Author Archive: Miriam Cole

2024 Popular Music Festival Acknowledgements

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This past Saturday, a smorgasbord of movie themes, ragtime, Broadway songs, video game music, jazz tunes and even an original composition, filled the Cuyamaca College Theatre. This was due to the Annual Popular Music Festival which featured students of various levels in three recitals. Aside from pianists, there were budding jazz singers as well as a violinist making this event even more special. Congratulations to all participating students who shared their music with us, and a big thank-you to all the teachers, families and friends who braved the rain to come and support these young performers.

Judges Yuko Maruyama and Steve Baker wrote comments and suggestions which will be sent by email to the students’ teachers. The students were rewarded with individual certificates and a medal at the end of each recital.

Event co-chairs Chutaphin Yeager and Miriam Cole, along with Yuko Maruyama would like to extend their gratitude to the teachers who helped out: Irina Bessanova, Lea Schmidt-Rogers and Anna Savvas. Your help was very valuable.

The 2024 Popular Music Festival Participating Studios were: Irina Bessonova, Jim Guerin, Vanessa Lee, Yu Carole Liu, Floyd Lo, Yuko Maruyama, Carol Ong-Chen, Anna Savvas, Lea Schmidt-Rogers, Anna Stal, Chetan Tierra, and Mei Yin

We hope to see you all again next year!

2023 Popular Music Festival Acknowledgement

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Congratulations to all participants who performed in the Popular Music Festival this weekend! Thank you to all participating teachers, who prepared their students for this first in-person Popular Music event since the start of the pandemic. The three recitals were held at the beautiful Cuyamaca College Theatre and provided a marvelous auditory display of the talents of the participants. We enjoyed listening to jazz, pop, boogie, rag, movie and video game music as well as works by favorite contemporary composers. The selections included improvised music and original arrangements by teachers and students. We even had a performance on electric guitar, a singer accompanying herself on piano, and a pianist performing to a Latin percussion track.

Dr. Taylor Smith of Cuyamaca College and Yuko Maruyama served as judges. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped out throughout the day: Irina Bessonova, Kathy Kim, Yuko Maruyama, Leslie Olson, Carol Ong-Chen, and Chutaphin Yeager

Participating studios: Eunji Bae, Irina Bessonova, Jim Guerin, Yoonhee Huh, Kathy Kim, Philip Lim, Yu Carole Liu, Yuko Maruyama, Leslie Olson, Carol Ong-Chen, Anna Stal, and Chutaphin Yeager

We hope to see you again next year!

2021 Pop Festival Acknowledgement

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Did you just listen to a theme from a movie or a video game, a Justin Bieber song or a hymn? In an MTAC San Diego event? Yes! It was heard at the virtual presentation of the Annual Popular Music Festival just this past weekend. The students expressed their appreciation of the piece before the video was played and listeners enjoyed the many renditions of ragtime, ballads, blues, boogie and others. What a refreshing change from “serious” music.

It was apparent from the quality of the performances on the videos that the students enjoyed learning and performing their pieces. Thank you students and teachers for your preparation and participation in this unique MTAC San Diego event.

Grateful acknowledgements go to the evaluators, Yuko Maruyama and Dr. Taylor Smith. Co-chairs Chutaphin Yeager and Miriam Cole with a lot of help from Yuko Maruyama made this event a reality. Many thanks to the participating teachers:

Irina Bessonova, Paul Burd, Miriam Cole, Brian Goral, Jill Griffin, Victor Labenske, Jiwon Lee, Philip Lim, Yuko Maruyama, Leslie Olson, Carol Ong-Chen, Anna Stal, Anna Vasilyeva, Elena Vizuet, and Chutaphin Yeager.

2020 Popular Music Festival Acknowledgement

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To all 2020 Popular Music Festival Participants and Viewers:

Congratulations on being a part of the annual Popular Music Festival! The three virtual recitals displayed our students’ abilities while keeping the listeners entertained with syncopation, jazzy chords and show tunes. 39 students submitted their videos under the supervision of the following MTACSD teachers:

Irina Bessonova, Paul Burd, Miriam Cole, Jill Griffin, Jim Guerin, Philip Lim, Yu Carole Liu, Yuko Maruyama, Leslie Olson, Carol Ong-Chen, Anna Stal, Stuart Thurston, Chetan Tierra, Luba Ugorski, and Mei Yin

Without the expert handiwork and sacrificial time by our very own President, Yuko Maruyama, this event would not have happened. Thank you, Yuko, for this production as well as being one of the evaluators. We would also like to acknowledge and thank Taylor Smith for his expert comments. Also, many thanks goes to Risa Schapiro for helping out with the video coordination and preparation.

