February 2010 - Hawaii Music Teachers Association

HAWAII MUSIC TEACHERS ASSOCIATION!
FEB / MAR 10
Ka Leo Na Mele
“The Voice of Songs” a publication by and for the members of HMTA
In this Issue
Volume 42, No. 2
Scenes from the 2010
MTNA Southwest Division
Performance Competitions
Page 2
MTNA Southwest Division
Competition Winners
Page 3
Division Officials and Presidents. 1st Row (l-r) Lezlee Bishop (SW Division Director), Lynn
Dean (UT), Mary Straub (NV), Helen Chao-Casano (HI), Ethel Iwasaki (SW Division DirectorElect), Astrid Groth (NM). 2nd Row: Scott McBride Smith (CA), and Raymond Ryder (AZ).
Letter from the President: Helen Chao-Casano
Carefully, she pulled back each wing of the origami crane and explained how to
gently tug on the tail to make the wings flap. She smiled and said, “Don’t forget to
tell them that this crane will help them fly back to Hawaii.” I left the front porch of
Shizuko Mukaida’s house and got set to meet my fellow state presidents, the division
director, and director-elect (Ethel Iwasaki) at the Southwest Division meeting. I knew
that Shizuko had just given me the great honor of serving as one of HMTA’s
ambassadors of Aloha and the humble duty of passing along the assorted multicolored cranes that she had hand folded just the day before.
Hawaii served as the host state for the Southwest Division Performance
Competitions in January. It had been eight years since the division had been hosted
here. This year, Ethel Iwasaki served as the site coordinator, arranging all manner of
details from hotel pricing, explaining bus routes, arranging for sight seeing
excursions, and as well as serving as the liason with the University of Hawaii at
Manoa, Music Department. Her two trusty allies, Barbara Dyer and Joanna Fan, were
in charge of hospitality for the multi-day event. Many thanks to all members who
shared their time and contributed to the successful event. All the division officials
commented on how welcome they felt and how smoothly everything went. Also,
mahalo to the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Music Department for hosting the
competitions, and to Yoshi Nishimura of Mozart House, for serving as the piano
technician and for being “on call” throughout the competition weekend.
Well, Hawaii, the division is sure to be back again! (The presidents agreed on
continuing to rotate the competition site among each of the seven Southwest member
states.) We are known for the Aloha Spirit and this is not some superficial moniker.
This comes from the deep generosity of spirit, the warmness of our community, and
the tremendous volunteer efforts of our members.
Thank you for allowing me to serve as the association president and I look
forward to representing our state at the National Conference in Albuquerque, New
Mexico in March! (Maybe I should bring my paper crane with me to help me fly back
too!)
~ Aloha, Helen
!
Spotlight on Ethel Iwasaki
Page 4
Calendar,
Student Recital Date,
Member News,
Member Updates
Page 5
DVD Review: El Sistema
Page 6
PAGE 1
HAWAII MUSIC TEACHERS ASSOCIATION!
FEB / MAR 10
Scenes from the 2010 Southwest Division Performance
Competitions
The winners of the MTNA local competitions
which were held at our HMTA 42nd Annual
Convention in November 2009 went on to
compete at the Southwest Division Competitions
on January 8-10, 2010 at the UH Manoa Music
Department. Photo above was taken after
they performed at the Hawaii MTNA Honors
Concert on January 3, 2010 at the UH Manoa
Music Dept.
photo top, L-R: Ethel Iwasaki, Teresa Ou (Sheryl Shohet), violin, Senior String Winner;
TJ Tario (Ellen Masaki), composition, Senior Composition Representative; Jim Stanford,
teacher of John Edward Cole; Marina Mitsuta (Thomas Yee), Young Artist Piano
Representative; Tyler Ramos (Ellen Masaki), Junior Piano Winner; and John Edward Cole
(Jim Stanford), violin, Junior String Winner. Not pictured: Tiffany Cheung (Thomas Yee),
Senior Piano Winner and Che Hua Yu (I-Bei Lin), Young Artist String Winner.
