<![CDATA[Michibago Music Teachers Association - MMTA BLOG]]>Tue, 03 Feb 2026 01:20:41 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Composition Contest]]>Fri, 27 Oct 2023 16:07:17 GMThttps://www.mmtawisconsin.org/mmta-blog/composition-contestCongratulations to all of the participants of the Composition Contest! Thank you for sharing your hard work and creativity. Thank you to our judge, Elizabeth Gartman for your gracious feedback!

For a more detailed listing including Honorable Mention students, check out the Composition Contest page. To hear recordings of each participant's piece, please go to our Facebook Page.

Division 2 Winner:   Kalia Wattenford - Troll’s Parade
Student of Shelba DeMaster
Division 3 Winner: Andrew Tiefel - Beyond Sunlight
Student of Erika Moldenhauer

Division 4 Winner: Abbi Heinen - National Parks of the West
Student of Shelba DeMaster

 Division 6 Winner: Marlene Wondergem - Portrait of a Rippling River

About our Judge: Elizabeth Gartman
Elizabeth Gartman is a composer/soprano based in New York City. Her compositions explore vocalism, process in performance, and active listening and response. Elizabeth’s music has been commissioned by the Washington National Opera, New Chamber Ballet, Beth Morrison Projects, Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra, InfraSound Ensemble, Ensemble Chemie, Pax Duo, and others. Recent accolades include selection as a composer fellow with American Opera Initiative (2023), the William Schuman Prize for Most Outstanding Score with BMI Student Composer Awards (2021), and Runner Up of Beth Morrison Projects Next Generation (2022). This season, Elizabeth will premiere a one-act opera at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., a full length ballet at Mark Morris Dance Group in Brooklyn, and a choral piece with the NYC Virtuoso Singers. Elizabeth holds degrees from the Manhattan School of Music (M.M. Composition 2021) and the University of Illinois (B.M. Vocal Performance, B.M. Composition 2019).
Of special note to Michibago Music Teachers is that Elizabeth graduated from Sheboygan North High School. She participated in many choir and music activities at North High and in the Sheboygan Community.  Perhaps, in the future, some of the composers from this year’s competition will join her in the national and international music scene.


]]><![CDATA[Fall Festival - Composers of Color]]>Thu, 08 Dec 2022 20:57:08 GMThttps://www.mmtawisconsin.org/mmta-blog/fall-festival-composers-of-colorCongratulations to all of the participants for their hard work preparing and for successful performances at our Fall Festival! The Festival took place at Lakeland University on November 19th, 2022 and our judge was Michael Rector from UW-Green Bay. 

Also a big shoutout to Shelba DeMaster (festival chair) and all of the teachers for their hours of preparation to organize all of the details of the day and to ensure things ran smoothly. Find below pictures of the winners and runners-up, as well as the result forms.
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Winners! Pictured from left to right. Seated:  Easton Garty, Aiden Tian;  Standing: Grace Schultz, Chloe Meyer, Milo Ottens
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Runners-Up! Pictured from left to right. Seated: Clarita Medel, Jaylon Jones; Standing: Isaac Felder, Piper Vetting, Liam Murphy, Abbi Heinen
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One of our many Honorable Mentions! Pictured is ​Liam Hoffman.
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]]><![CDATA[Fall 2022 Composition Contest]]>Wed, 09 Nov 2022 18:23:11 GMThttps://www.mmtawisconsin.org/mmta-blog/fall-2022-composition-contestThank you to our judge Sam Ecoff for his wonderful feedback and for each student and teacher involved in the Composition Contest! Find the list of performers and videos below. 
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]]><![CDATA[Young Musical Stars 2022]]>Tue, 10 May 2022 20:14:59 GMThttps://www.mmtawisconsin.org/mmta-blog/young-musical-stars-2022
The 11th annual Young Musical Stars was wonderful afternoon and evening of music, taking place on Saturday, April 30. Concerts took place at 3:30 and 6 pm at the beautiful Stefanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts on 8th street in Sheboygan. Ticket costs this year were $10 in advance and $15 at the door.

We at MMTA were so happy to have this concert in person again this year after missing it the past two years for the pandemic. It was refreshing to get back to hearing kids play music together and be in the beautiful theater.

