November 2020 - Vol. 24 No. 3

JMTA High Notes
November 2020—Vol. 24, no. 3

JMTA General Meeting (using ZOOM):
 November 11, 2020: 9:30am - general meeting; 10:30am - program:
“CONNECTING THE DOTS: Making Music Theory Practical”
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From the President’s Pen

The FSMTA 2020 conference online was amazing!  Kerri Turner and the conference staff pulled together an extensive array of clinicians from around the country and the globe. If you were unable to watch during the week of October 23-31, go to the FSMTA website and look for the links.  Many of the clinicians have their own websites so you should be able to still benefit from their expertise.

The Florida Foundation Fellow for this year is Charles Turon.  He will be our guest clinician November 11th.  Attend our Zoom session and you will understand why he was selected. Charles, along with Gail Berenson, former MTNA President, will be co-hosting the FSMTA Conference next fall in Venice, FL.

Many of the sessions were outstanding! One inspiring example was Penelope Roskell’s, “Nurturing Healthy, Confident Piano Students.” Ms Roskell (from the UK) shared some clever ideas to foster good technique such as playing with a parachute touch. Place your hand on your knee and as you breathe in, lift your hand up slowly. When the hand is in front of your face, exhale and slowly let it float to the keys and land on cat’s feet. If the wrist drops too low, you have stepped on the cat’s tail. This exercise helps develop a soft wrist.

Another session relevant to my current teaching situation was “Late Bloomers: Making Up for Lost Time” presented by Victor Andzulis. “Have students set their own assignments for the week and be responsible for their goals.” These words of wisdom I’ll try in lessons with teens.

The enthusiasm, sparks of energy and inspiration provided though the sessions as well as the chats with other teachers can energize our teaching in the coming months.

Congratulations to JMTA member Lisa Barwell and her 10 year old student, Caroline Vynanek for her performance in the Composer Recital. Caroline played the “Soggy Sonatina” by Wendy Stevens. Congratulations also to JMTA member Dr. Erin Bennett for the premier performance on the Teachers Recital of “Autumn Lullaby,” a piece dedicated to music teachers during the 2020 COVID crisis. The work was composed by Jacksonville violinist, Peter Szewcyk.

See you soon on Zoom!
Anita

Dr. Anita Boyle Renfroe, NCTM
President, JMTA
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JMTA General Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, October 14, 2020, Keyboard Connection

Present: Anita Renfroe, Lynn Freeman, Angie Holt, Stefanie Batson-Martin, Sandra Stewart, Stephanie Blind, Lorraine Sears, Michael Mastronicola, Erin Bennett, Paulette Kilts, Sandra Roberts, Maureen Rhodes, Denise Homsley, Betty Atkinson, Lisa Barwell

Call to Order: 9:30am (Anita Renfroe)

Parliamentarian: (Lynn Freeman) Nothing to report

Secretary Minutes: (Stefanie Batson-Martin)
Top of September 9, 2020 Minutes had February 12, 2020 date (from copying and pasting, sorry!)

Treasurer’s Report: (Lori) Not present
Sent in approved budget
Things to talk about in “New Business”

Vice-President/Membership: (Sandra)
Four new members had not renewed that joined in Spring; contacted all of them, all but one went ahead and renewed
October: 46 total members
Two new members: Dayvin and Stephanie Blind were on the Zoom meeting last month

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Altruistic: (Sandra Roberts)
Sandra has been doing a fantastic job with getting cards out for various things
Contact her if you have something to acknowledge with a card from JMTA

Communications: (Angie Holt)
Nothing to report

Community Service: (Joan Cordell) Not Present

Ethics: (Maureen Rhodes)
Nothing to report

Historian: (Lynn Roberts) Not Present
Nothing to report

Internet Media: (Angie)
No newsletter in December, so make sure news for the next few months makes it in the November newsletter

Programs: (Michael Mastronicola)
Dr. Indelicato: Presenter from September donated her honorarium to the scholarship fund, she gave a great program
Today is Charlotte Mabrey on innovative ways to teach rhythm to students
November: Dr. Charles Turon - Connecting the Dots, Making Music Theory Practical
No program in December
Erin Bennett doing district program in January

Scholarships: (Kamila Shahtakhtinski) Not Present
Keep checking the website for scholarship information

Social: (Angie Holt)
None right now

Student Recitals: (Sandra Stewart and Gavin Taylor)
Stefanie has offered to help the committee with technology (video)
Lisa has offered to join the committee and has ideas from previous experiences
Sandra Stewart and Gavin Taylor will stay in charge of the committee as consultants

Student Day Report: (Angie Holt)
Will be held online
Registration deadline will be Friday, February 12, 2021
The theory and aural portion will be online and is being worked on
Details will need to be worked out

Wellness Liaison: (Joan Cordell) Not Present
Stefanie has offered to join the committee

