We begin a new calendar year and halfway into a school year with continued COVID precautions and renewed hopes that we can enter the spring music-making season with in-person studio recitals, playathons, and benefit events. This issue recognizes our many donors and applauds our MusicLink teachers who have reached different Hall of Fame levels in their commitment to provide ongoing lessons to students in need. However, we should applaud ALL our wonderful teachers who persevered through the challenges of teaching this year - learning how to Zoom or use iPads with tripods and lights for lessons, adjusting lessons that are in-person with social distancing adherence; and, most importantly, realizing their student's need to enjoy learning music with a trusted teacher.

Thanks to All of our Donors

Looking back at the holiday season, we are so grateful to those who contributed even more to the MusicLink Foundation this year, realizing the difficulties of online lessons for students and teachers. We had set a goal of reaching $100,000 by the end of December. Our total as of January 31st was $98,927.38 – the highest ever!

There were donations of $100 to $500 totaling $5,710 showing a doubling of usual annual donations. Major support included $1,000 donations from the Blaine and Heidi Michaelis Giving Fund (UT), Martha Smith (FL), and the Michael R. Rezendez Family Foundation (IN). Victoria Andreotti Kerper (VA) contributed $1,125 as part of her wedding celebration. Grace Terpstra (DC) contributed $1,500 and the Piedmont Music Teachers Association (VA) chose MusicLink as a worthwhile organization for their donation of over $1,500, their remaining funds when they discontinued their chapter. The Severude Family Charitable Fund donated $2,000 to use for scholarships. Roberta and James DeWire generously donated $2,500 to MusicLink this year.

Joanne Haroutounian added $2,000 to the Bridge Endowment and Rosemary Christoff Dolan added $8,500 to the Christoff Endowment. Bill and Brigid Brakefield and William Haroutounian continued their Legacy Partner Encore support of $10,000 each. One surprising donation of $10,000 came from Louis Fidel and his wife choosing the MusicLink Foundation as a worthwhile charity that serves young children and music. The donation resulted from the close of their dental practice.

MusicLink Reaches a Milestone - 30 Years!

MusicLink began as a state-wide program in Virginia in 1992 - 30 years ago. Initially the program sought out cooperation with school music teachers who would "nominate students they felt would benefit from private instruction." The program grew beyond the state level in 1993 thanks to a $1,000 grant from the MTNA Foundation. It evolved into the MusicLink Foundation in 2001 in order to reach teachers beyond MTNA.

With national expansion, MusicLink began with 856 students in 2001 growing to 3,346 by 2009 and currently is reaching over 7,700 students.

MusicLink wants to celebrate this achievement and our wonderful MusicLink teachers and student alumni can help. Please send stories, photos, videos that we can collect to create a publication and on-line commemorative site for this special anniversary. Send anything you feel would be of interest in this project to:

Fairfax-Loudoun Music Fellowship
Holiday Serenades

A wonderful time was had by all at the Fairfax-Loudoun Music Fellowship Holiday Serenades Concert the first weekend of December at the Dulles Town Center.

Shoppers, parents, and children enjoyed the holiday music provided by students of eleven FLMF teachers. The mall was extremely supportive to have this event return in 2021, after a "COVID Break" in 2020. The performers were predominantly pianists, but there was also a vocalist, a clarinetist, as well as accompanying percussion instruments. FLMF is proud to be able to donate $1,000 to MusicLink from this benefit concert!

MusicLink Welcomes a New
Marketing/Social Media Coordinator

MusicLink is pleased to welcome Miloni Shah as our new Marketing and Social Media Coordinator. She will oversee Google Ads and promote MusicLink on social media sites such as Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. She will also work to seek online fundraising opportunities.

"I have always believed in the idea of giving more than receiving. I simply want to contribute towards making the world a better place, even through small acts of kindness. MusicLink has offered me a wonderful opportunity to connect with potential students & teachers through the outreach of social media. I am so thankful for the supportive and amazing team here at MusicLink, and hope to add value to this special cause."

Minnesota MusicLink Plans Playathon in March

After a year without it, plans are underway to bring back the Minnesota MusicLink Playathon at the Mall of America. The dates have been pushed out a month from February to the weekend of March 12-13 in the hopes that COVID numbers will be trending downward by then. It will be nice to again offer this exciting performance opportunity to students in Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

  

Each month MusicLink receives a small donation from AmazonSmile, thanks to the simple task of clicking on AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com) when shopping on Amazon. Designate MusicLink Foundation as a charity and there you have it - a simple way to help MusicLink students. The reminder arrives automatically when you enter the Amazon website once you have registered MusicLink Foundation as a charity of choice.

Many people use Facebook to donate while celebrating a special event - birthday, graduation, etc. We appreciate all those who have designated the MusicLink Foundation on their Facebook donation page.

MusicLink Provides Grass Roots Grants
and Teacher Reimbursements

Every year the MusicLink Foundation provides Grass Roots Grants to alliance organizations and individual MusicLink teacher studios seeking to start a MusicLink program, expand an existing program or create a new project that requires assistance with materials and instruments. We are expanding this grant from $300 to $500 with applications available on our website for active teachers and coordinators. MusicLink has provided $1,730 thus far this fiscal year to teachers and organizations in SC, MN, NC, AK, OR, and CA.

The foundation also provides Teacher Reimbursements for music, materials and event fees that have been paid by the MusicLink teacher for students taught through MusicLink. Teachers can be reimbursed for up to $150 per year with applications on the MusicLink Foundation website. Thus far this fiscal year, MusicLink has provided $965 in reimbursements to 14 teachers representing 12 states.

