VLMTA of North Carolina: Year Four in 2024-25!
YOU ARE INVITED!
Email: llagrimas@wcu.edu for more info
Registration opens in January 2025!
Visit the NCMTA State Festival site for more information
Meet your 2024-25 Officers!
President: Leonidas Lagrimas, NCTM
Vice President/President Elect: Tara Mock
Secretary/Treasurer: Shereen Ivey
Past President: Vicky Fischer Faw
WHAT, WHEN, AND WHERE
The VLTMA of North Carolina meets online on the last Friday of each month at 10:00am Eastern Time.
Note: In November, we will meet the 3rd Friday to avoid Thanksgiving, and there will be no May or December meetings. Missed a meeting? Recording links can be found in the Archive section below!
Next Meeting: Friday, February 28, 2025 at 10am EDT
Presenter: Tara Mock, MM
Topic: CPR: A Practical Guide to Saving and Building Communicaton with Neurodivergent Music Students
Google Meet Link: February 28, 2025, 10:00am, EST (Click Here)
“CPR: A Practical Guide to Saving and Building Communicaton with Neurodivergent Music Students”
Piano and music lessons involve so much more than teaching notes and rhythms, and for our neurodivergent students, the importance of understanding the students’ perspective cannot be overstated. During this presentation, Tara will share her unique perspective as both a longtime piano instructor of neurodivergent students and as a parent of two young adult children who are neurodivergent to help unravel common misunderstandings in perceptions, communication and music studio dynamics. Understanding how a students’ brain works and the perspective of parents can help the teacher have a winning and positive relationship with everyone, and can result in the music lesson being a place for respite and joy for these amazing students and their families.
Tara Mock has been teaching for almost 30 years and owns an independent piano studio in Raleigh, North Carolina. She earned a Master of Music in Piano Pedagogy in 2001 from the University of South Carolina focusing on improvisation for the beginner piano student. After homeschooling her own children with neurodivergent diagnoses for over 14 years, she is focusing on teaching piano to students who learn and experience the world differently as well. She currently serves as the 2nd Vice President of Membership in the Raleigh Piano Teachers Association, President-Elect of the Virtual Local Music Teachers of NC, staff accompanist at Forest Hills Baptist Church, and previously served in various roles in the Jacksonville Music Teachers Association in Jacksonville, Florida. Her family includes her genius husband, two amazing and gifted young adult children, and their beloved dogs. She can be reached at www.taramockpiano.com.
Meeting Link: Use for all regular VLMTA Monthly Meetings
Next Meeting: Friday, February 28, 2025, 10am EDT
Topic: “CPR: A Practical Guide to Saving and Building Communicaton with Neurodivergent Music Students” presented by Tara Mock, MM
Agenda:
- Officer Announcements
- Lightning Talk
- Scale Olympiad Update
- Presentation
Scale Olympiad
Did you miss the inaugural Scale Olympiad? The event was widely supported throughout NC – thank you to all participating teachers, students and judges! See below for further information and FAQs. We look forward to our 3rd Annual Scale Olympiad in 2025!
- Video overviewing of the Scale Olympiad – with video examples of a student performing different levels!
- Minutes from the July 28 meeting, explaining the nuts-and-bolts of Scale Olympiad.
- Levels and requirements of the Scale Olympiad
- FAQs for Scale Olympiad 2024
- Scales and Arpeggios Fingering Chart
Further questions? Contact us at vlmtascaleolympiad@gmail.com.
