Welcome
The Ohio Music Teachers Association Southwest District is an organization dedicated to supporting and promoting the study, enjoyment and development of music in the nine-county southwest Ohio area through sponsoring student activities and teacher development events. Counties in the district include Adams, Butler, Brown, Clermont, Clinton, Fayette, Hamilton, Highland and Warren.
Membership includes more than 100 independent, public school and college music teachers who offer instruction in piano, organ, guitar, keyboards, voice, choral music, flute, clarinet, saxophone, violin and harp. Many offer specialized education in preschool music, theory, accompanying, pedagogy and music history.
Members of Ohio Music Teachers Association receive many benefits. If you support our goals and wish to shape the music education community, please become a member and join others in the Southwest District.
Latest News
Many of our colleagues and friends are finding themselves coming to the end of their "teaching year". Recitals are brewing for many and it's time to start thinking about summer teaching, next year and who knows what else your future has in store fo you!
For some there is year-round teaching, which is beneficial to both pedagogue and student. Now that we do have air-conditioning, that most of us aren't farming and that parents take off on vacation at any time during the year - why do we have summers off anyway? With lengthy education hiatuses - brain drain becomes more risky and certainly there is little to no practicing. Think about how you might expand your year to include summer study. Set your calendar for July - June or September to August. If you are faced with some weeks off - use this as a time for your personal renewal - read a book or look at new music - design a new kind of recital - collaborate with a friend and give a recital - ask a colleague to lunch!
Speaking of lunch, on Friday June 8 the OhioMTA Southwest District will hold its business meeting and lunch. This meeting will begin at 10:00 am followed by lunch at 11:30 am. Location is St. John's Unitarian Universalist Church; 320 Resor Ave; Clifton. Directions
You will install the new officers for 2012-14 and enjoy the company of colleagues.
See you there!
Showcase Recitals - Taft Museum
The Spring Showcase Recitals were held this year at the Taft Art Museum on Sunday, April 29, 2012 in Luther Hall. This year there were fifty-one students representing fifteen teachers that performed in three recitals at 1:00 PM, 2:30 PM and 4:00 PM. New to the recitals this year was an increase in the number of string players. Additionally, local winners of the MTNA Competitions and Pre-Collegiate Buckeye District Competition were featured.
They include:
Joseph Vaz, State of Ohio Winner, MTNA Competition, Junior Division Piano, student of Richard Van Dyke
Henry Baker, OhioMTA Pre-Collegiate Buckeye, Elementary Division Violin, student of Marion Peraza de Webb
Leah Anderson, OhioMTA Pre-Collegiate Buckeye, Senior Division Violin, student of Marion Peraza de Webb
Rebecca Shu, OhioMTA Pre-Collegiate Buckeye, Elementary Division Piano, student of Benita Tse Leung
Michael Shu, OhioMTA Pre-Collegiate Buckeye, Junior Division Piano, student of Jackson Leung
Benjamin Gittens, OhioMTA Pre-Collegiate Buckeye, Senior Division Piano, student of Jackson Leung
Student performers represented the studios of Elena Belfor, Rachel Bystry, Marilyn Galati, Maryanne Jordan, Haejin Kim, Jackson Leung, Zena Lieberman, Andrew Millar, Marion Peraza de Webb, Clinton Pratt, Patsy Rabinowitz, Cheryl Staats, Siok Lian Tan, Benita Tse Leung and Richard Van Dyke.
We would like to thank Cate O'Hara, Associate Curator of Public Programs and Publications at the Taft Art Museum, for her assistance and programming this event. Representing OhioMTA as the event chair was Richard Van Dyke.
Program Meeting: Round Table II
Thanks for all the teachers that attended the second of our round table discussions. It was a lot of fun getting ideas from all of our wonderful teachers. We discussed game ideas, business practices, recital repertoire, and professional development ideas. I know I learned new ideas, and enjoyed getting to know some new friends. Being an independent piano teacher, can sometimes feel isolated. I am so pleased to have such a supportive group of professionals to learn more ideas. We had such positive feed back, we just might do it again!
Teaching Materials Sale
Looking for a home for gently used teaching materials that you aren't using?
Do you have music books, sheet music or music games that have been sitting in a pile some where?
We have the solution! Bring your music to our last meeting on June 8th. Have it priced and sell it to another teacher. All of us love a good bargain. Whatever doesn't sell, you can take home or we will donate it to the local library.
Final Program Meeting for 2011-2012
On June 8 OhioMTA Southwest District will have the final program meeting for the year. This meeting will include the installation of the officers, general business, music sale and lunch! Free lunch! Lunch will be provided for members at no charge. The meeting and sale will begin at 10:00 AM and lunch will be served at 11:30 AM. The location of the program meeting is St. John's Unitarian Universalist Church; 320 Resor Ave; Clifton. Look forward to seeing everyone there!
Buckeye Auditions
The SWOMTA Buckeye Auditions had another successful year. We'd like to see more pianists enter next year, so, teachers, start planning now. For the first time, we had seven violinists and two singers enrolled in the auditions. This is great for the future of the Buckeye Auditions. The level of playing is very high, and we can be proud that our teachers are doing such a wonderful job with these talented, hard-working students! Congratulations to all the participants and their teachers. Best wishes to the Winners who will compete in the State Auditions June 2nd , at Bowling Green State University
Here are the Winners, Alternates Honorable Mentions and their teachers:
Elementary Piano
Winner: Rebecca Shu, student of Benita Tse Leung
Alternate: Natasha Saputra, student of Takako Hayase
Hon. Mention: Maximillian Guo, student of Luba Fedorov
Junior Piano
Winner: Michael Shu, student of Jackson Leung
Alternate: Cathy Lin, student of Benita Tse Leung
Hon. Mention: Shawna Huang, student of Benita Tse Leung
Hon. Mention: Jessica Wu, student of Patricia Wood
Hon. Mention: Alvin Zhang, student of Benita Tse Leung
Senior Piano
Winner: Benjamin Gittens, student of Jackson Leung
Alternate: Jeffrey Huang, student of Jackson Leung
Hon. Mention: Karen Zhang, student of Benita Tse Leung
Hon. Mention: Sam Raptis, student of Richard Van Dyke
Elementary Violin
Winner: Henry Baker, student of Marion Peraza de Webb
Junior Violin - all students of Marion Peraza de Webb
Winner: Bryson Karrer
Alternate: Jubilee Chen
Hon. Mention: Beatrice Baker
Hon. Mention: Pablo Perguero-Winters
Senior Violin - all students of Marion Peraza de Webb
Winner: Leah Anderson
Alternate: Rachel Flight
Junior Voice
Winner: Sophie Leung-Wolf, student of Lynne Miller