We were thrilled to present a special guest for both concerts this year: PianoArtist John Schindler. He gave some words of encouragement to students before performing Beethoven's Sonata in B-flat Major, op. 106 Hammer-Klavier, Mvt. I. Allegro. It was inspiring to hear and see the artistry that he displayed in playing this dynamic movement. John received his graduate degree from The Julliard School.
We always announce the recipient of MMTA’s Music Study Award at YMS. Tricia Martin presented the award this year to Abigail Heinen, a 7th grade pianist! The Music Study Award is an award of $500 designed to help a student take a significant step forward in their musical pursuits by defraying the cost of lessons or the purchase of music or an instrument. Congratulations, Abigail!

One more exciting announcement we made at the concerts was the sponsorship of YMS for the next five years by Bullard Children's Dentistry, in honor of Steve Hamer's 75th birthday earlier that week. They have made a five-year commitment to give $2,000 per year for the concert. Steve helped found this event 12 years ago with the dream of making it possible for kids to play on the big stage at the Weill Center, where the pros play, and inspire the musical youth of our community. To date, Young Musical Stars has allowed more than 1,000 young musicians in our area to perform at the Weill Center. Steve is Shannon Bullard's father and Dr. George's father-in-law. The Bullards have also been active in YMS with their children performing in YMS concerts each year since the very first one. MMTA is very grateful for Steve Hamer's support of YMS over the years and the Bullards' sponsorship!

We hope to see you back next year for YMS 2023!
]]><![CDATA[World Patriotic & Folk Music Festival]]>Sat, 20 Nov 2021 15:00:32 GMThttps://www.mmtawisconsin.org/mmta-blog/world-patriotic-folk-music-festivalCongratulations to the participants of the World Patriotic & Folk Music Festival! It was refreshing to have an in-person festival again after going virtual all last year. We would like to thank all of the students who participated today for bringing such diverse and interesting selections, and we hope you enjoyed making music today. 
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Festival Results
Teachers are denoted in parentheses.
​Grade 1, 2, & 3

Winner- Jaron Vincent (Vincent)
Runner Up- Simon Feldner (Mann)
Honorable Mention- Wyatt Collins (Hoppert Keller)
​Honorable Mention- Josiah Arentsen (DeMaster)
Grade 4

Winner- Easton Garty (Harrington)
Runner Up- Isaac Feldner (Mann)
Honorable Mention- Lauren Hopeman (DeMaster)
Honorable Mention- Joel Vincent (Vincent)
Grade 5

Winner- Emma Puhl (Harrington)
Runner Up- Eli Horne (Phillips)
Honorable Mention- James Walter (Harrington)
Honorable Mention- Veyda Toerpe (DeMaster)
Honorable Mention- Eva Rozeboom (DeMaster)
​Grade 6

Winner- Emilia Garces (Carper)
Runner Up- Casey Roethel (DeMaster)
Honorable Mention- Matthew Kanz (DeMaster)
Honorable Mention- Charles Perronne (DeMaster)
Honorable Mention- Michael Wilson (Mann)
Grade 7

Winner- Milo Ottens (DeMaster)
Runner Up- Gwen Wichman (Marton)
Honorable Mention- Liam Hoffman (Marton)
Honorable Mention- Abbi Heinen (DeMaster)

Grade 7 Vocal

​Honorable Mention- Victoria Beaumont (Phillips)
Grade 8

Winner- Kiah Murphy & Addison Achter, Duet (Carper)
Runner Up- Sofia Rodriguez (DeMaster)
Honorable Mention- Levi Toerpe (DeMaster)
Honorable Mention- Levi Ruona (Blasczyk)
Grade 9

Winner- Victoria Garces (Carper)
Runner Up- Joshua Vincent (Vincent)
Honorable Mention- Rebekah Berg & Grace Schulz, Duet (Marton)
Honorable Mention- Amie Burgard & Andrea Rozeboom, Duet (DeMaster)
Honorable Mention- Addison Home (Phillips)
Honorable Mention- Lucy Pattee (Harrington)
​
​Grade 10

