122nd Annual Convention June 13-16, 2021 - Minnesota ...
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122nd Annual Convention
June 13–16, 2021
Minnesota Music Teachers Association
This is an interactive document.
Dynamic links are underlined and blue.
From the schedule, follow presenter name links to see bio and session info.
Once there, follow session title links to return to the schedule.
All times are Central Daylight (CDT).
Zoom links to join meetings are emailed to registered participants.
Special thanks to our sponsors:
Schmitt Music
Groth Music
University of Minnesota Morris
Junior Composers Institute
Music at 10,000 Lakes
MusicLink Foundation
Table of Contents
SPONSOR: GROTH MUSIC 20% DISCOUNT ON MMTA CONTEST MUSIC! 4
FOR ONLINE PURCHASES, PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK: 4
MMTA CONVENTION 2021: SCHEDULE 5
SUNDAY, JUNE 13 (ALL TIMES CENTRAL DAYLIGHT, CDT) 5
MONDAY, JUNE 14 (ALL TIMES CENTRAL DAYLIGHT, CDT) 6
TUESDAY, JUNE 15 (ALL TIMES CENTRAL DAYLIGHT, CDT) 7
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16 (ALL TIMES CENTRAL DAYLIGHT, CDT) 8
SESSION DETAIL BY PRESENTER 10
MEGAN DURHAM 10
Meeting the Mood: Resources for Emotional and Vocal Wellbeing 10
DR. KURT ELLENBERGER 11
Ghosts in the Machine: Jazz Musicians in Popular Music 11
MITCH GRUSSING 12
MMTA Student Composition Contest Winners Recital 12
SONJA L. GUSTAFSON, M.M. & JLEIGH WOHLGEMUTH, M.A. 13
Using Technology 13
DAVID KNOTT 14
Your Most Kid-Focused Music Studio Ever: A Tactical Approach To Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in the Music Studio 14
SARA LANGMEAD, D.M.A. 15
Teaching Musical Gesture: Finding Color in a Black and White Score 15
FANYA LIN 16
Guest Artist: Piano 16
NANCY LITTEN 17
How to Sight Sing: A Teacher’s Guide 17
GARRETT MCQUEEN (TUESDAY KEYNOTE) 18
Teaching in the Moment (talk) 18
Teaching in the Moment (action planning workshop) 18
SARAH MENSEN 19
Recitals Past, Present & Future: How a Pandemic Can Change Recitals for the Better! 19
VALERIE MERRELL 20
Where the Magic Happens: Drilling In and Branching Out with Learning Clusters 20
MMTA JUDGE EDUCATION COMMITTEE 21
A Bird’s-eye View of Judging 21
MMTA MUSIC BRIDGES EXAM COMMITTEE 23
Music Bridges: Not Just for Students Anymore! 23
MMTA PIANO EXAM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE 25
An Introduction to the MMTA Piano Syllabus Diversity Addendum 25
DR. YUMIKO OSHIMA-RYAN 27
Color and Timbre in Solo Piano Works by Karen Tanaka 27
SUE RUBY, NCTM & SALLY RITCHIE 29
In Your Own Back Yard: Supporting Local Composers, Past, Present, and Future 29
DAN SCHWARTZ & BEN ABRAHAMSON 30
Contemporary finger-style guitarists Performing original tunes and arrangements 30
DR. DIANA SHAPIRO 31
Congratulations, You Have a Partner, and Now What? 31
AMELIA SMITH AND MATTHEW HARIKIAN 32
Clarinet & Piano Recital 32
CHERI SYKES 33
Convention Guide and Schedule Page 2
Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021
Teach Boogie Woogie Piano with the (MMTA Popular Styles Workbook) 12-Bar Blues Shuffle Patterns 33
KAREN THICKSTUN, NCTM 34
MTNA: Your Partner in Teaching and Business 34
SUE WEGE, NCTM 35
MusicLink: How to Change a Life through Music 35
NOREEN WENJEN, NCTM (MONDAY KEYNOTE) 36
Part 1: Finding Success Against the Odds: The Accidental Music Teacher Becomes the Entrepreneurial Music Teacher 36
Part 2: Music Technology Sound and Vision: What to Strive for and Using What You Have 36
JANNA WILLIAMSON, NCTM 37
Schubert: Man of Melody and Mystery 37
AUTUMN L. ZANDER, NCTM 38
Scenes from Childhood 2.0: New Music for a New Generation 38
SPONSOR: MUSIC AT 10,000 LAKES 39
SPONSOR: JUNIOR COMPOSERS INSTITUTE 39
MMTA FOUNDATION RECITAL PROGRAM 40
MMTA YOUNG ARTIST CONTEST WINNERS 42
MTNA PERFORMANCE COMPETITION WINNERS 43
MMTA STUDENT AWARD RECIPIENTS 44
MMTA STUDENT COMPOSITION CONTEST WINNERS 45
THE MMTA STORE 47
FOR ONLINE PURCHASES, PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK: 47
Convention Guide and Schedule Page 3
Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021
SPONSOR: Groth Music
20% discount on MMTA contest music!
For online purchases, please follow this link:
https://www.grothmusic.com/c-1557-mmta-piano-contest.aspx
Convention Guide and Schedule Page 4
Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021
MMTA Convention 2021: Schedule
Sunday, June 13 (all times Central Daylight, CDT)
Amelia Smith, Clarinet and Matthew Harikian, Piano
Watch the video
Program
Valerie Coleman: Sonatine for Bb Clarinet and Piano
Johannes Brahms: Sonata in F minor, Op. 120, No. 1
Carlos Guastavino: Sonata para clarinete y piano
Sunday
4:00 p.m.
Sponsored by Schmitt Music
Open to the public
Hosted live with recorded video performances
MMTA Foundation Recital and Awards Ceremony
Watch the video
Read the recital program
Sponsored by Schmitt Music and University of Minnesota Morris
Sunday
7:30 p.m.
Open to the public
Hosted live with recorded video performances
More links:
MMTA Young Artist Contest winners
MTNA Performance Competition winners
MMTA Student Award recipients
Convention Guide and Schedule Page 5
Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021
Monday, June 14 (all times Central Daylight, CDT)
All times are Room 1 in Zoom Room 2 in Zoom
Central (Zoom link distributed via email (Zoom link distributed via email
Daylight (CDT) to registered participants) to registered participants)
Coffee Chat MTNA: Your Partner in Teaching and Business
Monday
Host: Camille Buddecke Karen Thickstun, NCTM
8:15 a.m.
