There’s a saying in the academic music community that “if you can’t perform, you teach,” implying teaching music is a lesser art than performing music.
Courtney Crappell, Music Teachers National Association student chapter president and piano performance senior, takes a different point of view.
“I say you can’t teach what you can’t do,” he said.
Crappell reorganized MTNA and gained official, active student organization status this semester — but it was a process three years in the making.
He joined MTNA three years ago, but the previous officers had not activated the organization with the Center for Student Leadership and Involvement. He convinced people to rejoin the club last semester and began the process to achieve official status.
“We wanted to do more,” Crappell said. “Now that it’s gone through, this year should take off.”
MTNA is a national, professional organization set up to support private music teachers, Crappell said. Within that framework there are university faculty and high school music teachers, but the organization focuses on accrediting music teachers who give private lessons.
The LSU chapter of MTNA has several community outreach programs.
The students organized trips to St. James Place, a full-service retirement home, last semester and played recital pieces for residents’ birthday parties.
“It’s a great way to practice your piece in public before the recital,” Crappell said.
They also worked with ensembles at the University and went to Brookstown Elementary to play music for the students. After the mini-concert, the ensemble fielded questions about the various instruments.
“It’s a way to introduce children to music because many schools don’t have funding for music education,” Crappell said.
Miranda Murphy, secretary for the LSU chapter of MTNA and a piano freshman, said most children do not know, for example, what a bassoon is, and their musical options are limited without instrument knowledge.
Crappell said the student chapters are extensions of the national organization. Students interested in joining are required only to be involved in music study at LSU.
“We’ve tried to make it as open as possible,” Crappell said.
The biggest challenge is getting student representation from all musical backgrounds and eliminating the perception that MTNA is a piano club, Crappell said.
The pianists tend to hang out together, and the woodwinds and vocalists do the same, Crappell said.
“Once we get a common interest, we work together better,” he said.
Everyone in the School of Music will probably give private lessons once they graduate, Crappell said. Organizers formed MTNA to help students with that process.
As an example, Crappell said people may want to take private lessons but will not know who is qualified. For this reason, MTNA offers accreditation for private teachers.
“It’s like when you go to a mechanic, and you see that they’re ASE certified,” Crappell said.
The national organization has 24,000 nationwide members, its Web site stated.
The club is focusing on fund-raising opportunities, Crappell said.
Crappell said they want to host a musical carnival, complete with an “instrument petting zoo,” and invite local schools to participate.