Providing funding and innovative ideas for music education in your community

NEW ADDRESS

AMEF 5401—39th St. Red Deer, AB

T4N 1A1

NEW PHONE NUMBER 403.347.1662

Website: www.amef.ca

Contact Info: contact@amef.ca

“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life” —- Berthold Auerback

WINTER 2009

IN THIS ISSUE: Message from the Chair p. 2 Music Conference Alberta p. 3 Policy & Governance Committee Updates p. 4 2009 AMEF Exam Achievement Awards p. 4 AMEF Keyboards for Kids Program p. 5 Who is eligible for AMEF membership p. 5 Alberta Heritage Music Project p. 6 What are AMEF Bucks? p. 7 Submission Deadlines for Funding p. 7 Fundraising Concert—Spring p. 8 Advertising Rates for Newsletters p. 8 AMEF Membership Application p. 9 DONATION INFORMATION p. 10 Music Advocacy’s Top Ten p. 11 AMEF Contact Information p. 12

AMEF 2009-2010

Board of Directors

CHAIR: Cara Brown

(Ft. McMurray)

PAST-CHAIR: Jan Underwood

(Red Deer)

TREASURER: Teresa Allred

(Red Deer)

DIRECTORS: George Bradley

(Red Deer) Melrose Randell

(Lacombe)

PROGRAM COORDINATORS:

KEYBOARDS

FOR KIDS Pat Frehlich

(Sherwood Park)

ALBERTA HERITAGE MUSIC PROJECT Nathene Arthur

(Cochrane) Cara Brown

(Ft. McMurray)

Ex-Officio EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:

Sheryl Krill (Red Deer)

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

I, first of all, would like to thank you for nomin ating and voting me in as the new AMEF Chair. Secon dly, I would l ike to sincerely thank all of the Board Members and our new Executive Di rector, Sheryl Krill, for their confidence i n me and support. And further, I would like to thank all of you who volunteered at the Casino i n the summe r, and al so those of you t hat helped make our ses-sions at the 2009 Music Conference Alberta in Red Deer a success. AMEF, as you may have heard, is m oving in som e exciting direction s in the coming year and beyond. We will undoubtedly continue to support Studio Music teachers, their students and families alwa ys, as they are bringing Music Educa-tion to life in our p rovince. How many times have I heard a phrase like, “Music brings people together?” We, at AMEF believe this whole heartedly, and we will continue to support communities, projects and organizations that also share this vision. From the amateur to the professional, AMEF provides support. Do you love watchin g your favourite indie artist at the local club? Do you vol-unteer for your chil d’s choir? Do you te ach private music lessons in your livin g room? Do you close your eyes and weep in your chair when you hear you r fa-vourite aria or concerto? Do you know exactly what fabulous programs that we directly offer and how you may become involve d in on e—such as Keyboa rds fo r Kids, Alberta Heri-tage Music Project, and AMEF Exam Achievement Awards? I promise you that as our membership, donations, advertising, and sponsor-ship grows that our support to comm unities will grow exponenti ally as well. I would ask now, as my first request to each of you, that you tell 2 fr iends and so on and so on (some of you will remember the commercial) about AMEF. Remember that fees paid to a Char ity are con sidered to be a ‘statement of agreement wi th the purpo ses and goals of the organ ization’. We invite you to take ownership in Music a nd Music Education in your comm unity with AMEF. You have a voice! I also would like to reiterate our need for Board mem-bers throughout the province, in particular a Secretary and a Treasurer, and for Committee Members. If you are interested or know of someone that is, please forward your resume to us. I am thrilled to be a part of this organi zation. I am confident that as we move forward and share our ideas and visions for music e ducation in Alberta that we will make a positive impact on the lives of the people that we support. Yours in music,

Cara Brown "If Music be the Food of Love, Play on" —- Shakespeare

“It occurred to me by intuition, and music was the driving force behind that intuition. My discovery was the result of musical perception.”