Winner- Pria Joseph (Carper)
Runner Up- Amelia Veldman (Blasczyk)
Honorable Mention- Emma Ottens (DeMaster)
Honorable Mention- Annelise Kleiber (Mann)
Grade 11 & 12

Winner- Chloe Meyer (Marton)
Runner Up- Jaylon Jones (Marton)
​Honorable Mention- Martha Ruona (Blasczyk)
]]><![CDATA[Composition Contest 2021]]>Fri, 15 Oct 2021 05:24:23 GMThttps://www.mmtawisconsin.org/mmta-blog/composition-contest-2021Congratulations to the students and teachers that participated in our Composition Contest! We would like to thank our judge, Mike Springer, for providing valuable feedback!

​Winners and Honorable Mentions are listed below as well as in the videos. Enjoy!
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]]><![CDATA[Themes of Nature Festival 2020]]>Mon, 23 Nov 2020 11:44:26 GMThttps://www.mmtawisconsin.org/mmta-blog/themes-of-nature-festival-2020The Michibago Music Teachers Association is pleased to announce the results of our virtual Themes of Nature Festival! We had 99 participants in divisions from kindergarten through adult and duets. We'd like to thank the students and teachers for their work in preparing for MMTA's first ever virtual festival, festival chair Shelba DeMaster for her leadership and work in ensuring everything went smoothly, the parents and support people who helped in many different ways behind the scenes, and our wonderful judges!

Judging for us were Joselyn Vandermause and Justin Krueger, and their bios can be found at the conclusion of this post. ​Vandermause said of the festival, "These precious students and their music were a true blessing to my week! Especially this year, I hope everyone feels encouraged by my comments, and congrats on putting together such a successful exchange!!!" 

Please view the festival results below. Performance videos of the Winners and Runners-Up are displayed here in lieu of an in-person recital. All participants receive a judging sheet and festival certificate while Winners, Runners-up, and Honorable Mentions receive a gold seal on their certificate. Decisions of the judges are final and to be accepted with good sportsmanship.

Thank you again and congratulations to all of our participants for their entries and effort in making this fall festival a success!

