Thoughts From Your President: December 2023

The season of Thanks and Thanksgiving is spilling into the Celebrations of December! I have over 800 reasons to be thankful! I am grateful for you – each member of WSMTA. I think of you so very often. You are the living force behind our association. You lead with confidence, you embrace goodness, you inspire hope, you encourage, youteach and mentor with excellence, you volunteer and share and give. You surround yourselves with creativity and ideas, resources that renew and reenergize, and with friends that motivate and with whom you collaborate. You negotiate the challenges and respond generously when colleagues need assistance. Thank you!

And 800 plus individuals means an influence thousands of times over – add in students, parents, family members, colleagues, playing partners, and more. You make a world of difference – every day!

I witnessed it live at the WSMTA Performance Competition and the Outstanding Artist Piano Competition in November. Thank you to Julie Swienty, Amanda Harris and Cherie Felts for coordinating a fabulous weekend of competition. The judges were impressed with the outstanding performances. Thank you to teachers for your excellence and commitment in teaching. Thank you to the volunteers from WSMTA and CWU who assisted throughout the weekend. Thank you also to Nathan Campbell for coordinating the MTNA Composition Competition. And thank you to Greg Presley, NCTM for a successful District VII Conference in Spokane in November.

Looking ahead, registration is still open for 2024 Atlanta – MTNA National Conference, March 16-20, 2024. The latest AMT provides a review and schedule for each day. Our WSMTA Foundation Fellow, Cherie Felts, will be honored at the Gala Banquet along with other Foundation Fellows from across the nation. If you are attending the Gala Banquet, purchase your banquet ticket when you register for the conference. Then contact me by email (colleenhunterpiano@gmail.com) if you wish to save a seat and sit at the reserved tables for the Washingtoncolleagues. WSMTA will be reserving some tables at the banquet for a separate fee.

By the way, when looking through the AMT December 2023/January 2024 issue, read our MTNA President, Peter Mack’s column in Dear Reader: The Value of Music Teachers.

As we finish out the year, may we all reflect on the beauty we share, not only in making and sharing music, but in the gift of friendship our music brings. You are each a gift in my life.

Colleen Hunter, NCTM, WSMTA President