President-Elect, MMTA President, Music Teachers National Association
Monday Welcome and Land Acknowledgement (watch the video) No session
9:00 a.m. Dr. Ann DuHamel, NCTM - President, MMTA in Room 2
Monday Keynote Address, Part 1
Finding Success Against the Odds: The
Monday No session
Accidental Music Teacher
9:05 a.m. in Room 2
Becomes the Entrepreneurial Music Teacher
Noreen Wenjen, NCTM
Monday Keynote Address, Part 2
Monday Music Technology Sound & Vision: No session
9:45 a.m. What to Strive For, and Using What You Have in Room 2
Noreen Wenjen, NCTM
Teach Boogie Woogie Piano
Congratulations, You Have a Partner,
Monday with the (MMTA Popular Styles Workbook)
Now What? (Teaching Piano Duets)
10:30 a.m. 12-Bar Blues Shuffle Patterns
Dr. Diana Shapiro
Cheri Sykes
Scenes from Childhood 2.0: In Your Own Back Yard:
Monday New Music for a New Generation
Supporting Local Composers
11:15 a.m. (Lera Auerbach: Images from Childhood, Op. 52)
Autumn Zander, NCTM Sue Ruby, NCTM & Sally Ritchie
Monday Lunch Chat New Member Meet and Greet / Lunch Chat
12:00 p.m. Host: Lacey West Host: Nicholas Susi
MMTA Student Composition Contest Winners Recital
Watch the video
Monday Host: Mitch Grussing (program announced live) No session
1:00 p.m. in Room 2
Open to the public - hosted live with recorded video performance
Read the complete contest winners list
Fanya Lin, Piano
Watch the video
Statius Muller: “Wals Nostalgia”, Op. 2, No. 22
Monday Robert Schumann: Carnaval, Op. 9 No session
7:30 p.m. Stravinski/Agosti: The Firebird in Room 2
Ginastera: Danzas Argentinas, Op. 2
Open to the public Sponsored by
Hosted live with recorded video performances Schmitt Music
Convention Guide and Schedule Page 6
Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021
Tuesday, June 15 (all times Central Daylight, CDT)
All times are Room 1 in Zoom Room 2 in Zoom
Central (Zoom link distributed via email (Zoom link distributed via email
Daylight (CDT) to registered participants) to registered participants)
An Introduction to the MMTA Piano
Syllabus Diversity Addendum
Tuesday Coffee Chat with Fun and Games!
MMTA Piano Exam Development Committee
8:15 a.m. Erin Winchell
Gina Skule, Grace Kopitske,
and Kirsten Levorson
Tuesday Keynote Address, part 1
Teaching in the Moment (talk)
Tuesday
Garrett McQueen No session in Room 2
9:00 a.m.
Sponsored by Schmitt Music
Tuesday Keynote Address, part 2
Tuesday Teaching in the Moment
No session in Room 2
9:45 a.m. (action planning workshop)
Garrett McQueen
MusicLink: Ghosts in the Machine:
Tuesday
How to Change a Life through Music Jazz Musicians in Popular Music
10:30 a.m.
Sue Wege, NCTM Dr. Kurt Ellenberger
Music Bridges: Not Just for Students Anymore!
MMTA Music Bridges Exam Committee
Meeting the Mood: Mary Goetz
Tuesday Jade Langmead
Emotional & Vocal Wellbeing
11:15 a.m.
Megan Durham Dr. Sara Wandrei Langmead
PinkRiches (a.k.a. Bethany Richards)
Rebekah Richards, NCTM
Tuesday Lunch Chat College student meet-and-greet
12:00 p.m. Laura Harding, NCTM Shannon Wettstein Sadler
Dan Schwartz and Ben Abrahamson
Contemporary finger-style guitarists,
performing original tunes and arrangements
Open to the public (live stream)
Watch the video
Tuesday
No session in Room 2
7:30 p.m. Sponsored by Schmitt Music
Convention Guide and Schedule Page 7
Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021
Wednesday, June 16 (all times Central Daylight, CDT)
All times are
Central
Room 1 in Zoom Room 2 in Zoom
Daylight (Zoom link distributed via email (Zoom link distributed via email
(CDT) to registered participants) to registered participants)
Wednesday
8:00 a.m. – Recitals Past, Present & Future: How a
8:00 a.m. 8:00 a.m. – Coffee Chat
Pandemic Can Change Recitals for the Better!
Note earlier Host: Lacey West
Sarah Mensen
start time
Wednesday 8:45 a.m. – MMTA Annual Meeting
8:45 a.m. All members are encouraged to attend,
No session in Room 2
Note earlier even if not registered for the convention
start time Watch the video
Wednesday Where the Magic Happens:
How to Sight Sing: A Teacher’s Guide
9:45 a.m. Drilling In and Branching Out
Nancy Litten
with Learning Clusters
Live from England!
Valerie Merrell
Wednesday Your Most Kid-Focused Music Studio Ever:
Color and Timbre
10:30 a.m. A Tactical Approach To Social and Emotional
Learning (SEL) in the Music Studio in Solo Piano Works by Karen Tanaka
David Knott Dr. Yumiko Oshima-Ryan
Wednesday Teaching Musical Gesture: Using Technology
11:15 a.m. Finding Color in a Black and White Score Sonja Gustafson, M.M. &
Sara Wandrei Langmead, D.M.A. JLeigh Wohlgemuth, M.M.
A Bird’s-eye View of Judging (full hour)
MMTA Judge Education Committee
Host: Kris Olson
Judges: Mary Goetz, Suzanne Greer,
Wednesday Schubert: Man of Melody and Mystery
and Betsy Murray
12:00 p.m. Janna Williamson, NCTM
This qualifies as a
Continuing Education Session
for MMTA Endorsed Judges.
End of convention.
So glad you could join us!
Convention Guide and Schedule Page 8
Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021
SPONSOR: Schmitt Music Convention Guide and Schedule Page 9 Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021
Session Detail by Presenter
Megan Durham
Meeting the Mood: Resources for Emotional and Vocal Wellbeing
Tuesday, 11:15 a.m., Room 1
Watch the video
Session outline and notes
In the music studio, practice room, and performance settings, students demonstrate a variety of moods. A range of
emotions from frenzied to fatigued can impact how our body feels and functions, sometimes contributing to physical
tension and anxiety. In these moments of distress and distrust, do you have access to inner resources—physical and
emotional cues that ground you in the present moment? Drawing on elements of trauma-informed voice care, this
workshop will provide an overview of how the nervous system responds to stress, and offer accessible movement, sound,
and breathing practices for honoring our emotional states and supporting our creative bodies. Participants will learn how
to “meet the mood” with practical tools that can be incorporated into warm-ups, lessons, and performance settings.