Old Business:
None

New Business:
A change in the bylaws was approved in the August 2020 board meeting, we need to vote on that; Erin Bennett motions to change the bylaws and add a Section 3 to match the FSMTA bylaws on meeting remotely, Paulette Kilts seconds; unanimously approved (14 total), motion passed
Sonatina/Sonata Festival: Everything was sent to Angie; official rules, repertoire guidelines and video submission guidelines will be out; unlisted youtube playlist will be shared with members, teachers and students/families, up for two weeks; families will retain ownership of videos; one entry, due November 21, 2020, $15 students of members, $25 students of non-members; online registration; scanned copy of the score for the adjudicator; parent/guardian consent waiver; adjudicator will be providing written comments and each participant will receive a certificate; repertoire should be memorized and in original form; student should dress up and bow; sent to youtube as unlisted or public
Music Gift from JMTA to the Florida State Music Teacher’s Foundation of $100, proposed by Anita Renfroe, Paulette Kilts moved, Erin Bennett seconded, unanimously approved (14) motion passed
FSMTA Conference is coming up

Adjourned: Anita Renfroe at 10:17am

- Submitted by Stefanie Batson-Martin
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JMTA Programs: November

Another exciting program is on the schedule for November, again through Zoom! Charles Turon, Ph.D., FSCTM, Retired Professor of Music, State College of Florida, will be presenting:
“CONNECTING THE DOTS: Making Music Theory Practical”
on Wednesday, November 11 at 10:30am (following the general meeting at 9:30am). Hope to see you there!

NOVEMBER 11 ZOOM INVITATION:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://unf.zoom.us/j/95975260919?pwd=L2ovRUJLSTZmKzlLb21jVS9iejR6QT09
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JMTA Treasurer Transaction Monthly Report | September 1 - September 30, 2020
                                                                                                                           Debits              Credits
Expenses
Deposits        
09/09/20    Deposit MTNA Dues                                                                                        $150.00
09/09/20     Transfer from Ckg to MM for speaking fee donation      $100.00
                       Deposit to Money Market - speaking fee donation
09/09/20     from Dr. Indelicato for scholarship fund                                                     $100.00
09/14/20     Deposit to MM from Business Shares (old CD $)                                     $7,120.78
09/14/20    Transfer from Business Shares to Money Market             $7,120.78
09/30/20    Deposit Business Shares Interest                                                                     $0.39
09/30/20    Deposit Money Market Interest                                                                         $1.32
09/30/20    Deposit Checking Interest                                                                                 $0.81
        Current Checking                                                                               $4,891.20
        Piano Festival Fund (add to Business Shares Acct)                     $3,330.70
        Warren Fund                                                                                        $1,527.73
        TOTAL Checking Account as of September 30, 2020                 $9,749.63

        Other Accounts:
        Business Money Market (Scholarship)                                           $9,498.84
        Business Shares (Festival)                                                                  $1,651.51
        TOTAL as of September 30, 2020                                                   $11,150.35
        TOTAL ASSETS as of September 30, 2020                                $20,899.98
- Submitted by Lorie Burningham 10/08/20
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DISTRICT IV NEWS

Sonatina & Sonata Festival
District IV is launching its inaugural Sonatina & Sonata Festival, to be held virtually due to the pandemic. This non-competitive festival will take place in late Fall (with a video submission deadline of November, 21, 2020). All participants will receive adjudicated feedback, which will also help them prepare for future events in 2021 (Student Day, Federation, auditions, recitals, etc). We welcome students of all ages and levels performing movement(s) of a Sonatina or Sonata for piano by composers from the Classical Era onwards (including modern pedagogical or method book composers). Entries will be submitted as Youtube videos, and the final “event” will consist of a link to a Youtube playlist which can be watched as a recital from your own home.

Rules & Regulations: published on the JMTA website

Deadline: Video submissions and online applications are due before midnight on November 21, 2020.

Cost: $15 for students of FSMTA members; an additional $10 is required for students of non-member teachers

What to Play: A movement or movements from a Sonatina or Sonata by any composer from the Classical Era to the present day. Repertoire to be performed by memory. 10-minute time limit.

Questions: Contact Erin Bennett at e.bennett@unf.edu
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2021 Student Day
District IV Student Day will be held on Saturday, March 27, 2021. This event will be held virtually. The deadline to register will be Friday, February 12.

FSMTA is working to put the written theory and aural theory tests online. Once this is completed and sample tests are available online, I will send out an email with this information.

You can help your student(s) prepare now by using the Student Day guidelines given on the FMTA.org website. Click on Student Activities at the top of the screen, then on FSMTA Non-Competitive Events. Scroll down to the “Members of FSMTA” and login with the case-sensitive password that was recently emailed to you, for Student Day tests, guidelines, suggested repertoire, and other materials, for each of the levels primary through 12. In addition, the Student Day Handbook may answer more questions that you have; you can refer to your student’s level in the handbook for specific requirements. You can print all or any portion of the handbook.

