Visions.

This article focuses on the goals of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) in the U.S. The dominant vision of the MTNA always will be to continue enhancing its mission to advance the value of music study and music making to society and to support the professionalism of music teachers. Its vision also would be to reduce the number of adults who say, I used to play to take piano lessons, I used to play the piano, I used to play the clarinet. If people could just mobilize all the adults who once studied music, the concert halls would be full, music studios would have long waiting lists and the association's income would match training, experience and contributions to society. MTNA support of this professional goal could take several tracks. Music teachers could share the ideas of successful sight-reading programs, standards and competitions. They can also organize collaborative festivals, duet and ensemble competitions, expand chamber music competition, create music reading lending libraries and encourage music fund-raising read-a-thons. But most importantly, they could make sight reading a primary objective of weekly music lessons. The gap between performance repertoire and sight-reading skill is alarmingly wide for many, if not most of the students.