Meeting Archives
| Meeting Dates | Topic / Presenter | Recording | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02/28/2025 | CPR: A Practical Guide to Saving and Building Communicaton with Neurodivergent Music Students Presenter: Tara Mock, MM | Meeting Recording | Minutes of 01/31/24 Meeting (Kasey Stokes |
| 01/31/25 | What’s Next? Navigating Post-Graduate Life Presenter: Kasey Stokes | Meeting Recording | Minutes of 11/22/24 Meeting (Christopher Goldston, Presenter |
| 11/22/24 | Continuing the Legacy: The Music of Margaret and Christopher Goldston | Meeting Recording | Minutes of 10/25 Meeting (Connor Chee, Presenter) |
| 10/25/24 | Harmonizing Cultures: Integrating Indigenous Music into Piano Pedagogy Presenter: Connor Chee | Meeting Recording | Minutes of 9/27 Meeting (Elizabeth David-Everhart, presenter) |
| 9/27/24 | John Williams likes Fourths: Discovering the Superpowers in your Neurodivergent Students Presenter: Dr. Elizabeth Davis-Everhart | Meeting Recording | Minutes of 8/30 Meeting (William Perry, presenter) |
| 8/30/24 | Finding the Perfect Piece with Piano Music Database Presenter: William Perry | Meeting Recording | Minutes of 7/26 meeting Click here for Kevin Woosley slideshow |
| 7/26/24 | Life Wellness for Busy Musicians Presenter: Kevin Woosley | Meeting Recording | Minutes of 6/28 Meeting and Tonya Kirk slideshow (Conference Preview) |
| 6/28/24 | Business Meeting | Meeting Recording | Minutes of 4/26 Meeting |
| 4/26/24 | Does your Feedback Need Fixing? How to Find Words That Matter Presenter: Leila Viss | Meeting Recording | Minutes of 3/29 Meeting |
| 3/29/24 | 10 Tech Hacks for the Modern Studio Presenter: Ryan Greene | Meeting Recording | Minutes of 2/23 Meeting |
| 2/23/24 | Teaching Strategies and Repertoire to Use on Your Next Teaching Day Presenter: E.L. Lancaster | Meeting Recording | Minutes of 1/26 Meeting |
| 1/26/24 | The Transposed Musician: Teaching Universal Skills in the Music Lesson to Improve Performance and Benefit Life Presenter: Dylan Savage | Meeting Recording | Minutes of 11/17 meeting |
| 11/17/23 | Finding the Voice in the Music Lesson-Oh, the Things That Might Mean! Presenter: Cathy Pescevich Kreplin | Meeting Recording | |
| 10/27/23 | Studio Refresh! Essential Business Topics to Revisit Annually Presenter: Karen Thickstun | Meeting Recording | Minutes of 9/29/23 Meeting |
| 9/29/23 | Transforming Struggling Students With Pure Tones Presenter: Karen Knight | Meeting Recording | Minutes of 8/25 Meeting |
| 8/25/23 | Double Feature: 1) Fun pieces from NCMTA Junior rep lists you may not know 2) Sneak peek at an upcoming 3-volume pedagogical edition of the complete keyboard works of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges Presenter: Doug Jurs | Meeting Recording | Minutes of 7/28 Meeting |
| 7/28/23 | Scale Olympiad: Our Fall 2023 Fundraiser | Meeting Recording: Please Refer to this recording for information about the Scale Olympiad! | Minutes of 6/30 Meeting |
| 6/30/23 | Meet your NCMTA State Leadership/Officer reports | Meeting Recording | |
| 4/26/23 | Expanding Repertoire Choices Presenter: William Chapman Nyaho | Meeting Recording | Minutes of 3/31 Meeting |
| 3/31/23 | MTNA National Conference recap | ||
| 2/24/23 | Our Students Have Something to Say! (Exploring Student Creativity in Your Studio from Start to Finish) Presenter: Diane Higgins | Meeting Recording | |
| 1/27/23 | Storm in the Studio: Pedagogical Strategies for Teachers Instructing Students with Hyperactivity, Disruptive Behaviors, and Inattention Presenters: James Douthit, DMA and Kathryn Douthit, Ph.D. | Meeting Recording | Minutes of 11/18 meeting: Click here |