Mezzo soprano Megan Durham, M.M., Cert. S.V.S., RYT-200, is a voice teacher, performer
and Singing Voice Specialist (SVS). As an SVS, she collaborates with medical professionals
as part of a voice care team to habilitate singers diagnosed with voice disorders. Megan is a
certified YogaVoice® and LifeForce Yoga® practitioner, RYT-200. She is also trained in
myofascial release for voice, as well as yoga for trauma, and provides a trauma-informed
approach to both yoga and voice care. She is a frequent workshop presenter and clinician
for the National Association of Teachers of Singing, The Voice Foundation, and the
American Choral Directors Association.
meganallison.durham@gmail.com
www.respirevocalwellness.com
Convention Guide and Schedule Page 10
Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021Dr. Kurt Ellenberger Ghosts in the Machine: Jazz Musicians in Popular Music Tuesday, 10:30 a.m., Room 2 Watch the video Session outline and notes Jazz musicians have made enormous contributions to popular music, yet these contributions are generally not acknowledged. This session will examine the role of jazz musicians who worked as performers, producers, and co-writers to help produce some of the most commercially successful pop music of all time, as well as some of the most innovative music in the genre. We will also highlight the role that jazz musicians play in virtually every other genre of music. This begs a question: Why are jazz musicians, in particular. so adept at successfully crossing genre boundaries? This topic will also be addressed along with its implications for music education in the 21C. Kurt Ellenberger is a pianist, composer, and author whose work includes music for a wide range of ensembles. His writings include a jazz theory book, other pedagogical writings, and many essays that appear in his arts blog entitled Also Sprach FraKathustra, which was published by The Huffington Post–Arts and Culture from 2010-2017. He currently is a contributing author at All About Jazz. He has recorded on Innova Recordings, Ghostly International, and Challenge-A Records (the Netherlands), among others, and has been hailed as "a gifted pianist who combines the lyricism of Bill Evans with the energy of Keith Jarrett." He is a member of the Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble, whose recent recordings of Terry Riley’s “IN C: Remixed” and Steve Reich’s “Music for 18 Musicians” have been featured in The New York Times, as well as in many of the nation’s leading publications, including The New Yorker. Ellenberger is a faculty member in the Frederik Meijer Honors College at Grand Valley State University, where he has been teaching since 1999. He is also a Fulbright Scholar who taught in Austria at the Kunstuniversität Graz (University of the Arts in Graz) and serves as artistic advisor on the Board of Trustees for the city of Mannheim, Germany. ellenbek@gvsu.edu www.kurtellenberger.com Convention Guide and Schedule Page 11 Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021
Mitch Grussing
MMTA Student Composition Contest Winners Recital
Monday, 1:00 p.m., Room 1
Watch the video
List of MMTA Student Competition Contest winners (recital program will be announced during the event)
MMTA Composition Contest winners will present their work in recital. Join us to support and encourage these young
composers!
Composer and piano teacher Mitch Grussing is also program director of the MMTA Student
Composition Contest and co-director of K&S Conservatory of Music in Woodbury, Minnesota.
He holds a master's degree in music education from the University of St. Thomas.
mitch@grussingmusic.com
Convention Guide and Schedule Page 12
Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021Sonja L. Gustafson, M.M. & JLeigh Wohlgemuth, M.A.
Using Technology
Wednesday, 11:15 a.m., Room 2
Watch the video
Session notes
Modern technology and the internet are very complicated! If you have questions about using the internet, office software
(Microsoft and/or Google), or email, submit them prior to this session. The session will address the most-frequently-
asked questions, with a short Q&A at the end.
Potential topics: browser tabs and bookmarks; spreadsheet use; keyboard shortcuts; organizing email messages; online
registration; etc.
Sonja L. Gustafson, M.M., earned her Bachelor of Music degrees in Church Music and Music
Education from St. Olaf College; and Master of Music degrees in Church Music and Organ
Performance from Indiana University-Bloomington. She has served as organist,
choir/handbell director, and music director for a number of churches, as well as piano teacher
for local students.
Once a student who participated in MMTA programs, Sonja is now the Director of Operations
for the MMTA Office in Bloomington, MN. Please contact her and/or her co-workers with
questions or concerns at (952) 345-0629 or:
mmta@mnmusicteachers.com
www.mnmusicteachers.com
JLeigh Wohlgemuth enjoys any combination of music and people! She especially loves
introducing young people to the wonderful sound and feel of the piano. She also finds great
joy in accompanying choirs. She has 20+ years of teaching and accompanying experience.
JLeigh is a graduate of Crown College (B.S. Church Music) and the University of St. Thomas
(M.A. Music Education-Piano Pedagogy). She held administrative and music faculty positions
at Crown College, accompanies Twin Cities area choirs, musicals and soloists, and provides
piano music for a variety of events. As an active member of the Minnesota Music Teachers
Association, JLeigh serves as a Site Administrator and judge. JLeigh currently teaches in
students' homes in the Twin Cities area.
jleighwohlgemuth@gmail.com
Convention Guide and Schedule Page 13
Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021David Knott Your Most Kid-Focused Music Studio Ever: A Tactical Approach To Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in the Music Studio Wednesday, 10:30 a.m., Room 1 Watch the video Session outline Quick Guide to SEL in the Music Studio Reflection on “Shifting Our Paradigm” The implementation of Trauma Informed and Social Emotional Learning strategies are needed in today's educational environment. Music classes and ensembles are prime settings for meaningful interventions and connections with students to elevate them to their best self ever. This session will provide a tactical approach to applying the various scholastic implementations of TI / SEL strategies without losing the integrity of the music classroom. Learn how the SEL Funnel can focus your approach to implementation. Apply the SCOAP model of brain-based leadership to awaken your new personal philosophy and explore three band unit approaches to tactical implementation of SEL in the music ensemble. David Knott is a professional percussionist, educational leadership advocate, and professional conductor. He currently serves as a member of the instrumental music faculty at the sweetest band gig on earth, where he coordinates and directs all Middle Division Band activities at Milton Hershey School in Hershey, Pa. In 2020 Mr. Knott joined the summer music faculty at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia where he developed and instructs a class on Tactical Integration of Trauma Informed and Social Emotional Learning Strategies for Music Education. Mr. Knott’s previous work experience also includes directing the percussion studio and teaching courses on Percussion for Music Education and Percussion for Music Therapy at Elizabethtown College and Messiah University. As a leadership advocate, he founded the Central Pennsylvania Wind Conductors Society, whose mission is to provide a forum to elevate individual music educators through mentoring, professional collaboration, and performance opportunities for student ensembles. Mr. Knott earned his Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Music Degree in Percussion Performance from Michigan State University. He has also studied with Jack Stamp, John Whitwell and various workshop clinicians to gain extensive conducting background. "Everything I do, I believe will challenge the status quo. I believe in thinking differently. I put students first, placing them in a safe and rigorous environment and provide the tools to allow them to reach their fullest creative self. I just happen to use band instruments to get there. My mission in one word: #Elevate “ knottd@mhs-pa.org https://sites.google.com/mhs-pa.org/david-e-knott/home LinkedIn: David Knott Twitter @dekconductor Convention Guide and Schedule Page 14 Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021
Sara Wandrei Langmead, D.M.A.
Teaching Musical Gesture: Finding Color in a Black and White Score
Wednesday, 11:15 a.m., Room 1
Watch the video
Session notes
The purpose of teaching musical gesture to students of all ages is to ultimately provide the performer and subsequent
listener with a more detailed and expanded understanding and appreciation of the compositional style at hand. While
the familiar maneuvering of functional harmony, phrasing, and cadential closure inspires and moves many of us into an
intrinsically musical interpretation, many pieces present a more puzzling array of compositional irregularities making
musicality, i.e. color, more ambiguous.