On January 8-10, 2010, sixty-two students, accompanied
by their parents and teachers, from Arizona, California,
Hawai’i, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah competed in the
Southwest Division Performance Competitions at the Music
Department of the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. In addition
there were eleven judges, 9 committee members, six division
presidents, and fifteen volunteers.
It was quite a feat for the chairperson, Nancy Tedford, to
organize and produce this event. Ably assisting her were:
Lezlee Bishop, Southwest Director; Ethel Iwasaki, Southwest
Director-Elect; Charles Asche, Young Artist and judges
coordinator, Doris Chase, Junior High coordinator, and Mallie
Riecken, Senior High coordinator.
In addition, HMTA members provided invaluable
contributions: Helen Chao-Casano, volunteers; Joanna Fan,
hospitality and hotels; and Barbara Dyer; hospitality and piano
tuning. Other members, as well as all the state presidents,
served as door monitors and time keepers: Steve Casano,
Jeannette Chun, Kay Goshi, Elaine Lu, Carol Nakaganeku,
Susan Rudosky, Sheryl Shohet and Elsa Serion.
Although our students performed well, only Chandra
Susilo, student of Iggy Jang and representing Arizona, placed
(honorable mention) in the Young Artist String Competition.
Utah won most of the competitions. The entire group of
students, teachers, and parents were very impressive as they
cheered for each other. Their support, solidarity, and
enthusiasm may have been major factors in their successes.
A big ‘mahalo’ to the University of Hawai’i’s Music
Department and facility director, Byron Moon. The entire
event would not have been possible without their cooperation,
generosity, and support.
In 2011, the Southwest Competitions will be held in
California. It will be another six years before it returns to
Hawaii!
~ Ethel Iwasaki
!
Competition Chairs:
sitting - Doris Chase
(Jr. High); standing
(L-R) Mallie Riecken
(Sr. High); Charles
Asche (Young Artist)
and Nancy Tedford
(Competition Chair)
L-R: Mr. Pak Hardja Susilo, Kayla Paulk, (accompanist),
Chandra Susilo, (HM, Young Artist String), Iggy Jang and
Mrs. Jolinda Susilo after the competition.
PAGE 2
HAWAII MUSIC TEACHERS ASSOCIATION!
Southwest Division Competition
Winners
FEB / MAR 10
2010 MTNA NATIONAL CONFERENCE
MTNA is comprised of seven divisions: East Central,
Eastern, Northwest, South Central, Southern, West
Central, and Southwest. Hawaii is part of the Southwest
Division, along with Arizona, California, New Mexico,
Nevada and Utah.
Listed below are the winners of the Southwest Division
Competitions. They will go on to compete with the other
six division competition winners at the MTNA National
Conference on March 20-24, 2010 in Albuquerque, New
Mexico.
MTNA Junior Competitions
Piano: Carolyn Cong (Fei Xu), AZ
String: Minku Lee, cello (Jonathan Koh), CA
Woodwind: Margo Folwick, flute (Janelle Barrera), CA
MTNA Senior Competitions
Piano: Tianpeng Yu (Nelms McKelvain), CA
String: Moriah Wilhelm, violin (Shi-Hwa Hwang), UT
Piano Duet: Alie Yorgason/Elise Peterson (Vera Watanabe/
Eugene Watanabe), UT
Voice: Jesse Briggs, soprano (Katharine DeBoer), NV
Woodwind: Jana Gardner, flute (Cindy Henderson), UT
MTNA Young Artist Competitions
Brass: Brian Garrison, trumpet (Jeffrey Piper), NM
Piano: Fan-Ya Lin (Yu-Jane Yang), UT
String: Corie Schofield, violin (William Fedkenheuer), UT
Woodwind: Amber Packard, flute (April Clayton), UT
Voice: Christina Rivera, soprano (Robert Barefield), AZ
The 2010 MTNA National Conference is shaping up to
be an unforgettable experience! If you haven't registered
yet, there's still time to do so. With special guests like
pianist Kevin Kenner and cellist William De Rosa, the
American Pianist Association Fellows (including Stephen
Beus who won the MTNA Collegiate Piano Performance
Competition in 2003 and subsequently performed at our
HMTA Annual Convention in 2003) and the winners of the
Canadian and United States Chopin Piano Competitions;
educational sessions; master classes and the finals of the
MTNA Student Performance Competitions in one of the
most beautiful parts of the country, it should be an
entertaining and educational event, which will leave you
refreshed, inspired and equipped with tools to enhance
your teaching.
