President’s Note
Greetings,I write this as I return from MTAC State Convention in Garden Grove, CA, the first in-person convention since 2019. It felt cathartic to attend recitals and workshops again and meet with like-minded music teachers from across the state. I applaud MTAC for including underrepresented voices in this year’s convention. Highlights included keynote speaker Vijay Gupta, who is doing tremendous work with LA’s unhoused population, composer Reena Esmail, who had a lovely new composition for piano trio and voice premiered by student performers, and pianist Althea Waites, who gave a presentation on the piano music of Margaret Bonds (a friend and student of Florence Price).This year was the first time I had a student perform at the convention. It was a positive experience for her, and she can’t wait for next year’s convention. I think that the state convention is such a valuable experience for our students. It felt affirming for her to see how many musical peers she has statewide. Next year’s convention will be in Santa Clara, and it’s an ideal opportunity for our local students to participate, especially for the first time.
