The annual meeting of the Georgia Music Teacher's Association is something that I've missed out on for years.  I was usually there either attending or running the NATS Workshops that for years have been held in conjuction, but I was always involved with the NATS event.  This year the NATS Workshop was at Spivey Hall, and it was an excellent session with Warren Jones that many of the GMTA teachers would have enjoyed, but alas at a different time and place.

So anyway, this year I went to GMTA partly because I've become more active and partly because LaGrange College had the Composer of the Year, Lee Johnson, presenting his commissioned work, Observations, and the winner of the Lower College Division from last April's auditions, Morgan Earle, performing in the Winners' Recital.  So I had a lot to support, but I also got to hear some excellent sessions.

The main presenter was the wonderful Nelita True of Eastman School of Music.  Since my husband and I couldn't come to Augusta until I finished teaching my music history class about Handel on Thursday morning, we missed not only her first session, but George Mann's session on Couperin.  This morning Nelita True was talking about the Schubert Impromptus Op 143, No. 2, and Op. 90, Nos. 2-4.  She played them stopping at dozens of teaching points to talk about excellent questions one could ask a student to draw her/his attention to the musical structure, the style, and the many, many things that make a work by Schubert a work of genius.  It was fascinating.  Sometimes I think I get more musical thinking out of non-vocal presentations because I don't get distracted by vocal issues.  Anyway, it was a quick hour and a half.

The LaGrange choir performance was held during the Business Meeting, and the other big event at the meeting was the election of officers.  My dear friend Dr. Dawn McCord is now the president-elect, but that's okay, because she thrives on having lots of things to organize.  I guess I'll be showing up for GMTA meetings from here on out.