Original Composition Festival 2017

The Original Composition Festival was held November 18th and 19th at My First Piano in Mesa.  The amount of talent that was demonstrated at the recitals was awe-inspiring! 

Students composed their own pieces, wrote them down, made a recording, received a trophy and a detailed, full-page evaluation from Penni Scott, a local composer.  Students also received a trophy and performed their pieces at one of three recitals.  Special thanks to Lori Weidemann, Debbie Engelsman and Yukari Ushioda for the many hours of work that went into organizing this great event.

Music Marathon 2018

DVMTA's Music Marathon was held October 28th, in several locations this year including Superstition Springs Mall, Tower Point Resort, Generations at Agritopia, Park Regency and AZ Piano.  Almost 600 students participated with the proceeds funding scholarships, awards and other DVMTA events. Some studios had a Halloween theme.  Many thanks to Loriann Hamelwright for her great organization!

Awards in Excellence 2015

Thank you to all the teachers and students who participated in Awards in Excellence!  It takes a great deal of effort to put together these events.

The Winners recitals were held on Saturday, April 16, 2015 at 2:00 and 3:00 p.m. at AZ Piano Co. in Phoenix.

Winners who performed at 2:00 p.m. recital

Winners who performed at 3:00 p.m. recital

Congratulations to the following students and teachers:

Winners and their Teachers

Level 1          
Stetson Hill               Westlake                                      
Packer Monahan      Weidemann            
Kevin Dai                  Hong Zhu                  

Level 2         
Alexander Huang       Qiao Zhu                  
Deborah He                Hong Zhu                
Abby Atteberry           Westlake                  
Ellie Bawden               Westlake                  
Katie Thompson         Weidemann                           

Level 3         
Grace Zhang               Qiao Zhu                  
Taylor Hale                 Westlake                  
Brigham Bent              Shorts                      
Tad Reimer                 Westlake                    

Level 4         
Cannon Hill                Westlake                  
Haley Maready           Shorts                      
Carson Robles             Westlake                                

Level 6         
Emily Chang               Xu                              

Level 7         
Matthew Wang          Hong Zhu                                    
Lawrence Wen            Xu                              

Level 8         
Morgan Beckstead      Xu                              

Level 10        
Abbie Jin                     Hong Zhu                
Micah Porter               Hong Zhu                
Enoch Chou                Xu                            

Level 11         
Angelina Zhang          Hong Zhu                            
Christina Chang         Xu                                                              

Level 13         
Shenyi Li                     Xu                              

Level 14        
Lily Kwak                   Hong Zhu                
Lena Han                    Xu                                                     

Honorable Mention and their Teachers

Level 1         
Cambri Miller            Westlake
Abby Foster              Westlake                    

Level 2         
Benjamin Stratford      Westlake
Hailee Smith               Westlake
Mihira Karnik              Newton
Kirkland Allen             Westlake

Level 3         
Mitchell Coombs        Westlake
Ethan Benard              Weidemann

Level 5         
Alec Blomquist           Weidemann   

Level 11        
Dorothy Tung             Kraver

Thank you to Jason Sipe at Arizona Piano Company for generously hosting the event, and to our chairman Lori Weidemann and Charles Newton, Edie Yarter, Jeanette Cline, Qiao Zhu, Hong Zhu, and Sarah Devieux for volunteering to make the auditions run smoothly!

Original Composition Festival 2014

The Original Composition Festival was held at the King of Glory Lutheran Church in Tempe on November 22nd and 23rd. Special thanks to Debbie Engelsman for the many hours of work that went into organizing this great event.  Students composed their own pieces, made a recording and received a detailed, full-page evaluation from Penni Scott, a local composer. If you have ever participated you will remember how invaluable, detailed and positive these evaluations are. The students and teachers leave feeling they created something monumental. Students also receive a trophy and perform their pieces at one of three recitals.

Chairman Debbie Engelsman

Trophies

First Recital

Second Recital

Third Recital

Five cousins wrote and performed their first original composition!

 Families are arriving for the performance.

Jan Hoblit, one of the teachers who entered students.

The performances were projected on a big screen behind the piano.

This young man broke his finger and had surgery a week before the event and still performed.

Music Marathon 2014

DVMTA's Music Marathon was held October 25th, in several locations this year including Superstition Springs Mall, Legacy Retirement Resort, The Citadel Retirement Community, My First Piano and Park Regency.  Almost 600 students participated with the proceeds funding scholarships, awards and other DVMTA events.  Many thanks to Lisa Hunt and Carolyn Eldredge for organizing it so well! Thanks to all of the teachers and students for making it a great success!

Legacy Retirement Resort

 Karen Cox's studio

Meredith Ferrin's Studio

 

                                                                 Nicci Lovell's Studio


My First Piano

 

                                                                  Hong Zhu's Studio

Paula Mahoney's Studio

 

                                                               Tamara Pew's Studio

Superstition Springs Mall

Westlake Music Studio

Hillary Bitter's Studio

                                                                   Hollie Lunt's Studio

                                                                     Lisa Hunt's Studio

Many students dressed up as it was so close to Halloween! Even Maleficent made an appearance!

 

 

 

Achievement Day 2014

DVMTA held their annual Achievement Day at Mesa Community College on Saturday, May 10th, 2014. Our students were tested on their technique, ear-training, sight-reading, composers, and duet-playing in addition to the adjudication on their memorized pieces. It was well organized by our three amazing chairmen Hillary Bitter, Wendi Heslop and Charles Newton.

 

Hillary Bitter and Wendi Heslop

 

 Charles Newton is performing duets with students while Joni Walker adjudicates.

 

                  Miss Beth is administrating the ear-training for the early levels.

Lori Weidemann and Gene Cline are also administrating ear-training in another room.

Students are tested on their knowledge of composers.  Some even turn in written reports.

Students are waiting patiently for the adjudication of their technique, memorized pieces and sight-reading.

Here are two of our amazing adjudicators Shannon Payne and Buffie Meeker.

Here are some happy students that know they did well. They came prepared!

                                                Another job well done!

         DVMTA  teachers are wrapping things up after a very successful event!