(See also the Events page for news about upcoming events, and the individual Competitions for news of winners.)

Council News Item

As of the 2010 Scholarship Competition, the winner of the Advanced Category will be the Nova Scotia Young Artist. A recital tour within Nova Scotia will be arranged for this student during the fall of 2010. Nova Scotia will no longer be part of the Atlantic Young Artist Competition, but will have our own provincial Young Artist instead. If the winner is a pianist, the student will then compete in the CFMTA Piano Competition that is part of the National Convention in Regina, Saskatchewan in July of 2011. If the winner of the Scholarship Competition is not a pianist, then the Scholarship Adjudicators will choose a piano winner to tour with the winning instrumentalist (or vocalist) who will then compete in the CFMTA Piano Competition. The Advanced Category winner of 2009 may compete in the 2010 Scholarship Competition.

Above, from left to right, Lorna Wanzel, President of NSRMTA presenting the Teacher of the Year Award to Janet Leffek at the provincial annual convention at Acadia University on June 20, 2009.

Above, from left to right, Lynn Stodola and John Hansen who received the Distinguished Teacher Award at the CFMTA Annual Convention at Mount Allison University on July 8, 2009 and Lorna Wanzel, NSRMTA President.

2009 Scholarship Competition Winners

See Scholarship Competition page

TUITION TAX CREDIT BECOMES LAW!

Justice Wyman W. Webb, a judge of the Tax Court of Canada, has ruled in favour of allowing Tuition Tax Credit for music lessons at the post- secondary level. In a judgment dated October 11, 2007 in Toronto, Ontario, Justice Webb agreed that music students studying at a post secondary level should be allowed to claim their tuition or defer it to their parent. The case, in which Stella Tarkowski challenged the CRA for denying her husband Marek the tax credit that he had claimed for his son’s music lessons, has set a precedent for music teachers across Canada who teach at the advanced levels.

The ruling states that:

Students, regardless of their age, studying practical or theoretical subjects at a GRADE NINE level or above, in recognized curriculum, such as offered by the Royal Conservatory or Conservatory Canada are now eligible to claim their tuition (lessons, exam fees, etc). Further, students taking post secondary courses may transfer up to $5000.00 per year to a parent. The tax savings for the person who owes federal and provincial income tax is about one fifth of the expense claimed.

It should be noted that although this case was heard in October, 2007, no appeal process on behalf of Canada Revenue Agency has been issued.

Music teachers are encouraged to issue receipts to their students who fit the above mentioned criteria and make the parents aware of this tax benefit.

For the complete court ruling please refer to:

http://decision.tcc-cci.gc.ca/en/

Once on the site, click on 2007 then click on October, the decision is No. 36 on the list.

Tax Court of Canada
Tarkowski v. Queen
Docket: 2007-565(IT) I

[Printer-friendly version of above (pdf)]

Teacher of the Year

by Lorna Wanzel, NSRMTA president

It was a very special privilege for me to make the first presentation of our Teacher of the Year award to Barbara Hansen. Barbara has been a Registered Music Teacher and member of the NSRMTA for many years. She teaches in the Annapolis Valley and her students have always excelled both in festivals and our NSRMTA competitions. Congratulations Barbara, you are most deserving and we wish you many, many more years of great successful teaching.

Lucas Porter wins national honours

from The Chronicle Herald, Wed. March 28, 2007

Port Williams pianist Porter wins national honours

Port Williams pianist Lucas Porter who is studying with John Hansen at Acadia University has won first prize in the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers' Associations (CFMTA) piano competition.

The award includes $5,000.

The 15-year-old musician also won the Willard Schultz Prize awareed to the performer who shows the most promise overall as a performing artist ($1,000) and the Willard Schultz Prize awarded to the performer whose reading of Baroque Music best communicates the intentions of the composer ($1,000). It was held at the Sheraton Conference Centre in Toronto on Monday.

Porter completed his Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music at age 14, and was the winner of the best concerto performance at the Federation of Canadian Music Festivals final competition in 2006.

As the Canadian concerto winner he was invited to perform last Friday at Roy Thompson Hall at the 2007 Collaborative Conference Opening Session and played the Piano Concerto No. 2 Op. 102 in F minor by Shostakovich, with the Royal Conservatory Orchestra.

This is the first Collaborative Conference of its kind, organized by the CFMTA, its American counterpart the Music Teachers' National Association, and the Royal Conservatory of Music.

Website design by HolmPage.com