Directors
Janice Larson Razaq, NCTM
East Central Division, Algonquin, Illinois
Janice Larson Razaq, NCTM, is keyboard director at Harper College and has an independent studio, teaching all ages. Razaq served as state certification chair, state president and is vice president of the American Matthay Association. She holds the Licentiate Diploma from the Royal Academy of Music and degrees from the Eastman School of Music, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Texas Tech University.
Nanette Kaplan Solomon, NCTM
Eastern Division, New Castle, Pennsylvania
Nanette Kaplan Solomon, NCTM, is professor of music emerita from Slippery Rock University. She holds degrees from Yale College, the Yale School of Music and Boston University. Solomon has held leadership positions in Pennsylvania MTA, and served on the AMT Editorial committee and as Eastern Division Collegiate Competitions chair.
Cindy Peterson-Peart, NCTM
Northwest Division, Beaverton, Oregon
Cindy Peterson-Peart, NCTM, holds a BA degree in music from Willamette University and maintains a private piano studio in Beaverton, Oregon. She is president of Oregon MTA and will serve as MTNA’s State President’s Advisory Council chair for 2015–2016. She has held several positions at the state and local levels, including president and treasurer of Oregon’s largest local association.
Sharon T. Callahan
South Central Division, Montgomery, Texas
Sharon T. Callahan is an independent piano teacher, collaborative pianist and adjudicator. Callahan has served in numerous local, state and national positions and as Texas MTA president. She is a TMTEF Trustee and South Central Division Senior Competitions coordinator. Callahan was named an MTNA Foundation Fellow (2015) and Teacher of the Year for Texas (2009) and Conroe (1995, 2011, 2015).
Diane Houghton Blanchard, NCTM
Southern Division, Morehead City, North Carolina
Diane Blanchard, NCTM, is an independent piano teacher, adjudicator and presenter. She is the immediate past president of North Carolina and certification chair. In the Raleigh Piano Teachers Association, she has served as president, treasurer and secretary. Blanchard holds a BM degree (summa cum laude) in piano pedagogy from Meredith College. She was named as an MTNA Foundation Fellow in 2012.
Geri A. Gibbs, NCTM
Southwest Division, North Salt Lake, Utah
Geri Gibbs, NCTM, is an independent music teacher, adjudicator, lecturer and church musician. Encouraged by exceptional teachers, she combined her love for music and young people and began teaching. Gibbs has served as local association president, Utah MTA president, Southwest Division Competitions coordinator, Division president and on the MTNA Board of Directors. She has chaired the Independent Music Teacher Forum and served on the Teacher of the Year, Studio Teacher Fellowship, AMT Editorial and Conference Planning committees.
Jill G. Hanrahan, NCTM
West Central Division, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Jill Hanrahan, NCTM, independent music teacher, became a member of MTNA in 1998 and has been an avid volunteer since. She’s received recognition and served in multiple positions: Permanent NCTM, MTNA Foundation Fellow, PTG Scholarship recipient, MTNA Local Association of the Year chair, West Central Division Competition coordinator, Colorado Music Teacher of the Year, and president of Pikes Peak MTA when they received the MTNA Local Association of the Year Award.