With the new year comes an important resolution to thank all of the people who support the MusicLink Foundation. We are grateful to our many donors, with Legacy Partners and Endowment Funds providing vital ongoing support. We applaud all of the benefit events that share the joy of music with the community while spreading the word about the mission of MusicLink. And we thank all of our wonderful teachers, recognizing those who have reached different Hall of Fame levels in this issue. We look forward to another great year of growth, reaching out to more students towards our goal of reaching 7500 students by 2020.

Holiday Benefit Events for MusicLink
Raise $5,784 for our Kids

We were pleased to add some new events to the roster of holiday fundraisers, spreading recognition of the MusicLink Foundation's mission to different communities.

IL: A Clavinova Festival was held on December 8, 2018, at Lacefield Music in South County, St. Louis. The event featured performances by 49 students from eight participating teachers: Illinois teachers LeAnn Halvorson of Columbia, Gillian Cerbin of Belleville, and Deborah Meier of Collinsville; and St. Louis teachers John Nuckols, Gayle Kramer, Greg Bueltmann, Lori Scott, and Connor Joyce.

Students participating in the Clavinova festival received a t-shirt, certificate, and goodie bag containing treats, a lanyard and sunglasses. Each student was entered into the grand prize drawing for a Yamaha digital piano. Sixth grader, Adam Esker, student of Deborah Meier, was the lucky winner!

A total of $1,150 was collected from pledges to benefit MusicLink students in Illinois. Funds raised will help pay for practice instruments, music, piano moving and tunings, instrument repairs, expense reimbursement for teachers and Summer Music Camp Scholarships for students. Thank you to all the participants who raised funds through pledges for these performances and promoted MusicLink by "kids helping kids!" 2018 Participants raising more than $100 for MusicLink were Gwen and Maggie Wright ($110), Katelyn Swenson ($105), Michael Swenson ($105), and Chloe Severs ($160).

A big thank you to Yamaha and Lacefield Music for sponsoring and helping organize this successful event! Cathy McReynolds, owner of Lacefield Music, plans to continue this yearly event. We appreciate her willingness to collaborate with MusicLink through Gateway Arch East Music Teachers Association and Illinois MusicLink Coordinator, Deborah Meier. It is a fun event that keeps kids interested in piano and working hard.

Adam Esker	Katelyn Swenson
Gwen and Maggie Wright
Michael Swenson	Chloe Severs

MD: The Epiphany Lutheran Church in Ellicott City held a benefit Christmas concert on November 4th featuring soprano, Agne G (Giedraityte). The successful concert raised $1,804 in ticket sales and contributions for the Agne G. Music Scholarship Fund to assist MusicLink students in the greater Columbia area. Many thanks to Agne G and her parents, Sandra and Vida, who initiated the benefit and donated their professional talents and efforts towards its successful conclusion.

VA: Members of the Manassas Symphony Orchestra participated in a recital performance on Saturday, November 17 at the historic Trinity Episcopal Church in Old Town Manassas. Performances included works by Telemann, Chopin, Debussy, and more. Donations to support the MusicLink Foundation were accepted both at the door and online raising $830.

Founded in 1992, the Manassas Symphony Orchestra is the Manassas and Prince William County area's premier community-service symphony orchestra. For more information about the Manassas Symphony Orchestra, please visit www.manassassymphony.org.

VA: The teachers and students of the Fairfax-Loudon Music Fellowship enjoyed another successful annual MusicLink event. They held their Holiday Music for MusicLink Foundation and the community at Dulles Town Center in Sterling. The event featured pianists, string trios and bell ringers. The marketing director and her assistant were very helpful and delightful to work with and The Piano Company of Leesburg generously donated a beautiful piano for their use. It was festive and so enjoyable! The event raised $2,000 in contributions to the MusicLink Foundation.

