NEWS

Hattiesburg music student winners/finalists from MMTA State Finals  Founded in 1972, the Hattiesburg Music Teachers League affords many wonderful opportunities to students of member teachers. Students can participate in league recitals, as well as local, state, and national festivals and competitions and can also audition for scholarships for local and state summer music camps.  Recently, a number of Hattiesburg area students were awarded medals, ribbons and plaques at the annual Mississippi Music Teachers Association Pre-College Finals held May 18 at Hinds Community College in Raymond.  Winners were selected from numerous piano, voice and string students from all over the state who qualified to perform at the competition. 

Group photo below:  (Top row, L-R):  Nathan Bai, Alina Zheng, Aiyana Li and Kiana Li  (Bottom row, L-R):  Jiayi Xiao, Yucheng Lin, Bowen Ge, Juliana Wang, and Finley Pittman.  Individual photo below: David Brett. Photo with two students below: Olivia Jacobs, Patrick Brett. Not Pictured: Amelia Bennett, Margo Bennett and Sonia Sumner. 

Piano students of Dr. Laura Broughton: Juliana Wang, Gold Medal, Piano Solo Level 3 and Below; Finley Pittman, Gold Medal, Piano Solo Level 5; Alina Zheng, Honorable Mention, Piano Solo Level 7; Amelia Bennett and Margo Bennett, 4th Place, Piano Ensemble Division D. 

Piano Students of Dr. Joanna Burnside: Olivia Jacobs, 3rd Place, Piano Solo Level 3 and Below; Patrick Brett, 3rd Place, Piano Solo Level 4;  David Brett, Gold Medal, Piano Solo Level 12 and Highest Composite Score Award, Level 12.

Piano Student of Erick Diaz: Jiayi Xiao, Gold Medal, Piano Solo Level 5

Piano Student of Dr. Ellen Elder: Yucheng Lin, 3rd Place, Piano Solo Level 6

Piano Students of Dr. Victoria Johnson: Bowen Ge, 2nd Place, Piano Solo Level 4 and 2nd Place, Piano Sonata/Sonatina Div. A;  Sonia Sumner, 2nd Place, Piano Solo Level 7 and 2nd Place, Piano Sonata/Sonatina Div. C; Nathan Bai, 2nd Place, Piano Solo Level 8 and 2nd Place, Piano Theme and Variations Division C;  Kiana Li, 2nd Place, Piano Theme and Variations Div. D and Outstanding Achievement Award; Aiyana Li, Highest Composite Score, Piano Level 11 and Outstanding Achievement Award; Kiana Li and Aiyana Li, Gold Medal, Piano Ensemble Div. E 

The Hattiesburg Music Teachers League held it's annual Spring Concert at William Carey University on April 28, 2024.  Students performing were Sonia Sumner, Nathan Bai, Alina Zheng, Lucas Zheng, Kiana Li, Margo Bennett, Alayna Johnson Aiyana Li, Aidan Shemper and David Brett.

Students are from the studios of Dr. Laura Broughton, Dr. Joanna Burnside and Dr. Victoria Johnson.

Aidan Shemper and David Brett, graduating seniors, were honored at the annual HMTL Spring Concert for their long-term dedication to piano study and numerous accomplishments.


Students of HMTL members performed beautifully on two recitals, held March 23, 2024 at William Carey University's recital hall.  Students performing were Catherine Daho, Chenyi Yang, Olivia Jacobs, Zayn Walker, Thomas Daho, Patrick Brett, Bowen Ge, Amari Walker, Nathan Bai, Sonia Sumner, Alayna Johnson, Isaiah Way, Jiayi Zhang, Josué Valdez Casco, and Yu Lei.


Presented by the studios of Joanna Burnside, Victoria Johnson, Dixie Lawson, and Elizabeth Moak

Ellen Elder, Christina Mathis, and Elizabeth Moak had students participate in the Mississippi Music Teachers Association Collegiate Competitions.  The competitions were held at USM on March 2, 2024.  Students participating:

Angelina Boos, student of Christina Mathis 


1st Place: Isaiah Way, student of Elizabeth Moak

2nd Place: Josué Valdez Casco, student of Elizabeth Moak


1st Place: Yuqiao Guan, student of Ellen Elder

2nd Place: Jéferson Lopez Sarmiento, student of Ellen Elder

Honorable Mention: Ziran Xu, student of Elizabeth Moak

The HMTL held it's February student recital on the campus of William Carey University in the Thomas Fine Arts Recital Hall.  Eighteen students presented piano music by a wide variety of composers. Students performing in the recital were Anna Guan, Ana Catherine Roberts, Chenyi Yang, Zayn Walker, Olivia Jacobs, Patrick Brett, Alina Zheng, Amari Walker,  Bowen Ge, Claire Lin, Nathan Bai, Lucas Zheng, Sonia Sumner, Kiana Li, Ruth Bond, Alayna Johnson, Aiyana Li, and David Brett.  Students are from the studios of Laura Broughton, Joanna Burnside, and Victoria Johnson.