The MusicLink Foundation prides itself on the many positive reviews it receives on the website, GreatNonprofits.org. The Foundation has received their Top-Rated Nonprofit badge for the last eight consecutive years. We hope you can take a few moments to add your comments about MusicLink on their website:

Video Spotlight

MusicLink continues to share Video Spotlights of MusicLink students via the internet. Our current video spotlight features MusicLink Senior Honors Award winner Kai Frueh performing a movement of a Beethoven Sonata with his brother, Ben, in a beautiful Oregon setting. We are seeking new video spotlights from students and alumni. Send them to:

musiclink.foundation@gmail.com


Video Spotlight

MusicLink Hall of Fame Recognition

Teachers of Distinction With Honors
(15-20 Years)

Teachers who have taught 15+ years through MusicLink are recognized as MusicLink Teachers of Distinction with Honors. We recognize and thank the following two teachers, who have devoted all of these years to help MusicLink students thrive through musical training.

Patti Nyien, Illinois, Local Coordinator

Patti Nyien has been a member of the Salt Creek Local Association of Music Teachers National Conference since 1987. She became Nationally Certified in 1992 and has been teaching in Westmont/Hinsdale, IL since 1980. Patti holds a Bachelor's of Music in Education degree (Magnum cum laude) from Belmont University in Nashville, TN where she sang on a weekly gospel television program and performed English opera by Menotti at a local theater. Before moving to Illinois, Patti taught 9th grade chorus, 8th grade chorus and 6th grade general music in Clarksville, TN. Patti has completed graduate studies in piano pedagogy with Joanne Smith at the University of Michigan. She taught preschool music classes and children's choir in a church school for 14 yrs. The children's choir featured many musicals, one included a guest composer artist, a rental theater, rented production flats and guests arriving by the busload.

Patti co-chaired a multi-piano concert called Glorious Grands in 2011, 2014, and 2017. It included 8 Steinway Grand Pianos, 250 student and teacher pianists, an emcee and image projection at a local Community College, College of DuPage, McAninch Arts Center.

Currently she teaches a studio of 30+ students at her home in Westmont, Il and directs Forever Praise, a Christian Community Choir on hiatus due to COVID. Patti is a member of the American Choral Directors Association and is a Permanently Certified Teacher with Music Teachers National Association. She has served as Illinois State Music Teachers Association Treasurer from January 2001 - January 2007 and was the Salt Creek Chapter President since June 2003-2007 and is currently resuming that leadership role.

Patti also adjudicates for the National Federation of Music Clubs, ISMTA Voice and IMA. Patti has one MusicLink student. Her hobbies include jigsaw puzzles, swimming, biking, walking, snow-skiing, crochet, needlepoint and traveling.

Sandy Weisenberger, North Dakota

Sandy Weisenberger has taught piano since 1990. She grew up taking lessons and playing at church and school in a rural community in western North Dakota. She began teaching because she was a stay-at-home mom and was asked by a friend to start her daughter on piano. Sandy is currently active in her local Music Teachers Association, currently serving as treasurer; She is also Involved in the North Dakota Federation of Music Clubs Junior Festival, entering students and co-chairing the Festival Committee. Sandy accompanies high school choir and high school students for concerts and music competitions. She is a church organist and volunteers on a weekly basis at her local elementary school. She is also a member of the local American Legion Auxiliary, serving as treasurer in that organization.

"I have always thought learning to play the piano or any musical instrument for that matter, is important to becoming a well-rounded student. Music Link has provided that opportunity to several of my students who are in families with multiple siblings taking lessons."

Teachers of Distinction
(10-14 Years)

MusicLink Teachers of Distinction are those that are actively teaching now and have taught through MusicLink for 10 to 14 years. We recognize the service of the teachers in this category and show the total number of years and students taught.

Kay Hawkins, Minnesota 10 years, 4 students		Caroline Langfeld, Minnesota 10 years, 4 students
Marcia Mally, Illinois 10 years, 8 students		Rebecca Smith, Minnesota 10 years, 3 students
Gene Swanson, Minnesota 10 years, 9 students

Hall of Fame
(5-9 Years)

Teachers reach the MusicLink Hall of Fame when they have taught for five to nine years. We are honored to recognize 17 teachers for reaching this category - with our thanks for their dedication to teaching deserving students through MusicLink.

New MusicLink Teachers

We welcome the following 26 teachers who joined or returned to MusicLink over the past few months. This brings the total of active teachers to 239 with our overall total being 4,222.

• AZ Lynnette Barney (returning).
• CA Bruno Damico.
• DC John McKindley-Ward.
• GA Christine Morrow (returning), Barbara Zellner.
• IA William Foley.
• IL Marcie Monaco, Judith Shaltry.
• IN Meghan Weatherford.
• KS Natalie Weber (returning).
• MN Annalise Aakhus, Brock Beaulieu, Caleb Erickson, Rolf Lund, Carolyn Towler, Sue Wege (returning), Jessica Westlund, Rachel Williams.
• NY Christina Carissimo
• OR Adam Eason, Marjorie Janove (returning), Ashlee Young.
• SC Tekoa Freeman-Morris.
• TX Won Yong Lee.
• VA Francesca Hurst, Olga Roberts.

New MusicLink Business Partners

Instrumental Angels, Boston, MA; School of Rock, San Ramon, CA; All Keyed Up Piano Shop, Kansas City, MO; Bloomington Symphony Orchestra Children's Instrumental Recovery Program (CHirp) Bloomington, IN.