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Georgia Music Teachers Association: Interviews with Georgia Music Teachers Made possible with support from the MTNA Foundation.

Georgia Music Teachers Association


    • Aug 14, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 34m AVG DURATION
    • 58 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Georgia Music Teachers Association

    Episode 58: Sarah Elias

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2023 43:41


    Sarah Elias shares about how to motivate your students to practice, how to juggle a busy schedule as a professor and a mom, and what growing up in a household of professional musicians was like.

    Episode 57: Justin Dougherty

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2023 32:47


    Cellist Justin Dougherty discusses finding his way as a professional musician through the development of skills outside of academia, the importance of communicating realistic expectations to parents, and his interest in new music.

    Episode 56: Esther Park

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2023 34:49


    Esther Park shares about her educational journey from Juilliard Pre-College to Germany to Yale, her experience preparing for international competitions, and playing as a professional piano duo with her sister. At the conclusion of the interview, Esther Park shares a performance of Chopin's Ballade No. 2 in F major, Op. 38.

    Episode 55: Laura Gordy

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2023 35:20


    Laura Gordy shares about the early days of Rice University establishing their prestigious music program, her interest in new music, and the varied aspects of her life-long career in music.

    Episode 54: Katherine Emeneth

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2023 61:00


    Katherine Emeneth talks about her entrepreneurial path toward music, how she coaches other musicians in creating a viable business, and provides practical advice to young professionals.

    Episode 53: Larisa Elisha

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2023 29:38


    Larisa Elisha shares about her upbringing in former Soviet Union, her career in Poland, her journey to America, and collaborations with her husband, cellist, Steven Elisha. The interview concludes with Larisa's performance of Rodion Shchedrin's À La Manière d'Albéniz with pianist, Karla Rocker.

    Episode 52: Carol Payne

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2023 24:35


    Carol Payne talks about going back to school for a Ph.D. later in life, questioning traditions of standard scale fingerings and memorization, and the future of classical music.

    Episode 51: Chenny Gan

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2023 31:29


    Chenny Gan discusses the relationship between visual art and music, life in Georgia and Germany, the influence of jazz in her life, and shares a recording from her Classic Meets Jazz 2.0 Series.

    Episode 50: Giuliano Graniti

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2022 42:33


    Giuliano Graniti shares insights about Italian culture and the Italian conservatory system, his perspectives on what is effective and meaningful teaching, and his ongoing projects in pedagogy, technology, and performance.

    Episode 49: Vicente Della Tonia Jr.

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2022 36:42


    Vicente Della Tonia shares about the conservatory system in Brazil, the challenges he encountered as an international student teaching his first class in America, his current performance and research projects, and three books that are must-haves for piano teachers.

    Episode 48: Joshua May

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2022 34:18


    Joshua May shares about his breadth of musical experiences, working in higher education, opera, and outreach programs, the future (and virtual reality) of classical music, and the continuing legacy of his teachers.

    Episode 47: Elena Cholakova

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2022 28:48


    Elena Cholakova shares about her musical upbringing in Bulgaria, her journey to America, her advocacy for lesser-known works and women composers, and the importance of saying "yes" to professional opportunities for young musicians.

    Episode 46: Jerico Vasquez

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2022 27:57


    Jerico Vasquez shares about his musical beginnings in the Philippines, the "Listening Club" he started with a colleague at Shorter University, and his love for and promotion of new music.

    Episode 45: Tom Pearsall

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2022 24:46


    Tom Pearsall shares about his self-taught beginnings, how group piano has changed in the last 30 years, and an insider's history into the GP3 Conference and its association with MTNA.

    Episode 44: Sam Brown

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2022 33:19


    Sam Brown shares about his journey from piano student to public school administrator, how he mentors teenagers through performance anxiety, and his passion for showing young musicians the diversity of career opportunities in the arts.

    Episode 43: Katrin Meidell

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2022 32:52


    Katrin Meidell shares about her journey from a violinist to violist, her recovery from performance injury and how that has made her a better teacher, and advice for young professionals.