The 2024 Kevin Olson Composer Festival sponsored by the Hattiesburg Music Teachers and Jones College was a great success.  Featured composer Dr. Kevin Olson said, "This was truly one of the best-organized events I’ve done in a while.  I’m impressed at the buy-in from teachers (both community and university) and the students for the event.  It was clear that the kids took it seriously, and there was wonderful, invested music-making going on all weekend."



The HMTL held it's first recitals of the school year on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023 at William Carey University music hall.


Student performers (pictured below) include:  


Chenyi Yang, Alayna Johnson, Ruth Bond, David Brett, Patrick Brett, Zion Causey, Amari Walker, Olivia Jacobs, Anna Guan, Bowen Ge, Sonia Sumner, Kiana Li, Aiyana Li, Ana Catherine Roberts, Amelia Bennett, Margo Bennett, Claire Lin, Tiffany Chen, John Bridges, Alina Zheng,  Anna Leigh Schmidt, Lucas Zhen, Wen wen Che, Erick Diaz Quispe, Margaleth Espinoza Fernandez.  


The students are from the piano studios of  Laura Broughton,  Joanna Burnside, Ellen Elder and Victoria Johnson.

HATTIESBURG MUSIC TEACHERS LEAGUE

JONES COLLEGE

2023 COMPOSER FESTIVAL

FEATURING KEVIN OLSON

November 10-11, 2023

Jones College


ALL MISSISSIPPI STUDENTS AND TEACHERS ARE WELCOME!

STUDENT RECITALS, AUTOGRAPH PARTIES, 

AND POSTER CONTEST


TEACHER WORKSHOP AND LUNCHEON

For more information, contact:

Victoria Johnson (Victoria Johnson)

Theresa Sanchez (Theresa Sanchez)

A number of Hattiesburg Music Teachers League students were awarded medals, ribbons and plaques at the annual Mississippi Music Teachers Association Pre-College Finals held May 20 at Jones College in Ellisville.  Winners were selected from numerous piano, voice and string students from all over the state who qualified to perform at the competition.  Hattiesburg area student winners are from the piano studios of Dr. Laura Broughton, Dr. Joanna Burnside, Erick Diaz, Dr. Ellen Elder, Gail Fox, and Dr. Vicky Johnson.

Hattiesburg area winners include:  Finley Pittman, 3rd Place, Solo Piano Grade 4; Liuliu Ding, 3rd Place, Solo Piano Grade 5; Alina Zheng, 4th Place, Solo Piano Grade 6; Margo Bennett, 3rd Place (tie), Solo Piano Grade 8; Lucas Zheng, 3rd Place (tie), Solo Piano Grade 8 and Highest Composite Score Award;  Amelia Bennett and Margo Bennett, Gold Medal, Piano Ensemble Division C. David Brett, 2nd Place and Outstanding Achievement Award, Solo Piano Grade 11; Molly Xiao, 2nd Place, Solo Piano Grade 4 and Highest Composite Score Award; Yucheng Lin, 2nd Place, Solo Piano Grade 5; Jayden Li, Gold Medal, Solo Strings Division A; Yuxiang Lin, Highest Composite Score Award, Solo Strings Division C; Nathan Bai, 3rd Place, Theme and Variations Division C and Honorable Mention, Solo Piano Grade 7;  Aiyana Li, 2nd Place, Solo Piano Grade 10; Kiana Li, Gold Medal, Theme and Variations Division C; Aiyana Li and Kiana Li, 3rd Place, Piano Ensemble Division D; Sonia Sumner, Gold Medal, Sonata/Sonatina Division B; 3rd Place, Solo Piano Grade 6.

Performers (pictured above) in the HMTL Spring Recital 2023 were Sonia Sumner, Jackson Hays, Kiana Li, Lucas Zheng, Aiyana Li, Jayden Hibbets, James Sakalarios, David Brett and Michael Ray DeViney III.  Students are from the piano studios of Laura Broughton, Joanna Burnside, Anne Kathryn DeViney, and Victoria Johnson.


This year’s Spring Concert was lovingly dedicated to Janice Mesrobian upon her retirement from teaching.


