REFERENCE FOR NANCY ELTON

from student Jie Hea Hong

July 21, 2003

To Whom It May Concern:

            It is my honor to have the opportunity to write Dr. Elton's recommendation for the Georgia Music Teacher of the Year Award.  I am certainly sure that she is a finest teacher who definitely deserves the award.

            I have studied the piano with her for almost 3 years at Atlanta Music Academy, and I am well acquainted with her through lessons and competitions.  Before I started taking lessons from her, I did not know much about playing the piano.   However, she taught me so much that I tremendously developed my technique and musicality within a short period of time.  With her excellent teaching, I won numerous competitions, and currently, I am studying with Dr. Rivkin at the University of Georgia as a piano performance major, receiving the biggest scholarship the music school has ever offered. 

            Even though I had many teachers in the past, she is far one of the best teachers.  In the lessons, she teaches very enthusiastically and passionately.  She teaches every single detail and explains so precisely.  Her outstanding teachings have resulted many talented and gifted students.  Also, Dr. Elton sacrifices her valuable time for her students.  Whenever I had competitions or recitals, she gave me extra lessons for these important events at no cost.  She always found time to come to all the events to support and comfort her students.  Dr. Elton has good relationships with all of her students, because she is very kind and sincere.  For these reasons, her students love and admire her very much.

            Moreover, she is involved so much in community.  She gives out recitals frequently and serves herself as a singer at church.  She is one of the most active teachers among the Georgia Music Teachers Association. In addition, Dr. Elton is warm, faithful, and honest, having courteous manner and friendly attitude.

             I strongly recommend Dr. Elton for the Georgia Music Teacher of the Year Award.

             If I can be of any additional assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time.

Sincerely,

Jie Hea Hong

Piano Performance Major

School of Music

University of Georgia

Letter of Recommendation From Former Student, Gregory Pak

June 16, 2005

To Whom It May Concern:

            It is both my personal pleasure and honor to recommend Dr. Nancy Elton for the Georgia of the Teacher award. Her dedication and passion in her teaching is manifest in the performance of her students, especially myself. I studied with Dr. Elton throughout my high school career for four years, until I graduated. I have no doubts and thus am especially confident that if I had not met her and become her pupil, I would not be going into my junior year at the University of Georgia in Piano Performance, especially with a scholarship from the music department.

            Dr. Elton is thorough in all aspects of her teachings, and does not let even the slightest of details go unnoticed, and thus corrected. Her instructing is firm and secure in pursuing the manifestation of her students’ potential, and her character does not waver from that goal. She does not compromise in a way that sacrifices significant attributes for insignificant ones, but constantly maintains a necessary balance in the priorities of her students. It is clear that Dr. Elton’s pedagogy is not a mere job, but a passion from her heart. Countless times she went out of her “dutiful” way in order to provide extra lessons, extra phone calls, extra time, freely, and with nothing given in return.

            I received an incredible amount of encouragement and challenge in my four years with her, more than I had ever before, and this led me to obtain many awards, such as Convention Recitalist in GMEA in 12^th grade, as well as in GMTA in 11^th and 12^th grades. I even had the foreign experience of learning a concerto which led me to be selected to perform with the Atlanta Community Orchestra and the All-State Orchestra as a piano soloist.

            Dr. Elton’s gift as a teacher, as well as performer and mentor simply cannot go ignored. Through her experience, and to me, personally, she knows what to expect in her students, for now I look back and realize that she can see much more in her pupils than meets the eye, and not only so, but she has the ability, knowledge, and passion to draw it out. Dr. Elton is one I cannot doubt nor hesitate to recommend for this award.

Sincerely,

Gregory Sung Pak

From former student, James Sizemore in response to an email I sent many years after he had left and established his career as a successful composer in NY

"Thank you for your kind words. It is great to hear from you. I guess your teaching methods work pretty well, because I am enjoying music
immensely. I just finished my most recent piece for orchestra which NYU is premiering this spring. I am finishing off my Masters degree in Music Tech/Film Scoring at NYU, and teaching at the CUNY College of Technology. New York is great and I love all the great music up here,...... I hope Atlanta is well and you are continuing to pump out future rock stars and composers. "
www.jamessizemore.com

REFERENCE FOR NANCY ELTON

from student Melinda Wenner

Melinda Wenner won the Pauline Diaz Piano Award for two consecutive years at the Georgia Academy of Music where she was my student for 8 years. She was a Conference Recital Alternate Winner in the GMTA auditions in 1993.  She went on to New Hampshire to a private school in the 8th grade, and continued her studies in piano, winning the New Hampshire State MTA auditions.  Later she majored in piano performance.

Nancy Elton has been my piano teacher for eight years, and she has also taught me a lot about myself and my priorities. I first started piano lesson with her in second grade, as a none-too-eager seven year old, and now piano has become a significant part of my life, I owe much of my happiness today to her.

 Mrs. Elton has a wonderful way of teaching, and she also has wonderful things to each.  She is always enthusiastic and very encouraging.  She uses many different ideas and techniques to teach me, and somehow she finds a way to get the point across to me in a way I can understand.  Because she is an accomplished pianist, I have learned a lot simply from watching and listening to her.  She knows that people learn in different ways, and she finds different interesting ways to help me understand.  Since she was my first piano teacher and has remained my teacher for eight  years,  I have incorporated all of her musical beliefs and ideas into my playing.  I have entered several competitions in which I have played successfully, and this illustrates that with what I have learned, I have become an accomplished pianist for my age.

 I could never be where I am musically if I were not somewhat motivated to practice and learn, and Mrs. Elton is accountable for much of the motivation I have.  She helps me understand the music I am playing be lending me recordings and teaching music history and music theory.  By teaching in different ways, I am able to grasp much more and stay interested.  For example, she regularly schedules group lessons between her students, in which we play for each other and observe her teaching other students.  This way we can learn more of her teaching style, learn music we aren't familiar with, and we can notice other student's improvement.  These factors motivate all of us and keep us learning and practicing, and without these we could not succeed.  Mrs. Elton knows that it is difficult to keep a student focused and excited, but by incorporating diversity and encouragement into her instruction, she keeps me enthusiastic.

 I am also very aware that Mrs. Elton cares a great deal for her students.  She knows me well, and because of this she can teach me on a more personal level and find ideas and analogies that I can identify with.  Our relationship gives lessons a more familiar, friendly and fostering atmosphere, which, of course, makes them much more enjoyable.  I believe that because of this, playing the piano is more important to me.

 Nancy Elton is a wonderful piano teacher and a wonderful person.  She has helped me become a successful pianist, and her devoted spirit has kept me motivated.  I believe she would be a superb teacher with any students.   

Sincerely,

Melinda Wenner