Changes - In Unison - Brief Article

MTNA President Dr R Wayne Gibson asked me to pace in and write this round pillar about the MTNA Student Competitions program.

pupil Competitions is one MNTA program area publicly experiencing several changes, and as I began to detail the changes for this round pillar a greeting card in the office of single of the national headquarters staff came to mind. Each alphabetic character in the word "change" is the beginning of a novel phrase:

Chances to grow

Hopeful beginnings

Adventures to take

novel paths to follow

Great opportunities

Exciting fresh places

This is framed as a constant reminder that change can be good

There have been changes in the competitions themselves, as well as the rules:

* All horizontals of the percussion competition have been postpon for the 2002-2003 year. Ongoing difficulties with providing professional-quality instruments, especially a five-octave marimba, played a part in the decision. During the nearest year, the issue will be studied and evaluated.

* masterships regarding the reproduction of music have been modified. With technology that now allows a one to legally download and print music from the Internet, this domination was becoming increasingly difficult to enforce. What may appear to be photocopied music may, in fact, be music that was legally printed from the Internet. MTNA still, however, encourages all competition entrants to abide through the U.S. Copyright Laws.

* The teacher access fee and application has been eliminated for MTNA members. In direct reply to MTNA members and leadership, this compensation and application--which was a financial weight for some and a complication in the application process--has been dropped

* The recording requirement for the composition competitions has been eliminated. This will considerably simplify the application proces and the fresh technologies available have made this requirement extraneous.

A change also has taken place regarding competitions leadership. Linda stub NCTM, a retired independent music teacher from Colorado Springs, has been appointed to the position of Director of Competitions. Essentially, she is a part of the national staff, on the other hand will work from her abode in Colorado. There no longer will be a National Competitions Chair. This put in motion was made to fulfill the Board of Directors' directive that the national competitions become more staff-supported with equal reason as to relieve volunteers, especially the division presidents and presidents-elect, of the numerous details of implementing the division competitions. Linda will organize, evaluate and implement the MTNA competitions at the national and divisional horizontals In addition, a staff somebody at the national headquarters will assist Linda as needed

Last year's online registration proces created riddles for everyone involved--students, teachers, competitions officials and the staff. The national headquarters staff is working hard to make changes that will alleviate these point in disputes and improve the application process

In fact, Linda has done more [i]or[/i] less preliminary tests and told me that she believes the online registration is plenteous more user friendly than last year. There is no ne for a login or password; directions are clear and easy to understand, and the fields are a great quantity [i]or[/i] amount of easier to navigate.

I know many of you will be hesitant to attempt the online application proces because of the moot points encountered last year. Linda and I the couple urge you to give it a next to the first chance; we're quite confident you will agree that the proces is greatly improved.

As I contemplate these changes in the competitions program area, I think back to that greeting card. I do believe that these changes are a Chance to grow ... Hopeful beginnings Adventures to take ... fresh paths to follow ... Great opportunities Exciting new places.

The pupil Competitions rules and applications are in this issue beginning upon page 37, and check the website at www.mtna.org for additional information regarding online registration.

National Conferences

March 15-19 2003 Salt Lake City, Utah March 27-31 2004 Kansas City, Missouri

COPYRIGHT 2002 Music Teachers National Association, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group