(when asked about his theory of relativity) — Albert Einstein

JOIN US FOR MUSIC CONFERENCE ALBERTA 2010 November 4—6th, 2010

Capri Hotel and Conference Centre Red Deer, AB

AMEF AGM Tentatively Scheduled for Noon on Friday, November 5th, 2010

You must be a member of either ABA, ACF, or AMEF to attend.

2009

It was with g reat pleasure at the AMEF Annual General Meeting that Teresa Allred, Treasurer, presented Nathene Arthur with one of two 2009 AMEF Recogni-tion Awards for her outstanding contribution to Music Education in Alberta and for valued service on the AMEF Board from 2002 to 2009. The second AMEF Recog-nition Award wa s presented in Fort McMurr ay to Monica Baczu k who works tire-lessly in the community to teach young musicians. Monica teaches the choir and band at her school, private lessons, and di rects a women’ s choi r. She has also played in the pit and been vocal for the band for the Main Stage musicians at Key-ano The atre for many years, re cently ta king over th e Musi c Dire ctorship. Con -gratulations to Nathene and Monica on behalf of the Board and Membership. AMEF Conference Presenters Kim Mattice Wanat fro m Edmonton and Dr. G reg Caisley from Vancouver provided inspiration and instruction at thi s year’s confer-ence. Kim is a voice instructor, director and performer for over 25 years. She spe-cializes in the training of young singers and actors; is founder and artistic director of Opera NUOVA a national ope ratic t raining pro gram; instru ctor in the Dra ma Dept—University of Alberta for the past 17 years an d regularly works a s a cli ni-cian for voice and choral teachers. Greg is an educator and, in addition to his pri-vate teachin g dividing hi s time between Van couver an d Edm onton whe re he maintains studios specializing in advanced piano and vocal coaching, has served since 2004 as the Director of Keyboard Studies for MusiCamp Alberta, a summer music program for gifted music students from across Alberta and British Colu m-bia. Claire Yu from Calgary represented AMEF at a concert on Oct. 30th. Claire began studying piano at the age of 5. She currently studies with Colleen Athparia and is a se nior academy stud ent at the Mou nt Royal Coll ege Conservatory of Mu sic. Claire completed her ARCT RCM exam this summer with first cl ass honours with distinction, and received t he silver medal for the highest mark i n Alberta fo r her grade 8 RCM exam. Thank you Clai re for repre senting AMEF and we loo k for-ward to hearing more about your achievements. Also on Friday evening, the MCA Schubertiad, an evening of chamber music and solo performances, received rave revie ws with a line-up of entertainment that ri-valed other years. This is one event that is gaining in popularity so please remem-ber to attend next year a nd perhaps offer to p erform and share your tal ents with an appreciative audience.

Nathene Arthur and Teresa Allred

Dr. Greg Caisley

Kim Mattice Wanat

POLICY AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE UPDATES During the past year, our committee has met three times and has amended the Objects and Purposes of the organization. We have also tweaked our Vision and Mission Statements and recommended them to be as follows: Vision Statement: “ To assist Albertans to achieve greater expression and excellence in Music”. Mission Statement: “ To promote through participation or sponsorship, the advancement of music education in Alberta”. These statements, along with the following bylaw change will be recommended for a vote by the membership at AGM 2010: Bylaw item #24 regarding “Signing Authority” change to: “ Unless otherwise approved by ordinary resolution passed at an Annual General Meeting, all cheques, bills of exchange or other orders for the payment of money issued in the name of the Foundation shall be signed by any two of the following: the executive director, treas-urer, or any duly appointed board members”.

This change is also implemented as a board policy to avoid the problem of a recipient of a cheque having to sign that same cheque, a practise which is standard in order to pass an audit.

