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About West Central Music Teachers Club The West Central Keyboard Club was organized by a small group of Willmar MN piano teachers in 1975. The goal of the club was to improve the teaching skills of piano teachers and to encourage the musical education of the community through workshops and projects. The club became affiliated with the National Federation of Music Clubs and the Minnesota Federation of Music Clubs and in 1976 sponsored its first local Junior Festival. The eleven charter members of the club were from Appleton, Willmar, Olivia, Redwood Falls, and Murdock. The first year there was a Musicianship Pedagogy Class offered through the Willmar Community College for credit, a Master Class by Steven Hesla for one meeting, and a presentation explaining the MMTA theory and syllabus examinations at another meeting. Raeanna Gislason, Muriel J. Hanson, and Linda Hanson were three of the Willmar teachers who provided the initiative to start the club and organize/plan programs. Dues were $2 and a day-long workshop fee was $6.75. It included a lunch of Kentucky Fried Chicken! 
The club and the festival grew to include as many as 50 teachers and 600 student festival participants in the 80’s so satellite festival sites were started in surrounding communities. Vocal, flute, and violin students began participating in larger numbers so the “parent” West Central Keyboard Club changed its name to West Central Music Teachers Club in 2009 to better reflect the all-inclusiveness of the club. Today, the West Central Music Teachers Club continues to meet to improve the teaching skills of music teachers and to encourage the musical education of the community through workshops and projects. Our membership has members from Montevideo, Benson, Belgrade, Kerkhoven, Willmar, Dassel, Litchfield, New London, Spicer, Hutchinson, Kimball, Paynesville, and many other communities in the West Central part of Minnesota. Our membership stays strong with about 50 teachers involved each year. Annually we sponsor Festivals in several communities-Montevideo, Spicer, Willmar, Litchfield. Students participating in the festival play piano, sing, or play a string instrument. Membership is open to all who are interested in supporting the goals of the organization. Members of the West Central Music Teachers Club and prospective members are welcome to attend the meetings held throughout the year, typically four. These gatherings allow teachers to network with one another, learn more about opportunities available through the National Federation of Music Clubs/Minnesota Federation of Music Clubs/West Central Music Teachers Club, and also provide an opportunity for continuing education. For Membership Information Please Contact:
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