Frequently Asked Questions

Greenville Music Teachers Association (GMTA), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is the local affiliate chapter in Greenville, SC for Music Teachers National Association (MTNA). We provide social networking, continuing education, and student audition opportunities for both independent music teachers and college music professors in the upstate of South Carolina!

Become a member of MTNA at the national level! During the registration process, select South Carolina as your state affiliate chapter and Greenville as your local affiliate chapter. This will allow you to pay national, state, and local dues all at the same time.

Monthly meetings provide both continuing education and networking opportunities for members. Join your peers and make new friends as you strive to become a better teacher! There are also professional development grants available for members.

GMTA provides several audition opportunities for students of members. Locally, these include the Scholarship Auditions and the Piano Skills Festival. There are additional opportunities for students at the state and national levels.

Any music teacher who teaches piano, voice, or other instruments may join GMTA! There are no requirements regarding minimum education or certification in order to join, although membership does give you the opportunity to become a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music should you choose to pursue the certification process. Our members include self-employed teachers, teachers who are independent contractors and/or employees of larger studios, and college professors.

Members are considered in good standing if dues are paid on time. Active members may participate in all activities offered by GMTA, as well as hold office and vote. If members enter students in auditions, we expect that they will volunteer some of their time on the day of the audition to assist the chair person in running the event.

SCMTA, the state affiliate chapter, started in 1960. GMTA became a local affiliate chapter of MTNA in the late 1960s and gained 501(c)(3) non-profit status in 1993. The organization ran a Concert Series that featured up and coming young artists from across the nation during 1986 - 2000. With the close of the Concert Series, efforts to promote musical excellence became focused on the Scholarship Auditions, which started in 2001 and continue to this day. 

In 2012, GMTA created the Piano Skills Festival to promote holistic musical development in students. In 2025, GMTA agreed to make the curriculum for the Piano Skills Festival available to SCMTA so that students across the entire state can audition and develop skills that will enable life-long musicianship.

Also in 2025, GMTA updated its branding and website to reflect the changes that have occurred in the organization since the millennium. We look forward to supporting the professionalism of music teachers and advancing the value of music making and music study in society for years to come!