Our music club has a long history of snootiness, meanness, unfairness. We are trying to change that by moving it towards a networking environment, and not the liddle-old-biddy-piano teacher with all her hang-ups. Not easy, but we're doing it. We have had to "fire" club members. No need to keep your roster filled with persons who create trouble, stall progress, and promote negativity. Life moves on, things change, and even the local music club can expand it's horizons. LOL Personally, I have begun to believe that the best thing any piano teacher can do is get ahold of a good shrink, get all your issues straightened out, and then proceed.

[ 11-19-2003: Message edited by: Lilla ]

I belonged to another state's MTA, but when I moved here, they gave me a list of things as long as my arm to do before I would "qualify". I decided I did not need them. I miss the group I previously belonged to, although it had it's problems.

Reflecting back to college daze, I met a fewwonderful, open, kind, supportive pianists at U of M, but I also saw many socially-inept, been-kept-in-the-practice-room-too-long, you-couldn't-yank-a-needle-outta-their-heinies-with-a-tractor types.

And yes, that's the definition of these poor pianists that is found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

I think I posted before about my experiences with the LMTA, so I shall spare you another long post. Let me just say that the obnoxious comments that were made to me by a few LMTA members did not make me feel welcome. :rolleyes: I'm glad I'm out of TX!

Oh my goodness, like what kinds of things? Seeing that you live in California (as I do), I'm curious. Was it another MTNA group, or MTAC? I know of people who'd been in MTNA in other states that easily transferred to MTAC. Were these requirements actually mandated by the State, or were they things the particular branch had come up with on their own (like certain number of hours of service at MTAC events, etc...)

[ 11-19-2003: Message edited by: alidoremi ]

[ 11-20-2003: Message edited by: alidoremi ]

My local chapter works together and warmly welcomes all new members. We enjoy our meetings and each other.
Lunch is open to one and all following the monthly meetings.
Like you, Alidoremi, I feel as if I'm living on Fantasy Island when I hear some of these horror stories.
The thought of relocating scares the life out of me!

Vivace and Ali, in all honesty, my club is friendly and meetings are warm, welcoming, inspirational, fun. I only know about the behind-the-scenes-horrors because I'm on the board. To the average member, I'm sure they have no idea what's behind the planning, performances, scheduling, etc.

Another comment that might be interesting to compare - I have heard of teachers who dropped out of the club early-on because when they were new teachers, fresh out of school, the club was markedly cold towards them. As one fellow told me, "those old biddies and coots had no time for me."

[ 11-20-2003: Message edited by: Lilla ]

[ 11-20-2003: Message edited by: Lilla ]

Our association tries to bend over backwards toward the new members. We do have mentor programs and I have been one for quite a while. I call up every new member and ask them how I can help them, and each one is offered a special helper. Some new teachers take advantage of it, but most do not. I have met wonderful teachers in our association who are now good friends of mine. I love our local association. I just try to stay away from the mean ones.
From my perspective as a middle aged member, the psycho teachers are of all age groups. I have seen young teachers be very nasty, and they seem to be more assertive than older teachers. The sweetest, nicest teacher in our association is over 80.
Some of the snobbest teachers around here are too "good" to join the association, anyway. :rolleyes:
About qualifications to join, you have to have a degree OR be certified. If not, we have a program to help you become certified. I know this may put some teachers off, but it is the only way we can keep up our quality.

Well, Susan, I wouldn't qualify to be in your group, then. I don't have a college degree & I'm not certified.

I qualified to join the LMTA because they considered my years of piano study with a certified MTNA teacher (she wrote a letter of recommendation for me to provide, along with my resume, to the LMTA), my professional performance & teaching experience as being the equivalent of having a college degree. They did not require me to take any college courses to qualify for active membership, even though I know that they only granted provisional membership to another teacher (one who teaches Suzuki, FWIW) until she completed some college courses & qualified for active membership. I guess they liked my musical background.

At any rate, I'm not in the mood to jump through hoops for anyone. I'm not even sure I want to keep my MTNA membership. While it's true that just because I took lessons, performed professionally & taught piano for years doesn't necessarily make me a good teacher, it's also true that just because someone has a college degree doesn't mean s/he is a good teacher.

[ 11-20-2003: Message edited by: Jalapeņa ]