Florida MusicLink Studio Spotlight

Mysti Dye is a MusicLink teacher with a vibrant studio in Lakeland, Florida. She shares her experience with her MusicLink students: "I am happy that I can help! Music should be inclusive. I hate to think about all of the kids that go without because of their finances. My student Isabella Jackson has been with me for over 4 years. I'm not sure how long she's been a ML student, but I've taught her for free since she started. She is now working with me as a TA for one of my group lessons and is going to start a new group with me next week. She refused to let me pay her because she said it's her way to give back to me. Talk about melt your heart!"

Isabella guides a class in the studio

MusicLink Receives $110,000
for Endowment Funds

Dorothy and Mel Kurzen

Kurzen Endowment: The MusicLink Foundation recently received notice of several significant donations that will establish endowment funds for the organization. We were overwhelmed upon a receipt of a generous contribution of $100,000 from the estate of Dorothy Bornstein Kurzen, with recognition of her late husband, Mel Kurzen included in the gift.

The foundation has established an endowment fund in their name. Part of the funds from the endowment will establish an annual camp scholarship of $1000 for a student seeking a summer experience at a prestigious music camp. The camp scholarship will be named the Dorothy B. and Mel Kurzen Camp Scholarship.

Article provided by Constance Bornstein:
Dorothy was born in Milwaukee, WI, to Sarah and Max Bornstein on June 18, 1913. Her involvement with music, nourished by her mother, dates back to her childhood and continued throughout her long life. She was an excellent, sensitive - if somewhat shy - pianist, always striving to better her technique and understanding to bring her nearer to the essence of the music she was studying to perform.

In 1943 Dorothy married Mel Kurzen, also an accomplished pianist and teacher of piano. Together their devotion to music, which was the center of their lives, and the joy they created playing their baby grand piano gave to each of them a wonderful serenity and a sense of unity that brought them even closer to the music they loved.

Sadly, when Mel died in 2006, Dorothy never played their piano again. But their baby grand, though now still, remained the centerpiece of her home until the day she died. Dorothy was buried with her cherished copy of Bach sonatas.

Christoff Endowment: The foundation also has established an endowment in the name of Gerald Christoff, composer and pianist, to benefit music students in New York state with camp scholarships, instruments, and other opportunities. The endowment is made possible by a contribution of $10,000 from Rosemary Christoff Dolan, the sister of Mr. Christoff.

A native of Rochester NY, Gerald Christoff composed more than 100 works of classical music that included large symphonic, chamber and choral works and an oratorio on the life of St. Francis. Mr. Christoff was one of the few contemporary composers to write extensively for solo piano, fusing classical modernism with free jazz, new-romanticism and snatches of boogie-woogie.

Arline & Russell Bridge

Bridge Endowment: These new endowment funds are added to the existing Arline and Russell Bridge Endowment Fund that sponsors the annual MusicLink Senior Achievement Award. This endowment was established by Joanne Haroutounian, daughter of the Bridges and founder of the MusicLink Foundation.

New MusicLink Teachers

We are pleased to add 32 new teachers to our MusicLink roster over the past few months. Current active teachers = 314; Total MusicLink teachers = 3,170.

CA: Nadia Talley, Emma Thompson; CO: Andrea Coyle, Ben Raznick, Kevin Sakai; IL: Trish Boril; IN: Daniel Lin; KS: Zachary Seckman; MA: Kallin Johnson; MN: Samantha Dusek, Becca Hauglid, Sharon Kaplan, Suzanne Lamatsch, Kristine Loe, Rachel Lonetti, Emily Nelson; NV: Kerri Dahl; NM: Jeanne Grealish; NY: Mary Douglas; OR: Irene Huang, Sonja Myklebust; SC: Camille Edwards; VA: Claire Eichhorn, Andrew Horowitz (returning), Nam Hee Won; WA: Elena Aleksandrova, Junhee Oh; WI: Jennifer Wilkinson, Theresa Wilkinson; WY: Paul Dunlevy. Canada - AL: Michele Tamtom; BC: Heather Koss-Huisman; MB: Glory St. Germain.