"Teaching Musical Gesture" focuses on relating physical technique to aspects of musical expression (dynamics,
articulation, timbre, shape, range, register) and aspects of musical structure (rhythm, pitch, meter, tempo, spacing,
texture, sonority/harmony) to pull color out of a black and white score. This live lecture-recital will use piano scores from
the MMTA 2022 Piano Contest and Solo Festival Materials List (including Tingley, Wells, Chretien, Rejino, H. Smith, C.
Sevett, Bonis, Beach, Barbour, Wright, and Beethoven) to teach teachers how to recognize musical gestures while
introducing three key concepts of colorful technique. Relating to the convention theme, "Staying Connected and Looking
Forward," participants are encouraged print out or consult the session notes and to participate in the question and answer
period at the session’s conclusion.
Dr. Sara Wandrei Langmead holds DMA and MM degrees from the Peabody Conservatory
where she studied piano with Yoheved Kaplinsky for seven years. As a Strelow Scholar, she
received her BM degree from the UW-Madison with Todd Welbourne. Under the guidance
of her MMTA teacher, Jeanné Reher, Sara made her orchestral debut at age 16 with the 3M
Symphony Orchestra. She won first prizes in the MN Schubert Club and UW-Madison
Concerto competitions at the collegiate level, studied with György Sebők for two summers
at the Banff Centre, and in 1997, won first prize at the international SAI Competition.
Dr. Langmead held piano faculty positions at St. Mary’s College-MD, the University of
Missouri-Columbia, and at Mercyhurst University-PA, where she was Assistant Professor of
Piano and Piano Department Director. Dr. Langmead chose to leave the academy in 2004,
returning to her native Minnesota to raise four children and build a private piano studio in
Circle Pines. In 2020 she joined the executive board of MMTA as Recording Secretary and
has performed locally with Thursday Musical, at Plymouth Congregational Church by invitation from Philip Brunelle, and
in recital with SPCO violinist Rolf Haas. Sara is thrilled to begin performing again this summer at the outdoor Tiny Porch
Concert Series and training for her second Grandma’s marathon.
saralangmead@icloud.com
Convention Guide and Schedule Page 15
Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021Fanya Lin Guest Artist: Piano Monday, 7:30 p.m., Room 1 Watch the video Program: Statius Muller: “Wals Nostalgia”, Op. 2, No. 22 Robert Schumann: Carnaval, Op. 9 Stravinski/Agosti: The Firebird Ginastera: Danzas Argentinas, Op. 2 Described by Musical America and The New York Times as a “striking interpreter” who gives a “committed and heartfelt performance,” pianist Fanya Lin has captivated audiences worldwide. Her orchestral appearances include the Toruń Symphony Orchestra, Utah Symphony, Savannah Philharmonic, Grand Junction Symphony, and Aurora Symphony. Fanya’s performance of Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was depicted as “mesmerizing performance, it appeared as though a tornado had touched down through her body and lifted her, feathers fluttering, from the piano stool as she weighed into the keys” by Hastings Times and Festival Flyer. An avid soloist, Fanya promotes classical music to the general public by creating innovative concert programs and engages her audience by presenting interactive performances. Her solo recitals have been featured in numerous prestigious concert series, including the Schubert Club Musicians on the Rise, Stecher and Horowitz Young Artist Series, and Eslite Emerging Artist Series. Moreover, in part of group efforts, Fanya has encouraged and assisted younger generations of music students to continue their education and pursue their dreams through fundraising events such as the Saint Island Fundraising Concert, Weber State University All Steinway School Designation, and the Sid & Mary Foulgers School of Music. Fanya also dedicates herself to new music by performing with contemporary music organizations such as Focus and Axiom. As a chamber musician, Fanya has collaborated with world-class musicians including Noah Bendix-Balgley (concert master of Berlin Philharmonic), Romie de Guise-Langlois (clarinetist of Lincoln Center’s Chamber Music Society), and Ta’u Pupu’a (tenor in major opera productions including Metropolitan Opera and San Francisco Opera). Fanya’s festival concerts and masterclass series include Aspen, Music@Menlo, Rocky Mountain Audio Festival, Minnesota International Piano Camp, and Savannah Arts Academy. A native of Taipei, Taiwan, Fanya is a top prizewinner of Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition, Concours International de Piano France-Amériques, New York International Piano Competition, and Seattle International Piano Competition. Fanya earned her Doctoral Degree at the University of Minnesota under the guidance of Distinguished McKnight Professor Lydia Artymiw; her Master’s Degree at The Juilliard School with Professor Hung-Kuan Chen and Jerome Lowenthal; and her Bachelor’s Degree at Weber State University with Dr. Yu-Jane Yang. In Fall 2019, Dr. Fanya Lin joined the University of Arizona in Tucson as Assistant Professor of Music in Piano, where she teaches applied lessons in piano and coaches chamber music. www.fanyalin.com/ Convention Guide and Schedule Page 16 Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021
Nancy Litten
How to Sight Sing: A Teacher’s Guide
Wednesday, 9:45 a.m., Room 1
Watch the video
Session outline and notes
Singers are a special case. They have sung from toddlerhood without analysing what they are doing, like the way we learn
our native tongue. They are as confused by being asked to analyse their musical actions as being asked to describe the
use of the subjunctive. How can we help them? The introduction deals with the main difficulties encountered in sight
singing, and how they can be overcome. Aspects covered in the main part of the workshop include:
● the initial concept of up and down
● adding rhythm to notes. Pitch and rhythm are processed in different halves of the brain, so we need to work
hard at developing links between them.
● using words.
● differentiating tones and semitones and where they come in the key.
● the difference between scalic and arpeggio passages; recognising triad notes and the key note.
● methods and exercises for pitching intervals.
● the benefits of internalized sight singing.
There will be many examples for delegates to try, and new ideas/exercises which have proved effective in practice. With
their own skills strengthened they will feel confident in providing effective teaching of sight singing for students from
beginner to advanced, and for their choir.
Musician and author Nancy Litten entered the Royal Academy of Music, London, at age 16
on an open piano scholarship, winning prizes while there. She also studied violin to a high
level, freelanced as an orchestral player, and led a string quartet.
Nancy has co-authored three violin tutors in the Playing with Colour series. She has
performed as a soloist, chamber music and orchestral player on both instruments and as a
piano accompanist. She has taught in primary, secondary and specialist music schools,
privately and on courses. Her arrangements of favourite piano pieces for piano trio (piano,
violin and cello), Classical Vienna and Romantic Vienna, have recently been published.
Nancy has advised ABRSM and Trinity College London exam boards on electronic
keyboard, had a series of keyboard tutors, Keyed Up, published by Alfred UK, and has
written many compositions and arrangements for exam syllabuses. She was founder and
director of National Electronic Keyboard Courses from 2005-2012.
