Quebec Music Teachers' Association/Association des professeurs de musique du Québec

Quebec Music Teachers' Association/Association des professeurs de musique du Québec

Quebec Music Teachers' Association (QMTA)/Association des professeurs de musique du Québec (APMQ). Founded in Montreal in 1942 at a meeting organized by Mary Covert, piano teacher, music critic, and correspondent for the Musical Courier. The QMTA obtained a charter from the Quebec government during its first year and became affiliated with the CFMTA in 1945. The QMTA is committed 'to the promotion of understanding among music teachers, through a cooperative endeavour in the field of music; to promote sound and progressive ideas in the teaching of music in all branches of the art; to establish and encourage the adoption of clearly defined standards of proficiency.' It held its first provincial convention in Montreal in 1964. It has awarded prizes to students at its competition festivals held in the spring, at its annual recital, and at the one given during Canada Music Week. Among the activities arranged for its members are conferences, concerts with guest musicians, and participation in a chamber music club. Its records were kept at first by Edna Marie Hawkin, later by Rose Goldblatt and by Sister Mary O'Neill. In 1980, the QMTA established a branch in Sherbrooke with Daphne Sandercock as president. In 1989-90 the QMTA had nearly 200 members. Presidents have been E. M. Hawkin 1942-5, Marie-Thérèse Paquin 1945-7, Ruth Blanchard 1947-9, Roger Filiatrault 1949-51, Frances Goltman 1951-3, Félix-R. Bertrand 1953-5, Leon Kofman 1955-7, Françoise D'Amour 1957-9, Anthony Zaplaski 1959-61, Madeleine Provost 1961-5, Daphne Sandercock 1965-7, Maurice Valentyne 1967-9, Muriel Shoobridge 1969-71, Juliette McLaren 1971-4, Viola Benson 1974-7, Georges Lindsay 1977-9, Susan Giday 1979-81, Laure Fink 1981-3, Rose Goldblatt 1983-5, Yolande Gaudreau 1985-7, Margarete Palos 1987-9, succeeded by Christiane Claude. An information bulletin is published three to four times a year.