New Business Partners:

We recognize the following new MusicLink Business Partners:

IL: Piano Technicians Guild - Chicago Chapter; MO: Lacefield Music Company, St. Louis; UT: Brigham Larson Pianos.

MusicLink Hall of Fame Teachers

MusicLink relies on the dedication and generosity of our MusicLink teachers who reach out to deserving students and share their love for music for many years through ongoing lessons. These teachers represent the finest examples of caring music teachers who truly make a difference in the lives of MusicLink students.

Teacher Laureate
20 Years

MusicLink is proud to honor our newest Teacher Laureate, Sherry Frush of Abilene, Texas. Sherry is only the third MusicLink teacher to reach this 20-year milestone! Sherry Penkert Frush, NCTM, is a pianist, accompanist, adjudicator, clinician and music instructor. She has taught for more than 50 years and her studio, Frush Music Studio, currently comprises more than 100 students and a staff of 20 student instructors.

Sherry's students have won local, district, state, and national competitions in performance and composition, and hundreds of former students are now teaching music or are in the music profession. Many were MusicLink students. Sherry strives to give her students a life-long love and enjoyment of music rather than a few years of tedious work with no long-term enrichment or gratification.

Locally, Frush has held every office and chairman position in Abilene MTA and was named AMTA Teacher of the Year in 1988 and 2004. As an officer, she was instrumental in Texas receiving the 2003 MTNA State Affiliate of the Year Award and Abilene, the 2002 Local Association of the Year Award.

An active member of other organizations, Sherry is a member of the National Guild Hall of Fame and has been the Texas (TFMC) and National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) South Central Region Junior Composers chair and has served for several decades as the TFMC District 8.3 Junior Festival chair. Sherry is an ordained deacon, choir member, pianist, and active member of First Baptist Church Abilene. She has served on various community boards and is director of the OPERAtors (students who serve the community as ushers for various events), Texas PTA life-time member, and a sustaining member of Junior League of Abilene.

Sherry has held a state position in Texas Music Teachers Association for over 45 years, including 10 years as a TMTA state officer and 6 years as a Trustee and chair for the Texas Music Teachers Educational Foundation. Frush was named 2005 TMTA Teacher of the Year which is given to a member for superior service to TMTA and the music teaching profession as well as outstanding teaching achievement. She was awarded honorary membership of TMTA in 2006. She was the TMTA convention chairman for 2003 and 2004 and is a lifetime member of the TMTA Advisory Council of Past Presidents. Among her accomplishments in TMTA, Sherry redesigned and generated all 12 levels of the tests and ear-training audio files for the state TMTA theory testing program for three years and continues to serve on the Theory committee as a Division Editor.

Sherry and her husband, Joe, have been married for 46 years, and Joe is one of the three honorary members of TexasMTA who are not music educators. They are Abilene, Texas natives and have three sons, two daughters-in-law and five grandchildren.

"I have always given deserving and talented students the opportunity of music study regardless of their ability to pay, so I joined MusicLink as soon as I learned about it," Sherry said. "MusicLink has allowed our studio a national connection for these dedicated students and greatly enhanced what could be offered them. It's been wonderful to see MusicLink grow and develop programs and scholarship funds that have allowed my students to attend summer music camps, honored my seniors and given my students free music and theory books over the years.

"It is so rewarding to see the joy and passion in students and how much they appreciate the benefits and support from the MusicLink Foundation and MusicLink business partners. These incredibly talented students not only excel in music events, performances and competitions, but also give of their time and talents by performing and serving as ushers for community events, philharmonic orchestra fundraisers, and remain humble servants of their faith by serving in their churches. I cannot thank the MusicLink Foundation program enough for the blessings they share."

Congratulations, Sherry! MusicLink cannot thank you enough for your longtime dedication and support. We're grateful that you continue to share your talents and love of music to help the organization grow.

