Message from State President Beverly Smoker

Dear NYSMTA Members,

Our MTNA National Conference is fast approaching—March 16-20. Have you considered attending, or are or are you planning to attend? You can view the daily schedule.

There will be an Eastern Division member dinner on Sunday evening, March 17, so if you can attend, please email me at bsmoker5@naz.edu so I can inform Nannette Solomon who will be making a restaurant reservation. Spouses and guests are invited.

Then, remember to vote in the MTNA officer elections. One of the Vice President candidates, Ginger Yang Hwalek is from our own Eastern division. Voting closes on March 1. I wish you a fruitful year of music teaching and music making enriched through your involvement in NYSMTA, MTNA and our local district organizations.

Sincerely,

Beverly Smoker
President, NYSMTA 

COMPETITION OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH THE NEW YORK STATE MUSIC TEACHERS ASSOCIATION

NYSMTA is proud to offer two excellent state-wide competitive events. Whether your students are seeking to motivate and challenge themselves toward higher personal achievement, or are looking to gain public recognition and professional advancement, our organization can provide these valuable opportunities for them.

As an affiliate of the Music Teachers National Association, NYSMTA sponsors the state level of MTNA’s annual nation-wide series of competitions. Successful participants move on to Eastern Division (performances submitted electronically), and then to the National competitions which take place in different locations around the country. Performance and composition competitions are organized into age-related levels, and are open to voice and most instruments, along with chamber music. Students of non-MTNA members are able to compete in these events along with those of members. All relevant information regarding the MTNA competitions can be found at mtna.org.  

NYSMTA is proud to sponsor the Heddy Kilian Empire State Competitions for students of its members as well as those of non-members. This is a comprehensive group of competitions on all instruments and voice, for the young student on through collegiate level, and is open to New York State residents or resident students attending a school in this state. A recent combination of what originally had been two separate events, the HKESC strives to encourage a broad participation of accomplished students from the entire state. The generous support of the Kilian family makes the high school piano element of this event possible, in addition to many other named prizes sponsored by our organization. Information about the HKESC is sent out to NYSMTA members in late winter. We will also invite non-member teachers across the state to consider this for their students. Updated online information will be available shortly at nysmta.org.  

Both the MTNA and the HKESC events will be taking place this year at Nazareth College on Saturday, October 12, 2019. Questions regarding either competition may be forwarded to NYSMTA Competition Vice-President, Dr. Tracy Lipke-Perry at lipkeptd@potsdam.edu.