We have also proposed an amended schedule of dates for members to submit applications for funding. This will facilitate bet-ter communication and adequate time for Board consideration and response. We propose these application dates to be: Feb-ruary 15th, May 15th, August 15th and December 15th. Members applying for funds will have a response within 30 to 45 days after these application dates. We are also researching an overview of the full spectrum of music education in Alberta with an aim to expanding our membership. This growth in membership and member participation will be reflected in our future allocation of funds. We invite all members to send comme nts or suggesti ons to the Polic y Committee throug h the AMEF Executive Director at www.contact@amef.ca or to the AMEF office: 5401 39th Street, Red Deer, AB T4N 1A1 Phone: 403.347.1662 Website: www.amef.ca Respectfully submitted by George Bradley and Melrose Randell – Policy and Governance Committee

2009 AMEF EXAM ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNERS

$2100.00 was awarded to 26 student s from 7 regio ns of the prov ince for recei ving the top marks in Mu sic Exams from those marks submitted by our regional contacts. AMEF wishes to than k the Regional contacts who compiled the list of winn ers for the se awards. Please note that some marks were submitted independent of the contacts’ submissions and were also considered. Regional Contacts: Edmonton—Judith Ammann Northern Alberta—Joan Blench Red Deer—Teresa Allred Lethbridge—Christine Rogers Lloydminster—Shawn Sunderland Medicine Hat—Nancy Dick Calgary—Linda Kundert-Stoll The AMEF Board of Directors wi shes to cong ratulate the following recipients for their dedication and achievement s this year: Red Deer—Emily Braganza, Natalie Holmes, Connor Bashnick, Kira Vander Muelen, Kayla Schmidt Lethbridge—Emma Takahashi, Adrienne Gomes, Rebecca Kundrick North ern Alberta—Janice Walls Fort McMurray— Lindsey Herle, Emily Herle Medicine Hat—Laura Calighan, Brittany Norman, Linda Zhang, Edmonton—Ken Fan Ngan, Shauna Yuan, Jasmine Aziz Edmonton—2nd place recipients—Elaine Fan Ngan, Jasmine Aziz, Leon Tiet Calgary—Emily Jin, Arielle Manzano, Quinn Gomez Calgary—2nd place recipients— Davin Beiker, Georgeanna Van Helden, Cameron Buie We wish you success in your future studies.

The Keyboards for Kids program in Edmonton’s inner city celebrated its 10th year anni-versary this past June. The students in the program performed a recital for special guests and parents, as well as the teachers and students of Mother Teresa school. The Edmon-ton Inner City Children’s Society, one of the program’s sponsors, presented recognition awards to all the volunteer teache rs who have so generously given their time and shared their talent with the students for the past 10 years. The following teachers were honoured: Mark Fukushima, Allison Fernades, Sarah Bouthillier, Helen Parks and Pat Frehlich. The program, initiated in 1999, has offered hundreds of children the opportunity to partici-pate in piano lessons during their lunch hour. Along with the support of the Alberta Music Education Foundation, Keyboards for Kids also partners with Conservatory Canada ,who provide music examinations to the children free of charge. In the past few years the prog ram has expanded to Red Deer with the help and com-mitment of teachers Gloria Hulyk and Teresa Allred and is in its second year in Calgary ‘s inner city with dedicated teachers Beth Oliver and Rita Thurn. This past fall a new p artnership has involved music students from t he University of Al-berta and Comm unity Service Lea rning (C SL). These peda gogy students attend the weekly Keyboard classes, first to audit and then to assist with th e teaching . Currently there are 10 university students pa rticipating and will be eligible to receive a certificate from the CSL organization which encourages students to participate in activities of a com-munity agency or social action group. By taking part , the students join a growing number of students from acro ss Canada who a re connecting their edu cation to what m atters in their local communities. My since re thanks to university professo rs Janet Scott Hoyt and Shelagh Scott for helpi ng get this p roject off the ground. Finding volunteer teachers has always been a challenge and we are grateful to have these yo ung and e nthusiastic uni-versity students assisting us!