MTNA has rolled back the registration rates this year to
make it more affordable for our members to attend.
Register by February 10 to receive your early registration
discount and be entered to win a free hot air balloon ride.
Hurry up and reserve your rooms, as the hotels are filling
up quickly.
So, come join MTNA and all your friends and colleagues
in Albuquerque, New Mexico, March 20–24.
Registering for the conference is easy—simply go to:
http://members.mtna.org/conference2010/index.html.
MTNA Composition
Competitions
Elementary: Harlan Tsui
(Su-Shing Chiu), CA
Junior: Crystal Yan
(Suzanne Wong), CA
Senior: Anderson F.
Alden (Deborah H. How),
CA
Young Artist: Nathan
Piazza (James Winn), NV
Photo above: spirited student
competitors from Utah at the UH
Manoa Music Dept.
!
For a complete listing of
all division competition
winners, go to
www.mtna.org
Division Elections
Beginning in March 2010,
Ethel Iwasaki will be our SW Division Director.
To vote for the SW division director-elect for the
2012-2014 biennium, go to: http://www.mtna.org/
AboutMTNA/DivisionElections/tabid/481/Default.aspx.
Biographies of the nominees are posted online.
Newsletter Submissions
Ka Leo Na Mele is a bi-monthly publication.
Send articles for the Apr/May 2010 issue to:
csuehisajang@hawaiiantel.net by March 24, 2010.
PAGE 3
HAWAII MUSIC TEACHERS ASSOCIATION!
FEB / MAR 10
SPOTLIGHT ON ETHEL IWASAKI
Ethel presently teaches piano part-time at the Ellen Masaki School of Music. She
also is the accompanist of the Kilohana United Methodist choir and plays the hymns
and provides the special music when needed on Sundays.
Most of her working years have been spent teaching music in the public school
system: directing band and choir, and teaching Hawaiian history and music, world
history, drama, and geography. She received her Bachelor of Education degree and
Master of Arts in Music Education degree from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa.
In March, Ethel will be inducted as the Director of the Southwest Division. After
her term as Division Director, she will serve on the MTNA National Board of
Directors. She also serves on the boards of the Friends of the Royal Hawaiian Band
and the Ikebana Institute of the Ohara School.
1. When did you first know you wanted to be a musician
and how did you come to know it? I was singing and playing piano since elementary school.
My fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Hoe, had us singing in three
parts. In the sixth grade, I could sing the tenor part (one
octave higher) and could improvise the harmony of almost
any song. Finally, at the university, singing in the chorus
made me decide to major in music.
for several years at the Academy of Arts and have even gone
to Italy for an art seminar. In ikebana, I have been awarded
the top degree and have been given a special name.
I also like sports. To me, the timing, training, and
proficiency of the athletes are the qualities needed
by musicians. In any sport and like in music, those who make
the least errors, are the most industrious, and the most
focused win at the end...not necessarily the most talented. 2. Who was the teacher or mentor who most inspired you
when you were growing up and what did you learn from
that person?
A pastor's wife, Mrs. Brown, gave free piano lessons to
children of the church. Her giving spirit made me want to
teach children to love music.
7. If your students could only remember one thing from
your teaching, what would you want it to be?
I hope, through my teaching, that the students will love
and appreciate music and will perform and support
the arts throughout their lives.
3. What was the first recording that you remember hearing
or buying? What was its significance to you?
I'm not sure. But I think it was Liberace. I was impressed
how he could improvise classical music and get rich doing
that.
4. What’s the most embarrassing moment you’ve had as a
performer?
My most embarrassing moment as a performer was when
I forgot the second movement of a Haydn sonata during my
junior recital and had to improvise 'ala' Haydn.
