Presenting District: Eugene
Presenter: Heidi Evans, NCTM
Program Description: Heidi Evans, past OMTA Syllabus Chair, presents a session on tips for using the OMTA Syllabus program in the piano studio. This talk covers benefits and resources of the OMTA Syllabus program, how to manage teaching the skills and repertoire over the course of the year, which resources are the most valuable (and when NOT to use them), and how to choose and prepare repertoire. Heidi balances this talk by sharing what an adjudicator expects to hear in the exam and how to prepare the student for a successful Syllabus experience.

About Heidi Evans: Heidi Evans is a Nationally Certified Teacher with a Master’s Degree from Portland State University where she studied with Harold Gray and Mary Hall Kogen. In her nearly three decades of teaching experience with students of all ages and levels, she has adjudicated festivals and events around the state since 2005, was OMTA Syllabus chair for five years, and currently occupies the position of President of Oregon Music Teachers Association. She recently joined the 8-hand performing quartet, “Too Grand,” which has been performing and raising money for scholarships for nearly four decades. Her latest deep dive into piano repertoire research is music by under-represented composers with a focus on pedagogical works. Her ultimate goal is to teach each student to teach themselves, so that music can be a rewarding lifetime experience.