Firstly, happy new year! I am Chinese and this is the Year of the Dragon, which is a special year (but don't ask me why!)

I would love to attend the MTNA conference to be held in NYC this March. However, the price is really making me question whether or not I can afford to attend, even though the classes sound interesting.

Does anyone else find these conferences to be almost unaffordable?

For me, the cost would include a special charge for the pre-conference weekend class and transportation, since I would be coming from several hours away. I would not stay overnight but that could mean travelling to and from the city more than once, assuming it is less expensive.

I'm just wondering what anybody else does about this conference cost issue, if anything.

Gisele

I just build it into my business expenses and deduct the cost as professional development. Even then, I can only afford to go every other year, so I skipped last year.

I do agree that the cost is prohibitive, particularly this year since it's in Manhattan, and I dislike that they charge extra for the Saturday sessions. (Which, in my experience, have generally not been worth the extra cost.)

One thing that does help is that many publishers have booths in the exhibit hall where they sell their music at a large discount, and to make things easier, they'll often ship music to you so you don't have to carry it back in your luggage. For teachers who purchase a lot of materials and like to stay current on methods and materials, this can mean big savings.

Professional conferences really help you in many ways. Start now to budget for future years. BTW, I don't find MTNA conferences especially high, price-wise; I suspect that teachers who undercharge students would find them so. Perhaps that can serve as a stimulus to review all your expenses and rethink your tuition accordingly.

That said, you couldn't get me to go to NYC even if it were the Second Coming, but that's another issue.

The cost of the registration itself is OK. However, it's the travel expenses and add-ons (workshops & events) that make the conference cost prohibitive to me. I would have to purchase a flight from Texas and stay at least 2-3 nights at the Hilton (which is at least $260/night once you factor in tax).

I opt to attend the TMTA (Texas Music Teachers Association) conference instead, especially since some of my students participate in the All-Star Festival. I can take a quick 40 minute hop on SWA and stay at the conference hotel for less than half the cost of the NY event.

But those items are part of any conference cost. Figure out the total cost, divide it by the number of teaching hours or students you have each year, and adjust your tuition upwards accordingly. Explain to parents that continuing education is of vital importance for you in helping their students, as it is in any other profession. Most parents will understand.

I agree that it's of vital importance, and that the students' parents will agree. However, our Texas MTA chapter also sponsors a fabulous conference with lots of continuing education opportunities. Unfortunately very few teachers from my local MTNA chapter get to go even to TMTA due to cost. I don't know of any teacher from my association that has attended MTNA's one.

Hopefully in two years I will get to go to the MTNA conference, since the TMTA one will be held in Houston.

MTNA makes an effort to spread the conferences around a bit:

2010 - Milwaukee (Middle North)
2011 - Albuquerque (Southwest)
2012 - NYC (East coast)
2013 - Anaheim (West coast)
2014 - Chicago (Midwest)

etc...

You should try to get to your state conference, of course, but don't compare them to a national conference. It's like comparing a Wyoming conference with a California conference. The population base which you draw from makes all the difference.

You might shoot for the NCKP once every 4 years, alternating with the MTNA conference 2 years later, and the State conference on the odd years.

Has anyone attended both the MTAC convention in CA or the TMTA one as well as the MTNA national convention? I've heard that these bigger state conventions are more similar to the MTNA one; same speakers, workshop hosts, etc...

I've been to MTNA and TMTA several times. I would say that the quality of TMTA matches MTNA, but it is quite a bit smaller - fewer people, fewer sessions, fewer and smaller exhibits. (But of course, you get piano ensemble costumes!)