Sigma Alpha Iota

P A N P I P E S Summer 2020 3 MUSIC NOTES SAI at the Kentucky Music Educators Convention The Louisville Alumnae Chapter hosted a successful booth at the Kentucky Music Educators Convention in Louisville on February 6-7, 2020. Louisville affiliates Kathleen Bartels, Stephanie Murphy, Gabrielle Keith, and Amelia Flynn, along with Sigma D PO Rebecca Sepulveda, managed the booth. ey gave out 67 stickers and had about that number of SAI visitors. Several sisters and Distinguished Members presented at the convention or were exhibitors, including Michelle Lewis, Martina Vasil, Lori Baruth, Kelly Mayes, Mary Elizabeth Henton, and Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser. A map of all the chapters in the state and surrounding areas offered sisters a place to indicate where they traveled from. Stickers were color coded to represent collegiate, affiliated alumnae, unaffiliated alumnae, and Distinguished Members. At the end of the convention, it was a great visual representation of the distribution of SAIs in the state. A trivia contest was held to distribute pens, pencils, and window clings provided by National Headquarters. An SAI trivia question was posted on a whiteboard and changed periodically; answer the question, get a prize! (is was surprisingly popular with the Sinfonians visiting their nearby booth.) e group was able to raise nearly $25 for SAI Philanthropies, Inc. by asking passersby and sisters to place money in the jar designated for their favorite program, either Bold Notes or People to People. It was a close race, but People-to-People won. e followings sisters and Distinguished Member were given awards during the convention: • Jason Koontz, SAI National Arts Associate, District 11 College/ University Teacher of the Year • Michele Paise, Gamma Upsilon Program/Social Advisor and SAI Alumnae, District 8 College/University Teacher of the Year • Martina Vasil, SAI Alumnae, District 7 College/University Teacher of the Year. C incinnati Alumnae Chapter member Elizabeth Council-Phelan received the 2020 Studio Teacher of the Year award from the Ohio String Teachers Association (OSTA) in January. is award recognizes outstanding achievement by string educators in the state. In 1995, Elizabeth and her husband, Dr. Vincent Phelan, an SAI Friend of the Arts, founded the Corryville Suzuki Project, an accelerated family-oriented music program that offers violin and viola instruction to children ages 4-18 from all parts of the Greater Cincinnati area. e Phelans also train instructors. As a performer, Elizabeth is currently Principal Viola of the Southwest Ohio Philharmonic and previously served as principal of the Middletown Symphony Orchestra. Elizabeth, Vincent, and their son Peter have formed the Phelan Trio performing on area recitals. She has performed with the Cincinnati Ballet Orchestra, Columbus Symphony, Dayton Philharmonic, Illinois Philharmonic, and the Richmond (IN) Symphony. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Viola Performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a Master of Music degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Elizabeth has studied Suzuki pedagogy with numerous pedagogues including William Preucil, recording artist of the Suzuki Viola School. Dr. Phelan presented the award to Elizabeth and said, "Elizabeth has worked tirelessly to provide a wonderful music education for children of many economic, racial, and social backgrounds since 1993. She secures grants and makes financial appeals to individuals and corporations, which makes it possible for children who can't afford music lessons to have access to high quality, broad based music education." Elizabeth is an initiate of Tau-Sigma at the University of Missouri–Kansas City. As a member of the Cincinnati Alumnae Chapter, she coordinated the annual Music Scholarship Benefit Concert and served as Vice President- Membership. Elizabeth previously received an SAI Professional Development Grant in 2019 to attend the Suzuki Association of the Americas Leadership Retreat. SAI Philanthropies, Inc. provides these grants to encourage music-related professional development among alumnae and affiliated patroness members of SAI. — Sarah Grogan, Editor, Cincinnati Alumnae Chapter Cincinnati Alumnae Chapter member Elizabeth Council- Phelan, with husband and Friend of the Arts Vincent Phelan, received the 2020 Studio Teacher of the Year award from the Ohio String Teachers Association. Sister Named Ohio Studio Teacher of the Year

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