MMTA Newsletter, December 2023 🎶

From the Desk of MMTA President,

Dr. Derek Polischuk

MMTA Members-

I hope you have had a productive fall season in your studios and in your communities. If your holiday season is anything like mine, you are likely busy with a very full calendar!

I hope you had the chance to attend our state conference in October, and if you didn't, you missed an exceptional event in every way. The diversity of topics, presenters and activities was beyond belief. Many thanks to Vice President Laurie Marshall, The Metropolitan Detroit Musicians League and Oakland University for all of the behind the scenes work that made this event so valuable and successful.

I hope you have a warm and restful holiday season with friends and family who are close to you. Thank you for all you do for our state's music teaching community.

Sincerely,
Derek Kealii Polischuk

From the Desk of the MDML President - Local Association Host & MMT Editor,

Sara Aylesworth

This October, we had an outstanding MMTA State Conference!

There were incredible presentations that provided us with a wealth of professional development, an excellent recital given by our guest artists, a top-notch student masterclass and student winners recital, a delicious dinner at our Gala event where MMTA awarded many Teachers of the Year, and a fun afterglow with cake and sparkling cider!

MMTA is a warm and welcoming State Organization that thrives off of prestigious teachers like you who are committed to excellence for both themselves and their students. We love building camaraderie across our State and encourage you to join in on connecting with us.

Above are several moments I captured at the Conference - see if you can find yourself!
Also, if you have pictures from your local chapter meeting /events, our State Conference, or National Conference,
I will share them.... please send them to me at Musickeys33@gmail.com

We also have a fun and engaging MMTA Facebook page and would love to be your friend!

Sincerely,
Sara Aylesworth, S/NCTM
MMT Editor

Click here for more info on MMTA!

From the Desk of SAT Handbook Chair, Jacki VanderSilk

Student Achievement News and Updates

• The Student Achievement leadership team welcomed PinlinLiu as the new SAT coordinator, she is replacing Sarah Hamilton who has completed her term. Big thank you to Sarah and welcome to Pinlin! Other members of the leadership team are SAT Auditions Chair, Gerardo Ascheri; SAT Piano Handbook Chair, Jacki VanderSlik; and SAT Advisory committee chair, Janice Derian. Feel free to direct any SAT questions to any of us, if you get the “wrong” person, we’ll forward it to the right person.

• There was a summary of the 2023 Handbook changes in the September MMT, but I’ll include it here again for your reference:

2023 Handbook Changes summary
1. Teachers that have students participating in SAT must not only belong to MMTA but must also belong to a local association. Teachers can belong to one chapter and are welcome to ask a different chapter to host their students.

2. Students in levels 9-12 will now have three minutes to prepare Sight Reading. (This additional minute is for Sight Reading only.)

3. The technique questions that request dynamic levels between two hands will now use two dynamic levels that have a clearer contrast. Rather than LH p and RH mf, it will now read LH p and RH f. This change impacts levels 8-12.

4. The SAT Advisory board has updated the mission and vision statements:
Mission: The Student Achievement Testing Program is intended to provide a non-competitive assessment tool that advances the musical education of the students of MMTA members, by offering a comprehensive sequential based curriculum model of instruction which includes the subjects: Repertoire, Technique, Sight-Reading, Aural Awareness and Music Theory

Vision: Through the SAT curriculum, teachers and students will have a clear perception of students' progress. Students will develop skills, competency, and a lifelong appreciation of music.

5. There are a handful of composers who represent two musical periods. Levels 6-12 must choose three different composers to represent their musical selections.

The revised SAT memory requirements still stand for the 2024 SAT season. A decision on whether

to make it permanent will be decided in 2025.

• The 2024 tests will be sent to local chairs by early January.

• The leadership team is in the process of updating/reorganizing the SAT portion of the MMTA website. We hope to streamline it and make it easier to find exactly what you need. Check it out in a few weeks!

Submitted by Jacki VanderSlik

From the desk of MMTA Vice president

& MTNA Competition Chair of Michigan,
Laurie M. Marshall

2023 MTNA Michigan Competitions
Michigan State University, College of Music, East Lansing, MI
November 10-12, 2023
RESULTS

Junior Division
Piano
Winner, Ethan Mihaescu

Teacher, Catherine Rollin

Alternate, Victor Yuankai Zhong
Teacher, Mary Siciliano

Honorable Mention, Elliot Geonhee Kim
Teacher, Mary Siciliano

Judges: David Keep, Gail Lytle Lira, Allison Shinnick Keep

String
Representative, Abigail N. Huang

Teacher, Fangye Sun

Senior Division
Composition
Winner, Gabriel (Zephyr) Jonah White

Teacher, Philip Pletcher

Honorable Mention, Richard Shao

Teacher, Arthur Greene

Judge: Susan Dersnah Fee

Piano
Winner, Keliang Yao

Teacher, Logan Skelton

Alternate, Pinn Mahasaranond

Teacher, Thomas Lymenstull

Honorable Mention, Faith Yeha Lee

Teacher, Helen Marlais

Honorable Mention, Beckler C Whittaker
Teacher, Kara Huber

Honorable Mention, Sunny Rong

Teacher, Mary Siciliano

Judges: Louise Chan, Wendy Chu, Hamilton Tescarollo

String

Winner, Kevin Baek

Teacher, Amir Elden

Alternate, Jayden Im

Teacher, Derek Weller

Honorable Mention, Allen E. Choi

Teacher, Kimberly Kennedy

Judge: Yvonne Lam

Woodwind

Winner, Nathan Shangyi Leung, saxophone

Teacher, Sean Hurburt

Alternate, Maddox Ray Lewis, clarinet

Teacher, Gary June

Honorable Mention, Emily Elizabeth Sullivan, clarinet

Teacher, Arthur Campbell

Judges: Garrett Evans, Kevin Schempf, Matthew Younglove

Young Artist Division

Brass

Winner, Samuel Levi Hardy, euphonium

Teacher, Kenneth Kroesche

Alternate, Ryan Douglas Lofland, tuba

Teacher, David Zerkel

Judge: Adam Graham

Composition

Representative, Trinity Fan

Teacher, Christopher Harding

Piano

Winner, Takeshi Nagayasu

Teacher, Logan Skelton

Alternate, Min Shan Tsai

Teacher, Arthur Greene

Honorable Mention, Yumiao Mai

Teacher, Logan Skelton

Honorable Mention, Myungseo Kim

Teacher, Eric Zuber

Judges: Louise Chan, Wendy Chu, Derek Kealii Polischuk

String

Representative, Camille Koharu, violin

Teacher, David Halen

Woodwind

Winner, Zachary Jeehoon Lee Costello, saxophone

Teacher, Joseph Lulloff

Alternate, Jacob Michael Bissonnette, saxophone

Teacher, John Nichol

Honorable Mention, Isabella Ann Carucci, flute

Teacher, Amy Porter

Honorable Mention, Kyle Kato, saxophone

Teacher, Timothy McAllister

Judges: Garrett Evans, Kevin Schempf, Matthew Younglove

MTNA Michigan Competitions

Composition Coordinator, Mary Ann Anschutz

Junior Division Coordinator, Justin Gray

Senior Division Coordinator, Karen Feilla

Young Artist Division Coordinator, Lora Kolean

Competition Chair, Laurie M. Marshall

For more information about MMTA click here!

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