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ETMTA  TEACHER-AWARDS NOMINEES

Judy Wilkins can boast one of the longest terms as a member of the East Texas Music Teachers Association.  She has held several offices in our association and is currently our publicity chairperson.   In addition to teaching in her private piano studio, where she specializes in the Suzuki approach, Judy also teaches accompanying classes at UTTyler, and has served as adjudicator and local chair of the National Guild of Piano Teachers and other piano festivals in the East Texas area. Every year Judy's private students participate, place, and win in various pre-college events including ETMTA sponsored events, Tyler Music Coterie Scholarships, UT Tyler Piano Skills Festival, and TAPPS and UIL Piano Solo Events.   Her students and their parents consider not only Judy's teaching but also Judy herself to be a valuable asset to their education and their lives. Judy's professional involvement also includes having written an article for the Choristers Guild Letter and a translation of a handbell/choral setting for Lorenz Publishing.  She is very active in her church where she serves as accompanist and is a member of their Worship Committee.  She also serves as accompanist for the Tyler Chamber Chorale.   Judy also manages to find time to accompany other local church, school, and theatre events; spend time with her husband, two children, and three grandchildren; and indulge her interests in photography, reading, and travel. Judy is a very dedicated teacher, and after many decades of tireless work she still takes her involvement in our local association and our pre-college-events very seriously.   She also considers mentoring young teachers an obligation and responsibility, and encourages other established teachers to do the same.  The younger teachers in our association find her to be a valuable resource, and Judy is always ready, willing, and able to give valuable advice whenever asked by our young teachers. The East Texas Music Teachers Association is very happy and honored to nominate Judy Wilkins for the TMTA Outstanding Pre-College Teaching Achievment Award. [Nomination Submission Statement]

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For many decades Vicki Conway has been an outstanding presence in the East Texas Area as a college educator, mentor, clinician, and developer of Developmental Fitness program and publications.  She has won numerous awards for scholarship and performance, and she continues to give solo and duo performance recitals, as well as often-requested master-classes for both college and pre-college levels. Vicki exemplifies the MTNA and TMTA values and mission statements.  She is a living example of what her college students aspire to be as a respected educator and performer.  She constantly pushes her college students forward with positive support.  Her sense of fairness and support of her students and other teachers is exemplified by her encouragement of her students to seek more knowledge by attending other educator's seminars, master classes, and lessons. Her grasp of requirements necessary to be a well-rounded musician is demonstrated in the University of Texas at Tyler's Piano Skills Festivals, which she began seven years ago.  This five-part festival for pre-college students, which includes technique, harmonization, sight-reading and repertoire, draws students from teachers all over East Texas.  Vicki uses her college students in organizing and implementing the festival, giving her college students hands-on experience in organizing music events. This year Vicki is once again presenting her DevelopMental Fitness program at the TMTA convention, as she has done at many and various institutionally-sponsored festivals and private-venue seminars.  This program is based on her research and participation in The Educational Kinesiology Foundation (Brain Gym) and her work with Jean Foster, which is the study of gross motor skills and their relationship to cognitive and performing skills.   Her publications in this area include a book and other related paraphernalia relating to mind-body balance, performance anxiety/dominance profiles, and learning styles.  Her research and lectures in this area are greatly respected, and she is sought out as a very highly-respected and informative clinician in this area.  Vicki's college students frequently express that because of her innovative techniques they are able to learn and perform with greater ease than before beginning study with her, and area able to perform more challenging repertoires than they had previously thought possible.  Vicki is also currently pioneering new techniques in teaching college-level class piano, and will begin writing a text in the coming year. Vicki selflessly gives of her time and valuable resources to our association.  She has served in many offices and committees, and this year she forged new pathways by heading two brand new committees.  She also volunteered her services and resources free of charge to our association in presenting a "Performance & Test Anxiety Seminar", the proceeds of which helped fund our new ETMTA library. In addition, Vicki is organist for her church and has performed as organist for many churches throughout East Texas.  She has served as acolyte coordinator, and Sunday school and VBS teacher.  Through all this, Vicki is a very real and active presence in her family, as demonstrated by her service as Band Booster Parent Sponsor among other things, and considers her roles as wife and mother the two most important ones in her life. These are only some of the highlights of Vicki's thus-far short and remarkable career.   Vicki's personal and professional life, education, and experience is universally admired and respected by our association.  It is not an overstatement to say that she is consistently asked to contribute her ideas and opinions on all topics before the association moves forward with any decision.  It is with great pride and honor that we are able to say she is a member of our association, and that we nominate Vicki Conway for the TMTA Outstanding Collegiate Teaching Achievement Award. [Nomination Submission Statement]

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At age 74, Alice Hampton is the second oldest member and also has the second longest tenure of membership in the East Texas Music Teachers Association. In addition to her current career as independent piano teacher, Alice has also taught music, art, science, and literature in the public school system.  Her private students participate and have won and placed in ETMTA-sponsored events, TMTA theory examination, UIL Piano Solos, National Guild of Piano Teachers Auditions, All City Piano Festivals, UT Tyler Piano Festivals, Studio of Fine Arts Recitals, and they perform in their schools and churches. Alice herself has held several offices and served on several committees in ETMTA, but participation in this professional association is not her only volunteer service.   Alice feels a great responsibility to her church and community, and after several decades of involvement she continues to volunteer her time there as well.  She has served as church pianist and bible-school teacher as well as served on various church committees including President of the Deaconess board and Vacation Bible School Director.  In the Tyler-area community, Alice has served in many areas, including but not exclusively Secretary to the Smith County Teachers Association; service on the Boards of Directors of the Tyler Youth Orchestra, Tyler Preparatory Orchestra, Tyler Community Concerts and UT Tyler Alumn; she has held various offices in the American Association of University Women and the La Rosetta Civic Club, just to name a few. In addition to her community service and her career in teaching, Alice has raised three boys, had articles published in the AAUW Graduate Gazette, and has won blue ribbons for her oil paintings and flower arranging in local competitions sponsored by the Tyler Area Council of Garden Clubs. Alice continues to be involved in ETMTA, her church, and her other professional and civic organizations while still working hard with her piano students and enjoying her grandchildren.  One of Alice's most admirable traits, however, is her personal philosophy, which is:  "Help others help themselves".  ETMTA considers her current involvement and her legacy to our association to be most valuable, and we hope to enjoy her contributions to our association and our community for many years to come.  We are very honored and proud to be able to nominate Alice Hampton for TMTA 2007 Teacher of the Year Award. [Nomination Submission Statement]

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