ETMTA's 2006
TMTA Teacher of the Year
Nominee:
HELEN ELBERT
At age 87, Helen Elbert is an icon, well known and highly respected not only in the
Tyler music community but also throughout East Texas.
Mrs. Elbert has always been and still is a hard worker, starting back when she was an
undergraduate at North Texas State Teachers College in Denton, Texas in the 1940's.
While a full-time student, she held five jobs in order to pay her way through college:
she played piano for two churches, college gym classes and Glee Club, and taught five
private piano students referred to her by the Dean's Office. She has maintained a
full piano studio for the past 45 years. She has held nearly every office in the
East Texas Music Teachers Association as well as in the
Coterie Chapter of the National Federations of Music Clubs.
Currently Mrs. Elbert is Membership Chair of ETMTA. She continues to judge piano
festivals all over the East Texas area. She still has a full piano studio, currently teaching
children of her earlier piano students. Her students and their parents treasure her and
always speak highly of her. She also remains very active in her church and in the
Coterie Chapter of NFMC, having composed music to be sung at a recent meeting.
Helen Elbert always has a kind word for everyone in ETMTA, and is very supportive of us
all. She gladly acts as a mentor to young piano teachers. Not too long ago two teachers
in their twenties asked Helen if they could take her to lunch and get her advice on
teaching, which she happily did. It goes without saying that all teachers in our association
look up to Helen and admire her. We feel that recognition of Helen Elbert is long
overdue, and we hope to rectify that situation with our nomination of her as
TMTA Teacher of the Year.
[Nomination Submission Statement]
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