10 years of Pedagogy Saturday.

Congratulations to MTNA and Pedagogy Saturday on its 10th Anniversary! The time has flown by. The MTNA Ad-Hoc Committee for the Study of Performance Pedagogy Training had its first meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio, September 29-30, 1995. Present at that meeting, in addition to myself, were pianists Margaret Lorince (chair) and Richard Chronister, Gerald Fischbach who represented strings, and William McIver who represented voice. Ten years later, I still remember how privileged and excited I felt to be able to take part in the invigorating and thought-provoking discussions that ensued. Those discussions culminated in a series of closed task force meetings at the 1996 MTNA National Conference.

We quickly realized that we had crafted something very unique that deserved an audience. We began discussing the possibility of a one-day, pre-conference event that would be open to all who attended the conference, and thus, Pedagogy Saturday came into being. One of the core tenets of our group was that musicians could learn from each other, regardless of discipline. Initially focusing on piano, strings and voice, we eventually added woodwinds. The first Pedagogy Saturday took place at the 1997 MTNA National Conference in Dallas, Texas. Five panels discussed the following topics: "Learning the Language of Music," Observation and Intern Teaching," "The Healthy Musician," "The Teaching Process" and "The Ensemble Pianist." It was an auspicious beginning!

I was a member of the Pedagogy Committee through the 2001 MTNA National Conference, a total of six years. Over that time I watched this day-long event evolve and thrive. For the 2007 MTNA/CFMTA/RCM Conference, we are moving beyond our borders, exchanging ideas with our Canadian neighbors and focusing in-depth on the topic of assessment. Everyone will want to plan their travel so that they can arrive in time to participate in this unique Pedagogy FRIDAY. See you in Toronto!

--Gail Berenson, NCTM 

MTNA President-elect

Margaret Lorince (deceased)

It would be nice if we could say the days are gone when teachers teach as they were taught." In truth, we know many studios throughout our country have remained isolated from the creative thinking that has been taking place in the field of music pedagogy during the last half of the 20th century. MTNA has played an important role in keeping America's studio teachers informed of the innovative changes and promoting the professional growth of its members. Since its founding in 1995, the major goal of the MTNA Pedagogy Committee has been to focus the attention of teachers of all disciplines on the vital, creative forces shaping the music pedagogy of today and tomorrow....

The pedagogy committee recognizes the interdependence of all music disciplines. AMT Editor of Articles and Reviews Barbara English Maris notes in the June/July 1998 issue of AMT, that the "independent" music teacher is also an "interdependent" music teacher. It seems clear that we gain strength from our interdependence when we share our musical and pedagogical knowledge and skills. All disciplines deal with many of the same basic issues in the training of music teachers and in providing in-service refresher courses for the established teachers. By exchanging information and working together we are better able to understand and meet the needs of the music-teaching field.... (excerpted from "Dear Reader," October/November 1999 and October/November 2000 American Music Teacher)

--Margaret Lorince, chair

MTNA Pedagogy Committee 1995-2000

Rebecca Johnson

The discontinuation of Richard Chronister's National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy in the mid-1990s left a huge hole in the area of keyboard pedagogic research and the dissemination of new trends and ideas. In a bold stroke of support, MTNA established the first pedagogy committee with Margaret Lorince as the chair, and a roster of the top pedagogical minds from several instrumental fields. At the inception of Pedagogy Saturday this commit tee constructed a day full of many concurrent panels of experts from the field who acted as the speakers and much of the audience. Over time the word got out about this wonderful day of instruction, and the attendees began to outnumber the panel members!

In 1999 I was flabbergasted to receive a call from Margaret inviting me to chair this wonderful committee. The prospect was so terrifying I asked that she stay on for one more year and let me spend a year as chair-designate, which she graciously agreed to do. By the time I became chair in 2000 the reputation of the day had grown the attendance to the point where the committee felt that the large-panel approach was no longer necessary, and that it was the right time to take a new direction. With this decision the day evolved into a time of inviting experts from within and without the MTNA circle to address the chosen topics. The attendance began to grow even more rapidly, and it was a wonderfully rewarding, energizing and exhausting three years!

I will always be grateful for the four years I had on this committee. The committee members were the top in their field, as well as absolutely delightful people, and that continues to be the case. Happy Anniversary Pedagogy Saturday!

--Rebecca Johnson, chair

Pedagogy Saturday Committee, 2000-2003

Rebecca Shockley

It is difficult to put into words all that I have gained from Pedagogy Saturday over the past 10 years, but I know I am a different teacher today because of it. I have seen the program evolve, as it explored different topics in different formats, and as attendance figures far exceeded all expectations. Still, the original purpose has remained constant: to bring together teachers from all areas of music with specialists from many fields to explore teaching at the deepest levels and to share ideas and learn together how we can become better teachers. It has been a unique part of my professional development and a rich resource for my teaching. I have heard outstanding presentations by musicians, psychologists, educators and others, and I have seen extraordinary videos of teaching at all levels on many instruments, as well as interviews with students. These, together with commentary by skilled observers, have helped me recognize good teaching and understand its principles, and have inspired me to strive to incorporate

into my own work the qualities I have observed in excellent reachers. Through the informal discussion groups with other teachers, as well as my work on the planning committee, I have gotten to know and work with wonderful individuals I might never have met and deepened friendships with colleagues from across the country. I am deeply grateful to the vision of Richard Chronister and to all those who helped create and sustain this unique and valuable program.

--Rebecca Shockley, chair

Pedagogy Saturday Committee, 2003-2005

Steve Betts

For the past 10 years, Pedagogy Saturday has endeavored to increase the effectiveness of music teaching and the training of music teachers. Expert panelists, video clips of exemplary teaching and teaching demonstrations have all been used to inform, inspire and challenge music teachers to new levels of excellence.

The topics have been varied and diverse. Group and private teaching in a variety of settings have all been explored, and presenters from a wide cross-section of educational fields have been included. A variety of instruments, including voice, have all been a part of Pedagogy Saturday since the first meeting in Dallas. In my opinion, this "big-picture" view of music education has been healthy and has made us think about music education more broadly.

The challenges and insights gained from each year's roster of presenters have hopefully encouraged each of us to improve how we promote music learning in our studios. Perhaps now would be a great opportunity for all of us to review our notes from the last 10 years, listen to recordings we may have purchased, and incorporate even more of the ideas and suggestions from the last 10 Pedagogy Saturdays. May what we have learned and continue to learn help fill our studios and the world with more artistic music making.

--Steve Betts, chair

Pedagogy Saturday Committee, 2005-2006

This issue of AMT is dedicated to the late Margaret Lorince, chair of MTNA's first pedagogy committee and co-founder of Pedagogy Saturday. She also served as MTNA president and chair of the MTNA Foundation Board of Trustees. Lorince died July 31, 2004.

National Conferences

March 23-27, 2007

Toronto, Canada

March 29-April 2, 2008

Denver, Colorado