    Episode 42: Doug Farwell

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2022 36:34


    Doug Farwell talks about his musical upbringing, the importance of listening to good music in a student's educational development, and the need to teach kindness and good citizenship to our students.

    Episode 41: Huu Mai

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2022 36:48


    Huu Mai shares about his passion for teaching, how this passion has come as a surprise to him, the convergence of his numerous interests, and the necessity of letting go of expectations in order to enjoy the process of music.

    Episode 40: Kris Carlisle

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2022 25:18


    Kris Carlisle shares about his performance journey in new music, how he approaches teaching contemporary music to students, and advice for young musicians.

    Episode 39: Amy Neal

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2022 28:36


    Amy Neal shares about the impact of her teachers on her life trajectory, some organization and motivational ideas for studio teachers, and goal-setting for both herself and her students.

    Episode 38: Uni Choi

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2022 28:00


    Uni Choi talks about her musical development in Uzbekistan and America, the challenges of balancing professional life and personal life, and how being a musician has turned out differently than what she had imagined or expected for herself.

    Episode 37: Marissa Woodall

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2022 20:47


    Marissa Woodall shares about the influence of GMTA on her life, gives our listeners a sneak peak into the world of dressage freestyle, and shares life lessons about music and teaching that she has learned from her donkeys.

    Episode 36: Alex Wasserman

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2022 36:30


    Alex Wasserman talks about his late start in piano and how that has strengthened his teaching, recommends one of his favorite books, and shares a hopeful view for the future of classical music.

    Episode 35: Cindy DeFoor

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2022 21:41


    Cindy DeFoor shares about her career as a piano teacher throughout the Southeast Region of the US, the influence of GMTA on her life as a student of piano and now as a teacher, and what advice she would give to young professionals. To hear Cindy's compositions, go to: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdK5SK0fMMjDhf9y9mBZ4dw

    Episode 34: Monique Arar

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2022 33:13


    Monique Arar discusses a return to music after working in the non-profit sector, the importance of parental support for student success, and teaching composition to her students.

    Episode 33: Anne - Marie Cherry

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2022 32:46


    Anne-Marie Cherry discusses her musical beginnings in Texas, discovering effective practicing, a semester-long book club she hosts with her students, and current pedagogical and performance projects.

    Episode 32: Javian Brabham

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2022 27:16


    Javian Brabham shares about his educational journey from rural South Carolina to teaching in academia, the process of overcoming a performance injury, and advice for young professionals.

    Episode 31: Wendy Warner

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2022 20:31


    Wendy Warner talks about her childhood in Chicago, studies at the Curtis Institute, and growth as a teacher in Georgia.

    Episode 30: Lisa Handman

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2022 18:51


    Harpist Lisa Handman talks about her journey from her initial love of music to a life in the corporate world that eventually led to a return to music; She speaks from personal experience about the importance of following your dreams.

    Episode 29: Boris Abramov

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2022 35:36


    Boris Abramov, violinist, talks about his musical upbringing in Israel, his development at the Schwob School of Music under Professor Sergiu Schwartz, and the high value he places on fundamentals in playing and teaching.

    Episode 28: Kelly Bryant

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2022 45:30


    Kelly Bryant shares about her love-at-first sight reaction to the flute, her performance and teaching career, and practical advice for parents about encouraging a love of music in children.

    Episode 27: Joshua Pifer

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2022 73:19


    Joshua Pifer talks about his beginnings in Tokyo, Japan, being a pre-med major who rejected a medical school acceptance for a life of music, and his journey to his current teaching position at Valdosta State University.

    Episode 26: Judith Siegel

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2022 21:53


    Judith Siegel shares about the discovery and premiere of a Leschetizky Concerto, the origins of Alexander Peskanov's "Anniversary" Concerto, and her teaching philosophy.

    Episode 25: Sonja Foster

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2022 49:09


    Sonja Foster shares about her educational foundation studying with legendary teacher, Ivan Galamian, the success of her highly selective pre-collegiate studio, and pedagogical advice for fellow teachers. To read the GMTA Teacher of the Year article, go to: https://georgiamta.org/teacher-of-the-year.php

    Episode 24: Kyung - A Yoo

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2022 33:21


    Kyung-A Yoo shares about her path to collaborative piano, overcoming the challenges of being a performing musician, and the lessons learned along the way.

