North Shore Music Teachers Association
Connecting the Chicago North Shore community to music educators since 1974.
The North Shore Music Teachers Association (NSMTA) is a group of teachers from the Chicago suburbs who love music and love to teach! We gather for meetings each month to network, exchange ideas, and gain inspiration. We organize events for our students including competitions, recitals, and non-competitive festivals and exams.
Click on any of the links for quick access to NSMTA information:
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NSMTA News and Announcements
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October Newsletter
Read the October issue of The SCORE, NSMTA’s monthly newsletter!
All issues of The SCORE can be found at www.nsmta.org/thescore
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Free Headshot Session
NSMTA is pleased to offer our members headshot sessions at a grand piano during the October 28 meeting. For more information on this offer, read this month's issue of The Score.
You can sign up for a free 5-minute sitting at the link below.
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September Newsletter
Read the September issue of The SCORE, NSMTA’s monthly newsletter!
All issues of The SCORE can be found at www.nsmta.org/thescore
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2024 Member of the Year: Anthony Ty
Anthony Ty has served NSMTA in great capacities with his technical skills in marketing and social media. He also expertly runs the live stream monthly meetings, making the programs accessible to all our membership. Congratulations and thank you for your service, Anthony!
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2024 Teachers Recital & Luncheon
The 50th anniversary of NSMTA’s founding was celebrated at the annual Teachers Recital & Luncheon on June 10, 2024.
View the recital program and gallery of pictures at www.nsmta.org/teachers-recital-luncheon.
NSMTA Monthly Meeting
Join us on the 4th Monday of the month as we gather for our monthly member meetings!
The next monthly meeting is on Monday, November 25, 2024.
9:30-10:00 Pre-Meeting Presentation
10:00 Business Meeting / Coffee & Refreshments
11:00-12:00 Program
We are pleased to offer hybrid meetings:
In-person at Northfield Community Church (400 Wagner Road, Northfield, IL 60093).
Online via Zoom (link emailed to members the weekend prior along with the newsletter).
Head over to the Calendar of Events (or click on the picture) for event information.
Fellow MTNA Members are invited!
Members of other local chapters are always welcome to join our monthly meetings. This is in the collegial spirit and to engage a wider audience for esteemed program speakers. Contact programs@nsmta.org for more information.
November Pre-Meeting: John Ford
Program: A Practical Guide to Teaching Voicing
In a half hour (more or less) I will attempt to give you pragmatic guidance on when, where, and how to teach your students voicing. We will cover voicing between the hands, within the hand, and the differences between what I call vertical and horizontal voicing. You won't want to miss this presentation!
Read John’s biography here.
November Program: Svetlana Belsky
Program: Ferruccio Busoni’s Bach: the Birth of Modern Performance Practice
So much of what we think of today as standard Baroque performance practice -- from terraced dynamics, metricized ornaments, and clear articulation -- is the result of Ferruccio Busoni's editions, performances and teaching. In addition, his transcriptions of Bach's organ and violin works helped create the loving and reverent attitude toward Bach's music and bring his legacy to new generations of pianists and music lovers. This talk explores Ferruccio Busoni's transcriptions (comparing them to those of Schumann, Raff and Brahms and historical editions, as well as showcases Busoni's contributions to our understanding of Bach's polyphony, expressive devices, meter, articulation, and so much more.
Read Svetlana’s biography here.