Ms. Susan Critiques the Cliburn Competition

Courtesy: www.TheCliburn.org

The very prestigious Cliburn competition is well underway. Here is a snippet about the competition from the Cliburn website:

"Cliburn President and CEO Jacques Marquis says: "We are looking for a true artist who can connect with audiences and touch their hearts. We give the competitors multiple platforms to present us with their artistic personality and communicative power. The winners will be offered an unparalleled opportunity to build a meaningful concert career, and we are honored to be a part of launching them onto the world stage and celebrating classical music.""

This year, Ms. Susan has been included in a list of critics invited to the June 6-9 finals. This is an exceptional honor. To read Ms. Susan's critiques and keep up-to-date on the Cliburn competition, visit the Ms. Susan's blogs here for the Clavier Companion. 

Congratulations to Ms. Susan for her inclusion with this year's critics!

Music Teachers National Association Conference 2013

This week, Ms. Susan traveled to Anaheim, California, to present before the Music Teachers National Association Conference, where she discussed teaching music to adults! Ms. Susan has been a music educator for many years, and is gifted in teaching people of all ages. We are so pleased to have her as part of the Love & Grow Music Studio team! Here, in her own words, is a summary of her lecture:

Get Happy! The Magic of Recreational Music Making

Susan Geffen, NCTM

Mature Recreational Music Making students often come to classes with a lifelong dream of playing an instrument. Many of them have waited a long time for music lessons, sometimes since childhood, postponing instruction because of personal or professional obligations, economic challenges, or even the simple fear of failure.

Now these grown-ups are tuning the pianos their kids played, or perhaps they are buying new electronic keyboards for their apartments. After years of waiting, these students know what they want: they are ready to play—right now—and you the RMM teacher are there to jump-start their wish fulfillment. Not only that, you might fulfill a dream of your own: delighting in every adult class you teach.

The session is for both new and veteran RMM teachers. New RMM educators will get an idea of why teaching RMM is so invigorating, and veteran teachers will take home new teaching ideas they can put to use as soon as they return to their classrooms.

Get To Know Us - Ms. Susan

Today we are featuring our newest educator, Ms. Susan!

1. What is your favorite color? I like them all. If I had to choose, I'd say red.

2. What is your favorite animal? I LOVE dogs of all sizes and colors!

3. What is your favorite food? Spaghetti and meatballs.

4. What is your favorite song? White Coral Bells. My mother (who had a beautiful voice) used to sing it to me when I was a child.

5. What is your favorite Kindermusik memory? I am building my Kindermusik memories now. But I can tell you that the best thing about teaching music is making friends.

Introducing Susan Geffen!

We are very pleased to introduce to you the newest Member of the Kindermusik Love and Grow family, Susan Geffen!

Ms. Susan is a licensed Kindermusik educator who has been teaching arts education to children since she was in high school. Music is her calling, and she is active as an educator, a pianist, a speaker, a piano adjudicator, and even as a managing editor of Clavier Companion, a magazine devoted to the piano and piano pedagogy. Her M.A. (under the tutelage of composer Robert Rodríguez) is from the University of Texas at Dallas, and she has a Permanent Professional Certification from the Music Teachers National Association. She is also a member of the Music Critics Association of North America.

Whether her students are three or seventy-three, Ms. Susan believes that music enriches every life and that Kindermusik classes are an exciting, joyful, and meaningful way for children to begin their musical journeys. 

Look for Ms. Susan to be teaching the following classes: Village in Allen (Wednesdays), Young Child 2 in Allen (Fridays),  as well as Village and Our Time in Firewheel (Tuesdays).