| STUDENTS, MAKE YOUR PERFORMANCES THE BEST THEY CAN BE! Click on the links below to learn the proper procedures for recital and concert performances, and make your next performance sparkle! Congratulations & Thank You PRACTICE-A-THON PARTICIPANTS! Click on the "HURRICANE KATRINA-RELIEF PRACTICE-A-THON" button above and see what you did for music teachers and students affected by the recent hurricanes! CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR EFFORTS! ENSEMBLE! What is Ensemble? The TMTA (Texas Music Teachers Association, www.tmta.org) holds convention during the second weekend of each June. More students and parents attend this convention (over 6,000 this past year) than teachers. The convention is always held in an area near great recreation attractions (Grapevine again next year and Houston for the two years after that). All students who attend are Student Affiliates (SA) of TMTA. Many events for students take place during the convention: performance competitions, composition presentations, All-Star festival, keyboard orchestras, chamber music clinics, even guitar clinics. The most spectacular event of the convention and the one that most parents and students attend is the ENSEMBLE program. Students from local associations prepare duet music and present it en masse up to 30 students at the same time! It is a monster concert on a stage full of grand pianos (15 or more). One was fire engine red and one was white! WHAT IS THE COST? Participation is $10 per student. Scholarships may be available. Students dress alike. Some costumes become rather elaborate, but this is not necessary. Transportation must be provided to the convention with perhaps an overnight stay. Hotel room at the convention center was $99 and would sleep 4-5. Cheaper hotels were in the area, but the fun of associations and events at the hotel make staying at convention hotel worth the few extra $'s. Music must be memorized. Practice may be done with a partner. Metronome tempo will be specified. Four to five sessions at a music store during the week preceding convention should bring the ensemble together and add finishing touches. One rehearsal on stage at convention will be at an assigned time. One performance will be given also at an assigned time. Ensembles are grouped into programs lasting about one hour with 10-12 presentations per program. THIS IS REALLY FUN!! Each group has a director. There is no competition involved in this event. It is purely for the enjoyment of making music and meeting new music friends from the local association and all over the state of Texas. Professional photos are made of each group. Students who participate may also play in the ALL-STAR FESTIVAL. In this event each student performs one piece for judges and receives a rating and ribbon. The judges are college music majors, who will gain their initial adjudication training and experience in this event. Students may also participate in a keyboard orchestra. Multiple keyboards play various orchestral instrument parts to create the sound of an orchestra. This involves one rehearsal at convention and one concert for parents and audience. Instrumental parts are made available to students before convention so that they can be studied. This is very low pressure and fun! Students may also browse through the exhibit hall to play on many pianos and see a large display of music, books, gifts, equipment, and software. Students who participate in convention activities amass points toward monetary awards from TMTA! These awards range in value from$50 to as high as $500-$600. Each activity qualifies for a certain number of points. PLEASE NOTE: In order to participate in Ensemble, students must take and pass the state theory test with a score of 70 or higher. FALL FESTIVAL November, 2007 Tyler Junior College Wise Cultural Arts Center [Click Here for Map] (next to the fountain and across from Wise Auditorium) 1400 E. Fifth Street at South Mahon Avenue Tyler, TX 75701 See your ETMTA teacher for entry requirements and assigned days & times. Students play one memorized piece for a judge in a non-competitive, small-group format. Six to eight students play in each group, giving students opportunity for both performance and listening. Performance etiquette is stressed. Parents are allowed to hear the performance. Students receive a certificate along with the judge's rating and critique. Students who receive a Superior rating are eligible to perform in the All Star Festival at the next TMTA State Convention. ACHIEVEMENT AUDITIONS CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING STUDENTS CHOSEN TO PERFORM IN THE 2007 ACHIEVEMENT AUDITIONS HONORS RECITAL 2008 ACHIEVEMENT AUDITIONS AUDITIONS: March, 2008 HONORS RECITAL: March, 2008 University of Tyler Braithwaite Recital Hall [Click Here for Map] (In the rear of the Cowan Fine and Performing Arts Center) 3900 University Blvd. Tyler, TX 75799 See your ETMTA teacher for entry requirements and assigned days & times. Each year students play three memorized pieces one-on-one for a judge, receiving a rating from one to five on the combined pieces. Points and ribbons are awarded at each rating level, with five points and a blue ribbon awarded for the top rating, four points and a red ribbon for the next rating, and so on. Students amassing 15 points receive a trophy. Approximately twenty-five students are selected each year for an Honors Recital. Students who receive a Superior rating are eligible to perform in the All Star Festival at the next TMTA State Convention. TMTA MUSIC-THEORY EXAMINATION Fall Theory Exam: October, 2007 Spring Theory Exam: January, 2008 Tyler Junior College Wise Cultural Arts Center [Click Here for Map] (next to the fountain and across from Wise Auditorium) 1400 E. Fifth Street at South Mahon Avenue Tyler, TX 75701 See your ETMTA teacher for entry requirements and assigned days & times. Sponsored by the Texas Music Teachers Association, written theory tests are administered by the East Texas Music Teachers Association. Students scoring at the highest levels receive gold, silver, or bronze medals. All students passing the test are eligible to play in Ensembles at the next TMTA State Convention. MTNA/TMTA COMPOSITION COMPETITION DECEMBER 1, 2007 University of Tyler Braithwaite Recital Hall [Click Here for Map] (In the rear of the Cowan Fine and Performing Arts Center) 3900 University Blvd. Tyler, TX 75799 See your ETMTA teacher for entry requirements and assigned days & times. MTNA/TMTA Composition Competition awards encourage creativity and self-expression in student musicians through the art of composing and to recognize their achievements, as well as the significant work of their teachers. Winning compositions are performed by the student-composers in the state competition at the next TMTA State Convention. MTNA/TMTA PERFORMANCE COMPETITION JANUARY, 2008 University of Tyler Braithwaite Recital Hall [Click Here for Map] (In the rear of the Cowan Fine and Performing Arts Center) 3900 University Blvd. Tyler, TX 75799 See your ETMTA teacher for entry requirements and assigned days & times. MTNA/TMTA Performance Competitions provide educational experiences for students and teachers and recognize exceptionally talented young artists and their teachers in their pursuit of musical excellence, as well as monetary awards for both for winners of the national competition. The local, district, and state competitions are considered the primary educational level, with the regional and national levels showcasing outstanding performance and honoring significant achievement. The performers who win the local ETMTA competition advance to the district competition. LINKS TMTA STUDENT ACTIVITIES TMTA STUDENT WINNERS MTNA COMPETITIONS From the Top! YOUR radio show! Information for Piano Students Practicing Help! Music Games! (click on "Games" at the top of their page) Music Theory More Music Theory Music History & Much, Much More! Visit our Home Page for more Music Links |
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| ETMTA STUDENT AFFILIATE ACTIVITIES |
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| Ethan Barton Andrew Cheung Johannah Carmona Gabrielle Mercado Rianna Bush Derrick Wong Bea Fe Estrelles Mekaela Mirano Alice Cheung Daniel McKinght Brett Blevins Lexa Arante George P. Cole, III |
| Alexandra Brooks Eric Le Aliehs Lee Ellen Burton Kevin Ridad Bryce Jackson Eva Watson Victoria Miller Gentry Fielder Kristin Goodwin Lauren Callender Sam Walker Brandy Koop |
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