Seniors honored at the recital were Jayden Hibbets and Michael Ray DeViney, III.

The Hattiesburg Piano Teachers League was founded in February of 1972, with 14 charter members and 5 student members. Janice Mesrobian had been a member of a similar organization in Wichita, Kansas and had found it to be invaluable to her as a professional piano teacher. She set about to establish such an organization in Hattiesburg. In 1976, the Hattiesburg Piano Teachers League became a local affiliate of the Music Teachers National Association and its state affiliate, the Mississippi Music Teachers Association. In May 1990, the name of the league was changed to the Hattiesburg Music Teachers League to include music educators in addition to piano teachers. From the very beginning of the formation of the league, Ms. Mesrobian stressed that the Spring Concert should be one of the most important activities. She felt that it should be a formal occasion, one that would recognize and reward our best high school students. That first Spring Concert was held here at William Carey College on May 16, 1972, with 26 students participating, and Jan was one of the teachers who had students on the program. In the last few years, the Spring Concert has been changed to include outstanding middle school students as well. The Hattiesburg Music Teachers League has benefited countless students and teachers in its 51-year history, and it simply would not exist as a professional organization today without the sheer determination and professional vision of Janice Mesrobian. In 2019, she was named a Music Teachers National Association Fellow, one of the highest awards any music teacher can receive. Jan has touched numerous lives throughout her long teaching career and we are all deeply grateful for her devotion, professionalism, and service. We are extremely proud that she is still a member of the Hattiesburg Music Teachers League today.



The Hattiesburg Music Teachers held three student recitals on Saturday morning, April 1, 2023 at William Carey University.  

Performing were (below): Catherine Daho, Olivia Jacobs, Amelia Bennett, Patrick Brett, Caelyn Johnston, Yucheng Lin. David Brett, Chris Dixon, James Morris, Molly Xiao, David Morris, Isaiah Way, Jiayi Zhang, Sichun Gao, Jing Li, Lewei He, Ziran Xu, Ana Catherine Roberts, Claire Lin, Alina Zheng, Amelia Bennett, Lucas Zheng, Margo Bennett.  

Students are from the studios of Joanna Burnside, Ellen Elder, Dixie Lawson, Laura Broughton, Elizabeth Moak and Erick Diaz.

The Hattiesburg Music Teachers League held its annual Spring Concert at William Carey University on Sunday, April 24, 2022.  Graduating seniors are honored during this concert.

Recital performers left to right are:  Lucas Zheng, Anna Leigh Schmidt, James Sakalarios, Aiyana Li, Sam Powell, Ian Marks, Noah Lowery, Rachele Chung, Michelle Chung, David Brett, Margo Bennett and Michael Ray DeViney.

This year's recital honored seniors (left to right small photo) Sam Powell, Ian Marks and Noah Lowery. 

Students performing are from the studios of Laura Broughton, Jan Mesrobian, Anne Kathryn Deviney, Victoria Johnson, and Stephen Redfield.


Melody Bober visits Hattiesburg

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES FROM FRIDAY - COMPOSER FESTIVAL 2021

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES FROM SATURDAY - COMPOSER FESTIVAL 2021

Melody Bober will be the featured composer at the HMTL Composer Festival in November.  

HMTL will host a teacher workshop on Friday, November 19, and student recitals will be held Friday evening and Saturday morning, November 20. For more information, email: Laura Broughton, Composer Festival Chair.

As a composer, Melody Bober enjoys creating motivational piano pieces that foster her students' understanding and love of music.


Melody graduated summa cum laude from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana with a bachelor's degree in music education. She later received a Master of Arts degree in piano performance from Minnesota State University, Moorhead. Melody credits much of her success to her influential teachers who include Joel Shapiro and Andrew Froelich (piano), Mary Hoffman (music education), and Tony Caramia (jazz).


An active church pianist and accompanist, Melody has also held the position of church music director. In addition to teaching piano in her private studio, Melody's music-teaching experience includes 20 years of public school and two years at the university level.


A dynamic clinician and innovative composer, Melody is in great demand at conventions and workshops for piano teachers across North America. She resides in Minnesota with her husband Jeff.

The Hattiesburg Music Teachers League held a Student Recital at Parkway Heights United Methodist Church on October 16, 2021.

Students performing were Caleb Bailey, Amelia Bennett, Margo Bennett, Patrick Brett, Caelyn Johnson, Claire Lin, Gabriella Mezzadri, Zepppe Mezzadri, Sam Powell, Sonia Sumner, Alina Zheng, and Lucas Zheng