Themes of Nature Festival Results

Division 1: Kindergarten, Grade 1, & Grade 2
WINNER - Austin Wong (Gr. 2), Teacher Elisabeth Carper
RUNNER-UP - Molly Weir (Gr. 5K), Teacher Lydia Matthews
HONORABLE MENTION - Katerina Garty (Gr. 1) , Teacher Lydia Matthews
WINNER Austin Wong (2nd Grade), Curious Cat by T. Richert
RUNNER-UP Molly Weir (5K), Rainforest Mystery by Julie Knerr
Division 2: Grade 3
WINNER - Helen Rogers, Teacher Elizabeth Carper
RUNNER-UP - Grant Heinen, Teacher Emile Blascyk
HONORABLE MENTION - Joel Vincent, Teacher Sarah Vincent
WINNER Helen Rogers, Rainbow Fish by C. Rollin
RUNNER-UP Grant Heinen, Japanese Moon by Lynn Freeman Olson
Division 3: Grade 4
WINNER - James Walter, Teacher Lydia Matthews
RUNNER-UP - Evan Clark, Teacher Lydia Matthews
HONORABLE MENTION - Eli Horne, Teacher Elaine Phillips
HONORABLE MENTION - Kieran DeMaster, Teacher Shelba DeMaster
WINNER James Walter, Lady of the Lake by Daniel McFarlane
RUNNER-UP Evan Clark, Shadows at Dusk by Julie Knerr
​Division 4: Grade 5
WINNER - Claire Debbink, Teacher Shelba DeMaster
RUNNER-UP - Noah Hopeman, Teacher Shelba DeMaster
HONORABLE MENTION - Emilia Garces, Teacher Elizabeth Carper
HONORABLE MENTION - Amelie Pankow, Teacher Elizabeth Carper
HONORABLE MENTION - Charles Perronne, Teacher Sarah Vincent
HONORABLE MENTION - Liam Murphy, Teacher Elizabeth Carper
WINNER Claire Debbink, Sunset Serenade by Frank Levin
RUNNER-UP Noah Hopeman, Copper Canyon by Kevin Olson
Division 5: Grade 6
WINNER - Eliana Howe, Teacher Shelba DeMaster
RUNNER-UP - Gwen Wichman, Teacher Tricia Marton
HONORABLE MENTION - Milo Ottens, Teacher Shelba DeMaster
HONORABLE MENTION - Liam Hoffman, Teacher Louise Mann
HONORABLE MENTION - Claudia Purvis, Teacher Louise Mann
WINNER Eliana Howe, Columbia, Great River of the West by V.R. Roubos
RUNNER-UP Gwen Wichman, Butterflies by W. Lege
​Division 6: Grade 7
WINNER - Charlotte Bullard, Teacher Sarah Vincent
RUNNER-UP - Ariana Ortlieb, Teacher Lydia Matthews
HONORABLE MENTION - Kiah Murphy, Teacher Elizabeth Carper
HONORABLE MENTION - Naomi Doss, Teacher Shelba DeMaster
HONORABLE MENTION - Zack Miller, Teacher Louise Mann
WINNER Charlotte Bullard, The Gathering Storm by Valerie Roth Roubos
RUNNER-UP Ariana Ortlieb, Green Tangerine by Dennis Alexander
Division 7: Grade 8
WINNER - Addison DeBlaey, Teacher Shelba DeMaster
RUNNER-UP - Addison Horne, Teacher Elaine Phillips
HONORABLE MENTION - Lucy Pattee, Teacher Lydia Matthews
HONORABLE MENTION - Sawyer Moore, Teacher Elizabeth Carper
HONORABLE MENTION - Grace Schultz, Teacher Tricia Marton
HONORABLE MENTION - Evelyn Walton, Teacher Tricia Marton
WINNER Addison DeBlaey, Rhythm of the Rain by Kevin Olson
RUNNER-UP Addison Horne, Gray Granite by Dennis Alexander
Division 8: Grade 9 & Grade 10
WINNER - Paul Ritter (Gr. 9), Teacher Tricia Marton
RUNNER-UP - Josué Medel (Gr. 10), Teacher Tricia Marton
HONORABLE MENTION - Emma Gosse (Gr. 10), Teacher Elaine Phillips
HONORABLE MENTION - Emma Ottens (Gr. 9), Teacher Shelba DeMaster
HONORABLE MENTION - Pria Joseph (Gr. 9), Teacher Elizabeth Carper
HONORABLE MENTION - Chloe Meyer (Gr. 10), Teacher Tricia Marton
WINNER Paul Ritter (Grade 9), Dejeuner dans la Cour by Eugenie Rocherolle
RUNNER UP Josué Medel (Grade 10), Mill on the Brook by Theodore Kullak
Division 9: Grade 11 & Grade 12
​WINNER - Jaylon Jones (Gr. 11), Teacher Tricia Marton
RUNNER-UP - Jia Phillips (Gr. 12), Teacher Tricia Marton
HONORABLE MENTION - Grace Artery (Gr. 11), Teacher Louise Mann
HONORABLE MENTION - Martha Ruona (Gr. 11), Teacher Emile Blascyk
HONORABLE MENTION - Diego Estrada (Gr. 11), Teacher Pru Palecek
WINNER Jaylon Jones (Grade 11), To A Water Lily by MacDowell
RUNNER-UP Jia Phillips (Grade 12), Forest Birds by Adolf Jensen
Adults
HONORABLE MENTION - George Schroeder, Teacher Louise Mann
​Ensembles
WINNER - Kiah Murphy and Addison Achter, 
Teacher Elisabeth Carper
RUNNER-UP - Alaina Holycross and Gwendolyn Wichman, 
Teachers Sarah Vincent and Tricia Marton
HONORABLE MENTION - Mya Norman and Lydia Matthews, 
​Teacher Lydia Matthews
WINNERS Kiah Murphy and Addison Achter, Birch Tree Rag by R. Vandall
RUNNERS-UP Alaina Holycross and Gwendolyn Wichman, Swirling Winds by R. Vandall