| 11/18/22 | Why Didn’t I Think of That? Presenter: Dennis Alexander | Minutes of 10/28 Meeting: Click Here | |
| 10/28/22 | The Joy of Teaching “Typical” Students Presenter: Martha Hilley | ||
| 9/30/22 | Arranging your Students’ Success: Incremental Steps to Teaching Scales and Chords Presenter: Dr. Vicky Fischer Faw, NCTM | Minutes of prior meeting-Click Here | |
| 8/26/22 | Evaluating (and composing) Pedagogical Repertoire. Presenter: Dr. Andy Villemez, CCM | Meeting Recording | Presentation Handout-Click Here |
| 7/29/22 | Turning Lemons into Lemonade: Ideas for Productive Lessons When Students Don’t Practice. Presenter: Laura Chu Stokes, NCTM | Meeting Recording | Presentation Handout-Click Here Minutes of prior meeting – Click Here |
| 6/24/22 | ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING | Meeting Recording (Email llagrimas@wcu.edu if prompted for passcode) | Minutes of Prior Meeting |
| 4/29/22 | A Seat at the Piano: Mindfully Changing the Canon – Presenter: Annie Jeng, DMA | ||
| 3/25/22 | Ask-me-anything – Presenter: Kevin Chance, DMA | ||
| 1/28/22 | Real World Approaches to Sight-Reading – Presenter: Leonidas Lagrimas, PhD | ||
Link to final draft of Bylaws.
VLMTA Meeting #2 Friday, February 25, 2022 11:00 am EST
Unable to attend the most recent meeting? Click the button below to view the video recording. Password required – please contact one of the VLMTA leadership team.
VLMTA, 1/28/22 – Inaugural Meeting
The inaugural Virtual Local Music Teachers Association – VLMTA of Western North Carolina – held its official organizational meeting and launch party Friday, January 28, 2022, 11am-noon on Zoom
Officers
- President – Vicky Fischer Faw, Alleghany County, fischer@elon.edu
- Secretary/Treasurer – Laura Chu Stokes, Watauga County, eznotespianostudio@gmail.com
- President-Elect and Vice President – Leonidas Lagrimas, Jackson County, llagrimas@wcu.edu
Who was invited
All interested NCMTA members in Western North Carolina. The organizational meeting targeted western NC teachers who are already members of NCMTA/MTNA. If you couldn’t make it but are interested in joining, or if you know of NCMTA members not yet on our radar, please let us know!
Agenda
- Organization and Ceremonial signing of the charter
- Discuss goals and next steps in moving forward together to serve the specific musical needs of our region
- Presentation by Dr. Leonidas Lagrimas, NCTM, DMA, NCMTA Collegiate Chair, Assistant Professor Western Carolina University) “”
What was accomplished
- 18 members signed the charter
- 4 VIP guests from NCMTA were in attendance
- Officers were elected
- Plans for the next meeting were announced: FRIDAY, FEB 25, 11:00 am (Save the date!)
- Before that meeting we will share two things:
Draft of our new bylaws for discussion and approval
A survey to learn more about each other, share ideas and lay the groundwork for future. That survey is on its way soon—I’m not sure it was clear that we didn’t have it ready to go today.
What else?
Reach out to music professionals who are not yet NCMTA/MTNA members. While it is a challenge for us to identify potential members across such a large area, you know who your neighbors are. MTNA and VLMTA are offering substantial financial incentives for first-time new members, so please invite them to contact us, and invite them to the next meeting.
Warmly,
- Vicky Fischer Faw, NCTM, President VLMTA fischer@elon.edu
- Laura Chu Stokes, NCTM, Secretary/Treasurer VLMTA eznotespianostudio@gmail.com
- Leonidas Lagrimas, NCTM, Vice President for Membership/Technology VLMTA llagrimas@wcu.edu
IMPORTANT NOTE FROM VLMTA
If you’re an NCMTA member and would like to join VLMTA, you can always add our Virtual Local MTA by logging into your MTNA account – annual dues are $10.