Keyboards for Kids continues to thrive and we look forward to the next decade! Respectfully submitted by Pat Frehlich—Keyboards for Kids Program Coordinator

Who is eligible to become a member of AMEF? Any teacher who gives music instruction in any performing arts discipline in a studio setting Any person 18 years of age or older who is interested in music education and would like to participate in

the work of AMEF Any person, group or business that wishes to support Music Education in Alberta Current Programs Supported by AMEF Exam Achievement Prizes (open to all music student in AB—Oct 5 Annual Deadline to submit marks Provincial National Festival Awards to the winners of the Provincial National Piano, Vocal & Strings

classes at the Alberta Provincial Music Festival Bursaries ($500 maximum per person. Annual Deadline of June 30th) Keyboards for Kids (a music education program for children who would otherwise not be able to afford

private piano lessons) Alberta Heritage Music Program (bringing seniors and youth together in music) Workshops: $150.00 maximum grant available for hosting a music education workshop in your area Canada music Week Recitals (promoting the celebration of Canadian music) $150 maximum per recital

available upon application Music Conference Alberta (MCA) This year was Oct. 29-31 in Red Deer. Next year the dates will be Novem-

ber 4-6th, 2010 in Red Deer Other programs supported include Contemporary Showcase Festivals in 3 locations, The C3 and NA Con-

certo Competitions.

AMEF Keyboards for Kids Program Celebrates 10th Anniversary

ALBERTA HERITAGE MUSIC PROJECT from the eyes and heart of

AMEF Board Member Cara Brown

I have been a studio voice teache r in Fort McMurray for 5 1/2 years, and launching the Alberta Heri-tage Music Project (AHMP)* has been one of the best decisions I have made in this capacity. All of my voice students were not only receptive, but generous of their time and spirit during the interview pro c-ess that took place in February. They were eager to prepare and perform the story memories from the seniors that they met and talked with. I watched all of my students, without exception, be gracious and attentive with this other ge neration that they may have thought they had nothing in common with. And yet, they most certainly did. They were tran sformed when they laughed and sh ared intimate moments with people sharing their love of music and dancing, and how it enhanced their lives. I have been extremely f ortunate with the supportive and enthusiastic team that I am wo rking with to bring this project to fruitio n. My sup ervisor at the Keyano College Conservatory, Sharon Price, was immediately responsive to this and helped in the planning and organizing of all aspects. T im Moen, who agreed to be our vide ographer, has been caring and creative in the interviews and the editing of the video, and captured the performance day as well. I believe the Alberta He ritage Music Project is a well-thought out and hea rtfelt project. I think it will strengthen a nd touch the student s involved, their fa milies, the seni ors and their families, my col-leagues, myself, and this community. I would encourage anyone that has a love of music, and believes that it adds colour a nd intensity to our lives, to take part in the Alberta Herita ge Music Project in your community! *The AHMP aims to connect youth and seniors in the sharing of musical memories from the seniors’ teenaged years. The students then recreate these story-memories through music, acting, sets, cos-tumes and community involvement.

“Music is the art which is most nigh to tears and memory.” —- Oscar Wilde

Initiated in 20 07 as a m eans of re cognizing volunteers who assist with the Ca sino (AMEF’s major fun draising event which provides program funding for 2 years) AMEF Bucks are awarded for each hour of volunteering and can be redeemed for Music Conference Alberta registration fees or towards AMEF membership fees. Each vol-unteer can earn 10 AMEF Bucks for each hour they work. AMEF gratef ully ackno wledges the foll owing volunt eers who worked at the Deerfoot Casino July 8th & 9th, 2009: Melrose & Bev Randell Jan & Peter Underwood Teresa & Drew Allred Michele des Ramaux Karly Wilson Sheryl Krill Pat Reilly Noah Borin Greg Wagland Beth Olver Priscilla King Brenda Brown Steve Donnelly Cha ntal Boos Nathe ne Arthur Krista Milani Dawn Hrywkiw Alexis Hrywkiw Thank you to John Reid and Tara Alldred-Gundesen who were available as alternates. For those who have not cashed in your AMEF Bucks on this year’s Conference, they will still be available to you for the fall 2010 Conference registration. The next Casino Fundraiser will be in either July/August/September 2011. Funds secured from this year’s Casino amount to approximately $30,000 less than the one held two years ago. This

WHAT ARE AMEF BUCKS?