Judges

Joslyn Vandermause holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance with an Emphasis in Piano Pedagogy from Lawrence Conservatory of Music in Appleton, WI. She studied with Mary Van De Loo, Prof. Kathleen Murray, and Prof. Catherine Kautsky. In 2001, she won the Rocky Ridge Concerto Competition in Estes Park, CO, under study with Prof. David Abbott and Beth Mueller-Grace. She also had the great privilege of performing with their live student orchestra. Since 2002, she has taught piano as an independent instructor, given talks on various pedagogy topics at the local level, and taught at summer camps, such as the Lawrence Academy Piano Odyssey day camp. Joslyn has written articles that have been published in the WMTA newsletter, as well as served in her local FVMTA as president, vice-president-program chair, and on many planning committees for Monster Concerts and local fundraisers. Her students have won various state and national competitions in performance and composition, and some have gone on to study music at the collegiate level. Joslyn enjoys teaching K-adult students, judging, conducting, and learning new music. In leisure, she enjoys spending time in nature with her husband, Aaron, visiting art museums, cooking, and knitting. 

Justin Krueger NCTM teaches in the piano area at St. Norbert College. He is a nationally certified teacher of music and an active member of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), Wisconsin Music Teachers Association (WMTA) and Fox Valley Music Teachers Association (FVMTA). He serves as director of liturgy and worship at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church in Neenah, Wis. He is also the director for the Green Bay Diocesan Chorale and maintains an independent piano studio.

Krueger is active as a performer, adjudicator and a collaborative pianist, who serves currently as the FVMTA president and as the Vice President of Membership for WMTA. He has presented at various local, state and national conferences and workshops, including the 2019 WMTA Conference in Eau Claire, Wis., the 2019 MTNA Conference in Spokane, Wash., and the 2016 National Conference on Group Piano and Piano Pedagogy at Oberlin College. His article “Smartphones, Tablets, and Chocolate Cake,” was published in AMT Magazine in 2019. His musical instructors have included Peter Amstutz, Andrew Trechak, Sylvia Coats and Elaine Moss.
]]><![CDATA[Composition Festival 2020]]>Sun, 11 Oct 2020 20:01:30 GMThttps://www.mmtawisconsin.org/mmta-blog/composition-festival-2020Picture
Our 2020 Composition Festival results are in! We want to thank our judge Wynn-Anne Rossi for working with our students this year, as well as the teachers and students who worked hard to submit entries!

Wynn-Anne Rossi is a renowned composer with vibrant educational outreach. Her compositions have inspired audiences across the United States and around the world. She has over 100 publications, primarily for piano, which are widely distributed online and in music stores.  Her repertoire also includes works for vocal and chamber groups, concert band and orchestra. You can find her complete biography here.

Congratulations to all the participants and teachers on their hard work, and special congratulations to the winners and honorable mentions!

Composition Festival Results

Division 1: Kingergarten - Grade 2
Sad Face by Katerina Garty, student of Lydia Matthews - Winner
Division 2: Grades 3-5
Day and Night by Giuliana Miller, student of Lydia Matthews - Winner
Witches by Ena Formolo, student of Jenni Hogan - Honorable Mention
Division 3: Grades 6-8
The Duchess' Ballroom by Grace Schultz, student of Tricia Marton - Winner
The Storm's Arrival by Avery Harmes, student of Jenni Hogan - Honorable Mention
Summer Wagon Ride by Abbi Heinen, student of Shelba DeMaster - Honorable Mention
Division 4: Grades 9-12
A Deep Breath by Mario Truong, student of Pru Palecek - Winner
Sledding by George Phillips, student of Tricia Marton - Honorable Mention
Division 6: Collegiate Musicians and Music Teachers
Storm Chasers by Lydia Matthews - Winner
Go Forth in the Dance by Marlene Wondergem - Honorable Mention 
Division 5: Adult
Sabato Cafe by John Balma, Jr., student of Beverly Mark - Winner
Chroma's Color Orchestra by Grace Heine, student of Beverly Mark - Honorable Mention
Daryl and the Printer by Julie Ruh, student of Beverly Mark - Honorable Mention
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]]><![CDATA[Sonatina/Sonata Festival - Fall Festival 2019]]>Sat, 23 Nov 2019 15:03:45 GMThttps://www.mmtawisconsin.org/mmta-blog/sonatinasonata-festival-fall-festival-2019
We enjoyed hearing all of the beautiful sonatinas and sonatas today at our fall festival, held at Lakeland University, and seeing all of the bright, smiling faces! Congratulations to everyone who performed, and a special congratulations to the winners, runners-up, and honorable mentions! 
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The Winners' Recital took place at 4:00 pm in Bradley Auditorium.

