Making great music together: collaborate /ke'labe,rat/ verb [intrans.] work jointly on an activity, esp. to produce or create something.

Making great music together: collaborate /ke'labe,rat/ verb [intrans.] work jointly on an activity, esp. to produce or create something. At its best, collaboration is a "process where two or morepeople or organizations work together in an intersection of commongoals--for example, an intellectual endeavor that is creative innature--by sharing knowledge, learning and building consensus." (2) Throughout its history, Music Teachers National Association hasembraced collaboration, reaching out to other musical organizations toshare resources. In 1999, the American String Teachers Association heldsessions in conjunction with the MTNA National Conference. The NationalAssociation of Teachers of Singing has held its Spring Workshop duringthe MTNA National Conferences in 2003 and 2005. The InternationalAssociation of Electronic Keyboard Manufacturers and the National PianoFoundation have also sponsored programming at MTNA National Conferences. One of MTNA's many successful collaborations is with theAmerican Pianists Association. In 2002, APA sponsored a recital byChristopher Taylor, the 2000 APA Classical Fellowship recipient. Thefollowing year, at the national conference in Salt Lake City, APA'sCole Porter Fellow performed at the MTNA FOUNDATION Gala. The 2003Classical Fellows and 2004 Jazz Fellow, along with APA Artistic DirectorJoel Harrison, performed at the 2005 MTNA National Conference inSeattle. "I'm delighted that MTNA has forged this relationshipwith the American Pianists Association," says MTNA ExecutiveDirector & CEO Gary L. Ingle. "Their Fellows, whether classicalor jazz, are always outstanding." APA has been supporting aspiring young artists for more than 30years. Its unique Fellowships, both classical and jazz, offersignificant opportunities for American pianists, ages 18-30, to advancetheir careers. Each Fellowship is valued at more than $75,000 includingcash awards, fees, publicity and recording opportunities. "We are proud of our assistance and innovative competitionformats," says Harrison. "All of our competition events areproduced as public recitals and feature the Finalists in a variety ofsettings. We greatly value the individual artistic sensibilities of eachpianist, very much wish to nurture such individuality and do not imposeany repertoire requirements during our competitions other than thosenecessary for the different genres." APA competitions focus on artistic expression--not on competitiveprowess. Further, it makes an effort to tailor career assistance to suitthe particular needs of the Fellow, offering an array of opportunitiesappropriate to the Fellow's current career development and status.APA strives to be the bridge between professional training and afull-fledged professional career. An example of this career assistanceis the collaborative agreement with Harmonia Mundi to produce a seriesof solo recordings of the 2006 Classical Fellows and an agreement withJoel Chriss & Co. of New York City to provide concert and clubengagements for the 2007 Jazz Fellow for two years. In addition to professional assistance, APA offers opportunitiesfor pedagogical growth through its educational and community outreachinitiative called Concerto Curriculum. In this program, the Fellowsperform in diverse community settings ranging from public and privateschools to multi-service centers and retirement villages. "Informal and often interactive in nature, these concerts giveour Fellows the chance to improve their communication skills in severalways and at the same time bring a high level of music-making tonon-traditional venues," says Harrison. "These sessions areoffered at no cost to the sponsoring venue; we even provide an excellentpiano if one isn't available." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] APA has collaborated with the Cultural Programs Division of theU.S. Department of State, which has sponsored Classical and JazzFellows, as well as Harrison, in international tours since 2003. Alltotal, they have together or separately visited 10 countries worldwide.This year, two Classical Fellows and one Jazz Fellow, along withHarrison, will again perform at the conference. Stephen Beus, SpencerMyer and Dan Tepfer will play a diverse repertoire of jazz and classicalmusic. Max I. Allen Classical Fellow Stephen Beus is recognized as one of the most promising pianists ofhis generation. The winner of the 2000 MTNA High School PianoCompetition and the 2003 MTNA Young Artist Piano Competition, Beus holdsdegrees from Whitman College and the Juilliard School where his teachershave included Leonard Richter and Robert McDonald. In a four-month spanduring 2006, Beus won the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition,the Vendome Prize International Competition, and he was awarded the APAMax I. Allen Fellowship. Earlier in his career, he won the Junior GinaBachauer International Piano Competition and the pre-college division ofthe Corpus Christi International Young Artists Competition. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In 2008, Beus made his Carnegie Hall debut performing ProkofievConcerto No. 3 with the Juilliard Orchestra. He has also performed asguest soloist with the Gulbenkian Symphony, the Tivoli Symphony, theNorthwest Sinfonietta, the Royal Philharmonic of Morocco and the VaasaSymphony Orchestra, as well as with the Indianapolis, Utah, Fort Worth,Tucson, Yakima, Bellevue, Salt Lake and Walla Walla Symphonies. Also an active soloist, Beus has performed in the Salle Gaveau andSalle Cortot, Merkin Hall, the Scuola san Rocco, the Teatro San Carlo,Carnegie Hall, the Queluz palace. He has performed for the Dame MyraHess and Fazioli Salon series, the International Keyboard Institute andFestival, and has given recitals across the United States, as well as inKazakhstan, Russia, Finland, Switzerland, Germany and Morocco. Christel DeHaan Classical Fellow Spencer Myer is garnering stellar audience and critical acclaimfrom around the globe. Gold Medalist of the 2008 New OrleansInternational Piano Competition, he holds a D.M.A. degree from StonyBrook University and holds other degrees from the Juilliard School andthe Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Myer's orchestral, recital and chamber music performances havebeen heard throughout North America, Canada, Europe, Africa and Asia. Hehas been soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra, Louisiana and DaytonPhilharmonic Orchestras, the Bozeman, Indianapolis, Knoxville, NewHaven, Phoenix, Richmond (Indiana), Santa Fe, Southeast Iowa, Tucson andWyoming Symphony Orchestras, and Beijing's China National SymphonyOrchestra Myer's recital appearances have been presented in New YorkCity's Weill Recital Hall, Merkin Hall, 92nd Street Y and SteinwayHall, Philadelphia's Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts andLondon's Wigmore Hall, as well as in Chicago, Cincinnati, FortWorth, Knoxville, Logan and China. An avid chamber musician, he has alsoperformed with the Blair, Jupiter, Miami and Pacifica String Quartets. In 2004, he captured first prize in the 10th UNISA InternationalPiano Competition in Pretoria, South Africa. Myer is also a laureate inthe 2007 William Kapell, 2005 Cleveland, 2005 Busoni and 2004 MontrealInternational Piano Competitions. He is also the winner of the 2000Marilyn Horne Foundation Competition and subsequently enjoys a growingreputation as a vocal collaborator. Myer has been a member of AstralArtists' performance roster since winning that organization's2003 national auditions Cole Porter Fellow Dan Tepfer has been hailed as a "brilliant" and"remarkable" musician. He began classical piano studies at thePaul Dukas Paris Conservatory at age 6 and immediately began to exploreimprovisation. In high school, he regularly performed on the Parisianjazz scene. He graduated from the Conservatory with the Premier Prix duSupdrieur in 1999, while also studying with French jazz great MartialSolal. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Interested in science, he graduated from the University ofEdinburgh in 2003 with a degree in astrophysics. That same year, Tepferwas offered a scholarship to study at the New England Conservatory,where he completed a master's degree in jazz piano performance,studying with Danilo Perez. In September 2002, he was a semifinalist in the InternationalMartial Solal Jazz Piano Competition in Paris and the first-prize winnerin the Edinburgh Festival Competition for classical piano performance.In February 2006, Tepfer won first prize in the Fish Middleton JazzScholarship Jazz Competition in Washington, D.C., and in July, he wasawarded both the first prize and the audience prize in the Montreux JazzFestival's Bosendorfer Solo Piano Competition. In December 2006, hegave an acclaimed solo concert in the prestigious Gilmore Rising StarsRecital Series in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Tepfer studies with jazz pianist Fred Hersch and classical pianistZitta Zohar and is in demand both as a classical and jazz composer. Heis also actively involved in jazz education, teaching at the WheelerJazz Camp and giving master classes in many universities andconservatories throughout the world. Let's Collaborate MTNA is embarking on a celebration focused on collaborative musicmaking--the Year of Collaborative Music (YCM). Launching at the 2010MTNA National Conference in Year of Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Year ofCollaborative Music will continue through the year and culminate duringthe 2011 MTNA National Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Year of Collaborative Music will celebrate the importance ofcollaborative music making in society and in the profession worldwide.Begun by collaborative pianists within MTNA and led by significantnational and international music associations, YCM will promote thediversity of ensemble playing opportunities available to musicians ofall ages and skill levels. For this project, collaborative music is defined broadly as anyactivity involving two or more musicians, particularly one-on-a-part,non-conducted ensembles. The umbrella definition would includeprofessionals, amateurs, families, retirees, students of all ages or anycombination of interested musicians. MTNA is encouraging other professional music organizations to joinin this celebration and is inviting many groups, institutions andassociations to focus on collaborative I music making within that timeperiod. As a part of the yearlong celebration, January 22, 2011, has beendesignated as the International Day of Collaborative Music (IDCM), onespecial day devoted to collaborative music making throughout the world.Hosting simultaneous performances around the world would clearly bringattention to the importance of making music together. Collaborative music will promote the future of all of ourorganizations and the profession; by working together on this project,we will help advance the power of music in society. BYTE BONUS For more information about the Year of Collaborative Music,www.mtna.org and check out the link under Programs. Notes (1.) "Collaborate" New Oxford American Dictionary, secondedition. 2005. (Macintosh edition) (accessed October 14, 2009) (2.) Wikipedia contributors, "Collaboration," Wikipedia,The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Collaboration&oldid=318524179 (accessed October 14, 2009).