2021 State Conference

NJMTA MEMBER PRESENTERS

(in the order of program)

BITE-SIZE presentations

Alexander Bui

"Piano Pedagogy & Building a Successful Relationship with Your Students"

Vietnamese-American concert pianist Alexander Bui has performed worldwide in numerous venues such as Carnegie Hall & Steinway Hall. In addition to his solo career, Alexander is the founder of his chamber music ensemble, “The Raritan Trio”, a Steinway Teacher & Education Partner, the Music Minister of Spotswood Reformed Church and a piano accompanist freelancer of NYC & NJ. Alexander graduated with a BM & MM from Manhattan School of Music and is currently pursuing his DMA at Rutgers University-MGSA.

Chiu-Ling Lin, nctm

"Stressed Out, Burnout and Dropout: Avoiding Every Teacher's Nightmare"

Chiu-Ling Lin is an internationally renowned pianist, educator and former Artistic Ambassador. She received her bachelor’s degree from New England Conservatory and master’s and doctoral degrees from Indiana University. Inducted into the Steinway Teachers Hall of Fame by the Steinway & Sons Piano Company in 2019, she taught at Rutgers University, Westminster Choir College and Drake University. She is past president of the New Jersey Music Teachers Association, the recipient of Foundation Fellow, Teacher of the Year Award and currently serves as Vice President of Student Activities.

Rebecca Pennington

"Online Lessons for Young Beginners"

Rebecca Mergen Pennington has been a member of the faculty of The New School for Music Study since 2007. She currently serves as Administrative Director. Dr. Pennington has been a frequent performer in faculty recitals, and teaches the popular Piano Detectives Club class for kindergarten students. She holds a DMA and MM in Piano Performance from the University of Kansas and a BM in Music Education from Concordia College.

Margarita Rovenskaya

"Antonin Dvorak's Poetic Tone Pictures: 180th Birthday Celebration"

Pianist Margarita Rovenskaya has performed in the US and abroad, including Weill Recital Hall and Steinway Hall. Prizewinner of competitions such as Chopin Society Malaysia International Competition and Constantine the Great International Competition, Margarita has served as Adjunct Faculty at NYU and at Rutgers, where she is earning her DMA. She is the Head of Piano Department at Newark School of the Arts, faculty at the Spence School and has a full private studio.

Sondra Tammam, NCTM

"An Introduction to the Taubman Approach"

Sondra Tammam, recognized internationally as a pianist and pedagogue, with appearances and masterclasses in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Faculty of Montclair State University since 2014 and Manhattan School of Music Precollege. Ms. Tammam, NCTM, received the 2018 Teacher of the Year Award from NJMTA. Co-director of Taubman Festival, www.taubmanuniversalapproach.org. Paderewski Foundation debuts in Carnegie Weill, Wigmore, Concertgebouw, performances Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall. BM, Manhattan School of Music, MM, the Juilliard School.

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Ingrid Clarfield, NCTM

RESTS: Often Harder to Teach Than the Notes!!

Ingrid Jacobson Clarfield, Professor and Head of the Piano Division at Westminster Choir College is a nationally recognized performer, clinician and author. She has presented workshops and master classes in more than 150 cities in 40 states across North America. She has received the following awards: 2012 MTNA Teacher of the Year, 2015 NCKP Lifetime Achievement, 2017 Al Rinaldi Steinway and MEA of NJ Lifetime Achievement. In 2020 she was inducted into the first Steinway Teachers Hall of Fame.

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Eunju Joung Kim, NCTM

HOW TO LEAD STUDENTS TO A HEALTHY MUSICAL JOURNEY

Eunju Kim, M.M., is currently a senior piano faculty member at the Westminster Conservatory of Music, Rider University, and the Music Director of All Nations Church in Voorhees, NJ. In addition to her status as a teacher and a performer, Mrs. Kim currently serves as the NJMTA Advanced Master Class Audition chairperson. Currently, she is in Professional Studies in Music at New York University. Furthermore, she was awarded the Steinway & Sons Top Music Teacher in 2016 - 2018.

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Amy Glennon

TAMING ‘NAGASAURUS REX’

Amy Glennon is the Educational Director at the New School for Music Study, Kingston, New Jersey. She is the co-author of the Side by Side series (Alfred Publishing). Presentations include MTNA NCKP, and Practical Piano Pedagogy Conferences, as well as a recent MTNA webinar.

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Phyllis Lehrer, NCTM

CONFUSIONS AND SOLUTIONS: An Evolving Musical Journey

Phyllis Alpert Lehrer, NCTM, is Professor Emerita at Westminster Choir College of Rider University and Artist Piano Faculty at the Westminster Conservatory. She is an active teacher, performer, editor and clinician.