5. If you could have your students visit any place in the
world, where would it be, and why?
If my students would travel, I would advise them to go
to Europe and visit the homes of the great composers and
attend concerts where the 'great classical' music were
composed. I would also tell them to visit the museums.
Students should know the history, arts, and traditions of the
cultures in which the composers lived and worked to
understand their music better.
6. What are your non-music related interests or hobbies?
What would people be surprised to know about you?
My non-music interests are in the arts - painting and
Japanese ikebana, which I find very much related to music in
form, proportion, detail, and color. I have studied painting
!
8. What is your favorite thing about Hawaii?
My favorite thing of Hawai'i is the beauty of the people. I
see it in the students and their parents and always appreciate
their positive attitudes, patience, and generous spirit. I also
see this beauty in many of my colleagues.
L-R: Laurie Shinsato, Patti Phears, Glenn Nagatoshi, Ian Parker
and Ethel at a convention dinner in 2008.
PAGE 4
HAWAII MUSIC TEACHERS ASSOCIATION!
Calendar
February 14, 2010
Happy Valentine’s Day!
February 21, 2010 ~ 4PM
Maroudas and Russell, Classical
Violin and Piano
Big Island residents Anthony Maroudas and
Michael Russell make their Atherton debut
with a program of classical favorites
including Mozart’s piano and violin sonata in
B-flat major, K.454; Brahms’ Sonata No. 1 in
G major, Op. 78 for violin and piano; and
Khachaturian’s 1940 Concerto
for Violin in D minor.
Hawaii Public Radio,
Atherton Studio,
738 Kaheka St., Honolulu, HI, 96814
Tickets: $25 general admission,
$20 HPR members,
and $15 for students with ID.
Reservations: 955-8821
February 23, 2010 ~ 7:30PM
I-Bei Lin, cello
UH faculty I-Bei Lin will be joined by John
Gallagher, double bass,
and Jonathan Korth, piano.
UH Manoa, Orvis Auditorium
$12 general
$8 students and seniors
FEB / MAR 10
MEMBER NEWS
At the 42nd Annual HMTA Convention which took place last
November, twenty-nine HMTA members performed in the
Convention Finale Concert to benefit the University of Hawaii
Music Department. $2,793.00 was raised, and in addition, an
anonymous donor contributed $207.00 for a grand total of
$3000.00 which went to the University of Hawaii Music
Department Enrichment Fund.
The popular NPR program, “From the Top” chose four
outstanding young musicians from Hawaii and held the broadcast tapings in Hilo
on January 20 & 22, 2010 in Hilo, HI. The winners are: Tiffany Cheung, piano,
age 17, student of Dr. Thomas Yee; Aris Doike, cello, age 17, student of Andrew
Eckard ; Evan Lin, piano, age 14, student of Joanna Fan; and Sean Robbins, slack
key guitar, age 16, student of Arnold Peneueta. The performances will be
broadcast on two separate days - February 15, 2010 and March 15, 2010 - and can
be found at 88.1FM, 10AM on Saturday mornings.
As part of many festivities marking the 90th birthday of Jim Foster (the former
director of the Honolulu Academy of Arts), Mark Russell (piano), honored Mr.
Foster and guests with a piano recital at the Downtown Piano Studio on January
24, 2010. As Jim has seen most of the 20th century, Mark decided to play works
from the 20th and 21st centuries, including Debussy, Schoenberg, Philip Glass, as
well as little-known works, illustrating the variety and richness of piano music
from this period. He also included several pieces from the 21st century, including
a revised version of Variations, by Whitney Thrall (piano, former HMTA
member).
MEMBER DIRECTORY UPDATES
Please update your HMTA directory:
Barbara Dyer has a new e-mail address: bdyer822@gmail.com
Kim Kiyabu has a new address: Kim Kiyabu Piano Studio, 1109 12th Avenue
Suite 202, Honolulu HI 96816
Laura Yamashiroya has a new e-mail address: ArtlyMus@gmail.com
Eiko Yano has a new e-mail address: eikoy@me.com
February 27, 2010 ~ 7:30PM
Thomas Yee, piano
UH faculty Thomas Yee will perform a
recital including solo works by Chopin and
Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, Op.
