Carol Wickham is CSMTA's 2014 Teacher of the Year
Carol Wickham-Revier, NCTM
Congratulations to Carol Wickham-Revier, NCTM, who received the 2014 CSMTA Teacher of the Year Award at the Local Association Luncheon on June 6, during the State Conference. Carol’s accomplishments and her contributions to the Boulder Area Music Teachers Association and CSMTA are many. On the state level, she has filled the role of CSMTA Vice President for Teacher Enrichment. Additionally, Carol worked for CSMTA President Mary Elizabeth Clark and helped to found Achievement Day in the early 1970’s.
Ms. Wickham-Revier has served two terms as president of Boulder Area Music Teachers Association. She has also contributed locally as BAMTA Recital Chair, Baroque Festival Chair, Treasurer, Program Chair or Co-Chair 4 different times, Achievement Day Chair or Co-Chair 3 times, and Editor of Boulder Music Teachers Directory.
Perhaps Carol’s greatest legacy is the founding of the BAMTA Multiple Piano Festival (MPF). In 1984, while working as Marketing Director of Chris Finger Pianos, Carol noticed a whole line of grand pianos with all the lids up at the same angle and wondered what it would be like to hear all the pianos “sing” at the same time. Since its inception, she has co-chaired the event 9 times and served as the MPF auditions chair an equal number of times. Due to the financial success of the MPF, scholarships have been given to hundreds of students with musical ability and financial need. Currently, thanks to Carol’s vision, BAMTA is able to annually provide approximately $2000 in scholarship funds to students. Carol emphasizes that MPF benefits her students by developing reading skills and musicianship, as well as providing training for future accompanying and ensemble playing. She states that duet playing makes friendships that last forever!
Always taking advantage of opportunities to grow, Carol received her NCTM certification in 1972. Trained as a classical pianist, with BM and MM degrees from CU Boulder, Carol has enlarged her horizons by becoming a certified Kindermusik teacher and studying jazz piano. During the 1980’s, Wickham-Revier was a member of a 4-hand piano team, frequently performing recitals of duet and solo piano repertoire throughout Colorado. She can document attendance to at least 12 national conferences and 25 state conferences during her 42-year teaching career.
Carol is a long-time advocate of the motivational power of peers. As an experienced and sought-after accompanist herself, she considers collaboration to be the foundation of her teaching – collaboration between teacher and student, between student and student in group classes, and between pianist and members of out-of-studio ensembles. Wickham-Revier is convinced that empowerment of students is the key to motivation, and strives at each lesson to find ways to help students take charge and accept responsibility for their own learning. Her active studio has included young Kindermusik students all the way up to advanced high-schoolers and adults.
I enjoyed reading the many letters of reference in support of Carol’s nomination for CSMTA Teacher of the Year. Here are some words and phrases that stand out: passionate about music, teaching, and her students; creative; enthusiastic; encouraging; unique ability to bring people together around music; brings out the best in each student.
On behalf of the Teacher of the Year Committee, I am proud to present Carol Wickham-Revier, NCTM, as the 2014 CSMTA Teacher of the Year. Please congratulate her!
(Article by Joan Sawyer)