Her honors include MTNA Foundation Fellow in 2007, NJMTA Teacher of the Year in 2012, and the Westminster Alumni Association Merit Award in 2019. Ms. Lehrer received the Frances Clark Center (National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy) Lifetime Achievement Award in July 2021.

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Marvin Blickenstaff

TEACHING THE GILLOCK LYRIC PRELUDES: An In-depth Analysis and Practical Guidelines

Marvin Blickenstaff is known among piano teachers throughout the country for his teaching, lecturing, performing, and publishing. Currently he maintains a private studio in the Philadelphia area and teaches at The New School for Music Study in Princeton. Blickenstaff is the former Board President of the Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy and is on the Executive Planning Committee of the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy. In 2007 the on-line journal Piano Pedagogy Forum published tributes to Blickenstaff honoring his contribution to piano teaching in America. Also in 2007 he was named Fellow of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. He was honored in 2009 with MTNA’s highest honor, the MTNA Achievement Award, and was selected in 2013 by the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy for its Lifetime Achievement Award

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Rebecca Pennington

TEACHING THE GILLOCK LYRIC PRELUDES: An In-depth Analysis and Practical Guidelines

TEACHING THE BACH INVENTIONS: An In-depth Analysis and Practical Guidelines
(with the full faculty of the New School for Music Study)

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Alessandra Tiraterra, NCTM

THE OTHER CONTEMPORARIES

Alessandra Tiraterra, DMA, NCTM, studied at the “A. Casella” Conservatory of Music, the Ecole Normale de Music, and the Mozarteum Universitat in Europe, and Georgia State University and Temple University in the US. She owes her formation to renowned pianists and pedagogues (Charles Abramovic, Segei Dorensky, Joaquin Soriano, Sergio Perticaroli, and Marcella Crudeli). She currently teaches in the college and pre-college divisions in the US. Students from her studio are regularly prize winners in piano competitions.
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Victoria Chow, NCTM

LEVEL UP: How to Keep Technique Relevant and Accessible for All Students

Originally from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Mrs. Victoria Chow, NCTM, MM, BM, is thrilled to be on faculty as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Piano at her alma mater, Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. As a member for both NJMTA and MTNA, Ex-Officio President and Festival Chairperson of PTF, Mrs. Chow's students are highly involved in performing. Her students have been invited to perform at Carnegie Hall and the Kimmel Center in recognition of their highest state scores for the Royal Conservatory of Music, Rising Talents Music Fest, Golden Key and Crescendo Music Festival.

Mrs. Chow has served as the Church Musician at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Princeton Junction, NJ since 2006. She also briefly served as the Collaborative Artist at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton in Princeton, NJ. In 2019, Mrs. Chow directed the return of the Westminster Choir College Middle School Piano Camp.
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Carol Shansky, NCTM

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING IN THE PRIVATE STUDIO: Understanding the Framework and Applying it in Your Teaching

Carol Shansky, DMA, MM (BU), BM (Ithaca) is Assistant Professor/Music Education Coordinator at NJ City University. Published in Journal of Research in Musicology, Journal of Historical Research in Music Education, RIME, and Tempo, she has presented at conferences including CMS, NJMEA, NAMM, NFA, ISSME. She is the author of Musical Tapestries: A Thematic Approach to Music Appreciation (Kendall-Hunt) and The Hebrew Orphan Asylum Band: Community, Culture and Opportunity (Cambridge Scholars).

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Michael Brailovsky

RELIGIOUS SYMBOLISM IN DEBUSSY'S "LE CATHEDRALE ENGLOUTIE"

Michael Brailovsky’s supposed piano career ended with a broken thumb. He graduated Musical college of the Leningrad Conservatory Summa cum laude as Choral conductor, same Conservatory as theoretic, and then taught all theoretical disciplines on university level. His PhD dissertation about Sibelius was published in ‘Music of XX century’, collective work of leading Soviet musicologists.

He emigrated in 1979, and in 1999 opened a private piano studio in North Brunswick; his students regularly play in winner’s recitals. Michael’s Piano Quartet after Beethoven was published and performed, and a recently issued CD of his Italian partner included his solo flute arrangement of ‘Alouette’ by Glinka-Balakirev.

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Charl Louw

UNTANGLING THE HANDS: Teaching Effective Fingering Strategies through Guided Experimentation

Dr. Charl Louw currently serves as Co-Director of the Program for Excellence in Piano Studies at The New School for Music Study and has performed as soloist and collaborative pianist throughout the US and his native South-Africa, including performances with the National Chamber Orchestra (Johannesburg), New Orleans Chamber Orchestra and Midwest Chamber Ensemble. He is a member of the RCM College of Examiners and a regular presenter at State and National conferences including NCKP, MTNA and NJMTA.

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