23 in B-flat minor, with Jonathan Korth.
UH Manoa, Orvis Auditorium
$12 general
$8 students and seniors
WELCOME BACK to returning members:
Shirley Iwase, piano: P. O. Box 10712, Honolulu, HI, 96816, ph: 225-3076, e-mail:
sipiano@aol.com
Jonathan Nagatoshi, piano, clarinet, theory: P. O. Box 24053, Honolulu, HI,
96824, ph: 349-0795, e-mail: jnagatoshi@yahoo.com
Kathleen Ramento, piano: 95-684 Alohilani St., Mililani, HI, 96789, ph: 625-2269
WELCOME to NEW member:
March 13, 2010 ~ 2PM - 3PM
HMTA Student Recital
To submit students contact Elaine Lu at
violaine4@yahoo.com or call 456-1104
by March 5th, 2010.
Each teacher may submit 10 minutes worth
of music on a first come-first serve basis.
$3/Student
UH Manoa, Music Department,
Room 36
!
Peony Luk, piano: 44-995 Wailele Rd, #14, Kaneohe, HI, 96744, ph: 274-4188, email: peonyyl@yahoo.com
NMCP - NATIONAL MUSIC CERTIFICATE PROGRAM - UPDATES
Registration for the Spring 2010 examinations opened on January 19, 2010. The
deadline to register students is February 23, 2010. Practical Examinations will be held
on May 21-23, 2010 and the Theory Examinations on May 14 & 15, 2010 at Punahou
School. For more information go to www.nationalmusiccertificate.org or contact
Steve Casano at scasano@punahou.edu, ph: 398-0567.
PAGE 5
HAWAII MUSIC TEACHERS ASSOCIATION!
FEB / MAR 10
El Sistema: Music to Change Life (Euroarts 2056958)
If you have any interest in music
education and the future for today’s
children, you must watch this DVD. It
is one of the most moving and
important music documentaries ever
made.
Deutsche Grammophon’s earlier
video, “The Promise of Music” (DG
00440 073 4427), primarily looked at
the incredible Simón Bolivar Youth
Orchestra of Venezuela and its
remarkable young conductor, Gustavo
Dudamel, who is now principal conductor of the LA
Philharmonic. This new DVD, despite its cover shot of the
SBYO and Dudamel, focuses on El Sistema’s inner workings
and its almost Yoda-like founder: musician, economist and
politician José Antonio Abreu.
Various chapters of the video show the many different
levels of “The System,” ranging from music fundamental
classes, the “paper” orchestra, training classes for student
conductors, private and group instruction, different junior
orchestras, and its crown jewel—the SBYO. The segment
showing how El Sistema incorporates special needs children
into its various music programs and the “white hand” choir is
incredibly moving.
Hawaii Music Teachers Association
c/o Christine Suehisa-Jang
1758 Ala Aolani St.
Honolulu, HI 96819
The documentary also shows many of its dedicated
teachers and administrative staff, some of whom have been
with El Sistema from its inception thirty-five years ago. One
common trait is the respect and utter reverence with which
they view Maestro Abreu, and their passionate zeal in their
work.
To hear Abreu elucidate his ideas on the important role
music plays in society is awe inspiring. (I often found myself
thinking ,“That’s why I’m teaching music!”) It is not surprising
that at the conclusion of each SBYO performance I have seen on
DVD, Dudamel looks into the audience and asks Maestro
Abreu to come up on stage to be acknowledged by both the
audience and orchestra. He should be a prime candidate for
the Nobel Peace Prize.
Today there are many prominent writers proclaiming the
imminent death of Western classical music. What can you and I
do? Go out and buy one copy of this DVD for yourself and
another to give to some local politician or a member of the
Board of Education. We all must immediately act together
before classical music becomes an anachronism.
~ Robert Larm, HMTA Member, Solo Clarinet,
Woodwind Supervisor—Royal Hawaiian Band