SUBMISSION DEADLINES FOR FUNDING APPLICATIONS (effective immediately)

As the AMEF Board meets every second month, an amended schedule of dates for submission of funding applications will facilitate better commu-nication and adequate time for Board consideration and responses. Dates for Submissions: February 15th May 15th August 15th December 15th All forms should be available on the AMEF website within the next month. We apologize for the delay in getting these posted on the net and will be working with a new webmaster in the near future.

Advertising Rates for AMEF Newsletters

ARTICLES for submission from members are welcomed. Insertion of such articles in the newsletter is at the discretion of the Editor and may be withheld or edited.

Advertise your upcoming event or business to AMEF members this year! ADVERTISING: Businesses or Groups wishing to advertise in the AMEF quarterly newsletters should contact the AMEF office by email at contact@amef.ca or phone 403-347-1662. DEADLINES FOR ALL NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS: April 15, August 15, November 15, February 15. ADVERTISING RATES for 2009-2010 $50—Third Page $40—Quarter Page $20—Business card size Businesses or Groups wishing to advertise in the AMEF quarterly should contact the AMEF office. BUSINESSES WISHING TO SPONSOR AMEF AND HAVE THEIR LINK ON OUR WEBSITE, PLEASE CONTACT THE OFFICE FOR MORE INFORMATION

****** PLEASE NOTE: To reduce costs, all future newsletters will be sent by EMAIL to anyone with a current email ad-dress in our records unless we are otherwise contacted at the office and a hard copy is requested.

JOIN US FOR A FUNDRAISING CONCERT IN SUPPORT OF AMEF Location: Edmonton

Dates: To be announced (Spring 2010)

If you wish to host a fundraising concert (whether large or small) in support of AMEF and MUSIC EDUCATION IN ALBERTA

please contact the AMEF Office at 403.347-1662 or by EMAIL: contact@amef.ca

MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS are due March 31. If you are a group member, pass your fee and renewal form to your group contact who will send it to our office. Only mem-berships send as a group receive the group discount per member of 50% off the membership fees. Minimum number of 10 members to qualify for group rate.

TOGETHER WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN SUPPORT OF MUSIC EDUCATION IN ALBERTA

ALBERTA MUSIC EDUCATION FOUNDATION (AMEF)

The Alberta Music Education Foundation is a Registered Charity

which promotes and supports music education in Alberta. Through its status as a registered charity, it accepts donations and seeks funding for music

scholarships and the programs which it runs, co-sponsors, or supports in the province.

WAYS YOU CAN HELP

□ MEMBERSHIP

□ SINGLE GIFT Whether on behalf of yourself or someone you love

who has everything AND loves music

□ DONATE IN MEMORY OF A LOVED ONE This is a valuable and positive way to celebrate the life of a loved one,

whilst making a difference in someone else’s life.

□ LEAVE A LEGACY Give the gift that keeps on giving.

□ GIFT IN HONOUR Make a donation in honour of someone or in recognition of a special occasion.

Occasions such as weddings, birthdays, anniversaries or even the birth of a new grandchild are all moments that can have a special meaning.

□ MATCHING GIFTS If you would like your gift to do twice as much,

contact the Human Resources or Charitable Giving department where you work. They will be able to tell you if gifts to AMEF are eligible to be matched

and they will provide you with the required paperwork.

