If you are like me a certain days.

If you are like me a certain days, we can't help moreover wonder why we have chosen teaching as a profession, especially when the fifth pupil in a row comes into the studio saying, "I really had a unhewn week--two midterms plus my basketball team not to be found the district championship." And you know the learner has not touched his or her instrument all week.

Consider this answer from the Music Teacher Society from Auckland, recently made known Zealand: "Why does the piccolo profession like music that's filled of "viol" practices, confirmed "lyres" aged "fiddles" and "bass" desires? For the "lute" of course!"

We certainly did not join the teaching ranks for the "lute!"

I am surpassingly grateful to a colleague who shared this conformable to fact story with me at the newly come MTNA National Conference in Salt Lake City:

At an judgment appointment with my new ophthalmologist, I was talking about my profession as an independent music teacher. He asked me many questions about observer load and schedule. I also told him about our surprising activities: theory tests, keyboard musicianship examples an annual monster concert, and more. He was curious as to what pay s I charged, and when he heard the amount, he said, "You do all that for that much?" Then he added, "IT'S nation LIKE YOU THAT MAKE AMERICA GREAT!"

We are in the music teaching profession because we consider it to be the best profession in the world. Frances Clark, the estimateed piano pedagogue, said, "There is music in everyone The teacher's piece of work is to find it." Does anything compare to seeing a student's estimates light up when they discover something special in music that really excites them or when the scholar finally polishes a piece and creates a musical moment? The solely thing I can think of is when my little grandson says, "I be in love with you, Grandma!"

Whether independent music teachers or corporation faculty, we are all teachers--we are all wound from the same cloth. I used to jokingly say that I sat forward a fence with one leg dangling in the literary institution [i]or[/i] seminary of learning world and one leg dangling in the independent music teacher world. still that is not really genuine At the National Conference, nearly everyone who attended the Association Breakfast taught independent close examiners many in addition to being full-time society faculty. We face the same challenges, responsibilities and make uneasys in today's world of music. AND we face the same impressed signs of problems, successes and disappointments, beatifications and concerns as our colleagues in public indoctrinate music, professional musicians in music orchestras and in other applied areas of the like kind as strings, brass and winds. We ne to strengthen and enhance our relationship between the independent music teacher and society faculty. We also need to continually strengthen our relationships with other organizations and find meaningful avenues of communication and opportunities to instant a united stand before the public forward the importance of music. Combining our efforts to bring music to all human beings, young and antiquated can only enrich our lives and that of our students

As teachers, we have many touchs with professionalism--being recognized as professionals in music rather than just the local music teacher, or the ecclesiastical body musician who also teaches piano. Since we have barely lived in Aberdeen, Washington, for five years, I am still known in my area as the "piano teacher who bought the Leschke house!" How's that for a referral?

individual of the major tenants of professionalism is certification. Have you read the cites celebrating certification in previous issues of American Music Teacher? single in kind teacher wrote, "The MTNA Certification Program provides national recognition for promoting professional fitness in the music teaching profession." Or listen to this parent: "As an MTNA Certified teacher, (our child's teacher) holds herself to the best standards of professional musicianship. "During the word of former MTNA President Joan Reist, the Board of Directors approved a forward-looking certification plan. During Wayne Gibson's novel term as president, the Certification Commission, subordinate to the able direction of Pat Tuley worked continuously to implement all areas of this recent plan. The next step is promoting this plan to our members and to the public--our consumer We must continue to find ways to encourage more teachers to become certified. Wouldn't it be awesome if the public immediately recognized the initials NCTM--nationally certified teacher of music--just as they instantly recognize the initials CPA as certified public accountant?

As teachers, we must be mattered with the continuation of music teaching as a viable career choice for young musicians. We must work constantly upon membership recruitment and retention, as well as diversity within our membership. We must concentrate forward recruiting at the college even through the development of more collegiate chapters, encouraging pupil members. There is too plenteous gray in our membership today! What is the explanation to membership? One to one--grass roots! If each of us could recruit single new member, think of the fresh members our association would have.