Teacher Enrichment Workshops

Rebekah Carter, NCTM, maintains a full-time piano studio in eastern Oregon and has taught for over 14 years. She also teaches and accompanies as an adjunct instructor at Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, OR. Her college studies took her to Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, WA where she studied with Dr. Peter Mack. In addition to teaching, Ms. Carter serves on the OMTA State Board as Certification Chair and OMTA Blue Mountain District as Secretary and chairs festivals at the district and state level. Ms. Carter presented at the 2020 OMTA Virtual Conference from Florence, OR. She is a regular presenter and competition adjudicator in eastern Oregon/western Idaho. In 2016-2018, she was a Tholen Fellow through Portland Piano International.

parents are a determining factor in a student’s success and a necessary part of our daily work as music teachers. So how can we develop a constructive and positive relationship with them? Research shows that communication is the key. This workshop will use humor and interactive activities as well as practical tools and help, and includes: a handout of useful phrases for common “sticky situations,” interactive role-playing, exploration of your studio’s communication style, other not-so-obvious forms of communication you use every day, helpful apps, and a practical look at the MTNA Code of Ethics for professional guidance.

Dr. Alexander Tutunov is widely recognized as one of the most outstanding virtuosos of the former Soviet Union. First Prize winner of the Belarusian National Piano Competition and winner of the Russian National Piano Competition, Tutunov’s playing was described by Soviet Culture, Moscow, as “exhilarating and inspired, and which demonstrated a unique talent”.

Dr. Tutunov maintains a busy performing schedule in Europe, China, Mexico, and the United States as a recitalist, soloist with orchestra, and on radio and television. He is also in demand as an adjudicator for piano competitions.

Dr. Tutunov graduated magna cum laude from the Central Music School of the Moscow Conservatory (studies with Anna Artobolevskaya and Lev Naumov) and University of North Texas (piano studies with Joseph Banowetz). Awarded his doctoral diploma with honors in concert performance from the Belarusian State Conservatory, he has taught at the Minsk College of Music, the University of North Texas, and Illinois Wesleyan University.

Dr. Tutunov now lives in Ashland, where he is Professor of Piano and Artist in Residence at Southern Oregon University. A successful piano pedagogue, he continues to prepare award-winning students. Dr. Tutunov is Artist in Residence at the University of Alaska Southeast, Artistic director of the SOU International Piano Institute, and was recently named the Director of the Chinese-American International Piano Institute in Chengdu, China.

Jill Timmons has performed internationally as both a solo pianist and ensemble artist and has offered performances and educational residencies on three continents. She has toured throughout Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Austria, Spain, and Chile, and has appeared in such venues as Carnegie Recital Hall, Merkin Hall, the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D. C., the Dame Myra Hess Series in Chicago, the American Consulate in Hamburg, the Bösendorfer Hall in Vienna, Catholic University in Santiago, Chile, and college and universities throughout the U. S. Timmons, has been a featured artist on National Public Radio, has performed under the auspices of the National Endowment for the Arts and has recorded on the Laurel, Centaur, and Capstone labels. Ken Burns chose music from her Amy Beach recording for the soundtrack to his PBS documentary, The War. She is a National Endowment Fellow, receiving a funding award for the recording of the complete works for solo piano by American composer, William Bergsma (Laurel Records).

Timmons has performed with orchestras throughout the US including the Oregon Symphony, Syracuse Symphony, Newport Symphony, Central Oregon Symphony, Springfield (Illinois) Orchestra, Festival Orchestra of the Oregon Coast Music Festival, among others. As a frequent guest artist, Timmons has appeared in such summer festivals as Tanglewood, Chenango Musikfest in New York, the Olympic Music Festival, the Oregon Coast Music Festival, Festillésime and Festival Mozart in France. In France she has been artistic director for Musique à Beaumont, and is a member artist through Perspectives Musicales in Paris.

