APRIL 2006 NEWSLETTERDATE: April 18, 2006 PLACE: H&H Music, 713 FM 1960 W. TIME: 9:30 AM—Board Meeting 10:15 AM—CCMTA Meeting 11:00 AM--Program GUEST: JOE LOCASCIO PROGRAM: The Art of the Improvisors Houston Jazz Pianist Joe LoCascio will present a clinic on the psychology and philosophy of Improvisation. Joe LoCascio, a native New Yorker, has resided in Houston since 1977. A prolific performer/composer, he has twelve recordings to his credit, many of them having attained prominent radio airplay nationally and abroad. He has performed and/or recorded with jazz luminaries such as Chet Baker, Freddie Hubbard, Dave Liebman, Randy Brecker, Ernie Watts, Marvin Stamm, George Coleman, and George Mraz among others. Jazz critics nationwide have acclaimed him as one of the finest artists on the contemporary scene. He is currently Assistant Chairman of Jazz Studies at Houston Community College, where he teaches Piano, Jazz History, Jazz Ensemble and Improvisation Theory. LoCascio performs and records with his trio, which features bassist Thomas Helton and drummer Richard Cholakian. He also performs and records with saxophonists Woody Witt and Warren Sneed, and the Houston Jazz Nonet. Program Chairman Kevin Guess has outdone himself in securing Joe LoCascio—don’t miss it! *************************************************************************** CALENDAR OF EVENTS
• Saturday, April 8—Spring Festival—Cypress Creek Christian Community Center (CCCCC)
• April 15—Don H. Harris Activity Awards entries by mail to Don Harris (see enclosure & item below) Yearbook Change: All mail to Linda Anthony should go to 5315-B….(the rest of the address is unchanged). High School Piano Competition: Chairman Linda Herring reports that the competition consists of two divisions—Junior, grades 9 and 10; Senior, grades 11 & 12. The judges can award up to four places in each division. This year our judges are Susan Hines-Felder and Cindy Reiss-Riley. Winners are invited to attend our May Luncheon and play one piece. Look for results of the competition in the May newsletter. Piano Duet Recital: Linda Herring and Sharon Peng will be performing at Tomball College (East Hall, Room E252), featuring all-time favorite masterpieces by Handel, Ganz, Dvorak, Schubert, Rimsky-Korsakov, Strauss, Joplin and Suppe. Admission is free. Contact Linda Herring: therring@ev1.net or 281-586-7562. Mass of the Children: The invitation to this concert comes to us from long-time member Sarah Black, who is Director of Music at St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church. Details are in the enclosed flyer. May Luncheon: Please indicate menu choices for you, your guests and students on the enclosed form and return with your check @ $20 each, payable to CCMTA, at the April meeting. If any extensions are necessary, contact Nancy Johnston or Shirley Annis by phone. Harris Activity Awards Deadline is April 15!! Much excitement is in the air again this year for all students who expect to soar somewhat above the minimal number of activity points required for entry into CCMTA’s 4th annual Harris Activity Awards Competition. Cash awards totaling $500.00, and broken down in the manner described on page 59 of our yearbook, will be presented to the top achievers in this year’s competition. In addition, all other participants who qualify for entry by meeting at least the minimal number of required points will receive special honorable mention certificates, ribbons or medals for their noteworthy efforts throughout the year. (Reminder: Last year, the minimal number of points necessary for enrollment increased from 12 points for all grades to 14 points for grades 1-8, and 17 points for grades 9-12.) All necessary information related to application requirements and other specifics of the awards are clearly defined in the enclosed document entitled "Application Procedures of Harris Activity Awards", as well as on pages 59-60 in the yearbook. If there are any further questions or concerns, feel free to contact chairman Don Harris by email or phone. (Emails preferred over calls when possible.) Funding for these very special awards was made possible through an Endowment Fund set up by Pat Wickey, CCMTA’s first President. This very generous fund will provide Activity Awards for CCMTA’s more enthusiastic students for years to come. We are most appreciative and grateful to Pat and her family for enabling us to add such motivating and truly unique awards to our annual student opportunities for musical growth. Local Performance Contest—Orchestral Instruments: There were five winners, all classical guitar students of Andrea Cannon: Jordan Camerino, Derek Haynes, Monica Kortsha, Timothy Park, and James Trevino. You can see their pictures at www.ccmta.org> Photos>Contest Winners. News From the MTNA Conference: The national convention was held in Austin this year, and CCMTA’s Andrea Cannon was well represented. An ensemble with six of her older students played before the Opening Session on Saturday evening, March 25th (which featured Van Cliburn). Their picture is on our website, www.ccmta.org>Photos>Teachers in Action, and TMTA President Sherry Frush spoke to Andrea afterwards about possibly getting a picture to put on the cover of the Texas Music Teacher magazine. Andrea also had a younger student, 9-year old Adam, who played in a master class on Sunday for Pepe Romero, who performed in Houston on Saturday night. According to the boy’s dad, Pepe was very happy with his style of play and technical ability and sent his regards on the fine job Andrea had done with Adam. Publications Contest: Chairman Gena Hughey is pleased to announce that CCMTA has both a winning entry and three outstanding entries in the TMTA Publications contest. The winning entry is Christina Witkowski (student of Cheri Bell), and the outstanding entries are Cydnei Block (student of Sandy Toews), Adriana Cooke (student of Nancy Johnston), and Jesse Lozano (student of Sandy Toews). Teachers can pick up their entries at The Music Rack. World of Music: Chairman Linda Anthony reports that from 10 teachers 117 tests were taken and sent for state grading, for an income of $861. Medals for 84 students (43 for grades 1-3; 41 for grades 4-12) cost $294. The medals have been ordered and are expected by the April meeting. Election of Officers: The Nominating Committee, Linda Anthony, Rebecca May, and Janice VanDerbur, propose a slate of officers for the coming year, namely the same officers serving this year. Additional nominations, with the consent of the nominees, can be made from the floor at the April meeting, after which a vote will be taken. Then nominations are in order for a Member at Large to be added to the slate and to be voted upon. Furthermore. . . Andrea Cannon and husband Jim have their first grandchild—a girl born March 29th, weighing 7 lbs.4 oz. and measuring 19 inches, named Andriana Makenzie Cannon, daughter of their son, Jared, and Margaret Wallace from Beaumont. Her picture is on our website, www.ccmta.org >Photos>Teachers in Action, with her daddy looking on admiringly. Also on that same section of the website is a nice newspaper article on Andrea’s studio, with a picture of her daughter, Maryanna (the teacher in the photo) with a little student! |