DVMTA Student to perform at ASU

Congratulations to Eric Lin, student of DVMTA teacher Hong Zhu! Eric is the First Place winner in the Senior Division of the 2013 Steinway/Avanti Future Stars Competition.  Steinway Piano Showroom and Caio Pagano proudly sponsor this competition, dedicated to perpetuate the artistry of piano playing, to nurture musical talents, to bring Arizona to the highest standards of International Competitions.

If you are looking for an opportunity to expose your students to beautiful music, this is a concert you will not want to miss. Eric will be performing this Saturday at the Katzin Concert Hall at Arizona State University at 5:00 p.m.  Best of all, admission is FREE!  

The 2014 Competition is just around the corner.  Students play for a jury consisting of wonderful musicians from around the world.  Contestants ages 10-14 compete in the Junior competition and ages 15-18 compete in the senior division.  Cash prizes are awarded to the top 3 winners in each division.   For information about this competition, contact The Steinway Piano Showroom.

From the President

This time of year you will find many people on Facebook posting daily about the things they are thankful for.  Having gratitude is a value I want to instill in myself as well as my children.  One of the areas that I am the most grateful for is the gift of music that so many have freely shared with me.  I hope I can return that gift someday.  Here are a few things I am thankful for...

I am thankful for good parents who sacrificed dearly to purchase a piano, other instruments and private lessons for their children to learn while living on a teacher's salary.

I am thankful for generations of ancestors who also thought music was important for their families to have in their homes and for those that recorded those stories for their descendants to read and be inspired by.

I am thankful for DVMTA and for the individuals that invited me to join.

I am thankful for the examples of others in DVMTA and the generosity they have shown to me as well as others.  They have been my heroes and I hope to emulate them someday.

I am thankful for the great life lessons I have learned while being a board member about service, sharing, stepping up and how a community works together.

I am thankful for the opportunities where I really had to work hard in DVMTA for it taught me many valuable skills like organization, multi-tasking, computer, being a leader, perspective and so on.  I learned valuable lessons and gained knowledge which has directly benefitted my studio and my family.

Lastly I am thankful for a family that has supported me throughout my years of service to DVMTA. Without that support I could not have participated in DVMTA and would have missed all of the wonderful friendships and experiences that I have had that have blessed and enriched my life.

Thanks for all you do and may you have a blessed Thanksgiving with your loved ones this November.

Claire Westlake

Conducting : Beyond the Patterns - PART ONE

What Does a Conductor Do?

One of the most confusing things to a non-musician is the purpose of the guy waving the stick. It’s one thing to be leading a bunch of kids who haven’t yet learned how to play together, but why do grownups and professionals need a leader? Can’t they count for themselves and follow one another?

The simple fact is, whether it’s a high school band, a church choir or a professional symphony orchestra, the conductor fulfills four very important functions in a large ensemble and only one of them has to do with keeping time.

1. Yes, the conductor is the final arbiter of such mundane issues as rhythm and tempo. A duo, trio or quartet may be able to follow one another. A chamber ensemble may be able to follow one another. A rock band or jazz combo may be able to follow one another. However, once an ensemble grows beyond a dozen or so players, individual variances in the perception of time, tempo and rhythm can make it difficult for the group to stay together. This is further aggravated by the fact that some instruments, such as percussion, “speak” immediately and some need a fraction of a second for strings to vibrate or air to move through a horn. Another problem is that sound moves agonizingly slowly (especially as compared to light). If a player on one side of an orchestra waits until he or she hears a musical cue from the other side of the orchestra, that player will be behind. Only by visually focusing on the baton of a conductor can a large number of players, often more than ten feet apart hope to stay together.   


2. The conductor is the final arbiter of the interpretative vision of the music. As we all know, the notes on the page are not the music any more than the bricks are the house. Music is what happens when players interpret the notes and the symbols and the markings to create a once-in lifetime musical experience for the audience. That fact that each musician brings his or her own personal interpretation to the performance is what makes it artistic. Unfortunately, it is also the reason every member of the ensemble can’t be free to interpret such things as dynamics, phrasing, ritards and fermatas for themselves. The result would be chaos. There can only be one interpretive vision and it must be the conductor’s.
   
   
3. The conductor is the physical embodiment of the musical interpretation for the ensemble and the audience. In a song from “My Fair Lady” Eliza implores Professor Higgins to stop talking about his feelings for her and show her how he feels. Conductors can talk about their musical vision forever but musicians understand it more quickly and deeply if they use their entire bodies to demonstrate their musical ideas. The conductor also transmits this interpretation to the audience. There is an axiom in the music business that the audience “listens with their eyes”. An animated conductor can visually reinforce the aural impact of the music for the audience.
   
   
4. The conductor injects spontaneity into the performance. The whole point of live music, as opposed to recorded music, is that every performance is (or should be) a singular event that has never happened before and will never happen again. This spontaneity is obvious in jazz and other styles of music in which the notes themselves are improvised, but even when the notes are not subject to change, there should be a spontaneous element to the musical interpretation. Of course, as with interpretation, the members of the ensemble are not free to perform in a spontaneous fashion. It is the conductor who must add this spontaneity to the performance.
   

As Cavalcade approaches, let’s challenge ourselves on two levels: As conductors, let’s each create a personal musical vision for each piece and have the confidence to share that vision with the ensemble and the audience. As teachers, let’s help our students be prepared to follow the conductors on this musical journey. Perhaps that’s why they are called “conductors” in the first place.

Charles Newton

Charles Newton conducting a group of DVMTA teachers as read through music selected for Cavalcade 2013

Music Marathon 2013

Music Marathon 2013

October 26, 2013

Our Annual Music Marathon was held Saturday, October 26th, and it was a great success!
This year, we had 44 teachers participate with 557 students. We have received very positive feedback from each of the venues. They had nothing but good comments about our students
and families. Many of the venues provided popcorn for the students. We were very happy with each of the venues this year. Each of the recital rooms was nice and spacious. The parking was also very convenient for our families. We appreciate Jason at AZ Piano for helping us get two beautiful grand pianos to two locations.

Our students shared their talents all day at the following locations: The Citadel Retirement Community, Legacy Retirement Residence, Tower Point Resort, Park Regency, and AZ Piano.  There were quite a few residents at the retirement communities that were able to come and listen to the children perform. They are always the best audience and truly appreciate the students. Some students performed in their Halloween costumes, and some recitals had a theme. Each and every student was able to share what they have been learning so far this year, and each musician earned a ribbon for their performance.

Thank you DVMTA teachers for doing such a great job preparing your students. They were all on their best behavior. Thank you for your support. We hope it was a great event for your studio!  And a great big THANK YOU to Tammy Shorts and Paula Mahoney, our Music Marathon Co-Chairs.

A Music Marathon Recital at Park Regency 

Some students who performed at Tower Point

These students performed at Legacy Retirement Residence

More students who performed at Legacy Retirement Residence