ALBERTA COMMUNITY SPIRIT MATCHING DONATION PROGRAM (corporate donations do not qualify—applicable on individual donations only)

AMEF can receive funding to match your donation. http://www.culture.alberta.ca/communityspirit/default.aspx

TAX RECEIPTS WILL BE ISSUED FOR ALL DONATIONS OF $10 OR MORE

When you make a donation in MEMORY OF A LOVED ONE, as a SINGLE GIFT for that someone who has everything, or as a GIFT IN HONOUR, we will send a card personalized to the family member or person you indicate. The amount of the gift will not be disclosed. You will also receive an official tax receipt confirming your donation and that a card has been sent.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

“Music is the vernacular of the hum

an soul.” —

Geoffrey L

atham

Music Advocacy’s Top Ten for Everyone

1. Ninety-five (95) percent of people responding to a 2000 Gallup Poll believe that music is part of a well-rounded education. Gallup Poll Shows Strong Support for Putting Music in Every School’s Curriculum, Giles Communications,

2000. 2. Practicing musicians demonstrate 25 percent more brain activity than non-musicians when listening to musi-cal sounds. Exposure to Music Is Instrumental to the Brain, University of Muenster. 3. In a 1998 study, retirees who participated in group keyboard lessons reported decreased anxiety, decreased depression, and decreased loneliness when compared to a control group. Scientific Study Indicates That Making Music Makes the Elderly Healthier, American Music Conference,

1998. 4. People who participate in the arts live longer than others, according to a Swedish study. British Medical Journal, 1996. 5. At-risk children participating in an arts program that includes music show significant increases in self-concept, as measured by the Piers-Harris Children’s Self-Concept Scale. Project ARISE: Meeting the needs of disadvantaged students through the arts, Auburn University, 1992. 6. Martin Ga rdiner of Bro wn Unive rsity tracke d the criminal re cords of Rh ode Island re sidents from birth through age 30, and he concl uded the more a re sident was involved in musi c, the lower t he person’s arrest record. “Music Linked to Reduced Criminality,” MuSICA Research Notes, Winter 2000. 7. The p art of the brai n responsible for planni ng, foresight, and coordination is substantially larger for instru-mental musicians than for the general public. “Music On the Mind,” Newsweek, July 24, 2000. 8. Students who parti cipate in school band or orchestra have the lowest leve ls of current and lifelong use of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs among any group in our society. H. Con. Res 266, United States Senate, June 13, 2000. 9. In a French study, the use of melodies was shown to stimulate speech recovery in stroke victims. Neurology, December, 1996. 10. Taking a music elective course is a better indicator that a student will stay i n college than high SAT scores or high GPA. Dr. Denise C. Gardner, Effect of Music Courses On Retention, Georgia Tech, 2000. ** The American Music Council, a non-profit music education advocacy association, offers a document on their website titled “Essential A dvocacy Re sources for M usic.” The d ocument ca n be found at http://www.amc-music.org/pdf/Essential-Advocacy-Resource.pdf.

Your advertisement could be here.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BECOMING AN AMEF BOARD MEMBER, PLEASE CONTACT

THE OFFICE OR CARA BROWN (CHAIR)

AMEF OFFICE 4501—39th Street Red Deer, AB T4N 1A1 Ph: 403-347-1662 Email: contact@amef.ca Website: www.amef.ca Executive Director: Sheryl Krill (contact@amef.ca or sh_krill@telus.net)

BOARD MEMBERS CONTACT INFORMATION: CHAIR: Cara Brown ( caramacb@yahoo.com) VICE-CHAIR: Jan Underwood ( masquerade97@yahoo.com) TREASURER: Teresa Allred ( vevey@shaw.ca) DIRECTOR: George Bradley ( pastorgrb@hotmail.com) DIRECTOR: Melrose Randell ( melrand@telus.net) PROGRAM COORDINATORS: Keyboards for Kids Pat Frehlich ( frehlich@shaw.ca) Alberta Heritage Music Project Nathene Arthur (marthur@telus.net) Cara Brown (caramacb@yahoo.com)