February 2026

JMTA High Notes
February 2026 —Vol. 29, no. 5
The February JMTA meeting and program were held on February 12, 2026 at Mandarin Presbyterian Church.
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President’s Pen
Dear JMTA members,
As we are busy teaching our musical students and nearing the middle of the semester (already!), I hope you will take advantage of some of our offerings for your students that can still be signed up for.

FSMTA District 4 Student Day, the Florida state-wide comprehensive audition and testing, is a spot-on way to make sure your student is thriving in their well-rounded musical education. They’ll receive a beautiful certificate, plus a medallion if they receive Achievement, and a State Honors ribbon from the state if they receive honors in their audition and at least Achievement in their written and aural theory testing, including an invitation to perform one of their pieces at the Honors Recital at UNF on April 26! Student Day is on Saturday, April 11 at Mandarin Baptist Church with an application deadline of March 6.

Do you have a high school senior who will be majoring in music in college? The JMTA High School Senior Scholarship Competition will be held on Saturday, April 11, also at Mandarin Baptist, with an application deadline of March 6.

JMTA also offers several student recitals for all levels during the school year. The last one is on Sunday, March 29, with an application deadline of March 20. It’s a chance for students to perform alongside students of other piano studios, building musical community socialization for our students.

For our more advanced students, (late-intermediate to advanced), they have the chance to perform in the beautiful lobby of the UF Proton Therapy Institute in Jacksonville, in the annual Community “Proton Therapy” Recital! They receive community service hours for their performance as they perform for patients and staff, giving them an opportunity to show compassion and empathy in their community.

We also have three monthly meetings and programs left this semester, on March 12, April 9, and May 14. They are all on Thursday mornings at 9:30am to about 11 or 11:30am, unless otherwise specified. More information will be coming soon about the exciting presentations being planned! This is a chance to connect with and get to know other teachers.

Looking for a way to be involved? We have a few openings on the board we would love to have filled. You don’t have to be a long-standing member to help, we welcome newer members as well and also our college members! One is the Wellness Liaison position, where some wellness tips are shared during our monthly meetings. It could be anything for our physical or mental well-being as we teach, or tips to help students; the options are many and appreciated. Another open position is the Altruistic chair position. This person sends out cards to those members in need or to thank them, or to say thinking of you. Supplies are reimbursed by JMTA. There are many ways one can be involved, for instance helping to keep our Facebook page updated, or planning something like a teacher’s dinner out. Thank you for considering these openings.

We at JMTA are here for you and hope to see you at some of our upcoming events! Please let me know if you have any questions.

​Sincerely,

Angie Holt
President
JMTA
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Table of Contents

MEETING MINUTES
January . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 - 4
TREASURY REPORTS
January . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Monthly Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
JMTA Student Recitals
March JMTA Recital . . . . . . . . . . 6
Proton Therapy Recital . . . . . . . 6
JMTA SCHOLARSHIP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
District IV News
Student Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 - 9
Application Deadline Reminders . . . . 9
AREA CONCERTS AND RECITALS . . . .10
Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
(control + click on link)
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MEETING MINUTES

District 4 Meeting Minutes
Thursday, January 15, 2026
9:30am over Zoom

Call to Order at 9:37am.

Attendees: Kama Rassmussen-Li. Rhonda Danielson, Angie Holt, Mary McKee, Christine Couch, Paulette Kilts, Erin Bennett, Valeria Feoktistova, Daniel Holt, Denise Homsley, Stefanie Batson-Martin, Lynn
Freeman, Katherine Svistoonoff.

Minutes from September 11, 2025 – Rhonda Danielson
Correction to minutes: remove the date March 24
Minutes were accepted as corrected.

Treasurer’s Report—Denise Homsley
Checking Account Balance: $6,927.95
Share Savings Account Balance: $6,030.28
Motion to accept treasurer report by Paulette, 2nd by Erin. Motion carried.

Committee Reports:

Certification—Kamila Shahtakhtinski
No report

Student Day—Angie Holt
Date: April 11, 2026, at Mandarin Baptist Church.
Deadline for applications is March 6.
Honors Recital will be April 26 at UNF 3:00pm.

Concerto Competition—Erin Bennett
Date: Saturday, March 14, at UNF, time TBA
Deadline for applications is February 20.
Applications are on fmta.org under Competitive Events.

Sonatina/Sonata Festival—Erin Bennett
Date: Saturday, February 7, at UNF
Deadline for applications - postmarked by January 24

Old Business – none

New Business – none

Announcements:
-Denise reported that the 2025 conference balance came out in the black.
-Next FSMTA mini-conference will be held in Tallahassee. Date TBD
-Our program today is presented by Kama Rasmussen-Li. Topic: "The Silent Role of Gesture in Musical Interpretation."