Singing is another string to her bow and she has many years’ experience of conducting choirs. Choral and Vocal Warm-
ups for Pianists, Choral and Vocal Sight Singing with Keyboard Harmony, and Rounds with Accompaniment have been
published by Alfred UK. Two years ago Nancy visited the USA and spoke at the MTA conference in Minnesota.
Nancy has been an ABRSM examiner since 1998, involving much travel in the UK and abroad. She is Chair of the Kent
region of EPTA UK (European Piano Teachers’ Association) having been on the management committee for 9 years. She
is an adjudicator with The British and International Federation of Festivals and serves on the Adjudicators’ Council.
Qualifications: LRAM (piano), LRAM (violin), ATCL (Voice), FLCM (keyboard), CertEd, ProfCertRAM, FRSA (Royal
Society of Arts)
nancylitten@btinternet.com
www.nancylitten.com
www.youtube.com/user/NANCYLITTEN/videos
Convention Guide and Schedule Page 17
Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021Garrett McQueen (Tuesday keynote) Teaching in the Moment (talk) Tuesday, 9:00 a.m., Room 1 Watch the video Teaching in the Moment (action planning workshop) Tuesday, 9:45 a.m., Room 1 Watch the video The past 12 months have forced most of the country's institutions to take a second look at what it really means to survive while engaging the world around us. The field of Music Education is one of those institutions, and if it is to survive, we must all shift the conversation surrounding it. Garrett McQueen will offer a keynote on centering the relevance of music: Teaching in the Moment, in an effort not only to give students a broader perspective on how music can impact their lives, but to give students the tools they need to engage today's ever-evolving music industries. Garrett McQueen is a bassoonist, digital producer, and host of the TRILLOQUY podcast, named by the New York Times as a "thrilling", "open-minded and omnivorous approach to music" that is "required listening for industry leaders and listeners alike". Additionally, Garrett works as an equity consultant, guest speaker, curator, and presenter at the intersection of race and "classical" music. He serves on the board of the American Composers Forum as the Equity Committee Chair and is on the leadership teams of the Black Opera Alliance, the Gateways Music Festival, and the International Society for Black Musicians. garrettmcqueen@gmail.com www.garrettmcqueen.com Convention Guide and Schedule Page 18 Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021
Sarah Mensen
Recitals Past, Present & Future:
How a Pandemic Can Change Recitals for the Better!
Wednesday, 8:00 a.m., Room 2
Watch the video
In this session we will explore different tips and tricks for creating a booming recital program and how a pandemic can
help improve our recitals moving forward!
Sarah Mensen is a piano teacher and recital
director at K&S Conservatory of Music located
in Woodbury MN. She graduated from the
University of Minnesota Morris in 2011 where
she studied with Dr. Ann DuHamel. Currently,
she manages a full studio of 35+ students. One
of her many responsibilities is managing K&S
recitals, where she is always trying new things
to keep recitals interesting.
mensen.sarah@gmail.com
Convention Guide and Schedule Page 19
Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021Valerie Merrell
Where the Magic Happens:
Drilling In and Branching Out with Learning Clusters
Wednesday, 9:45 a.m., Room 2
Watch the video
Students learn well when they make meaningful, diverse connections through the portal of music they love to play. This
session demonstrates ways teachers can facilitate exploration through a learning cluster, simultaneously drilling in AND
branching out to provide students a diverse, rich, cross-disciplined learning experience.
For example, if a student loves the “Bueno!” improvisation by Forrest Kinney, a learning cluster can be developed through
exploration of the following:
Drilling in: chromatic scale, slash chords, syncopation, one-note rhythm improvisation, A harmonic minor scale
Branching out: influences in the development of Latin music, geography, Latin percussion instruments
The process of drilling in and branching out can stem from a variety of sources. For example, consider the depth and
breadth of a student’s experience studying a rote piece:
Drilling in: technical aspects, harmonic structure, pedal technique, form, compositional techniques such as sequencing,
musicality, rhythmic understanding, intervallic relationships through solfege
Branching out: listening and playing assignments of repertoire with similar compositional elements, understanding of
historical influence on that style of music, study of like composers, melodic improvisation over current harmonic
structure, stylistic improvisations for each musical period, transposition of pattern-based material
This presentation will hone a teacher’s ability to use improvisation, repertoire, and other source material as an initial
platform for creating learning clusters leading to broader experiences by providing a template for incorporating and
sequencing activities related to the initial source material. These ideas and resources can be immediately implemented
in private lessons, group classes, and summer camps. Let the magic begin!
Valerie Merrell loves teaching and playing the piano, but her true
love is combining those into learning and creativity through
ensembles! Her students enjoy a modified lesson structure with
ensemble and private lesson time weekly. Valerie has taught
piano lessons in various formats for 18 years and is currently a
graduate student at Butler University, studying piano pedagogy.
She has four children, a dog, and a very accommodating husband
who hasn't raised an eyebrow at her 6 pianos and 1 harpsichord!
vmerrell@gmail.com
Convention Guide and Schedule Page 20
Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021MMTA Judge Education Committee
A Bird’s-eye View of Judging
Wednesday, 12:00 p.m., Room 2 (full hour)
Watch the video
This qualifies as a Continuing Education Session for MMTA Endorsed Judges.
Host: Kris Olson
Judges: Mary Goetz, Suzanne Greer, and Betsy Murray
Judge Education Committee: Jensin Clark, Mary Fadden, Maria Grant, Sharon Kaplan, Nathan Kennedy, Kay
Koehnen, Rebecca Nelson, Kris Olson, JIll Kilzer (chair)
Three experienced judges will evaluate pre-recorded performances in elementary to early intermediate levels.
Audience members are encouraged to write their own critiques for comparison. For each composition below, you could
consider the following questions:
1. What would I write?
2. Why did the judge write what they wrote?
Composition #1: “With a Yo-Ho-Ho” (Catherine Rollin)
Composition #2: “The Oregon Trail” (Albert Bierstadt)
Composition #3: “Istan the Bull” (Melvin Stecher, Norman Horowitz, and Claire Gordon)
Composition #4: Sonatina, Op. 792, No. 8, 1st mvt. (Czerny)
Kris Olson has been a member of MMTA for over 20 years and during that time has been a
site administrator for numerous exams, an adjudicator for theory exams, piano exams, and
contest as well as a part of recent convention planning committees. She has been a private
instructor for 35 years in her home studio in Blaine, MN and has received her certification in
elementary and intermediate pedagogy through the Royal Conservatory of Music. In
addition, Kris is on the board of the Minneapolis Music Teachers Forum as their VP of Student
Education. Outside of teaching she enjoys accompanying several community choirs and
playing for musical theater productions throughout the Twin Cities area (which she is very
anxious to get back to).
krisolsonpiano@gmail.com
https://www.krisolsonpiano.com
Mary Goetz appears frequently in concert as
a soloist and collaborative artist. In addition
to performing, she teaches piano in her
studio in St. Paul and is on faculty at the K&S
Conservatory in Woodbury. A long-time
member of Minnesota Music Teachers
Association, Ms. Goetz was instrumental in
creating its Music Bridges program and is
currently serving as Program Director.
goetzm@comcast.net
Convention Guide and Schedule Page 21
Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021Suzanne Greer currently serves on the faculty of the MacPhail Center for Music where she
teaches both Suzuki and traditional piano lessons. She received performance degrees from
St. Olaf College and the University of Minnesota as well as the certificate in piano pedagogy
from the University of St. Thomas. She was awarded the Robert Schmitt Professional
Development Grant from the Minnesota Music Teachers Association (MMTA) and in 2017,
was awarded a Top Music Teacher Award by Steinway and Sons. She has served as President
of MMTA, the Minneapolis Music Teachers Form and the Suzuki Piano Teachers Guild.