Teacher of Distinction With Honors
15-19 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.

Leonetta Chavez-Bibby has been teaching piano for 25 years, beginning by going door to door to teach while living in North Carolina. She is an active member of Kansas Music Teachers Association and Manhattan Area MTA as well as MTNA. She has held offices in the local and state organizations over the years. She currently teaches 30 students, including home schooled students. She has many stories of students she reaches that have hardships but persevere in their music.

"It has been a pleasure to be able to give students an opportunity to have lessons or a scholarship that they wouldn't be able to have otherwise. It has been a pleasure to talk about MusicLink to colleagues, whether they get involved or not. I have thoroughly enjoyed being part of MusicLink all these years. It has been a wonderful experience."

Denise Williams studied at the Berlin Music Conservatory and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in piano pedagogy from Brigham Young University. She also earned a Master's degree from BYU in Humanities. She is a certified Kodaly teacher and is a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music (NCTM) with Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) and a member of Utah Music Teachers.

Her students have participated in National Piano Guild, Royal Conservatory of Music, Encore, Federation and MTNA events. Denise has taught piano professionally for more than 45 years in California, Berlin, Indonesia, and Utah, including BYU. She has lead community choirs, taught orchestra and band, accompanied musical groups, and played the organ for church services. She has taught children at school to sing, play recorders and develop general music skills.

Denise has been officially associated with MusicLink for more than 15 years and appreciates all who support professional teachers' efforts to provide music instruction for children in need. This is also one of her greatest joys. Denise is married to David and has six children and 22 exceptional grandchildren.

Teacher 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 3 teachers in this category and show the total number of years and students taught.

Mika Inouye, CO 12 students
Tanya Brooks, FL 6 students	Chris Sharp, VA/MD/DC 220 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 22 teachers for reaching this category - with our thanks for their dedication to teaching deserving students through MusicLink.

MusicLink Legacy Partner Donors

The MusicLink Foundation is fortunate to have a group of dedicated Legacy Partners who donate from $5000 (Bravo) to $10,000 (Encore) annually to the foundation to guarantee ongoing funding that will link teachers with students and provide lessons, instruments, camp scholarships, and opportunities for students and teachers. Anyone interested in joining these Legacy Donors can contact the national office at 703-534-9490 or info@musiclinkfoundation.org.

Bill and Brigid Brakefield

Bill and Brigid Brakefield (Encore Level) were the very first donors to the MusicLink Foundation when it was first established as a 501 c3 charity. They are actively engaged in supporting the arts, including the Bowen McCauley Dance Co. which featured MusicLink students in performance with dancers. Bill and Brigid have hosted several playathons at their home in Arlington where they performed along with our MusicLink students and many of their friends.

William and Joanne Haroutounian

William and Joanne Haroutounian (Encore Level) established and developed the MusicLink Foundation in 1992. They joined the group of Legacy Partners as well as establishing the Arline and Russell Bridge Endowment Fund in honor of Joanne's parents. The endowment fund sponsors the MusicLink Senior Achievement Award each year.

MusicLink Board of Directors (Bravo Level) has pledged to support the MusicLink Foundation through the Legacy Partner program. The board includes Joanne Haroutounian, William Haroutounian, Charles Kinney, Virginia Gutierrez, Sue Wege, Andrea Shore, Grace Jean, Linda Christenson, and Nora Martin.

Board of Louise P. Zanar Fund with Joanne Haroutounian

Louise P. Zanar Fund (Bravo Level) has supported the MusicLink DC Shining Stars program over the past nine years, bringing music lessons in keyboard, piano, drums, and vocals to disadvantaged youth in the Washington DC area.

Correction: The Annual Report inadvertently omitted the generous contribution of $5,000 made by the Kanter-Kallman Foundation to support the New York City MusicLink program. We thank the foundation for their continuing support.