Festival Results
Teachers are denoted in parentheses. 

Ensembles -- All Grades and Adults
Winner - Gwendolyn Wichman and Alaina Holycross (Marton and Vincent)
Runner-Up - Shawn Kanz and Shelba DeMaster (DeMaster)
Honorable Mention - Victoria Garces and Addison Schliewe (Carper and Blasczyk)
Honorable Mention - Jeni Hopeman and Shelba DeMaster (DeMaster)

Grade 1 & 2
Winner - Liberty Adelman (Varshavski)
Runner-Up - Joel Vincent (Vincent)
Honorable Mention - Phoenix Otten (Casper)
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Grade 3
Winner - Giuliana Miller (Matthews)
Runner-Up - Mae Mathews (Casper)
​Honorable Mention - Veyda Toerpe (DeMaster)

Grade 4
Winner - Emilia Garces (Casper)
Runner-Up - Noah Hopeman (DeMaster)
Honorable Mention - Carmen Carolfi (Varshavski)
Honorable Mention - Casey Roethel (DeMaster)
Honorable Mention - Anna Beine (Vincent)

Grade 5
Winner - Gwendolyn Wichman (Marton)
Runner-Up - Liam Hoffman (Mann)
Honorable Mention - Ben Duwell (Marton)
​Honorable Mention - Elizabeth Yetzer (Marton)

Grade 6
Winner - Joshua Vincent (Marton)
Winner - Abbi Heinen (DeMaster)
Runner-Up - Zack Miller (Mann)
Honorable Mention - Addison Achter (Carper)
Honorable Mention - Charlotte Bullard (Vincent)
​
Grade 7
Winner - Sawyer Moore (Carper)
Winner - Alaina Holycross (Vincent)
Runner-Up - Evelyn Walton ( Marton)
Honorable Mention - Victoria Garces (Carper)
​Honorable Mention - Grace Schultz (Marton)

Grade 8
Winner - Hannah Sowin (DeMaster)
Runner-Up - Paul Ritter (Marton)
Honorable Mention - George Phillips (Marton)

Grade 9 & 10
Winner - Chloe Meyer (Marton)
Runner-Up - Jeremiah Vang (Marton)
Honorable Mention - Jia Phillips (Marton)
Honorable Mention - Jaylon Jones (Marton)
Honorable Mention - Josué Medel (Marton)

Grade 11 & 12
​Winner - Joshua Vang (Marton)
Runner-Up - Jacob Yasonick (Shapiro)
Honorable Mention - Jonathan Grimins (Wagner)
Honorable Mention - Sofia Santamaria-Micher (Marton)

Adult
Winner - George Schroeder (Mann)
Runner-Up - Simon Ulrich (Carper)
​Honorable Mention - Bill Fricke (Mark)
]]><![CDATA[First Meeting of the Year and Teacher Retreat 2019]]>Tue, 08 Oct 2019 03:24:53 GMThttps://www.mmtawisconsin.org/mmta-blog/first-meeting-of-the-year-and-teacher-retreat-2019
Michibago teachers enjoyed the first meeting of the new school year at the studio of Louise Mann, on Friday, September 27, with Barbara Froehlich, NCTM presenting on rote teaching for beginners. She is part of the Fox Valley Music Teachers Association and brought many helpful materials and ideas to share with us about teaching beginners. We were pleased to meet several new members at this meeting and are looking forward to a full and successful year!

Our teacher retreat kicked-off that afternoon as well, this year at a lakeside vacation home in Waupaca. Topics discussed this year included performance anxiety and strategies to help our students, mental health when balancing a busy teaching schedule, and using Music Mind Games to teach music theory, among many others. The board game Maestro! about famous composers of European history was enjoyed among the teachers, along with other games, fresh air, campfires, and copious amounts of delicious food and drink. A good time of connection and renewal was had by all in attendance!
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