Currently, she serves as a Certification Commissioner for the Music Teachers National
Association.
sgstudiomn@outlook.com
Mrs. Betsy Murray is a Nationally Certified Music Teacher (NCTM) who began her formal
musical training at the age of 6. In 1991, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Music from Hamline
University, where she studied composition, piano performance, accompanying, theory, music
history and sang in the Oratorio Society. She studied pipe organ literature with Kathryn Moen,
Professor of Organ at Luther Seminary and University of River-Falls, WI.
Betsy’s experience includes teaching group and private piano lessons in the Twin Cities for 30
years. Currently, she is organist at Christ the King Lutheran Church in White Bear Lake, MN.
She is a member of the Minnesota Music Teachers’ Association (MMTA) where she has served
as Contest Judge Coordinator, Young Artist Competition Co-Chair, member of the Judge
Education Committee and Early Childhood Music chair.
She has presented workshops on the MMTA State Contest piano literature, the preschool
pianist, and theory pedagogy. She has won the MMTA Teachers Duet Contest five times. Betsy has been a top adjudicator
for the MMTA Contest & Piano Exams, American Guild of Piano Teachers, and Junior Festival judging.
In 2001, she was inducted into the Hamline University Athletic Hall of Fame on the first ballot. A standout runner for
Hamline, she was the NCAA Division III 800-meter champion in 1990, a 5-time collegiate All-American in Track & Field
and was the 1991 Minnesota Sportswoman of the Year. She returned to track racing in 2013 and is currently national
masters champion in the 800 meters, bronze medalist in the 400 meters, and anchored the gold medal mile relay at the
national championships. Last year she ran the fastest ever indoor quarter mile in Minnesota for a 50 yr. old woman.
Betsy lives in North Oaks with her husband, Doug, and their 5th grader John.
betsyrunsfast@msn.com
Convention Guide and Schedule Page 22
Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021MMTA Music Bridges Exam Committee
Music Bridges: Not Just for Students Anymore!
Presented by:
Mary Goetz (program chair)
Jade Langmead
Dr. Sara Langmead
PinkRiches (a.k.a. Bethany Richards)
Rebekah Richards, NCTM
Tuesday 11:15 a.m., Room 2
Watch the video
Session notes
MMTA’s Music Bridges program has bfecome quite popular with students, giving them the opportunity to bridge their
music study to other subjects that interest them, and giving them a performance space to showcase their talents. As
teachers help their student explore their passions and stretch their creativity, it becomes tempting to take up the
challenge ourselves and explore projects that link the music we love to other areas that spark our inspiration. This session
will feature three MMTA teachers who have prepared Music Bridges segments connecting music to art, poetry and dance,
and who will share their processes and insights gained from their work in this gratifying program.
The session will include presentations by Mary Goetz, Rebekah Richards and Sara Langmead. Each teacher will present
one Music Bridges-style segment: Ms. Richards has collaborated with her niece, PinkRiches, who created animation to
accompany a piece by composer Daniel Dorff (b. 1956): The Day Things Went Wrong at the Pet Store: 11 Cartoons for
Piano. Dr. Langmead will present a video of her collaboration with her daughter, Jade’s, dance ideas to ICE-cycles by
MMTA composer Sarah Miller. Ms. Goetz is planning to discuss the links between the poetry and the music of Franz
Liszt's “Petrarch Sonnet 47.”
Mary Goetz appears frequently in concert
as a soloist and collaborative artist. In
addition to performing, she teaches piano in
her studio in St. Paul and is on faculty at the
K&S Conservatory in Woodbury. A long-
time member of Minnesota Music Teachers
Association, Ms. Goetz was instrumental in
creating its Music Bridges program and is
currently serving as Program Director.
goetzm@comcast.net
Jade Langmead has danced all her life and recently joined Spring Dance and Theatre
Academy. She will be a high-school junior this fall, pursuing her PSEO studies at St. Paul
College. Her dream is to protect the ocean as a marine biologist.
Convention Guide and Schedule Page 23
Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021Dr. Sara Wandrei Langmead, DMA/Peabody, teaches
piano, performs across the U.S., parents four children, and
empowers women “to have it all, just not all at the same
time.” In 2020 she joined the executive board of MMTA as
Recording Secretary and has performed locally with
Thursday Musical, at Plymouth Congregational Church by
invitation from Philip Brunelle, and in recital with SPCO
violinist Rolf Haas.
saralangmead@icloud.com
PinkRiches (a.k.a. Bethany Richards) is a painter, writer and poetess and the founder of
Breakfast at Bethany’s, a monthly breakfast club encouraging a creative approach to
problem solving social issues. Her work focuses on the intricacies of human experience,
primarily surrounding Love. In 2017, she travelled to Kathmandu painting 4 murals backed
by Wall of Hope - an educational organization centered on ending violence toward women
and children. In 2018 she traveled back to Nepal for a 3 month artist residency through
MCube Gallery. During her travels she started writing about her experiences on her website.
Since having a baby in 2019 she has been sticking closer to home and living a new kind of
adventure. Artistically she is dipping her toe into mixed media by using voice recordings,
painting time lapses and video. Check out her most current musings at her website,
www.pinkriches.com, follow her in real time on social media: Instagram @love.pinkriches,
or support her endeavors at www.patreon.com/LovePinkRiches.
MMTA Theory Program Director Rebekah Richards, NCTM, is an independent piano teacher in
St. Paul and the director of the Piano Lab School Program at Gustavus Adolphus College. She has
a Master of Music degree in piano performance from the University of Illinois where she studied
piano with Kenneth Drake and pedagogy with James Lyke, Reid Alexander, and Tony Caramia.
She has held many jobs within MMTA including State Administrator of Music Bridges,
Independent Music Teachers Forum Chair, Vice President of Membership, and Vice President of
the MMTA Foundation. Currently she is chair of the Theory Development Committee and director
of the State Theory Program.
rrichardspiano@gmail.com
www.richardspiano.com
Convention Guide and Schedule Page 24
Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021MMTA Piano Exam Development Committee
An Introduction to the MMTA Piano Syllabus Diversity Addendum
Presented by Gina Skule, Grace Kopitske, and Kirsten Levorson
Tuesday, 8:15 a.m., Room 2
Watch the video
We will present publications featuring some of the repertoire which will be included in the syllabus as an addendum.
