Programs for GCMTA Meetings 2026-2027

Please join us for our monthly Wednesday meetings! Unless noted below, meetings are held at PianoWorks, and begin at 9:45 a.m.

PianoWorks
2805 Buford Highway
Duluth, GA 30096

Program Topics

September 23: Cathy Thacker, Middle Movement Syndrome

Like middle children, middle movements tend to be a bit under noticed. We will get compelling reason to start taking notice of these often neglected gems.

 

October 28: Dr. Geoff Haydon, Incorporating Jazz Into The Piano Student’s Diet

Dr. Haydon will begin with a short introduction about why and how jazz is beneficial to both piano students and teachers, then consider 12-bar blues, chord progressions, voicings, improvisation, styles, and contexts.

 

November 18: (co-sponsor, North DeKalb chapter) Dr. Barbara Lister-Sink, The Lister-Sink Method

Dr. Lister-Sink’s presents her sequenced, step-by-step program for training the motor coordinations of piano technique, working from simplest to complex application to musical requirements. It is an interdisciplinary method, drawing from biomechanics, anatomy, neuroscience, sports and arts medicine, and the Alexander Technique.

There will be separate arrangements for a business meeting on Zoom.

 

January 27: Luncheon and Teaching gems.

Members, we only scratched the surface last year. So, please share your hidden gems, pieces that motivate, build up, dazzle. We particularly hope that you will share pieces you use that are not found in the standard method books.

 

February 24: Lois Finlay, NCTM, Using music theory in teaching pieces to enhance interpretation.

We never seem to have enough time in a lesson for everything. In this presentation Ms Finlay will share how to incorporate teaching music theory using performance pieces.

 

March 24: Master Class Dr. Grace Huang 

Working with outstanding performers selected from Music Day participants, Dr. Huang will lead our students towards even higher levels of performance.

 

May 12: May Luncheon and TOTY

The last meeting of the year will be on May 12 at PianoWorks at 10:00 a.m. 

Please contact Kathy Dawal at kdawal81@gmail.com to RSVP for lunch