Upcoming Events
Our monthly chapter meetings provide professional development every month and are held at Covenant Living at Windsor Park in Carol Stream with the following schedule:
8:30 Coffee & Conversation
9:00 Business Meeting
9:30 Presentation
For all other events, please check the time and location listed.
Anita Whalen: "Mozart Blooms in Woodstock: The Illinois Festival That Could!"
Former ISMTA Certification Chairman and member of ISMTA for eighteen years, Anita Whalen traces her life’s experiences in music culminating in a career in orchestra management. In her memoir, Mozart Blooms in Woodstock, the Illinois Festival That Could!, she shares information about the turn-around of the Woodstock Mozart Festival from the brink of closure to the heights of artistic achievement. Included are vignettes of famous and not-yet famous artists on the rise, descriptions of colorful personalities and occurrences, unlikely opportunities, challenges, successes, and other details of what goes on behind the scenes of a performance series.
Student Recital
Students are invited to perform at one of our chapter recitals. Recitals are held in an auditorium with a Steinway grand piano, providing students with a friendly yet formal performance opportunity – perfect for students who need more performance opportunities and for teachers with small studios.
Kelly Stokes: “Origins of Ballet and the Baroque Period”
Ever wonder why ballet has such a singular aesthetic, or how ballet’s distinctive style echoes other Baroque period artistic characteristics? This presentation will provide an introductory overview of the origins of ballet and how it reflects both King Louis XIV’s reign and the political and cultural ideologies of the French aristocracy during the 17th century. Participants will also have the opportunity to experience a few basic ballet movements and learn a period dance.
Katherine Fisher: "Piano Safari: The Journey Begins" (ZOOM MEETING ONLY)
Are you interested in learning more about what sets Piano Safari apart from other methods? Join co-author and internationally respected pedagogue Katherine Fisher as she provides an overview of this piano series that is revolutionizing piano teaching and learning around the world.
AIM Performance Judging Session
AIM Performance Judging Session - mandatory for all AIM teachers
Debbie Gillette and Janna Williamson
Student Recital
Students are invited to perform at one of our chapter recitals. Recitals are held in an auditorium with a Steinway grand piano, providing students with a friendly yet formal performance opportunity – perfect for students who need more performance opportunities and for teachers with small studios.
Michael Messer: "Masterclass for Late Beginner and Intermediate Students" (AIM levels 4-7)
This masterclass features students playing at late-elementary to intermediate levels. Topics in the session include musicality, playing with ease, listening, and helpful performance strategies.
Dr. Yeeseon Kwon: "Making Music with Adult Learners"
What are the ways to partner and share the joy of music making at the piano? This session will explore characteristics of adult learners and feature teaching strategies for adult learning and engagement at the piano.
AIM Theory Judging Session
AIM Theory Judging Session - mandatory for all AIM teachers
Janel Greaves and Diane Jankiewicz
Svetlana Belsky: “Ferruccio Busoni's Bach: The Birth of Modern Performance Practice”
So much of what we think of today as standard Baroque performance practice -- from terraced dynamics, metricized ornaments, and clear articulation -- is the result of Ferruccio Busoni's editions, performances, and teaching….