Feb
11
10:00 AM10:00

East Portland District Meeting

Program: Improvisation as Teaching Tool: How to Integrate Structured and Free Improvisation into Piano Teaching

Speaker: Dr. Stephen Lewis, NCTM

Location: ZRE Music Studio at the Lloyd Center

Improvisation is an amazing mode of music making that can engage student’s creativity while also helping them learn crucial musical and technical skills. In this talk, we will look at a variety of specific techniques and prompts for both structured and free improvisation that can be taught at any ability level, including guided improvisation, free improvisation, and duet improvisations.

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Jan
14
10:00 AM10:00

East Portland District Meeting

Program: Revisiting Roots: Reviving Folk Songs

Speaker: Dr. Lark Powers

Location: Portland Piano Company

Folk songs have much to offer the developing student: accessible and pleasing melodies, limited harmony, balanced phrases, and great variety in character, as well offering an opportunity to connect with past generations and to explore a student’s cultural background. However, a common lament is that many children no longer know many folk songs. This presentation will explore strategies in which teachers can bring folk songs into their student’s lives, including ideas to use them as a vehicle to develop music theory, harmonization ability, singing and playing, and other musicianship skills. In addition, resources will be shared for finding folk songs which show multicultural awareness and which can be chosen to support the cultural identity of one’s students. Discussion will be included about equity of representation and avoiding a lack of contextualization, as well as more information about evaluating the historical context of problematic folk songs.

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Nov
12
10:00 AM10:00

East Portland District Meeting

Program: Syllabus from a Teacher’s Point of View - Syllabus from an Adjudicator’s Point of View

Speaker: Heidi Evans, NCTM

Location: Home of Kristy Moore: 14430 SE willet Dr. Happy valley, OR 97086.

Heidi shares tips on preparing students for Syllabus exams at all levels and tiers, combining the perspective of a teacher of average students and the perspective of a Syllabus adjudicator to make the most of each student’s and teacher’s Syllabus experience.

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Nov
8
9:00 AM09:00

East Portland Honors Recital

Our 3rd annual East Portland Honors Festival will be Saturday, November 8th at Classic Pianos. This Festival is a unique opportunity for teachers to honor students at any level or age with exceptional dedication. In addition, students get to hear musicians from other studios performing a variety of repertoire, including movie scores and arrangements. These recitals will include all acoustic instruments, voice, duets and small chamber groups and conclude with celebratory receptions. Adult students are encouraged to participate and will have a separate recital with memory being optional.   

To register, login to the OMTA website.  Once logged in, click My Teacher Dashboard under Teacher Resources on the main page.  From here you can add students into the system as well as start registration for the festival by choosing East Portland underneath the Festivals tab.  Registration will remain open until Friday October 17. 


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Oct
8
10:00 AM10:00

East Portland District Meeting

Program: Mexican Harmonies: Exploring Piano Repertoire from Mexico

Speaker: Mellisa Terrall

From Tomás León and Guadalupe Olmeda to José Rolón, Melissa presents profiles and representative works of notable Mexican composers. Drawing on her experience as a Fulbright scholar in Mexico City, she will showcase the diversity of Mexican piano repertoire—from salon pieces to folkloric music—while also discussing common misconceptions about Mexican classical music. Attendees are sure to leave more knowledgeable about Mexican composers as well as inspired to interact with their music in a culturally-robust way as teachers and performers.

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