Adjournment at 9:53

Respectfully Submitted,

Rhonda Danielson, Secretary
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TREASURY REPORTS – January 2026

Checking: Rate .10%
Expenses
01/18/26 Community Service Application $40.00
Deposits
01/06/26 Recital fees $20.00
01/31/26 Interest $0.23
Current Checking $8,443.06
Warren Fund $827.73
   TOTAL Checking Account $9,270.79
Business Money Market (Scholarship): Rate .60% ($1000+)
Expenses
01/23/26 balance transfer to Savings 138.23
Deposits
   TOTAL Business Money Market Account $0.00
Business Shares (Savings): Rate .10% ($100+)
Expenses
Deposits
01/23/26 balance transfer from Savings $138.23
01/31/26 Interest $0.01
   TOTAL Business Shares Account $337.51
12 Month Business CD: Rate 4.00% Matures 6/7/26
Expenses
Deposits
01/23/26 Interest 9.79
01/31/26 Interest $5.33
   TOTAL Business CD Account $5,516.01
13 Month Promo CD: Rate 4.00% Matures 10/16/26
Expenses
Deposits
01/23/26 Interest 12.71
01/31/26 Interest $4.91
   TOTAL Promo CD Account $5,078.98
   TOTAL ASSETS as of Jan. 31, 2026 $20,203.29

Other business:
Community First has a new policy when
account holders change. If the names on
the account are completely changing, a
new account must be opened, and
everything transferred. I had to do this
last month. To avoid this, attempt to
keep one common person on the account
when changing officers. Whoever is on
the account also must be listed on the
current Sunbiz. Currently, Lorraine Sears
and Rhonda Danielson are account
holders.
When the 18-23 month Business CD was
transferred, it was renamed 12 month
Business CD, and the interest rate was
bumped up to the current promotional
amount. From 2.99 to 4.00.
Money Market assets had to be
temporarily placed in Savings. A new
Money Market account will be
established, and funds transferred back
out of Savings to that new account

Submitted by Lorraine Sears 02/12/2026

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MONTHLY PROGRAMS

March – May

The dates for the rest of the spring semester meetings and programs are as follows, all on the second Thursdays of each month and as of this date beginning at 9:30am. Anita Renfroe, our new Program chair, is working on programs for these months.
March 12
April 9
May 14
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JMTA Student Recitals

March Student Recital

The next JMTA Student Recital will be held on Sunday, March 29, at All Saints Episcopal Church. The deadline to register for the recital is on Friday, March 20. More information will be coming in the March newsletter. Christine Couch and Gavin Taylor are the JMTA Student Recital co-chairs for these events.

Community “Proton Therapy” Recital

Proton Therapy Recital Chair Sandra Stewart has announced the date for the annual Proton Therapy recital for late-intermediate to advanced students to be Tuesday, April 21 at 6pm at the UF Proton Therapy Institute. More information will be coming from Sandy in the March newsletter.
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JMTA SCHOLARSHIP

JMTA HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION

The JMTA High School Senior Scholarship Competition will be held at Mandarin Baptist Church on Saturday, April 11, 2026, time TBA. The deadline for application is Friday, March 6, 2026.
• If there will be only one applicant auditions will be held online.
• Auditions will be open only to students who have studied for six or more months with a JMTA member in good standing.
• Only high school seniors who will complete work during the school year in which they audition and who state their intention to pursue a college degree in Music may apply.
• Students seeking a dual major in Music and another field of study are eligible to apply.
• Music minors are not eligible to apply. The following must be submitted along with a signed application form:
(a) An entrance fee of $25.00, check made payable to JMTA
(b) Three letters of recommendation:
1. A letter of recommendation from applicant’s private teacher
2. A letter of recommendation from teacher or administrator from applicant’s school
3. A letter of character reference from a responsible adult who is not applicant’s immediate family.
(c) Applicant’s repertoire list of three pieces from different time periods with duration no longer than 30 minutes. Repertoire must be memorized. The winner of the Scholarship Competition is required to perform at the May JMTA meeting held on Thursday, May 14, 2026. All required documents and application fee must be submitted by deadline to:

Kama Rasmussen-Li
JMTA Scholarship Committee Chair
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District IV News

Student Day

FSMTA District IV Student Day will be held on Saturday, April 11, 2026, at Mandarin Baptist Church, 11244 San Jose Blvd., 32223. The application deadline is Friday, March 6. For more comprehensive information, please view the September JMTA newsletter under District IV News.

For those students who receive Honors in their audition, and at least Achievement in their written theory and aural theory testing, they will be invited to the Student Day Honors Recital, to be held on Sunday, April 26, 2026 at the UNF Recital Hall at 3pm.

Here is the link to register:
https://www.jaxmta.org/district-4-student-day.html
When registering, choose which section each student would like, morning or afternoon. All their activities will fall into their chosen section, including a non-graded recital, where each student can play one of their Student Day pieces for their peers.

