Our August newsletter is available to read and/or download here:
Download available here: RMTA Newsletter_August 2022
Hello RMTA Members,
I am excited about the upcoming year, and I am eager to work together to promote musical growth and development for Reading area music teachers and students. I met with the board this past Friday, followed by a meeting with the RMF scholarship committee, and I was reminded how truly fortunate we are to live and work in such a supportive, music-loving community! There are so many opportunities for music students and teachers made possible by these organizations and the volunteers who give so generously of their resources. We will review these at our next meeting, but for now I am especially grateful to our board members, past and present; and specifically to Barbara Lanza and Millie Eben for their tremendous dedication to the organization, as well as for the mentorship they continue to provide. I want to also recognize and thank Holly, Jennifer, and Rod for stepping into leadership positions that will allow the organization to continue its mission.
Speaking of mission, as I started to go through the material passed down from previous presidents, humbled by the body of work represented in the meticulously archived files and folders, I found myself returning several times to the mission statement outlined in our bylaws:
The purpose of this corporation shall be: to further the art of music; to promote the professional growth and development of its members by providing programs that encourage and support teaching, performance, composition, and research; to provide ongoing performance and educational opportunities for students of its membership; to promote and support music and music education in the community; to promote public awareness of the value of music education for all individuals.
I don’t know about you, but when I read those words, I don’t have to dig very deep to find a wellspring of energy and hopefulness. For me, these words not only outline the purpose of our organization, but they resonate deep within me to the root of my own sense of purpose as a musician and educator. I am amazed by the thought that almost all of my early music education was formed by members of this RMTA organization; and as we forge ahead into very uncertain times, I find great comfort knowing that for 96 years, Reading music teachers have been passing a flame of musical knowledge from generation to generation (PS – have you read the wonderful article that Mille wrote for the organization’s 95th anniversary!?). Today, we continue our pursuit of that mission in various ways: through scholarships, festivals, workshops, recitals, and regular conversations about best-practices among our members. Below I have outlined a basic calendar of this fall’s events, but it is important to note that even these will not be possible without both the support of and participation from our members – current and the ones
we have yet to meet. If, like me over the past several years, you find yourself unable to make it to the regular meetings, I hope you will reach out via e-mail and help us find ways to engage you in your teaching. Yes, there are many ways the organization needs your help – but we also need to understand what our membership needs from us, and to do so, we need open and active communication from all of you!
RMTA Calendar of Events – Fall 2022
(unless noted, all events are at Immanuel UCC 99 S Waverly St. 19607)
September 23 Board Meeting 9:00AM
September 23 General Meeting 10:00AM
October Dorothy Sutton Performance Festival
October 1-8 Registration Window Open Online
October 22 DSPF Adjudications As Scheduled
October 23 DSPF Recital for Qualifying Students 3:00PM
We discussed many other ideas, including workshop and performance opportunities, and we are eager to add to this calendar following our September meeting (I will send more information about that specific meeting in September, but for now, please mark the date and plan to attend). I don’t know about you, but for me, amidst all that is happening locally and globally, when none of the “usual tricks” seem to be working and I feel like I’m digging deep and coming up empty, I am
buoyed by the thought that I can turn to music and this organization of passionate, talented teachers for inspiration, resources, and support. As philosopher and theologian Henri Nowen puts it, “the art of living is to enjoy what we can see and not complain about what remains in the dark.” I believe, as an individual and for us as an organization, that joy and light– no matter how much darkness surrounds us- is always the music. None of us knows what lies ahead, but whatever challenges arise – in our music making and music teaching, or even just in our personal lives – we each can turn to the collective, and in doing so help our organization and the hundreds of students connected to the RMTA continue to grow in their life-long relationship with music.
Until we meet in September, there are several ways you can do something NOW to help further our mission as an organization:
1) Send an e-mail to readingmta2020@gmail.com with your current DSPF participation plans (YES, NO, MAYBE – and the rough musical makeup of your participants). 2) Consider volunteering for one of the open leadership positions. We are in desperate need of someone to help with the online registration and behind the scenes coordination for DSPF 3) Contact me directly for conversation (+/- coffee!) about ways we might leverage our resources (members, website, scholarships, festivals and activities) to grow the organization. 4) Take a few moments to peruse our website: www.readingmusicteachers.org, noting updates,
additions, or subtractions that we could make to the site. 5) Help promote the organization on Social Media (or let us help promote you) by sharing or creating
a post about music teaching, musical collaboration, or other things you think our membership and community might find interesting. Tag us and we will share!
I look forward to working with you all and hope to see many of you at the meeting in September!
Stephen Longenecker
stephen.longenecker@gmail.com