Congratulations to our 2020 Teacher of the Year, Patti Bennett!  Patti has been teaching for over 35 years, and her students excel in many areas.  They regularly win in GCMTA Music Day, and they play in GCMTA Performance Day.  They appear in Master Classes and win at other competitions, including hymn-playing events.  Patti has been a Piano Guild adjudicator for many years, and is listed on their Hall of Fame for her numerous national winners.

Aurelia Campbell, Past President of GMTA, wrote a letter of recommendation on behalf of Patti.  She told us that “Patti has furnished me transportation to the GMTA Conferences for many years, and we have been roommates during our stay at these events.  She is always excited about attending the various sessions and looking for ways to keep updated…Patti is a qualified teacher and shows excellence in all of her endeavors.”

Patti has many outstanding teaching ideas, and she is constantly challenging her students to achieve more.  She has had many students go on to major in music, and one notable example is Timothy Jones, a blind student whom she taught for many years.  He earned his undergrad degree in Organ Performance from Mercer University in 2019, and is now pursuing a Master’s Degree in Piano Pedagogy at Georgia State University.  Patti’s dedication and patience with her disabled student nurtured his own lifelong love for music and allowed him to realize that he could have a career in music.