For repertoire lists, sample written theory and aural theory tests, keyboard skills information, adjudication forms, etc., they are all on the FSMTA website (fmta.org). Click on Student Activities on the home screen, and then FSMTA Non-Competitive Events. Scroll down to Members of FSMTA, click on log in here, and use the password of Music, which is case-sensitive. (The FSMTA password changes every October, and as a member you will receive an email from their website admin with the new password each year.) Or you can click here to go to the website, where there is also a Handbook of Student Activities for more detailed information:
https://www.fmta.org/student-day-handbook.html

For their hard work and preparation, each student receives a beautiful certificate, and a medallion if they receive achievement. If they receive honors in their judge audition and at least an achievement in their written theory and aural theory, they also receive an honors ribbon from the State, and are invited to perform in the Honors recital held in the Recital Hall at UNF.

More information about the Music Masters Theory Workbooks:
An independent teacher has created an optional curriculum to help you prepare your students for the keyboard skills, written theory, and aural theory testing with helpful workbooks for each level. These follow the same leveling and guidelines that are provided in the Student Activities Handbook on the FSMTA website. These materials will assist students in mastering the FSMTA guidelines for Student Day. The contact information is as follows: Music Masters, 4111 NW 79 Ave., Coral Springs, FL 33065. To order, email Sue Colvert at Music Masters at [email protected]. The phone number is 954-752-2856. You can also go to at musicmasterstheoryprep.com.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

-Angie Holt, District IV Student Activities Chair
[email protected]
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Application Deadline Reminders
(In order by application deadline)

District IV Student Day – April 11
Application deadline – March 6
JMTA High School Senior Scholarship Competition – April 11
Application deadline – March 6
JMTA March Student Recital – March 29
Application deadline – March 20
Community “Proton Therapy” Recital – April 21
Application deadline – April 14
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AREA CONCERTS AND RECITALS
Click on each link for a calendar of upcoming performances:

The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra Events
Click on link for more information and tickets:
Events | Jacksonville Symphony

University of North Florida Music Events
Click on link for more information and tickets:
https://www.unf.edu/coas/music/events.html

Florida State College at Jacksonville
Click on link for more information and tickets:
fine-arts-calendar.jpg (2550×3300)

Friday Musicale Events Click on link for more information and tickets:
https://fridaymusicale.com/events/

St. Johns Cathedral Music Events
Click on link for more information and tickets: https://www.jaxcathedral.org/events/
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Find A Teacher Section on Jaxmta.org
Teachers, please take a moment to check out your information on our Find A Teacher page on the JMTA website (jaxmta.org). If you would like any changes made, or if you’re not listed yet and would like to be added, please contact Angie Holt at [email protected] with the verbiage you would like put in.
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Did You Know?
Residents of Duval county, if they have a Jacksonville Library card, can use the many electronic resources from the https://jaxpubliclibrary.org/digital-library. Getting a library card is free. All that's needed is your driver's license and sign up in person at any of the 21 branches.
The card allows the use of Kanopy - which has free streaming movies, documentaries, educational resources [older teens/adults]. I saw a documentary "Making the Grade" which profiled Irish students and piano teachers whose students are preparing to take the Irish Royal Academy of Music Examinations. It was funny, moving, informative, and relatable, especially seeing snippets of the teacher's lessons in action and how the students feel about piano and their teachers overall. I highly recommend members watch it (and explore the other resources available from JPL)! - JohnWillard Utuk
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Need a Sponsor?
Does anyone in the JMTA need a sponsor or need help in any way? If so, John Scott, owner of Jacksonville School of Music & First Coast School of Music, is interested in helping our organization. If interested, contact John at [email protected]. His direction phone number is 904-248-1848.
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Music Exchange
Do you have too much music collected in your studio? Is there some you think you'll never use? Bring your unneeded music to any JMTA meeting. Bring home something new to you! Look for the "Free Music" spot. Music does not have to be brand new.
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Have you found us on Facebook?
Follow JMTA on Facebook for the latest happenings, photos, videos, and more!
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Events Calendar

Please view our website for any updates or additions to these events, as well as for more details including application deadlines: www.jaxmta.org.

Thursday, March 12 9:30am JMTA General Meeting and Program TBA

Saturday, March 14 As Scheduled, District IV Concerto Competition, UNF Recital Hall, 1 UNF Drive, Building 45, Room 1200, 32224

Sunday, March 29 3:00pm JMTA Student Recital, All Saints Episcopal Church, 4171 Hendricks Ave, 32207

Thursday, April 9 9:30am JMTA General Meeting and Program TBA

Saturday, April 11 As Scheduled, District IV Student Day, Mandarin Baptist Church, 11244 San Jose Blvd., 32223

Saturday, April 11 TBA JMTA H.S. Senior Scholarship Competition, Mandarin Baptist Church, 11244 San Jose Blvd., 32223

Tuesday, April 21 6:00pm Community “Proton Therapy” Recital, U.F. Health Proton Therapy Institute, 2015 Jefferson St., Jacksonville 32206

Sunday, April 26 3:00pm Student Day Honors Recital, UNF Recital Hall, 1 UNF Drive, 32224, Building 45, Room 1200

Thursday, May 14 9:30am JMTA General Meeting and Program TBA

Stay tuned ​for more events to come! High Notes is distributed on the first of the month excluding June-August and December. All submissions are due by the 20th of the month prior to distribution. Submissions may be sent to [email protected].