MTNA’s 150th Anniversary Celebration
"Every Teacher, Every Legacy: MTNA at 150”
Supported by the MTNA Foundation Fund 150th Anniversary Affiliate Enrichment Grant
Committee: Allison Franzetti, Mira Kang, Marianne Lauffer, Esma Pasic-Filipovic
NJMTA is proud to participate in a special celebration honoring the 150th anniversary of Music Teachers National Association (MTNA).
This is a statewide, multi-format project, and we hope you will join us — whether in person or online.
EVENT DETAILS
Date: Sunday, January 17, 2027
Time: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Location: Steinway Gallery 3495 Brunswick Pike Princeton, NJ
Format: In-person and via Zoom
Participation Registration Deadline: October 15 - RSVP
· This initiative combines an in-person event with broad digital participation, engaging members across New Jersey to ensure representation from all regions.
· By utilizing digital platforms to collect stories, reflections, and teaching insights, the project extends beyond a single gathering to honor the legacy of music education while connecting present practice with future directions.
SESSION I: "MTNA's Legacy: Every Music Teacher Is a Hero"
· This session will include greetings from MTNA leadership, a brief historical overview, and community storytelling.
· Members will share testimonies about educators who shaped their musical journeys, recognizing both distinguished teachers and those whose contributions have often gone unrecognized.
· Participants will also contribute their own teaching insights and practical strategies, fostering a shared pedagogical exchange.
· Tributes may be read in-person, submitted in writing or video recording via email to afranzetti88@gmail.com
· Tributes will be 3 minutes maximum in length
SESSION II: "Teachers as Artists: Celebration in Performance"
· This session will feature NJMTA members performing repertoire that reflects the evolution of music over the past 150 years, highlighting the relationship between artistic practice and teaching traditions.
· Solo performances will be 5 minutes maximum in length
· Ensemble performances will be 8 minutes maximum in length.
· We encourage ensemble performances to allow as many participants as possible.
We plan to have Sessions I and II intertwined rather than as separate sections. Participation is on a first come, first served basis. Time limits will be strictly enforced.
SESSION III: will be focused on the future of music and music instruction, including music technology and AI.
João Paulo Casarott, MTO (Music Teachers Online) President and Director of the Piracicaba International Piano Festival, will present via Zoom.
Dr. João Paulo Casarotti is a Brazilian pianist, educator, researcher, and internationally active clinician whose work brings together performance, piano pedagogy, technology, and teacher education. He is the founder and artistic director of the Piracicaba International Piano Festival, the Encontro Internacional de Pianistas do Vale do Aço, and the Piracicaba International Piano Concerto Competition in Brazil. Based in Arizona, he maintains private and online piano studios and has held teaching and faculty appointments at institutions including Glendale Community College, St. Norbert College, Southern University, Temple University, the University of North Dakota, and schools in Brazil. As a performer and scholar, he has appeared throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia, and his research interests include the piano works of Brazilian composer Ernst Mahle, the Taubman Approach, and innovative uses of technology in piano instruction.
Dr. Casarotti has also maintained a strong connection with the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) through presentations, publications, and service. He has presented regularly at MTNA National Conferences, contributed articles to American Music Teacher and the MTNA Business Digest, and during the COVID-19 pandemic served as a consultant for MTNA, helping provide webinars that supported thousands of teachers as they transitioned to online instruction. In 2025, he presented two sessions at the MTNA National Conference in Minneapolis, one on Brazilian piano repertoire and another exploring the impact of artificial intelligence on piano pedagogy and music education. His work continues to reflect a commitment to advancing piano teaching, expanding access to music education, and supporting the professional development of music teachers.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
· We invite you to take part in one or both sessions — as a storyteller, performer, or attendee, in person or via Zoom.
· Whether you'd like to share a testimony about a teacher who shaped your journey, offer a teaching insight, or perform a piece reflecting the evolution of music over the past century and a half, we want to hear from you.
Please respond by October 15 to confirm your participation and let us know:
· Whether you plan to join in person or via Zoom
· Whether you'd like to participate in Session I (storytelling/testimony/teaching insight) and/or Session II (performance)
· If performing, the title and composer of your selected repertoire, names of performers and instrument/voice
We look forward to celebrating 150 years of music teaching legacy together, and to honoring the teachers — known and unsung — who have shaped generations of musicians across New Jersey.