If you’re a private music teacher in Kentucky, you should join the Kentucky Music Teachers Association (KMTA) and its umbrella organization the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA)!
Benefits of Membership
Hear what MTNA members have to say about the benefits of their membership:
KMTA/MTNA provide all sorts of benefits for private music teachers of all instruments:
- MTNA is the largest (21,000 members) and oldest (founded in 1876) national music teachers association.
- MTNA offers a national composition competition. I believe only NAfME offers something similar.
- MTNA offers state recommended progressive theory exams as well as performance exams through its state affiliates (like KMTA).
- Senior and Young Artist divisions of MTNA competitions are open to instruments besides piano, like strings, woodwind, brass, voice!
- All teachers could benefit from available discounts such as Office Depot/Office Max.
- Monthly webinars are of interest to all musician teachers, not just pianists.
- Other remarkable selling points for MTNA membership are credit card processing, debt collection services, business-related legal documents, guides for zoning issues and the like.
- MTNA gives financial assistance to teachers and students through the Foundation Fund.
- MTNA’s Certification program is unique as an incentive for any musician teacher of any instrument to attain a nationally recognized teaching certificate.
All these benefits and bonuses are ancillary, though.
MTNA and KMTA are primarily organizations devoted to advancing the value of music study, performance, and appreciation.
By bringing music teachers of all instruments together, we can foster enthusiasm and appreciation for music education as well as support those that make such an education possible!
What Local Members Say About KMTA
From our longest-serving member, Carol Dennes, has to say about the benefits of joining KMTA:
Carol joined her local association, GLMTA, after graduating from U of L at the insistence of her teacher, Dwight Anderson. He said, “ If you are going to be an independent teacher, you need to belong to this organization.” And, as Carol said, “He was so right. As a new teacher, I was immediately immersed in a group of the best teachers in the city.” She met teachers who were in Maurice Hinson’s “Dorsey” class and was invited to join in 1963. She stayed in this class for 20 years. “Every week we were introduced to new teaching materials and ways to use it in our teaching. It was an invaluable learning experience.” In subsequent years Carol studied in ongoing classes with David Kaiserman and Naomi Oliphant at U of L. And, she also attended every workshop that was offered. Carol was president of GLMTA, 1978-1980.
Carol Dennes – https://www.kymta.org/announcements/2021-conference-awards
Carol attended KMTA conferences off and on from 1963 to 1978. Since then, she has not missed a conference until this year. At the 1978 conference, Marie Hargett, who was incoming president, asked her to be theory chair. That was her first KMTA board involvement. Since then she has held the office of president, competition chair, and historian. Carol’s first national conference was in Chicago in 1978 where then KMTA president, Dorothy Hartsell, gave the presentation that led to the MTNA conference in Louisville in 1984. Carol has attended many national conferences through the years.
Carol attended KMTA conferences off and on from 1963 to 1978. Since then, she has not missed a conference until this year. At the 1978 conference, Marie Hargett, who was incoming president, asked her to be theory chair. That was her first KMTA board involvement. Since then she has held the office of president, competition chair, and historian. Carol’s first national conference was in Chicago in 1978 where then KMTA president, Dorothy Hartsell, gave the presentation that led to the MTNA conference in Louisville in 1984. Carol has attended many national conferences through the years.
In 2004, after her term of KMTA president was over, Carol was asked to be Young Artist Coordinator for the Southern Division Competitions. She then became Southern Division Chair. In all, she worked on Southern Division competitions for 14 years, 8 of them as chair.
In 1999, Carol was honored as KMTA Teacher of the Year and received the Distinguished Service Award in 2018. She said she would encourage all teachers to get involved with their local and state organizations. “The things I learned and the friends I made through the years made me a better teacher and, hopefully, I was able to inspire in my students a love of music that they may not have had otherwise.”
Join KMTA Today!
When joining, make sure to add a membership to your local association! KMTA has 11 local associations promoting events in your area. Participate and help your local association make music in Kentucky!