A Note of Thanks - Neil Moore

A Note of Thanks – Neil Moore

What an amazing year 2012 has been. So much has happened in the world of Simply Music.

As the year comes to a close, I am reflecting on how much I appreciate not merely what has been accomplished but more so, the devotion, dedication and tireless work that the entire Simply Music team has invested into navigating our way through this year.

At an institutional level, this has been our best year ever. We continue to grow, and our rate of growth is expanding. As we become more widely known, both our teacher and student body grows at an ever increasing rate. And certainly, 2013 looks to be even better yet again.

With regard to programs, this year has seen the launch of Play-a-Story – a remarkable piano improvisation program for 4-6 year olds, created from the brilliant heart and mind of Lyndel Kennedy.

We also launched a specialized, music and movement program for children, from birth to age 5, called Simply Music Rhapsody, created by the devoted and wonderful, internationally-renowned educator, Lynn Kleiner.

Also this year, we saw the release of the first programs under the Traxschool banner. These are a series of beautifully prepared and presented tutorials on the use of domestic-level and more advanced audio software composition and editing programs. I’m proud to say that this wonderful body of work was created by my son, Chase. His expertise is brilliant and has been invaluable in the creation of these programs.

And, on top of it all, recently at the World Accordion Championships, we launched the Simply Music Accordion program. This is the first time that the Simply Music Piano program has been translated to another instrument, and it could never have been achieved were it not for the dedication and mastery of world-class accordionist, Patricia Bartell.

I am truly grateful for the contribution made by these wonderful educators.

Throughout 2012, several of our teachers made significant contributions to our broader community in the form of Support and Supplemental Programs.

Elizabeth Gaikwad’s contributions in the form of her Songs For Children volumes, her Duets volumes as well as her Songs For Christmas volume. All of these have been welcome and wonderful contributions.

Jy Gronner and Sheri Reingold released the Playlist and Notes program, and this has been a fantastic contribution to so many of our educators and students who welcome having a structured system for developing and managing their repertoire.

Laurie Richards and her Read and Play volumes, provided a fantastic support program to our educator and student communities who are expanding their ability and expertise in music reading.

My thanks and appreciation goes out to each of you.

In the background, our team of Simply Music staff has expanded significantly. The extent of everybody’s contribution is far too vast to address in this writing, but I am truly grateful for, and appreciative of our fabulous team in Australia – Gordon Harvey, Caroline Schmidli, Mel Karajas and Gretta Dunn – and our wonderful USA team – Mary K Ferreter, Robin Keehn, Gian Montesini, Stacie Davison, Allison Schlofner, Samantha Born, Daniel Kielman, Chase Moore, Stephanie Iadanza, Jose Rivera and Steven Cranson.

I am proud and appreciative of this wonderful and loyal team, on two continents, who give of themselves and make such a vast, daily contribution.
As we move ahead it becomes increasingly clear that in creating a world where everyone plays, this cannot be fulfilled without laying a vast foundation. This last year we have taken many steps forward in creating that new and important foundation. Clearly, we have much to improve and, at the same time, we continue to benefit from the lessons learned from our mistakes. We remain steadfast in our commitment to bettering ourselves, to improving our programs, to providing more support, to remaining in open and honest communication and, generally, to being a better organization to be a part of.

Ultimately, all of this exists for the Simply Music community, as well as because of the Simply Music community. Thank you to all who make up that community – our staff, our educators, our students of all ages and their families and supporters, our service providers, our vendors, our professional advisors, mentors and associates. Your collective contribution is what gives life to the possibility of a world where everyone plays. I am truly thankful and appreciative of that.

I wish you all the very best for this forthcoming New Year.

Neil Moore
Founder & Executive Director
Simply Music International

Trainee	A 'Trainee' Simply Music Teacher is the first level of teacher status. Trainees have begun their journey into the Simply Music Teacher Training Program however, they have yet to finalize their training and elevate to Licensed status.
Licensed Teacher	A 'Licensed' Simply Music Teacher is the second level of teacher status. Licensed Simply Music Teachers have fulfilled the requirements for completing their Initial Teacher Training Program. Inquire with them to find out when and if they are ready to teach.
Certified Teacher	A 'Certified' Simply Music Teacher is the third level of teacher status. Certified Simply Music Teachers have successfully completed the Simply Music Certification process as well as other requirements needed to become Certified. This includes having taught Foundation Levels 1, 2, and 3 as well as all applicable Special Programs (Composition & Improvisation, Arrangements, and Accompaniment 1). Certified Teachers present the Simply Music Programs exclusively to their beginning students, and they have shown that they follow our carefully-designed curriculum authentically.
Advanced Teacher	An 'Advanced' Simply Music Teacher is the fourth level of teacher status. Advanced status is only achieved after being a Certified Teacher for at least 4 years and teaching students through Foundation Level 9 plus all associated Special Programs (Composition & Improvisation, Arrangements, the Accompaniment Programs, the Reading Programs, Blues & Improvisation, and Jazz Clues). An Advanced Simply Music Teacher has demonstrated that they are an educator with a high degree of experience. Advanced Teachers present the Simply Music Programs exclusively to their beginning students, and they have shown that they follow our carefully-designed curriculum authentically.
Master Teacher	'Master' Simply Music Teacher is an honorary position and the highest status level that can be achieved. It is offered by Simply Music's founder, Neil Moore, to members of the organization who have demonstrated, over an extended period of time, that they are teachers who possess exemplary skills and qualities. They are mentors and a model to their fellow Simply Music Teachers and are considered leaders in our teaching community.

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