I. Introduction – why a diversity addendum? (Gina)
II. Publications featuring addendum repertoire (Gina, Grace and Kirsten)
III. Closing (Kirsten)
Musical works highlighted today:
Piano Music of Africa and the African Diaspora, Volume 1 (Oxford)
● Kwela No. 1, Isak Roux
● Tender Thought, Ulysses Kay
● Piano Piece No. 2, Call and Response, Robert Mawuena Kwami
● My Scarf is Yellow, Hale Smith
● Dusk, Nkeiru Okoye
● Soufiane, Halim El-Dabh
● Ticklin’ Toes, Florence Price
● Sweet Mister Jelly Roll, Valerie Capers
● The Monk, Valerie Capers
www.imslp.org (International Music Score Library Project)
● Menuet from Suite in F Major, Livre 1, Jacquet de La Guerre
● Sonata in G Major, Op. 1, No. 4: 1st mvmt, Tempo di Gavotta, Elisabetta de Gambarini
Chee-Hwa Tan: Through the Windowpane (Piano Safari)
● Looking Glass River
● Rain
● Shadow March
● The Swing
Chee-Hwa Tan: Windy Nights and Other Tales (Piano Safari)
● Land of Story-Books
Valerie Capers: Portraits in Jazz (Oxford)
● Billie's Song - Valerie Capers
Black Women Composers: A Century of Piano Music (1893-1990) (Hildegard Publishing Company)
● Fantasie Negre - Florence Price
● Troubled Water - Margaret Bonds
Florence Beatrice Price
● An Album of Piano Pieces (ClarNan Editions)
o Honeysuckle at Dusk
o Rocking Chair
o Andante in E flat major
● A Second Album of Piano Pieces (ClarNan Editions)
Convention Guide and Schedule Page 25
Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021Gina Skule is an independent piano teacher on the faculty at K & S Conservatory of Music for the
past 25 plus years and has taught students of all ages and levels including Music for Young
Children and Musikgarten with the goals of instilling a life-long love of music and providing a
background in theory, skills in a wide variety of music genres.
As a member of MMTA, she has been involved as VP of Education, Piano Program Director, Piano
Exam Development Committee, Site Administrator of Piano, Theory and Popular Styles exams
and currently serves as Piano Exam Development Committee Chair. Gina served as Co-chair of
Concerto Competition for St. Paul Piano Teachers Association for many years.
ginachurchskule@gmail.com
Grace Kopitske, NCTM, began teaching piano as a student teacher in
western Minnesota. As a high school student, she had students
performing in the Honors Concert as well as herself. Her degrees include
a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Wittenberg University in
Ohio, and the Master of Music in Performance and Pedagogy from the
University of Oklahoma. When her three children were young, she trained
in the Kindermusik ™ and then Musikgarten™ programs, teaching in her
home and in churches. Grace also was a church organist for 40 years
before retiring just before the pandemic. She has been a member of
MTNA since 1987. Moving frequently and living in ten states, she finally
settled in Woodbury where she has taught private piano lessons since
1994. Recently she has been on the Piano Education Development
committee, working on the 2020 Piano Syllabus and supporting materials. She is also active in the
National Federation of Music Clubs. She has served as a tester for the new online NFMC Festival
Management System called Vivace. As state and regional admin, she is available to help guide NFMC
members to join and assist in using Vivace. Besides teaching in her home studio, she enjoys her three
grandchildren, gardening, and genealogy.
gracekopitske@comcast.net
Kirsten Levorson, NCTM, is an independent piano teacher and
accompanist in Rosemount. She earned a Bachelor of Music
degree from St. Olaf College in 1984, majoring in piano
performance. She joined the Minnesota Music Teachers
Association in 1985 and has served in a variety of administrative
roles for contest and exams, as a member of the piano exam
development and judge education committees, and in various
roles on the Board of Directors. She currently serves on the
MTNA Board of Directors as West Central Division Director.
klevorson@gmail.com
Convention Guide and Schedule Page 26
Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021Dr. Yumiko Oshima-Ryan
Color and Timbre in Solo Piano Works by Karen Tanaka
Wednesday, 10:30 a.m., Room 2
Watch the video
This session is a lecture recital featuring three pieces by Karen Tanaka, (b. 1961), one of the leading female composers in
Japan. I have selected pieces for Early Intermediate, Intermediate, and Advanced students.
Her love of nature and concern for the environment has influenced many of her works including these piano pieces. Her
music is richly expressive, delicate and evocative. Tanaka studied composition in Tokyo, Paris and Florence, and she
currently teaches composition at California Institute of the Arts.
“Child of Light 1 - Blue Planet” is the opening piece of Tanaka’s piano collection Children of Light
composed in 1998-99. The theme of the collection is wild animals in danger and environmental
problems, such as deforestation, sea pollution, ozone depletion and global warming.
“Light” is an excerpt from the piano collection, Our Planet Earth. It is a sequel to Children of Light.
It was written as a message to children to love the beauty of the planet earth and the animals, in the
hope that they will develop safe and clean energy and protect the natural environment. In Light,
gradual changes of color and shimmering sounds are created by very sensitive and subtle tremolos.
“Water Dance III” was composed in 2010. The title suggests cool, transparent water flowing freely.
The work is a joyful dance with a pleasant feeling of a pulse. The music presents a rich, flickering and
changing texture: just as the water flows constantly and never with the same phase.
The first two pieces are dedicated to children, very tonal and simple in their texture but they can be performed by all ages
and abilities because each piece has a profound message and requires sensible musicality to express the lyricism. They
are great teaching pieces because they have clear images that students could be easily inspired by, and at the same time,
they can challenge more advanced performers with their delicate touch, such as tremolos for the image of shimmering
light.
Where to order scores:
Our Planet Earth
Amazon Japan
https://www.amazon.co.jp/en/dp/4760904999/
Children of Light
Amazon Japan
https://www.amazon.co.jp/en/dp/4760904301/
Ms. Fujiki
Kawai Publishing Company in Japan
fujiki@editionkawai.jp
Water Dance III
Schott Music Corporation (EAM)
https://www.eamdc.com/psny/composers/karen-tanaka/works/water-dance/
Convention Guide and Schedule Page 27
Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021Yumiko Oshima-Ryan is an active performer of both solo and collaborative works.
Since 1995 she has been incorporating contemporary Japanese piano works into her
repertoire. She has performed these works nationally and internationally including
world premieres of new works by Japanese composers. Her first recording “From
Afar” Japanese Contemporary piano works are published through the Naxos Music
Library. Oshima-Ryan is a fiscal year 2017 recipient of an Artist Initiative grant from
the Minnesota State Arts Board. With this grant, she completed her second album
“left alone,” collection of solo pieces for left hand.
