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Reports From Local Associations
SLAMTA’s Monster Concert
SLAMTA’s Monster Concert is an annual event that brings together students of all ages and abilities to participate in group piano performances. This is a great opportunity for children, teens, and adult students who may not like to play solo recitals to present music for their family and friends in a more casual atmosphere. Every student and teacher registered receives a commemorative t-shirt that is worn during the concert. This musical celebration also builds student confidence and a sense of community and collaboration across our STL area studios.
The music is chosen months in advance, published on our website, and emailed to our membership. SLAMTA works in conjunction with our local music store, Midwest Sheet Music, so that the music is ready and available to purchase on demand. Teachers select pieces for their students based on their skill level. Then preparation begins in the weekly lessons and continues leading up to the big event.
The Monster Concert is presented on a Sunday afternoon at Lacefield Music, one of our local piano and sheet music stores. There is a mandatory dress rehearsal the day before, Saturday. Students are allowed to partner with their teacher, parent, another student, or a sibling. SLAMTA hires a fun-loving conductor who is great at getting everyone smiling and working together. The stage is set so that there are multiple pianos/electronic keyboards with two performers on each instrument. The program ranges from classical music to jazz standards and may include pop music and movie tunes, along with other children’s favorites. Audience members are sometimes encouraged to clap and sing along, which enhances the experience. Teachers often get involved by performing some of the advanced multi-hand literature. The students really enjoy watching their teachers perform!
Sharla Anderson, SLAMTA’s Monster Concert Chair, holds an annual T-Shirt Design Contest where students can submit artwork in any form to be considered for that year’s t-shirt. The winner receives a gift card and has the pleasure of seeing their design on everyone’s Monster Concert t-shirt!
See the attachment below to view this year’s Monster Concert flyer.
To see pictures and view videos from last year’s Monster Concert, please click on the link below then scroll down.
SLAMTA Monster Concert 2022 - Pics and Videos
Sincerely,
Sharla Bender, SLAMTA President
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Mid-Missouri Area Music Teachers Association Activities July 1, 2022-present
Presented at MMTA Board Meeting, November 3, 2023
Although a planned fall workshop including pedagogy presentations, a master class and a concert of student performances featuring Diane Hidy as composer and presenter was again postponed because of COVID concerns, the Mid-Missouri Area Music Teachers Association
remained active and had several other presentations or co-presentations.
MMAMTA presented four honors recitals at local venues to help pre-collegiate and collegiate students prepare for 2022 MMTA District and State Auditions. They also presented the Evaluative Auditions, held at the University of Missouri, in which students can perform for outside adjudicators for comments. A similar event was held in Jefferson City.
MMAMTA co-presented with Columbia’s Odyssey Chamber Series a Pre-Collegiate Concerto and Aria Competition in which winners performed with an orchestra on one of the Odyssey Chamber Music Series’ subscription concerts. MMAMTA co-presented pre-collegiate auditions
for the Plowman Chamber Competition’s master class series with the judges of the 2023 Competition (Lucille Chung, piano and Amit Peled, cello). Winners participated in the master classes, which are part of the Plowman Chamber Music Competition, a national event. MMAMTA held two fundraising events called Musicathons in Jefferson City and Columbia.
These are the main means of fundraising for the MMAMTA Camp Scholarship and College Scholarship programs. Six students were awarded scholarships to help aWend summer music festivals held throughout the country, or to help cover their first year as a music major.
MMAMTA also helped support the Odyssey Chamber Music Series’ Kids@Heart concert, with students of members performing piano ensembles on this popular Odyssey Chamber Music
Series free concert and instrumental petting zoo. In Fall 2023, MMAMTA hosted an event introducing new MU faculty member, Dr. Curtis Pavey
and his wife, Dr. Helena Hyesoo Kim. They presented a session, “What We Say Matters: A Discussion on Communication Practices of Music Instructors” followed by a potluck lunch. It has hosted an additional four pre-collegiate and collegiate honors recitals to prepare students
for MMTA District and State Audi/ons. As with last year, MMAMTA will co-present a Pre-Collegiate Concerto and Aria Competition with
the Odyssey Chamber Music Series, with winners performing in a concert with orchestra in April. We will again hold fundraising Musicathons in Jefferson City and Columbia to raise money for Camp and College Scholarship Audi/ons. In addition, MMAMTA has submitted a Matching
Grant Proposal which, if awarded, will make possible a concert and residency by Kevin Olson (Utah State University) in August 2024 as MMAMTA’s Fall Workshop.
Peter Miyamoto, President of the Mid-Missouri Area Music Teachers Association
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Springfield Area Music Teachers Association Report
We have been staying busy in Springfield, Missouri with SAMTA piano events. To date we have had five recital dates from August 19 - October 21. We have been able to secure several venues, as well as Missouri State University, to allow our students to perform on different stages in preparation for competitions and just getting better at performing. Over 95 students participated in District MMTA Auditions and I would say the majority of those students are Young Artists members and students of teachers involved in both Young Artists and SAMTA.
October 1, 2023 was our annual Beverlie Roper Piano/Strings/Voice competition for high school students for any SAMTA/MMTA local member. This year’s repertoire included any piece from the classical period. Winners in both voice and piano were selected and cash prizes given. These winners will be featured on January 20, 2024 at our annual Young Artists Benefit Concert, along with seniors, and other local winners.
At the end of October we had 14 piano students from Young Artists of SAMTA participate in master classes led by fabulous piano majors from Missouri State University. This event is in its second year and the students absolutely love this event. Missouri State should be proud of its MTNA/MMTA collegiate chapter.
As far as the rest of the semester goes, we have nothing formal planned other than a teacher planning meeting for the Young Artists Benefit Concert in January 2024 and our SAMTA Piano Festival in February, 2024 which is held at Evangel State University in Springfield.
Thanks so much
Melissa Duncan
SAMTA President
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