Gratefully,
Miriam Cole, Co-chair
Chutaphin Yeager, Co-chair



President’s Message – 3/18/19

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Dear MTACSD Members,

Congratulations to each and everyone for a successful production of the Certificate of Merit. Teachers, students, parents and volunteers alike braved the rains and the new venues and the demanding schedule. Thank you for your hard work, flexibility and patience.

I especially would like to ask everyone to extend their appreciation to the super hard-working CM crew headed by our incredible CM Branch Chair, Eleanor Hum:

Jamie Lin: Co-chair and Piano Scheduling Coordinator
Michelle Rumley: Winds and String Coordinator; Site Coordinator-MBMA; State CM Chair
Hanan Jammal-Ouchi: Teachers’ Work Scheduler and Tammy Lee, her Assistant
Lee Galloway: Evaluator Coordinator; Site Coordinator-Cuyamaca College
Jaclyn Summers and Brian Goral: Hospitality Coordinators
Mitzi Kolar: Data Entry Room Head
Dawn Yocom, Sachiko Reiners and Philip “Jay Jay” Lim: Grading Room Heads
Kathy Shoemaker and Dragana Matic: Theory Testing Heads
Chutaphin Yeager and Yuko Maruyama: Site Logistics

In addition, we couldn’t have done it without all the volunteer runners who escorted our students safely to and from their evaluations. Also, I know there are other hard-working teachers not mentioned here but I will leave those names for Eleanor to acknowledge in person.

This year, Cuyamaca College and the Mission Bay Montessori Academy both welcomed us to their locations for our CM evaluations. The performance evaluations and theory testing, spread over 8 days, were a challenge to our team from the organizational standpoint. However, we are very appreciative of both schools’ support for our program, and we are assessing how to improve next year’s CM plans. We hope to make productive changes for the better.

I suggest that everyone take a short “time out” and congratulate yourself for a job well done before you embark on the next events: Bach, Chopin and Goodlin.

Thank you again for your cooperation, patience and understanding.

Sincerely,
Miriam Cole
President
MTAC San Diego

President’s Message – 12/20/18

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Dear MTACSD Members,

At about this time, many are wrapping up presents, if they have not done it yet. It is also the time of wrapping up 2018 and bracing for another year which holds promises and challenges. We hope that in the year 2019, you will be motivated and equipped to encourage and inspire your students. There are many events that your students could be prepared for, aside from Certificate of Merit. Playathon, Piano Duo Festival and the Southern California Junior Bach Festival are coming soon, and the Concerto Competition deadline is on January 7.

It is our hope that your students will continue to grow in their confidence in your teaching and encouragement.

Have a great holiday season and a wonderful New Year!

Sincerely,

Miriam Cole
President
MTAC San Diego

President’s Message – 10/5/18

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Dear MTAC San Diego Members,

It was wonderful seeing all of you at the Fall Breakfast Meeting. For those who missed it, please try to come next year. It was a time of connecting and reconnecting with other members, and a time of gathering loads of information for the upcoming year, not to mention the partaking of a delicious breakfast.

By now, order has come to your studios, the dust caused by the activities of the new school year has settled. So we look forward to another year of events to “whip” your students into shape. Our first event, Popular Music Festival, is on November 3 (deadline: October 13). We hope to see your students participate in the light and fun-filled music recitals. After the last recital, our very own 1st Vice President Yuko Maruyama will do a workshop on Jazz Improvisation. Make use of this great opportunity for your students.

I need to mention the change of venue and dates for the 2019 Certificate of Merit. You will note that there are six different dates, (three weekends in March,) for the piano performance evaluations. The CM Committee will try hard to accommodate your schedule needs BUT they would also need your cooperation and understanding. There are about 1,200 students to schedule, so that is a daunting task as it is. As for the CM piano venue, Cuyamaca College is a newer institution. The buildings are clean and new, and most important of all, the rooms are spacious and the College’s grand and upright Steinway pianos are in great condition. So driving more miles for a better CM experience is worth it. Please read carefully the schedule and venue changes and inform the parents as soon as you can.