A native of Japan, Oshima-Ryan graduated from Toho Gakuen School of Music in
Tokyo and earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the College-Conservatory of
Music, University of Cincinnati. Her piano teachers include Eunice Norton (a pupil of
Arthur Schnabel), Eugene Pridonoff, Richard Syracuse, Jerome Rose, and Satoko
Tokumaru. She studied chamber music with Menahem Pressler, pianist and founding
member of the Beaux Arts Trio.
Oshima-Ryan is currently a Professor of Music at Gustavus Adolphus College in St Peter, Minnesota.
yumiko@gustavus.edu
https://gustavus.edu/profiles/yumiko
Convention Guide and Schedule Page 28
Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021Sue Ruby, NCTM & Sally Ritchie
In Your Own Back Yard: Supporting Local Composers, Past, Present, and Future
Monday, 11:15 a.m., Room 2
Watch the video
Session handout
This session offers a very brief introduction to the astonishing wealth of repertoire from the collective creative genius of
Minnesota-born or Minnesota-based composers, past and present. We will celebrate achievements of esteemed local
artists while unveiling works by unsung, unknown composers deserving of recognition. This treasure trove of music can
now be easily accessed with the help of a new online resource, courtesy of Keys to Imagination, revealed exclusively at
our session!
Sue Ruby, NCTM, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Pedagogy from the University of
Minnesota Duluth, and a Master’s degree in Music with Piano Pedagogy emphasis from
Columbus State University (Georgia). Ms. Ruby teaches, directs and co-owns K & S
Conservatory of Music in Woodbury. She is co-founder of the Association of Professional
Piano Instructors (APPI) as well as Fridays in the Valley, a chamber music series in Plymouth.
She serves on the faculty of MacPhail Center for Music and as Board Member for the
Minnesota Music Teachers Association (MMTA) Foundation. In her leisure time she
treasures adventuresome days and quiet evenings with husband, Kurt, and cat, Unk.
ruby.sue@macphail.org
www.kandsmusic.org
Private teacher, business owner, patent owner, church organist, choir director, and school
accompanist Sally Ritchie has been instructing young children, teenagers, and adults for
over 50 years. She currently teaches in the Wisconsin public-school system accompanying
the choir and instrumental students while instructing over 50 private students per week.
Sally plays a number of musical instruments and has the opportunity to work with adults and
children as organist, choir director, and music coordinator of her church. After searching for
years for tools to help her students learn necessary skills and still enjoy the process, she
started developing her own games. She holds a patent on a music education system
including music games and accessories for private and classroom teachers. Sally continues
to develop more tools for teachers to help their students develop a love for music and music
theory. sritchie68@gmail.com
Convention Guide and Schedule Page 29
Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021Dan Schwartz & Ben Abrahamson
Contemporary finger-style guitarists
Performing original tunes and arrangements
Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., Room 1
Watch the video
Dan Schwartz's dad's interest in The Grand Ole Opry and his mom’s
fondness for American Bandstand immersed him in a wide variety of
great music. This influence resonates in the range of music he
composes, records and performs today in his solo work and with
group, The Neighborhood Trio.
Dan has written and released ten CDs and has been featured on
several internationally released acoustic guitar compilations
including Masters of Acoustic Guitar (Narada Records,1997). His
recordings have earned him a nomination for guitarists of the year
(Minnesota Music Academy) and Folk/Roots album of the year
(Mpls.St.Paul Magazine).
While Dan does enjoy sharing his music center stage, some of his
favorite musical moments have been as a side-man for friends and
folk heroes Neal and Leandra, Peter Mayer, and Dan Navarro. His
latest release, High Plains Gospel, is a collection of finger-style guitar
tunes played on harp guitar and acoustic lap steel.
dan@danschwartz.net
https://danschwartz.net
Ben Abrahamson is a fresh, dynamic voice on the acoustic guitar. His
compositions evoke the dexterity of flamenco and the harmonic storytelling of
jazz.
His passion for flamenco guitar drove him to Taller de Músics School of Music in
Barcelona, where he studied under Juan Ramón Caro. He has composed works for
the Minneapolis Guitar Quartet, Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theatre, Mac Jazz big
band, and Muhlenberg College Theatre and Dance Dept.
Ben has shared the stage with mentors like Michael and Tony Hauser, Susana di
Palma, La Conja, Chuscales, Billy Steele, Tonia Hughes, Pedro Cortes Jr., Joan
Griffith, and Gary Lee Joyner. In 2019, he recorded his latest record, Neolithic.
abrahamson.guitar@gmail.com
www.benabrahamson.com
Convention Guide and Schedule Page 30
Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021Dr. Diana Shapiro Congratulations, You Have a Partner, and Now What? Monday, 10:30 a.m., Room 1 Watch the video Incorporating music for piano duet into students’ repertoire is exciting and challenging at the same time. Ensemble playing can provide the pianists with opportunity to share musical experiences with their peers and some may even feel more confident playing in front of the audience with support of a partner. However, playing together brings its own set of challenges one needs to address. This presentation will discuss how to take advantage of the three-dimensional physical space, engage into intelligent and respectful discussion, and provide practical tips for perfect synchronization. Dr. Diana Shapiro currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Piano at the University of Minnesota-Duluth where she teaches applied and class piano, piano literature, and pedagogy. Accomplished soloist and chamber musician, Dr. Shapiro performed solo and festival appearances across three continents. As a part of the Piano Duo Varshavski-Shapiro (www.piano-4-hands.com), Dr. Shapiro was a winner at numerous national and international competitions in Poland, Italy, Israel and Czech Republic. In the United States, the duo became a winner of Murray Dranoff Two Piano Competition, was awarded a Career Grant from “Salon de Virtuousi” and won the Astral Artists’ National Auditions. Dr. Shapiro enjoys regular appearances with leading instrumentalists in Israel and the USA, as well as singers of the New Israeli Opera and Royal Opera House Covent Garden. Her performances were selected for the Chamber Music America National Showcase and broadcasted on radio and TV worldwide. Dedicated pedagogue, Dr. Shapiro's students won state and national competitions, presented at the state conference, and performed at Carnegie Hall. She regularly presents her research at the state and regional conferences, adjudicates at competitions and festivals, and gives masterclasses across the Midwest. Previously Shapiro held teaching positions at the Silver Lake College, Maranatha Baptist University, Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, and Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. She received her DMA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a Collins Distinguished Fellow. She also holds master and bachelor’s degrees from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, and Graduate Performance Diploma from the Longy School of Music. Her teachers include Victor Rosenbaum, Martha Fischer, Dr. Jessica Johnson (pedagogy), Dr. Irina Berkovich and legendary Israeli piano duo, Eden-Tamir. shapi263@d.umn.edu Convention Guide and Schedule Page 31 Minnesota Music Teachers Association – 2021
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