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Music Teachers' Association of California®
Alameda County East Branch
"The mission of MTAC is to pursue excellence in music education and advance the music teaching profession through innovative programs that foster artistic growth and achievement."
CM Meeting
When: Aug 25, 2025 10:00 AM
Where: Online (Zoom) Please check your email inbox for the Zoom invitation
We have a big update coming to our CM program this year. If you missed the official email sent roughly a week ago from the state office titled "What's New: Certificate of Merit® 2026 Updates", I highly encourage you to go find it and read it carefully. There are many changes that could cause your student to get an undesirable outcome.
Since it is so important, the Alameda East branch board has agreed to host a meeting for us to discuss anything regarding the upcoming updates and changes. Please bring all your questions and concerns to the meeting. I can not guarantee we'll have all the answers, since we are all in the same boat as you. But at the very least I hope we'll be able to clarify some issues and maybe have some questions for the state office.
Young Artist Guild Recital
This year, we are thrilled to welcome two Young Artists Guild pianists from our own branch — Celicia Thendean and Mia Widdowson. This free concert is open to everyone—come join us for an inspiring evening of music!
Date: 8/30 at 7:00 pm
First Presbyterian Church Livermore
2020 5th St. Livermore, CA
Young Artist Guild Recital
CELICIA THENDEAN
Celicia Thendean, age 17, began her piano studies at the age of 3 under the guidance of her mother and Prof. Anna Poklewski. She later advanced her training with the renowned Ilana Vered.
Celicia had the honor of performing as a soloist with many prestigious orchestras, including the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, the Brunensis Virtuosi Orchestra, Livermore-Amador Symphony, SEEN Orchestra, Korea Seocho Philharmonia, and Palo Alto Philharmonic. Her exceptional talent has earned her top prizes in a variety of distinguished piano competitions, such as the Piano Texas International Festival Concerto Competition, the Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition, the Claudette Sorel Piano Competition, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition, and the Philadelphia International Music Festival. She was also inducted into the prestigious Young Artists Guild in 2025 and received the Chopin Foundation Scholarship in 2024.
Read Celicia Thendean's full bio
Young Artist Guild Recital
Mia Widdowson
Date: 9/14 at 4 pm
Lynnewood United Methodist Church
4444 Black Ave, Pleasanton, CA 94566
Mia Widdowson is 17 years old and attends high school in San Ramon. She has studied classical voice under Jennie Byun for six years. She has participated in several competitions and received numerous awards, including VOCE 2023 and 2024, Panel Honors 2024, Panel Masterclass 2023, ABRSM Level 8 Certification, VAYA 2021, and USIMC 2021. Apart from voice, Mia is currently studying Technology and Applied Composition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (pre-college program), winning awards in composition such as Kriz Getz 1st Place 2025 and the Creative Youth Awards 2025 Exceptional Award. She aspires to study composition, audio technology, and classical voice in college. In addition, Mia has completed Level 10 Certification for Piano under Connie Chen and currently participates in her school’s Jazz Band and Concert Choir. Apart from music, Mia enjoys watching movies, exploring nature, teaching musical subjects, and spending time with friends and family.
Click here to find an experienced local teacher!
Livermore Native Nicole King to Star in Pacific Chamber Orchestra’s 2nd Annual POPs Concert: Anastasia – The Musical
📅 September 14 at 3:00 PM
📍 Bankhead Theater, Downtown Livermore
🎟️ Tickets: PacificChamberOrchestra.org
Free Youth Admission(up to 3 children per one paid adult. ) — Use code: PCOYouths
👉 [Click here for more info]
The Blankenship Program
Give the gift of music lessons. Donate here to our Blankenship Program, providing need-based financial aid to qualifying students in the Tri-Valley area.
Lecture
Exploring World Cultures through the medium of Western
Date: October 6th
Time: 10:30 am - 12 pm
Where: In-Person, the location will be emailed
Lecture Topic - Exploring World Cultures through the medium of Western Classical music
Lecturer: Yu-Ting Chen
Have you ever wondered why some students struggle with rhythm while others, particularly many Black children, seem to embody it effortlessly when dancing or chatting on the streets? Similarly, you might question why certain students find it challenging to sing or play expressively, in contrast to the raw emotions displayed so freely by flamenco singers and dancers. Additionally, some students are drawn to pop music, which is heavily influenced by Latino genres. This raises a question: Can we, as Western classical musicians and students, enhance our skills by exploring different cultures through the compositions created for our instruments? Can some of us, or our students, connect with ourselves by playing music that resonates with our upbringing, or connect with others by exploring the cultures that seem to be distant?
5/5/25 May Luncheon
Date: May 5th, 2025
Time: 10:30 am - 1:30 pm
Thank you to all the teachers who joined us!
We had a lovely time socializing and enjoyed a delicious sushi lunch. Many thanks to Masako for the warm hospitality and to Hansen for hosting the event."
4/26/2025 Branch Recital
Event Time: 4 pm-6 pm Saturday, April 26th, 2025
Event Address: Lynnewood United Methodist Church
3/8/2025 MTAC Alameda East Piano Competition Winner's Concert 2025
Date: March 8 at 4 PM
Where: Lynnewood United Methodist Church 4444 Black Ave, Pleasanton, CA 94566
MTAC Alameda East 2025 Piano Competition
Date : Saturday, March 1st, 2025
Congratulations to all the participants of the Piano Competition. Your dedication and hard work were truly inspiring. We are thrilled to announce the winners—see the full list below!
2025 Piano Competition Winners
1/13/2025 Sharing Meeting/Social
Date: 1/13/2025 Monday
Time: 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
12/14/2024 Teen Recital
12/14/2024 Teen Recital Registration
Event Time: 1:00pm - 2:30pm Saturday, December 14th, 2024.
Event Address: 4115 Mohr Ave, Pleasanton, CA 94566
11/18/24 Fall Lecture - Jarred Dunn
Date: November 18th
Time: 10 am - 12 pm
Where: Online - A Zoom link will be provided by email.
Lecture Topic - Healthy Practice, Technique, and Perspective
Description - This seminar will focus on how to maximize efficiency of practicing through technical principles of piano playing. Among other technical concepts, we will discuss how to optimally position and move the hands and arms for optimal comfort and agility.
Click here for Jarred Dunn's bio
Click here for the video recording and supplemental PDF
10/12/2024 Branch Recital
Date: Saturday, October 12th, 2024
Time: 4 pm-6 pm
Location: Lynnewood United Methodist Church
Young Artist Guild Recital: Lero Wang
Date: 9/28 at 7:00 pm
First Presbyterian Church Livermore
2020 5th St. Livermore, CA
Thank you for joining us at this year's YAG concert! We had nearly 50 audience members who thoroughly enjoyed Lero Wang's beautiful performance. Your presence made the event memorable, and we can't wait to see you at our next concert!
