[Members] MASTA Members! TOY/AOY Ballot Due TODAY

[Rick Dapprich]

Good Afternoon, MASTA, Your vote counts! Vote now!!!

Reminder that your ballot for MASTA Teacher-of-th-Year and  
Administrator-of-the-Year is due TODAY (Monday, 1/20/10). Please copy,  
fill out and return the ballot below for 2010-11. Deadline is today at  
midnight! Great folks nominated in each category! Read below bios  
about these wonderful MASTA teachers and courageous administrators.

Email ballot to: dwinder at emich.edu or mail (print attached) to Diane  
L. Winder, 510 Browning St., Ypsilanti, MI 48198. Happiest Holidays  
and thanks for voting! Diane L. Winder, MASTA President Elect/Liaison  
to MYA - - - - - -


Dear MASTA Members:

This is your ballot for MASTA's 2011 Teacher-of-the-Year and  
Administrator-of-the-Year. It's inspiring to read about these folks  
and a privilege to receive these nominations. Each is already a  
winner, respected and admired by their constituents for their many  
achievements! See nomination bios at the conclusion of this email  
before you vote.

To vote, please copy this email and put into a new email addressed to  
me ( dwinder at emich.edu ). Then, mark your selections (one in each  
category), and return by midnight on Monday, December 20, 2010*.  
(*Note: This is an extension beyond the date printed in previous MASTA  
calendars.)

Look forward to hearing from all of you. Thanks for giving our fine  
teachers and administrators such great support!

Best regards, Diane L. Winder, MASTA, President-Elect
---------------------------------------------------------

TEACHER-0F-THE-YEAR
X-David Reed


ADMINISTRATOR-OF-THE-YEAR
X-Blake Prewitt

______________________________________________

TEACHER OF THE YEAR NOMINATIONS/BIOS:

MARK KOTCHENRUTHER, an orchestra teacher for the 24 years, holds the  
B.M. and Ph.D. in music education from the University of Michigan, and  
the M.A. from The Ohio State University. Mark previously taught in  
Kentucky (where he also served as president of the Kentucky chapter of  
ASTA); Norfolk, VA; and, South Haven, MI. Since 2000, Mark has taught  
orchestra in the Forest Hills Public Schools where, in 2009, the FHN  
Chamber Orchestra performed at the Fourth Annual Michigan Music  
Conference.

Trained as a tubist through college, Mark was attracted to string  
teaching as an undergraduate student and got involved as a counselor  
at the MASTA Elementary String Camp. From that time forward, Mark’s  
opportunities and experiences with MASTA have played an important role  
in his professional life. Mark recently served as president of MASTA  
(2008-2010) and currently serves as past-president. As president and  
president-elect, Mark was a member of the Michigan Music Conference  
Executive Board and for two years served as its secretary. It was  
during Mark’s term as president that MASTA received the prestigious  
“Outstanding Chapter Award” at the 2010 National ASTA Conference. Mark  
also served MASTA from 1994-2001 as Music Director for the Elementary  
String Camp, and from 1999-2004 as Conference Coordinator for the  
Midwest Music Clinic.

As an active member of MSBOA, Mark has been string representative for  
MSBOA Districts 6 and 10, and from 2001-2008 was a site host for the  
MSBOA Middle Level String Clinics. He has served on the conducting  
staff of Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp since 2001 and the Knollcrest Music  
Camp at Calvin College since 2006. Mark has also been an adjunct  
professor of string methods at Albion College and Western Michigan  
University. He has directed youth orchestras in several communities,  
including: Owensboro, KY; Monroe, MI; St. Joseph, MI; and, for the  
past 10 years for the St. Cecilia Music Center in Grand Rapids. Mark  
has also been invited as guest clinician and conductor throughout  
Michigan.

- - -

DAVID REED has taught in the Bloomfield Hills Schools since 1984. He  
has a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Michigan State  
University and a Master of Music in Violin Performance from the  
University of Michigan. He has performed with a number of Detroit area  
orchestras and continues to perform locally as a soloist and in  
numerous string quartets. While at the UM, David was chosen to perform  
as a concerto competition winner in 1983.

Mr. Reed has served the Michigan Chapter of ASTA as Secretary,  
President and Past President. He serves MSBOA extensively as the  
current Vice President of Orchestral Activities (and MASTA Liaison)  
and as the Chair of the New Music Reading Session; he is also on the  
Music Selection Committee. In addition, he serves as an adjudicator  
both for solo and ensemble festivals as well as band and orchestra  
festivals, and as an orchestral and violin clinician throughout the  
state. David was voted the 2003 MSBOA Teacher of the Year and has been  
nominated for the Oakland Schools Teacher of the Year, as well as  
Teacher of the Year by MASTA. Dave is also a former Vice President for  
Festival Workers of the MSBOA District 4.

