Piano teachers

WHEREAS, Music is progressive, a generational chain of great 1
teachers, composers, and performers striving to discover and preserve 2
the art form; and 3
WHEREAS, The study of music is a grand human project, allowing us 4
to explore the culture and qualities of musical greatness we inherit 5
from the past, to understand who we have been, who we are, and who we 6
may yet become; and 7
WHEREAS, For centuries these explorations have been shepherded by 8
piano teachers, from the Polish composer Frédéric Chopin at the 9
beginning of the 19th century all the way to Washington's own 10
Margaret Saunders Ott (1920 - 2010), who spent decades training 11
professional pianists while teaching at Washington State University, 12
Gonzaga University, and Whitworth College; and 13
WHEREAS, The endeavor of a musical education provides our youth 14
the opportunity to see how focus, dedication, and persistence pay off 15
over time; and 16
WHEREAS, The fundamental skill of interpretation, breathing life 17
into notes, is rooted and grown from the depths of a player's 18
capacity to empathize, a vital social component that seems at risk of 19
evaporating lately; and 20
WHEREAS, A piano teacher is often one of the most memorable, 21
supportive, and important adults in a child's early life, regardless 22
of whether their musical journey takes them to the heights of 23
SENATE RESOLUTION
8698
By Senators Conway, Chapman, Cleveland, Frame, Hasegawa, Lovelett, Lovick, Nobles,
Pedersen, Robinson, Shewmake, Short, Valdez, Wagoner, and C. Wilson
p. 1 8698
professionalism, or simply connects them to humanity's universal 1
language; and 2
WHEREAS, There are hundreds if not thousands of piano 3
teachers working in our state at this moment. Organizations like 4
the Washington State Music Teachers Association have hundreds of 5
members, while there are countless additional piano teachers 6
operating small businesses from their homes and elsewhere; and7
WHEREAS, Piano teachers spend thousands of hours every year 8
volunteering with professional organizations to provide ample 9
performance and educational opportunities contributing to their 10
communities through performance, enriching senior centers, 11
churches, and public festivals statewide; 12
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize 13
the significant artistic and cultural contributions that piano 14
teachers have made to the music education of Washington State; 15
and 16
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be 17
immediately transmitted to the Washington State Music Teachers 18
Association and the National Guild of Piano Teachers.19
I, Sarah Bannister, Secretary of the Senate, 20
do hereby certify that this is a true and 21
correct copy of Senate Resolution 8698, 22
adopted by the Senate 23
February 27, 2026 24
SARAH BANNISTER 25
Secretary of the Senate 26
p. 2 8698