral studies at the Eastman School of Music as a piano major and at the acclaimed Accademia di Chigiana in Siena, Italy, where she studied with Guido Agosti and received an Artist Diploma. Her teachers were Stephen Manes, Barbara Lister-Sink, David Burge and Jeffrey Kahane.

Kathryn Rosenbach is known for her performances as a pianist, as well as choral conductor, composer and teacher. She was the Artistic Director for the Composers in Red Sneakers from 1994 until 2002. She has also been an active member of the chamber music community, playing with the Janus 21 Chamber Ensemble and the Avatar Ensemble, among others.

Ms. Rosenbach received BFA and MFA degrees from SUNY/Buffalo, an Artist's Diploma from the Accademia Musicale di Chigiana, and has pursued doctoral studies at the Eastman School of Music. She has also studied at the Chautauqua Institute, SUNY/ Fredonia, and the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Her performances have included premieres of Nancy Van de Vate, Yehudi Wyner, Lejarin Hiller, and Marlos Nobre. Her teachers have included David Burge, Leo Smit, Guido Agosti, Barbara Lister-Sink and Stephen Manes.

Ms. Rosenbach has taught at the Community Music School of Buffalo,SUNY/ Buffalo, the Eastman School of Music, Nazareth College, the Longy School of Music, Simmons College, and is presently chair of the piano departments, teacher and chamber coach at the Powers Music School, the Lexington Music School, as well as the Music on the Hill summer chamber program.

As a member of the U/B Percussion Ensemble, she participated in the recording of "Music for Six" by Lukas Foss on CRI under the direction of Jan Williams. In addition, she has recorded for the BBC, NPR, and PBS. In past years, she has produced two videos: "What Makes Music?" and "Explorations and Transformations."
Ms. Rosenbach is the Music Director for the Union Congregational Church of Weymouth and Braintree. She is a BMI composer.

INTERESTED IN BECOMING A VOLUNTEER?
SHORT-TERM VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES 

If you have been wanting to volunteer but aren't ready to make a longterm commitment,  here are a few ways you could help:

 

1. We need volunteers to help put the meeting hall back into the same condition we find it when we enter:

A. Volunteers needed to close the piano, put the cover on the piano, and move it. 

B. Volunteers to make sure that all chairs are in nice, straight rows.

C. Volunteers to take a quick look to see if any items have been left in the hall.

 

2. Volunteer needed to collect the money for the Tamas Ungar masterclass on December 14.  

 

3. Volunteers to help with refreshments for the Competitions. 

 

4. Volunteers to be trained to do one-two newsletters this year to provide the current newsletter coordinator, Cindy Null, with a reprieve.

 

LONG-TERM VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES 
If you feel ready to take on a volunteer position that involves more of a commitment:  

1. Ranko Konishi-Houston is doing two roles this year (Chair of the Hamlet/Davidson Competition and Vice President). Next year, Ranko will focus her time on her VP role.  We are looking for someone who would be willing to shadow Ranko in her role as Chair of the Hamlet/Davidson Competition this year and take that position next year.  

 

2. 1-2 volunteers to help with the Recitals.  

 

If you are interested in getting involved in some way, please contact me (Donna Gross Javel).

LOST AND FOUND
A new job description has been added to the roles of President and Vice President! The staff at the First Parish has requested that NEPTA members do not contact the church office when they leave something at a NEPTA meeting. So, please, if you leave something at the meeting, contact either Donna Gross Javel or Ranko Konishi-Houston. Better yet, look carefully around you before you leave. 

NEPTA RAFFLE WINNERS

Congratulation to our two lucky raffle winners! 

Irina Gelman won "Mango Songs" by Tina Davidson (used for Ruth Davidson Competition).  If you would like to purchase a copy, it is available online. 


Luba Pyatkovskaya won "Sonata for Piano" by Josef Tal (used for Alice Hamlet Senior Scholarship Competition).  If you would like to purchase a copy, it is published by Theodore Presser Co.  (Israeli Music Institute).
LOOKING AHEAD
NOVEMBER 23: FALL TEACHERS' EXCHANGE
  • Presenter: Sarah Takagi
  • Topic: "Authentic Musicality And Understanding Through Improvisation"
  • Wellesley Free Library
DECEMBER 14: MASTER CLASS WITH NEPTA MEMBERS 
  • This is a Scholarship Fund Benefit 
  • Tatyana Shrago: first movement from Schumann's Fantasy in C major
  • Dianne Impallaria: Rhapsody in B minor Op. 79 No. 1 by Brahms
  • Wanda Paik: TBD
  • Robert Finley (alternate in case of cancellation)
CHECK THE DATES FOR RECITAL AND COMPETITION DEADLINES
NEPTA'S FACEBOOK PAGE  
You are encouraged to post your own up-to-the-minute concert listings and other items of interest on the NEPTA Facebook page.

Visit www.facebook.com/NEPTApiano 
to see the latest news from your NEPTA colleagues and friends! YouTube videos of your performances are especially welcome.  Don't forget -- when you visit the Facebook page, click the 'Like' button! 
MUSIC SALE  
Our Music Sale is back by popular demand, once again organized by Ruth Ross, Music Library and Donation Chair. Please join us prior to all regular meetings in September, October, January, February, March and May. Please note that the music sale takes place at The First Parish starting at 9AM. Members are asked to bring their checkbooks and any music that they are willing to donate that morning.

The sale serves three purposes:
  • Teachers have access to music that, perhaps, has gone out of print
  • Standard teaching methods and collections can be acquired at a very reasonable price
  • All proceeds go directly to the NEPTA Scholarship Fund

Please direct any questions to Ruth Ross at rrosspiano@aol.com.

PARKING ANNOUNCEMENTS
car-sales-lot2.jpg The Watertown Savings Bank has strongly requested that NEPTA members do not park in the bank parking lot for NEPTA events. Please be respectful of this neighboring business and leave the free parking for its clients.

Please be aware that Watertown has restricted parking on the side streets immediately surrounding the First Parish and thus eliminating any "free parking." The metered spots in the parking lot adjacent to the church can accept coins up to a maximum of 8 hours (blue meters only), thereby removing the need to go feed the meter during our meeting breaks, offering instead an opportunity to socialize with NEPTA friends and colleagues.