David has presented sessions and performances at the Midwestern  
Conference on School Vocal and Instrumental Music and the Michigan  
Music Conference. His orchestras are consistently in demand and have  
been awarded Division I ratings every year during his tenure at  
Andover High School. The Andover Orchestra has performed at concerts  
and festivals in Edinburgh, Scotland; London, England; Chicago,  
Orlando and most recently at Carnegie Hall in New York City. David has  
conducted at the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp and the Middle Level String  
Clinics, has taught at the Michigan State Suzuki Program, the Blue  
Lake Suzuki Family Camp, the Capital University Suzuki Institute and  
the Kalamazoo Suzuki and Chamber Music programs. He has also served as  
a guest lecturer at Oakland University teaching a string methods class  
and done guest lectures at the University of Michigan and Michigan  
State University Schools of Music and adjudicated at the University of  
Illinois Orchestra Symposium. Mr. Reed’s latest venture has been into  
the world of arranging music for string orchestra and both Tempo Press  
and Alfred Music have published his works.

- - -

AARON E. TENNEY, called "Midas Touch Tenney," is in his sixth year as  
orchestra director for NorthPointe Christian Schools (NPC) teaching  
fifth grade through high school orchestra. Administrators, staff and  
parents of NPC note the transformation he has brought to the school  
system’s music programs as he also teaches kindergarten through sixth  
grade general music classes, coaches chamber ensembles and worship  
teams, leads chapel worship, and acts as department head. Mr. Tenney  
has taken the orchestra program from a small and struggling group  
frustrated by frequent turnover to a large, thriving program  
recognized by adjudicators as one of the finest ensembles in the age  
group they have ever encountered.

Mr. Tenney was recently recruited to take over the band program as  
well. This program has doubled in size, all the while improving in  
quality and earning top marks at MOBOA and jazz festivals.

Further, Mr. Tenney maintains has performed as a bassist with the  
Lansing Symphony, for 11 years. He maintains a double bass studio,  
works as adjunct professor of bass for Cornerstone University, and  
instructor of double bass at Interlochen Arts Camp. This year Mr.  
Tenney will lead his high school orchestra in a performance for the  
2011 Michigan Music Conference. He acts as a clinician, guest  
conductor, MSBOA adjudicator, as well as section coach for St. Cecilia  
Music Ensembles and Grand Rapids Youth Symphony. Prior to teaching  
NPC, Mr. Tenney taught for Grand Rapids Public Schools and Jackson  
Public Schools.

- - - - - -

ADMINISTRATOR-OF-THE-YEAR NOMINATIONS/BIOS:

Reasons for nominating JAMES H. HOFMAN begin with his general support  
of music programs at NorthPointe Christian Schools over the five years  
of his tenure here as superintendent. He not only attends all of our  
orchestra concerts but promotes our program to the parents of  
orchestra students and to the whole school community. It's simply a  
part of his enthusiasm for excellence in all the disciplines of  
schooling. He puts his practice where his profession is.

Secondly, Mr. Hofman specifically acts out his support for our  
orchestra program by seeking venues to feature our orchestra: chapels,  
donor events, and school assemblies. In the middle of eliminating a  
large school debt, he still pushed hard, and received, funding for  
instruments, supplies, and music which have moved the orchestra from a  
small program to one that has integrity and increased size.

Thirdly, when the orchestra was invited to play at the 2011 Michigan  
Music Teachers Conference, Mr. Hofman helped make possible the  
commissioning of a new piece of music, "Vanishing Point" by Richard  
Meyer. He is also arranging for the entire middle and high school  
student body to attend the high school orchestra's performance at the  
conference. In short, Mr. Hofman's strong support for our orchestra  
program here has contributed greatly to its success.

- - -

The string teachers of the West Bloomfield School District recommend  
BLAKE PREWITT, Co-Principal of West Bloomfield High School (former  
Asst. Principal and Fine Arts Coordinator) for MASTA Administrator of  
the Year. Mr. Prewett has distinguished himself as a true advocate for  
the Orchestra program. He has been relentless in making certain that  
the Strings/Orchestra program is given equality in the Fine Arts  
Department.

Mr. Prewitt attends the orchestra concerts and is always wiling to  
assist, at the concerts, in any manner. Last school year, he assisted  
the string teachers in achieving the goal of creating and implementing  
the first annual All City Orchestra Concert. A few years ago, our  
district was on the verge of losing the beginning fifth grade  
instrumental program and Mr. Prewitt began the process to assist the  
teachers in explaining to the central office administration the need  
to keep this program. He developed several proposals demonstrating how  
the district could keep the program.

Though no longer the Fine Arts Coordinator, due to his promotion to Co- 
Principal, Mr. Prewitt remains a vocal advocate and supporter of West  
Bloomfield's Orchestra program.
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