2025 WSMTA CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

CONNECTIONS ON THE COLUMBIA
June 28-30, 2025

More information on each presentation, recital, and meeting will be coming soon.
*Please note, schedule, and presenters are subject to change.

1:00 – 1:15 pm
Welcome to the 2025 WSMTA Conference:
WSMTA President Colleen Hunter, NCTM and Conference Co-Chair Carol Cross


1:15 – 2:45 pm
Guest Artist Presentation:
Artina McCain and Martin McCain


White tea cup

2:45 – 3:00 pm
Coffee, tea, and treats


3:00 – 3:45 pm
Jensina Oliver, NCTM

Maestro! Cultivating Artistry and Nuance Through Conducting

3:00 – 3:45 pm
Frances Goei, NCTM

So You Want to Compose?


4:00 – 4:45 pm
Honors Recital #1

4:00 – 4:45 pm
Sarah Silvia and Matt Clemon

American Folk Song Singalong

4:00 – 4:45 pm
Sarah Barclay

Keys to Crossover: Classical to Jazz


5:00 – 7:00 pm
Dinner on your own


7:00 – 8:00 pm
Young Composers Project and Commissioned Composer of the Year Concert
(reception to follow)


9:00 – 10:30 pm
Trivia Night

CONFERENCE HOME

8:00 – 9:00 am
Coffee, tea, and treats


9:00 – 9:45 am
Kay Zavislak, NCTM

From the land of the Rising Sun: Introduction to Japanese Composers

9:00 – 9:45 am
Sarah Lightfoot

Creative & Confident


9:45 – 10:30 am
Coffee and tea top up


10:00 – 10:45 am
Leann Osterkamp He

Baby of a Concert Pianist: Building Technical Foundations Away from an Instrument

10:00 – 10:45 am
Michelle Rahn

Finding comfort while playing a Chin-strument


11:00 am – noon
Honors Recital #2

11:00 – 11:45 am
Rose Freeman, NCTM

MTNA Certification for You

11:00 – 11:45 am
Darin Kaschmitter

Musical Theatre (Pit)falls


Noon – 1:00 pm
Lunch


1:00 – 2:00 pm
Annual Members Meeting


2:00 – 2:45
Brian Shepard

The Power of Community


White tea cup

2:45 – 3:00 pm
Coffee, tea, and treats


3:00 – 3:45 pm
Gabriel Merrill-Steskal

Playing the Right Wrong Notes: Melodic Ornamentation in Mozart and Chopin

3:00 – 3:45 pm
Rose Johnson

Are Copyright Laws Helping or Hurting The Classical Music Community?


4:00 – 5:00 pm
Honors Recital #
3

4:00 – 4:45 pm
Elizabeth Morris

Early Childhood Music

4:00 – 4:45 pm
Natalie Kahler
Harnessing the power of solfege to teach theory, reading, and composition


5:00 – 6:00 pm
Happy Hour


White ceramic plate with fruit

6:00 – 7:30 pm
Banquet
(advance ticket purchase required)


7:30 – 9:00 pm
Guest Artist Concert:
Artina McCain and Martin McCain
(reception to follow)

CONFERENCE HOME

8:00 – 9:00 am
Coffee, tea, and treats


9:00 – 9:45 am
Ricardo de la Torre

(Not Another) Lecture on Bach Performance on the Piano

9:00 – 9:45 am
Representation and Advocacy

Moderated discussion


9:45 – 10:30 am
Coffee and tea top up


10:00 – 10:45 am
Laura Dean

Beyond the Studio Walls: Creating opportunities and building connections in a variety of educational settings

10:00 – 10:45 am
Mengyiyi Chen

Rhythms of Heritage: Exploring Chinese contemporary piano suite ‘Long and Short’ (1984)


11:00 am – noon
Honors Recital #
4

11:00 – 11:45 am
Carmen Still

Studio Management: Wrangling the Business Side of the Private Studio

11:00 – 11:45 am
Yimo Zhang

Developing Holistic Musicianship from the Beginning by Using the Solfege System 


Noon – 1:00 pm
Lunch


1:00 – 2:30 pm
Lesson with the Guest Artists: Artina McCain, piano, and Martin McCain, trombone


White tea cup

2:30 – 3:00 pm
Coffee, tea, and treats


3:00 – 3:45 pm
Michelle Mielke

A Year of Living Dangerously: My Ill-Prepared Studio Year Emphasizing Underrepresented Composers

3:00 – 3:45 pm
Zachariah Mayberry, Kate Gordon, and Clara Brown

Introducing Improvisation Into Your Studio


4:00 – 5:00 pm
Honors Recital #
5

4:00 – 4:45 pm
Lark Powers

Tic Toc: A Metronome on Every Piano? The Transformation of Tempo and Expression

4:00 – 4:45 pm
Ryan Sowers

Piano Technology for Teachers


5:00 – 7:00 pm
Dinner on your own


7:00 – 8:00 pm
Washington Winners and Chamber Music Concert

(reception to follow)


CONFERENCE HOME