As an award-winning author, Timmons has written on topics that include entrepreneurship, and volunteerism within the arts and humanities. She is a recipient of the Wilk International Literary Prize from University of Southern California.  Her best-selling career guidebook, The Musician’s Journey: Crafting Your Career Vision and Plan, is published by Oxford University Press and will be forthcoming in a Second Edition in 2021. Timmons works with both individuals and non-profit groups to move their cause forward, ultimately supporting an artistic vision backed by concrete strategies for success.

Currently, Timmons is the Artist/Teacher Affiliate with Classic Pianos at their flagship store in Portland, Oregon, and in their satellite locations in Bellevue, Denver, Anchorage, Las Vegas, Boston, and Albuquerque. She holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Washington and the Master of Music degree from Boston University. Her seminal training as a pianist has been with György Sebök, Béla Bösörményi-Nagy, and Randolph Hokanson.

“She is a sensitive musician…Her playing is graceful, lyrical, detailed and intimate.” Tim Page, The New York Times

“Timmons soars with the eagles. She plays with vitality and élan.” Fanfare Magazine

there are critical principles that can shape our informed performance. In this two-hour workshop, Timmons will explore performance practice guidelines, historically informed choices, keyboard instruments spanning some 350 years, how we adapt the modern piano to past practices, and essential skills required for artful pedaling. Weaving in demonstration and lecture, Timmons will offer clear strategies and historical guidelines to a more artful use of the modern piano pedals. A bibliography will also be provided for this presentation.

Jennifer Wright, M.M., B.M., is a keyed-instruments performer, composer, educator, graphic artist, event producer and culture-maker. She is passionate about creating beautiful, thought-provoking cultural realities and memorable, multi-sensory performance experiences. Her work melds diverse artistic disciplines and expressions to create adventurous contexts that reshape the landscape of performative experience in order to engage, inspire, move, and change both the giver and the receiver for the better. Jennifer performs regularly as a solo and collaborative artist and has presented numerous concerts, master classes, and workshops in the U.S.A., the U.K., Europe, and Cuba.

Jennifer graduated summa cum laude from the Hartt School of Music in Hartford, CT with a Bachelor of Music in piano performance and studied for two years at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst and Universität Stuttgart in Germany. She was awarded several Distinctions for her Masters Degree achievements in performance and musicological research at the Trinity College of Music in London, England in the Historically Informed Piano Performance degree program.

Jennifer mischievously mixes experimental, visceral, and utterly listenable elements in an ever-evolving mix of her wide-ranging obsessions and curious whims, including repurposing pianos and other instruments, video art, found sound, alternative keyed instruments, sound sculptures, theatricality, trash instruments, the natural world, movement/dance, science, silliness, electronics, fashion, and live art-making. Much of her work focuses around her one-of-a-kind “Skeleton Piano,” an upright piano that she stripped of its exterior, altered mightily, and plays from the inside out with wild extended techniques and electronic modification.

Her compositions have been performed at the 29th and 31st Annual Festival de La Habana de Música Contemporánea in Cuba, the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival, The Astoria Music Festival, Portland International Piano Festival, Portland’s March Music Moderne festivals, Crazy Jane Composers and Cascadia Composers concerts, on KBOO, XRAY and KTCB radio, on KGW TV and Cuban National TV, by Portland’s Resonance Ensemble, the Free Marz String Trio, the Delgani Quartet, and in recitals in the U.S., England, and Finland.

More info available at jenniferwrightpianostudio.com and skeletonpiano.com.

human, even a valuable part of the learning process? Or that striving for musical perfection is akin to being a lifeless robot and even creatively dangerous? Perhaps you heard a “tough love” teacher remark that you’re only as good as your last performance and that if you’re not perfect, you’re not even in the game?

Which perspective is the right one? Surprise: they all are – to a point! The secret is in the mix. This workshop shows how to reconcile these viewpoints into a joyous lifelong practice approach and gives you the tools and practice techniques to eliminate mistakes (and the terrible fear of mistakes) entirely from your playing. Let’s waste no time in giving this gift to ourselves and to our students!

In this workshop we’ll cover:
• Why do we make mistakes?
• What are you actually doing wrong? (Hint: it’s usually not what you think.)
• Practice techniques: the good, the bad, and the useless
• How to fix ingrained mistakes and habits
• The power of habits and human nature: you can fight them, or you can make them work for you…it’s your choice
• Tapping into your innate learning instincts for powerful progress
• Once you get it, it’s all fun and games!

