CFMTA Convention Report and Analysis 2009

CFMTA Convention Report and Analysis 2009
Sackville, New Brunswick

Arriving in Sackville is like arriving on a movie set of the Dick van Dyke show, or Leave it to Beaver. Lovely and quaint, with not a mall in sight is how the locals describe it. I agree.
The convention was off to a great start with a lobster cruise and dinner on a boat in the beautiful harbour of Sediac. Eighty teachers, presenters, and vendors had a delightful time learning the fine art of cooking and eating a lobster. Hint, after cooking in boiling water, immediately plunge into ice water for 10 minutes and then serve on its back.

The following day the workshops begun with my presentation “Riffs, Rags and Rumbas: Intro to Contemporary Idioms Piano Syllabus” to an enthusiastic audience. Teachers want to improvise they just don’t think they can, a pity everyone can. A person just needs help and permission to do it better. I will be presenting a three hour version of this workshop across Canada at the end of summer, including Toronto. Contact me if you would like to attend. Other centres include St. John’s, Moncton, Halifax, and Ottawa and points west.

The next highlight for me was the CFMTA National Piano Competition. One student per province competed. I’m pleased to announce that Eric Tan from Ontario made the finals. It was very instructive to listen carefully to the young musicians play with grace under fire.

Convention attendance is a highly recommended activity for all of us teachers: lots of learning, sharing, and professional growth.

Cheers,
David