One of the “perks” of our MTAC membership is a subscription to the state MTAC magazine, California Music Teacher. Our very own member Eileen Wingard wrote an article entitled, “Karl Moldrem: Violin Teacher of Toddlers,” (p.32-33, Fall 2018 edition.) It is an account of Mr. Moldrem’s teaching practices and influence on certain musical giants. Congratulations, Eileen, for your article!

Hats off to all of you for this new school year!

Sincerely,
Miriam Cole
President
MTAC San Diego

President’s Message – 8/6/18

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We are halfway through the summer and some of the students will be starting their school year soon. The big question is: ARE YOU READY?

To enhance your readiness, our branch celebrates the new school year by gathering together for our Annual Fall Breakfast. It is a time of acquaintance and “touching base” with colleagues and also a time of information for the upcoming year. We will highlight the event chairs so you may approach them to thank them and ask questions about their event. This wonderful Breakfast is mandatory for teachers of students who participate in Certificate of Merit.* Attendance is vital because there are many changes to CM this year. We are also going to honor a teacher who will be receiving our branch “Harmony Award.” This award is given to the teacher who gave the most volunteer hours of his/her time to help out with events. These are a few items we have for you.

I would like to welcome Rachel Mendoza, our new Corresponding Secretary. When you have questions about the website or would like to send relevant informational email to the membership, she is the one to contact. We are so happy to have her join the Board!

We hope to see you there on September 17, 2018.

Sincerely,

Miriam Cole
President
MTAC San Diego Branch

*CM Teachers who could not attend the Fall Breakfast have alternative sessions to go to.

President’s Message – 5/4/18

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Dear MTACSD Teachers,

A few more weeks and the school year is over. I would like to congratulate every teacher for a job well done. I trust that your students have learned and improved their skills and musicality. And a big THANK YOU to all the teachers for your participation and help in all our events. It has been a very busy and rewarding year that it flew rather fast.

The annual state MTAC Convention is going to be held at the Hyatt Regency Orange County from June 29 to July 3. It will be full of information from renowned lecturers and high quality performances you would not want to miss.

So we look forward to summer. Let me make a few suggestions regarding your summer teaching activities, if I may.

  • Use this time to have your students learn easier pieces i.e., jazzy, popular-ish. In this way, they will be prepared for our first event next year, the Popular Music Festival. You will find resources in the CM Syllabus. And, voila, one CM piece will have been learned.
  • Another is to pair up your students for 4-hand music. There is a vast literature on this genre. Some of them are arrangements and/or transcriptions, which is always fun for the students. Sibling pairing is ideal for this, which would make all parents proud. Later on, they can enter in the Piano Duo Festival.
  • For String, Wind, Brass and Voice teachers, muster up your young prodigies for VOCE. This is a state MTAC event which involves concertos for orchestral instruments and arias or art songs for vocalists. This event is usually held around January or February so learning that literature early would be useful. (You will find necessary information on the State MTAC website. There is a link below.)
  • Take a 2-week break from teaching to rejuvenate and formulate ideas or goals.

Have a great summer.

Yours,
Miriam Cole
President
MTACSD

President’s Message – 3/12/18

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Dear MTACSD Teachers,

A few more days and the culmination of hours of preparation and learning will take place at San Diego State University. CM is coming! Ready or not, it will arrive. There will be students who will experience triumph if they are ready and others will experience disappointment with the realization that practice and work really makes a difference. Let us hope there will be more triumph rather than disappointment.

While everyone was busy preparing the students for this big event, there were those behind the scenes working so hard to prepare for CM to be a reality and a success. To name a few: Eleanor Hum, Dr. Mitzi Kolar and Chutaphin Yeager. Because of these three wonderful people, the students, evaluators, volunteers and teachers can enjoy their CM at SDSU with ease and safety. Please make sure to thank them when you see them.

It is no secret that the teachers enjoy the catered lunch. It is also a well known fact that CM evaluators do not mind the trek “down south” because we treat them and feed them so well. Much “catching up” and “getting to know you” conversations float all over the lunch room which is great music to listen to. I hope to see you there!

Yours,
Miriam Cole
President
MTACSD