Bring your “That’s impossible” stories, your “I’ve tried and I can’t” tales, your burning questions, and your overwhelming challenges with you – so we can knock them down one by one!

Jill Timmons has performed internationally as both a solo pianist and ensemble artist and has offered performances and educational residencies on three continents. She has toured throughout Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Austria, Spain, and Chile, and has appeared in such venues as Carnegie Recital Hall, Merkin Hall, the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D. C., the Dame Myra Hess Series in Chicago, the American Consulate in Hamburg, the Bösendorfer Hall in Vienna, Catholic University in Santiago, Chile, and college and universities throughout the U. S. Timmons, has been a featured artist on National Public Radio, has performed under the auspices of the National Endowment for the Arts and has recorded on the Laurel, Centaur, and Capstone labels. Ken Burns chose music from her Amy Beach recording for the soundtrack to his PBS documentary, The War. She is a National Endowment Fellow, receiving a funding award for the recording of the complete works for solo piano by American composer, William Bergsma (Laurel Records).

Timmons has performed with orchestras throughout the US including the Oregon Symphony, Syracuse Symphony, Newport Symphony, Central Oregon Symphony, Springfield (Illinois) Orchestra, Festival Orchestra of the Oregon Coast Music Festival, among others. As a frequent guest artist, Timmons has appeared in such summer festivals as Tanglewood, Chenango Musikfest in New York, the Olympic Music Festival, the Oregon Coast Music Festival, Festillésime and Festival Mozart in France. In France she has been artistic director for Musique à Beaumont, and is a member artist through Perspectives Musicales in Paris.

As an award-winning author, Timmons has written on topics that include entrepreneurship, and volunteerism within the arts and humanities. She is a recipient of the Wilk International Literary Prize from University of Southern California.  Her best-selling career guidebook, The Musician’s Journey: Crafting Your Career Vision and Plan, is published by Oxford University Press and will be forthcoming in a Second Edition in 2021. Timmons works with both individuals and non-profit groups to move their cause forward, ultimately supporting an artistic vision backed by concrete strategies for success.

Currently, Timmons is the Artist/Teacher Affiliate with Classic Pianos at their flagship store in Portland, Oregon, and in their satellite locations in Bellevue, Denver, Anchorage, Las Vegas, Boston, and Albuquerque. She holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Washington and the Master of Music degree from Boston University. Her seminal training as a pianist has been with György Sebök, Béla Bösörményi-Nagy, and Randolph Hokanson.

“She is a sensitive musician…Her playing is graceful, lyrical, detailed and intimate.” Tim Page, The New York Times

“Timmons soars with the eagles. She plays with vitality and élan.” Fanfare Magazine

there are critical principles that can shape our informed performance. In this two-hour workshop, Timmons will explore performance practice guidelines, historically informed choices, keyboard instruments spanning some 350 years, how we adapt the modern piano to past practices, and essential skills required for artful pedaling. Weaving in demonstration and lecture, Timmons will offer clear strategies and historical guidelines to a more artful use of the modern piano pedals. A bibliography will also be provided for this presentation.