In addition, an independent teacher in Florida has devised a curriculum to help you prepare your students for the keyboard skills, aural theory, and written theory portions of Student Day. The guidelines follow the same leveling and guidelines that are provided in your Student Activities Handbook.  These materials will assist students in mastering the FSMTA guidelines for Student Day.  Contact information is as follows: Music Masters, 4111 NW 79 Ave, Coral Springs, FL 33065, 954-752-2856, email jwcsr@aol.com. Contact name: Sue Colvert

Please contact me by email (angiespianostudio7@gmail.com) with any questions you may have regarding Student Day.

Angie Holt, Student Day Chair
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Over Coffee With . . .

We have been getting to know some of our new members, since we are not yet able to meet or greet them in person. This month we are getting acquainted with Sonja Foster. Thank you, Sonja, for introducing yourself to us!

SONJA FOSTER

Hello to all my fellow musicians and teachers in the Jacksonville area! I am a violinist, an alumna of The Curtis Institute and The Juilliard School and have been a member of GMTA for 30+ years. It is my great pleasure to have moved to Amelia Island, my favorite place on earth, in the past year from Atlanta where I have had a studio for gifted pre-college violinists for over 30 years.

I was born in Chicago, Illinois where my parents filled our home with music. I started violin at age 7 and was practicing 4 hours per day by the time I was 9 years old. My teacher at Chicago Musical College required it. I was invited, at age 15, by Ivan Galamian, to study with him at The Curtis Institute. For my college years, I continued my seven years of studies with him for my degree at Juilliard. Following that, I did have a performing career across the country while teaching in the Chicago area at Wheaton College and Trinity College.

After some years, I moved to Atlanta and focused my teaching primarily on the pre-college level of violin students, since there is such a need for young ones to learn correct technique. This was Mr. Galamian’s passion as well. He has always been my inspiration since he grounded his violinists in consistent, accurate technique.

In teaching, it has been my great privilege to have taught many young people from the ground up, so to speak, from the most beginning levels to high career levels. I taught Timothy, Phillip and Janet Ying of the Ying Quartet when they were children as well as Joel Link of the Dover Quartet; Kirsten Lee, now a concert violinist and many others.

Currently, I have reduced my studio to a select few gifted young violinists in Georgia and Florida. I am a member of GMTA and FSMTA.

As far as experiences I have had in my teaching experiences, this stood out: One of my students, age 9, was performing at the Winners recital for the GMTA yearly conference a few years ago at Spivey Hall. Spivey Hall is about one hour from the north side of Atlanta where most of my students live. Her family arrived at the hall and discovered that they had forgotten her 3/4 size violin! The mother drove about 90 MPH back to Roswell and made it to Spivey Hall one minute before her daughter was to perform!  Never a dull moment!

One of my favorite books on being a wonderful musician and teacher, and a really great book for any musician, is: THE TALENT CODE by Daniel Coyle.

My favorite book for taking care of the artist in us is: THE ARTIST’S WAY by Julia Cameron.

If you would like more information on my background, my website is: sonjafoster.com.
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Accompanist Available

Dr. Sandra Roberts is available to play for Sunday morning church services if anyone has a need. Her email is skrmusic@bellsouth.net, or you can text or call her at 904-607-9068.
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Area Concerts

The Heritage [R]ingers of Jacksonville Holiday Concert
by The Heritage Singers of Jacksonville

“What happens when a choral group can't sing due to a worldwide pandemic? Why, we RING, of course.”
Admission: Free but accepting donations for the International Myeloma Foundation
Date and Time: Sunday, December 6, 2020, 3:00pm – 4:00pm
Location: South Jacksonville Presbyterian Church
2137 Hendricks Avenue
Jacksonville, FL 32207
Register at eventbrite.com for socially-distanced seating.

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Christmas Orchestra Concert

“Put on your best holiday attire and come and enjoy a symphony orchestra featuring various styles of music including classical, contemporary, tango, jazz, and more!”

Admission: Free
Date and Time: Friday, December 18, 2020, 7:00pm-9:00pm
Location: Destination Church, 7341 Atlantic Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32211
Attire: Semi-formal
Questions? Text Corina at (704) 776-5669 or e-mail donicacorina@gmail.com
Register at eventbrite.com
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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.  If you would like to edit, add, or delete your information, please send whatever you would like changed to our Internet Media chairperson Angie Holt at angiespianostudio7@gmail.com.
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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 Great Scott Music School, is interested in helping our organization. If interested, contact John at greatscottmusicacademy@gmail.com.
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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?  Let's have a music exchange!  Bring your unwanted 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 JaxMTA 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.

November 11
(on Zoom)
9:30am - meeting
10:30am - program “Connecting the Dots: Making Music Theory Practical”
Zoom
(see email for link)

Submissions Due November 21:
Sonatina & Sonata Festival
Held Virtually

January 13
(on Zoom)
9:30am - District IV Meeting
Zoom
(see email for link)

February 10
(on Zoom)
9:30am - meeting
10:30am - program - program “Playing and Teaching Trills, Alberti basses, and broken octaves”
Zoom
(see email for link)

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 jaxmta@gmail.com.
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