Music Educators Association of New Jersey

Serving teachers and students since 1927

Message from the President - Segue to Fermata

Nancy Modell

Experiencing creativity ~ those moments when inspiration takes over and imagination and ingenuity merge. We are awestruck when we face it in any art form but it is close to a miracle when we hear music creatively created by our own piano students. What a moment! We are all filled with pride. As Forrest Kinney wrote in Creativity Beyond Compare: "the most profound fulfillment comes in those moments when I am creating what only I can create... vividly aware that the possibilities of creation are infinite yet somehow deeply personal." I am particularly proud that, this year, there were new teacher participants whose students submitted original compositions to the Eric Steiner Composition Competition. We hope for even more teachers entering their students next year. We were wowed by the Competition entries and were awestruck during the Original Composition Festival by the performances of compositions by students that did not enter the Competition. Bravo to the teachers and their students!

We were captivated and mesmerized by the high-level performances of our students, guided by inspiration, at the 2017 Piano Competition Winners' Recital. Attending the Teachers' Master Class, skillfully led by Master Teacher, Douglas Humpherys, was an enriching experience for all. The Annual Auditions are just ahead, guaranteeing encouraging words and useful feedback for our students to support our teaching. Top results from the Young Artist Competition will award students' participation in a Master Class with insightful Victor Rosenbaum at our June 15th meeting.

The MEA-NJ welcomed 11 new members to our Association this year! We are growing but we need your help. Move outside your comfort zone and become an MEA-NJ volunteer! I am convinced there are a lot of untapped creative juices amongst our members. Please get in touch with me with your ideas. Summer may seem like a fermata, but Board members are working behind the scenes preparing our upcoming events - and we are grateful for their volunteerism.

We look forward to being together with all of you again during our 90th Anniversary Celebratory year, 2017-18. Renew your membership now and receive all the exciting information about these events.

Musically yours,
Nancy Modell

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