Dr. Thomas Otten, NCTM, a California native born of German-American parents, has been hailed by the New York Times as “an extremely original player who puts a formidable technique at the service of his ideas.” He made his debut at age 17 with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, and has since developed a global profile through performances in New York, Washington, Los Angeles, St. Petersburg, Sydney, Munich, Frankfurt, and Milan, including such venues as Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Severance Hall, the German Embassy, and the National Press Club. He has given guest artist recitals and masterclasses at top music schools and conservatories, such as the Rimsky-Korsakov St. Petersburg State Conservatory in Russia, the Munich Hochschule für Musik in Germany, as well as the Eastman School of Music, The Juilliard School, and Oberlin Conservatory in the U.S.
A recipient of numerous national and international awards, Dr. Otten has studied with artist teachers John Perry and Nelita True, and worked intensively with biomechanics expert Barbara Lister-Sink. He has been on the faculties of the International Young Artists Project (Italy), Saarburger Serenaden International Music Festival (Germany), the American Institute of Musical Studies (Austria), and the Kent/Blossom Festival (Ohio), as well as concerto soloist at the Chautauqua and Brevard Summer Festivals. He has been a member of competition juries in the U.S. and abroad, and was founder of the Kent Piano Seminar in Ohio, as well director of the UNC Liszt Festival, UNC Etude Festival, and the Ginastera Centennial Celebration in North Carolina. His discography includes transcriptions of Franz Liszt and a premiere recording of etudes by African American composer Leslie Adams. He is committed to diverse music of our time, having also premiered works by electronic music expert Frances White and jazz pianist/composer Joe Utterback.
Dr. Otten is Professor Emeritus of Piano at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; previously he was chair of piano at Kent State University. His former students include prize-winning concert artist Andrew Tyson, along with other professional musicians who are active throughout the country. His collaborations include the Miami and Vega String Quartets, violinist Richard Luby, as well as baritone Marc Callahan and soprano Louise Toppin.
For more information on Dr. Otten’s activities as a master teacher/pianist, please visit his website: www.otten.studio.

This session will delve into issues of tone, rubato, rhythm, articulation, pedal, tempo: how to use these elements to create artistry in piano students.

Dr. Alexander Tutunov is widely recognized as one of the most outstanding virtuosos of the former Soviet Union. First Prize winner of the Belarusian National Piano Competition and winner of the Russian National Piano Competition, Tutunov’s playing was described by Soviet Culture, Moscow, as “exhilarating and inspired, and which demonstrated a unique talent”.

Dr. Tutunov maintains a busy performing schedule in Europe, China, Mexico, and the United States as a recitalist, soloist with orchestra, and on radio and television. He is also in demand as an adjudicator for piano competitions.

Dr. Tutunov graduated magna cum laude from the Central Music School of the Moscow Conservatory (studies with Anna Artobolevskaya and Lev Naumov) and University of North Texas (piano studies with Joseph Banowetz). Awarded his doctoral diploma with honors in concert performance from the Belarusian State Conservatory, he has taught at the Minsk College of Music, the University of North Texas, and Illinois Wesleyan University.

Dr. Tutunov now lives in Ashland, where he is Professor of Piano and Artist in Residence at Southern Oregon University. A successful piano pedagogue, he continues to prepare award-winning students. Dr. Tutunov is Artist in Residence at the University of Alaska Southeast, Artistic director of the SOU International Piano Institute, and was recently named the Director of the Chinese-American International Piano Institute in Chengdu, China.

Andrew D’Antonio is the founder & director of the Adaptive Music Partnership, a community outreach program in Springfield, Massachusetts that provides music classes to over 600 students with special needs and offers workshops to music teachers on techniques for teaching students with diverse needs. He was on the piano faculty at Smith College and Bay Path University and has been teaching private piano lessons for over ten years. Prior to working full-time in music, he was a special education preschool teacher in New York City.
Andrew has a bachelors of music in piano performance from Pacific Lutheran University, a masters of science in teaching in early childhood special education from Fordham University, and a masters of music in collaborative piano and music history from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He regularly performs as a soloist and chamber musician. A native of the Pacific Northwest, Andrew returned from the East Coast in 2019 and currently lives and teaches in Portland, Oregon.

with some estimates showing that as many as 13% of all U.S. students currently have a diagnosis. In response to this trend, society and public education have become more proactive about including these students in a broad range of activities that were formerly only available to their peers without diagnoses. As a result, private music teachers are receiving more requests to teach students with special needs and include them in their group classes, recitals, and other studio activities. Unfortunately, many private music teachers have received little or no training in working with special needs, and they often feel ill-equipped and/or unsupported in teaching these students.
This workshop is intended as an introduction to special education techniques that can be applied in small group and one-on-one settings. Participants will gain a foundational understanding of the most common (and most commonly misunderstood) disabilities that can be disruptive in a traditional private lesson setting: autism, dyslexia, and ADHD. Participants will have a chance to discuss and problem-solve scenarios specific to their own studios, and they will leave with a range of resources that will help support them in the future.

