Music Teachers National Association

MTNA-Print Version

University of Michigan Collegiate Chapter

At the 2008 MTNA National Conference in Denver, the University of Michigan Collegiate Chapter had the great opportunity of giving a presentation on the Treasures for Piano website, a comprehensive guide for piano teachers in choosing repertoire for students, donated to the University of Michigan by Ann Bader.   The presentation was a wonderful experience for the five of us who made the trip to Denver.  In addition to  presenting each of our specific contributions to the website, we spent a great deal of time mentoring each other in the art of public speaking and always emphasizing how each of our contributions were linked, creating a bond that helped unify the entire presentation.  In the end, we managed to rise to the occasion, and I couldn’t help but notice how our unity as a team would help us to prepare for a career on a college faculty where an integral part involves forging quality relationships with colleagues. 
We certainly couldn’t have achieved the same success without Prof. John Ellis whose steady guidance and constant support helped us to deepen our focus and bring out the highest quality that we were capable of producing.  Finally, the conference gave us the chance to meet other student chapters and faculty members from around the country, enabling us to build contacts that will certainly prove valuable in the future, as well as receive some  great inspiration from some of the activities at other collegiate chapters.
On the whole, our experience at the MTNA National Conference is one that we will certainly cherish and draw from for many years to come, and I would certainly encourage other collegiate chapters around the nation to participate at future conferences and enjoy such a rewarding experience!

The University of Michigan Collegiate Chapter was represented at the 2008 MTNA National Conference by Ayako Hattori, Aya Higuchi, Olga Kleinkina, Christina Thayer-Fox, and Noel McRobbie.
Not in attendance but also involved in preparations for the presentation were Brandon Bascom, Lynelle James, and Yu Liu.

Submit Your Chapter Feature


MTNA is interested in the activities and programs of our collegiate chapters.  Chapter advisors can submit features to MTNA for inclusion on the website or in other information about collegiate chapters.  Contact mtnaweb@mtna.org for more information.

MTNA National Headquarters
441 Vine St., Ste. 3100 Cincinnati, OH 45202-3004
Phone: (513) 421-1420 or (888) 512-5278 Fax: (513) 421-2503
Copyright MTNA. All rights reserved.