We held our annual DVMTA August Brunch Friday, August 15, 2025 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Mesa. President Lorri McHardy welcomed everyone to the new year and the upcoming meetings and student events were introduced. Our board members have planned a fun and fabulous year for us!  Students are going to have so much fun while learning, performing, composing, competing and so much more.  Many thanks to Kelli Riding and her committee for organizing our delicious brunch, it was wonderful to visit after the summer break!

ALOHA to all DVMTA members! Can you tell where we vacationed in July? We had a wonderful time with family in Oahu, swimming, hiking, and enjoying the incredible beauty there. One of our hikes led to a beautiful waterfall, and along the way were three docents in typical village structures who taught the kids about various aspects of Hawaiian culture. I was struck with one particular concept, that of “LOHAKI”. This is represented by a triangle with Mind, Body, and Spirit at the points. Each is in harmony and balance with the others.

As I thought about what we do as teachers, we also strive for a balance of all three points with our students. We teach their minds, helping them read music, learn to practice and memorize, and prepare mentally for the rigors of performance. We teach their bodies, working on posture, hand position, body movement, and how to work out the technique required in various passages. We also teach their spirits, nurturing their creativity, helping them play with expression and passion, and giving them an appreciation for the composers that have gone before.

Our DVMTA events also nurture all three points of the triangle. Their minds are used as they perform, plus we have Achievement Day testing to prepare for. Their bodies are also used in each performance, particularly being careful with Awards in Excellence preparation. They listen hard and collaborate at Cavalcade. Their spirits are used in Original Composition and in every performance as they play sensitively. I’m so grateful to be able to offer these events to my students, to nurture every aspect of musicianship. What we do is so important; we touch lives and make connections. It’s not just about training fingers to press the right key. We help these students become musicians, which can bring them joy for the rest of their lives. Thank you for all you do! Please join me at the August Brunch on Friday, August 15 at 9:30 am. We will have all the information about the meetings and events coming up this year, plus some delicious food. If you have friends who teach that are not yet members, please invite them. We’d love to grow our organization. It will be a fun and informative meeting.

Thanks!

Lorri McHardy
DVMTA President

Read the full August 2025 DVMTA Newsletter