Dr. Matt Goodrich is a native of Syracuse, NY, and a graduate of Oberlin College Conservatory, where he studied with Julian Martin. He earned his DMA from the University of Washington under the direction of Robin McCabe. His dissertation, entitled Ricardo Viñes and Les Apaches, explored the life and talents of one of the twentieth century’s most enigmatic performers. He continues to perform Viñes-related solo- and duo-piano repertoire.
Goodrich was national finalist in the Music Teachers National Association (Young Artists Division) and Young Keyboard Artist Association competitions. He has performed extensively on the West Coast, including a headline recital for the Seattle Spring Contemporary Music Festival and a Washington State debut tour, and has appeared as soloist with the Syracuse Symphony, University of Washington Symphony, UW Wind Ensemble, Victoria Festival Orchestra, Willamette Valley Symphony, and Seattle Thalia Symphony.
An active chamber music and theatrical performer, Goodrich was featured in the inaugural concert of the Auburn Symphony Chamber Series and performs frequently with diverse performing groups such as Expanse Ensemble, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Harrington-Goodrich Duo, Lucia Neare’s Theatrical Wonders, and Northwest Boychoir. He spent 2016 on the road with the Broadway national tour of If/Then and has been an Oregon Shakespeare Festival company member for six seasons. He has earned Alexander Technique International Teaching Certification and is currently Instructor of Piano at Southern Oregon University. He resides in Ashland, OR.

by applying it directly to the specialized skills of an activity—in our case, music making—from the very beginning. This workshop outlines the basic principles of this unique and practical learning process, giving the tools to analyze and think constructively about whole-self coordination as well as the efficient sequence of thought and movement needed to play an instrument or sing.

Emily Ross holds a Bachelor of Music Education from University of Colorado and a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in music therapy from Naropa University. She taught public school music (general music and band) for seven years, and worked in private practice as a music therapist with children with autism (and other challenges) for 12 years. She was the clinical coordinator of music therapy and an assistant professor at Marylhurst University. She plays French horn in the Portland Wind Symphony and works via her private practice, HoofnHorn Music Therapy Studio (hnhmusictherapy.com).

Some children come to us, however, without the attention span or executive functioning skills to excel in private music lessons without some special considerations. Music therapist, Emily Ross, MA, MT-BC, will review the characteristics of autism, ADHD, intellectual disabilities, and emotional disturbance, and outline both specific strategies and general ideas for approaching students who present with these characteristics. Emily will also clarify the differences between music lessons, adaptive music lessons, and music therapy so that students can be served in the best manner possible. And finally, Emily will lead a discussion on communication with parents regarding these sensitive topics.

Crystal Zimmerman grew up in Wichita, Kansas, where she earned a dual Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy from Wichita State University. At the University of Oregon, she earned a dual Master of Music degree in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy and her Doctor of Musical Arts degree with an emphasis in Piano Performance and a supporting area of Musicology.
Crystal is professor of piano at Willamette University where she teaches class piano, individual piano lessons, as well as courses in music technology. At Willamette, she is also staff accompanist and coordinator of the accompanying program. She frequently performs in collaborative, chamber music, and solo recitals as well as being pianist in the Salem Chamber Orchestra. Zimmerman is in demand as a lecturer and clinician, and her articles have been featured in American Music Teacher magazine. She is currently working with FJH music company on the series, Succeeding with Sonatinas.

We will explore a variety of learning style models, with the most focus primarily being on the NLP (Handler-Grinder model). The subconscious mind is a powerful tool – this is where deep learning can be experienced, and as teachers, is often a tool we overlook. Though we utilize all our senses when playing music, we each have a preferred sensory mode. Identifying and teaching to your students’ preferred sensory mode, will not only enhance your non-verbal communication and overall rapport, but it will also help you identify what sensory modes might need further development. We will explore how to identify which sensory mode is favored, and how to strengthen those modes that may not be a highly engaged.