    Episode 23: Gloria Gardiner

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2022 27:18


    Gloria Gardiner, founder of Greenwood School of Music, shares about her road back to music as an adult learner, her career in special education, and the encouragement her family continues to provide in her musical journey.

    Episode 22: Cameron Fuhrman

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2022 49:36


    Cameron Fuhrman discusses making music through intellect and intuition, her current projects, and the challenges and joys of being a musician. Her website can be found at: https://www.cameronfuhrman.com/

    Episode 21: Diane Boyd

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2022 25:23


    Diane Boyd shares about her unusual journey to becoming a professional musician, lessons about teaching, and advice for young professionals on how to succeed as a musician.

    Episode 20: Dian Lawler - Johnson

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 3, 2022 33:56


    Dian Lawler-Johnson talks about her education and extensive career in higher education teaching voice to students of all ages and abilities.

    Episode 19: Francis Leach

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 27, 2021 34:45


    Francis Leach, originally of British Guiana and now based in Georgia, shares about his teaching philosophy, passion for music, and hope for the future.

    british guiana francis leach
    Episode 18: Susan Andrews

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2021 37:16


    Susan Andrews, past GMTA president and winner of the Teacher of the Year Award, talks about her career as a piano teacher and her involvement with MTNA at various levels of the organization. To read the Teacher of the Year Article on Susan Andrews, go to: https://georgiamta.org/teachersOfTheYear/2017SusanAndrews.pdf

    Episode 17: Martha Thomas

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2021 46:38


    Martha Thomas shares with us reflections on her musical education, experiences as a teacher, and recent projects.

    Episode 16: Grace Huang

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2021 33:30


    Grace Huang talks about the impact her teachers have on her life, her teaching approach, and advice for young professionals.

    Episode 15: Ping - yun Hsu

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2021 49:51


    Ping-yun Hsu shares about her beginnings in Taiwan, her transformative education in Germany, and about her teaching studio in Georgia. To read the GMTA Article on Ping-yun Hsu's 2018 Teacher of the Year Award, go to: https://georgiamta.org/teachersOfTheYear/2018PingYun-Hsu.pdf

    Episode 14: Joy Poole

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2021 23:33


    Joy Poole talks about her upbringing and the various hats she has worn as a musician, from public school teacher to church musician to private studio teacher.

    Episode 13: Christina Toole

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2021 41:57


    Christina Toole talks about her education, career path, and overcoming performance injury.

    Episode 12: Tracy Xian

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2021 51:26


    Tracy Xian talks about her childhood and training in China, coming to America, and her recent pedagogical projects.

    Episode 11: Amy Phillips

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2021 29:10


    Amy Phillips talks about juggling life and career as a young mom, establishing a new private studio during the COVID lockdowns, and developing a sense of humor about oneself.

    Episode 10: Portia Hawkins

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2021 53:28


    Portia Hawkins talks about growing up in the south, the influence of her teachers, her interest in promoting works by African American composers, and her approach to teaching. To read the GMTA Teacher of the Year Article on Portia, go to: https://georgiamta.org/teacher-of-the-year.php Portia recommends these resources for those interested in teaching repertoire by Florence Price, available in multiple volumes: https://www.classicalvocalrep.com/products/A-Collection-of-Florence-Prices-Piano-Teaching-Music-Vol-1-Beginning-Pieces-384524.html

    Episode 9: Pam Asberry

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2021 30:11


    Pam Asberry talks about teaching, composing, recording, creativity, and how to know if music is the right career choice. To purchase Pam Asberry's compositions and hear her recordings, go to: https://pamasberry.com/

    Episode 8: Kristi Helfen

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2021 43:13


    Kristi Helfen talks about taking organ and piano lessons growing up, going to Costa Rica for a year, joining and performing in a piano ensemble, earning a master's degree later in life, and creating a method book for retirement-age adults.

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