professor and chair, Department of Music and Performing Arts, 308.865.8118
UNK- University of Nebraska at Kearney chair of the Department of Music and Performing Arts has been named a Foundation Fellow by the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA).
Dr. Valerie Cisler, Department of Music and Performing Arts chair and professor, received the honor during the MTNA national conference held recently in Atlanta, Ga. A nationally certified teacher of music, Dr. Cisler has taught applied and class piano, and directed the piano pedagogy program at UNK since 1994. She is known nationally for having co-authored the “Composition Book” series for Alfred’s “Basic Piano Library” and “Technique for the Advancing Pianist.”
Further, she is well-known as a performer, as well as for her achievements as an educator, having given numerous performances and presentations at state, regional, national and international conferences, including MTNA.
Her teaching and research have earned her numerous awards including: the 2005 Pratt-Heins Foundation Award for Scholarship, the 2006 UNK Creative Teaching Award and the 2007 University of Nebraska system-wide Outstanding Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award (OTICA).
The mission of MTNA is to advance the value of music study and music making to society and to support the professionalism of music teachers. The association maintains two subsidiary programs: MTNA Professional Certification Program and the MTNA Foundation Fund. The Professional Certification Program exists to improve the level of professionalism within the field of applied music teaching and helps the public readily identify competent music teachers in their communities. The MTNA Foundation Fund supports programs to financially assist teachers and students with their educational pursuits while providing an opportunity for individual and corporate support of MTNA and its programs.
According to Chad Schwalbach, MTNA Marketing and Public Relations associate, the MTNA Foundation Fellow program offers a meaningful method of recognition for individuals who have made outstanding contributions to music teaching. The award is presented when a peer or group of peers donates $1,000 to the MTNA Foundation Fund in an individual’s name.
