About us
Yakima/Ellensburg chapter is part of Washington State Music Teachers Association.
For membership please contact Chapter President (Nichole Blair). The membership year is from July 1st to June 30th. Dues should be sent to MTNA by August 1st in order to be included on the Yakima-Ellensburg Membership Roster which is available to members at the September meeting. Visit the MTNA or WSMTA websites for more information, to apply for, or to renew your membership online. If you have questions, contact our Chapter President.
Washington State Music Teachers Association (WSMTA), organized in 1915, is affiliated with the Music Teachers National Association. With a membership of nearly 1,200, WSMTA includes independent teachers in private studios and collegiate teachers in the university setting, dedicated to enriching the lives of nearly 28,000 young musicians. The association regularly offers educational and performance opportunities for teachers, students and the public. The WSMTA newsletter, The Clarion, is published monthly and distributed to members.
Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) has existed to support music teaching and the art of music since 1876 when Theodore Presser and 61 colleagues founded it, making it America’s oldest professional music organization. Members receive the bi-monthly publication, American Music Teacher.
The Yakima chapter was formed around 1952 with the Ellensburg name being added in more recent years. The Yakima/Ellensburg chapter has hosted several renown pianist workshops. Daniel Pollock of USC did weeklong workshops for seven years from 1977-1984 for which pianist from all over the state came to participate. Yakima Rotary Club sponsored him at a concert in Capitol Theater. Internationally known pianist Nelita True from Eastman School of Music did a week long workshop in 1987. On 2009 the chapter hosted the WSMTA state conference with guest clinician Ingrid Clarfield, professor of piano at Westminster Choir College in Princeton.
Information thanks to Danene Knudsen, a member since June of 1978