No matter where you're from, there's always a sense of optimism when spring arrives! I grew up in Nebraska on a farm and as a child was amazed when entire fields that lay dormant all winter would show signs of new life as little green plants pushed their way up. I've learned the subtle ways to look for spring in the desert. Flowers here bloom year 'round, but now I look for the flower buds to start showing up on my orange trees in March. Other green plants that have gone dormant are now starting to send out new leaves and you can almost hear them sigh as they stretch to meet the sun.

Certain areas of our lives have had to lie dormant, stay in, and be careful during this pandemic. Fortunately, we are beginning to see signs of life returning to normal. I am so proud of our DVMTA Committee Chairmen who have embraced new ideas that have burst forth from the difficult challenges of hosting our annual events. Some events have had slight changes, while others have had drastic revamps! My heart is full of gratitude for our amazing event chairs: Charles Newton-Music Marathon, Claire Westlake-Original Composition, Sara Pratt-Cavalcade, Lorri McHardy- Awards in Excellence, Toni Tetreau-Achievement Day, and Wendi Heslop-Awards Plus. These events have been tremendously successful, and have provided all our students opportunities to keep growing and blooming!
Lori Weidemann, DVMTA President

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The challenges of the past year have caused us to adapt to the times and circumstances we are in, and DVMTA members have been up to the task of reimagining our Student Events. Cavalcade has always been an exciting time for students to gather in groups and perform duet ensembles, with as many as 15 pianos onstage. This year looked much different, but thanks to our talented and innovative Cavalcade Committee, the show was able to go on. This year's performance occurred virtually, with students and teachers submitting their "Rock On!" themed pieces with a digital recording. Sara Pratt, head of the Cavalcade Committee, compiled the recordings and put together an amazing video performance, which was released on YouTube. Sara and her committee, Carolyn Eldredge and Yuerong Gong,  deserve much thanks, for their hours of dedication to this project and event. Similarly, teachers deserve a huge thanks for helping their students learn and record their pieces, with most even playing along. Great job, everyone!

It’s February, and signs of LOVE are all around us! I’m pretty confident you echo my sentiments when I say, “I love teaching, and think we piano teachers have an incredibly rewarding job!”
I decided a long time ago that the day I dreaded waking up to a day of teaching lessons, I would quit and find something else to do. Well, I’ve been at it since 1986 – 35 years – and I still look forward to my piano lesson days! I love sharing my passion for music, introducing young minds to new possibilities, beauty, creativity, enjoyment, and a sense of accomplishment. I also love instilling discipline of practice, diligence to work at a piece methodically and the perseverance to keep at it until it’s right, and the stretching process that happens when I push my students beyond what they think they are capable of. I love when they experience a huge sense of accomplishment, or develop more self-confidence. It takes effort, lots of it, but I love the challenge to inspire and encourage them, to keep it fun and fresh, and to give them the experiences and tools they will need to be lifelong lovers of music. I hope you’re doing what you love, too!

Lori Weidemann, DVMTA President

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