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Dr. Joe Chapman, a professor in the University of North Georgia (Å·±¦ÓÎϷƽ̨) Department of Music, was designated Georgia Music Teachers Association (GMTA) Teacher of the Year.

"It's quite an honor when you realize that your peers think highly of you. The members of GMTA are great folks, and I am privileged to have the opportunity to represent them," Chapman said.

Chapman accepted a full-time teaching appointment at Å·±¦ÓÎϷƽ̨ in 1983, and over the past 40-plus years he has taught music theory, conducted choirs, bands and orchestras, and served as instructor for a variety of piano-related courses.

He is the founder and director of the All-American Piano Celebration, now in its 36th year, which provides an opportunity for pianists of all levels to participate in the promotion of live performances of American piano music. He has directed various church and community choirs, accompanied numerous soloists and ensembles, and presented over 100 solo piano concerts for arts associations, schools, churches, and colleges throughout the state of Georgia.

"Dr. Chapman is an amiable professor with an open mind. I always eagerly anticipate his class. He excels in identifying the potential of his students and tailoring his teaching to their individual aptitudes," Yi Jin, a freshman from Tianjin, China, pursuing a Bachelor of Music with a concentration in piano performance, degree, said.

Greisi Voja, a junior from Fier, Albania, is also pursuing a Bachelor of Music with a concentration in piano performance degree.

"He offers me lots of advice on how to musically perform better," she said. "He is a great adviser, patient and a very easy-going person who always enables his students to express their own ideas about different piano work styles. He has inspired me to convey clear melodic phrasing in my playing, working on the melody lines, becoming expressive and showing precise notes to musical details in the score."

Chapman has served as president of GMTA and is currently the president of the Northeast Georgia Music Teachers Association and an adviser for the Georgia Musicale Group.

"Dr. Chapman has had a long and storied career as a teacher and performer. This is a well-earned recognition of all the lives he has touched and influenced through his work as a music educator," Dr. Benjamin Schoening, professor and Department of Music head, said.

Chapman will perform "An Evening with Chopin" on March 19 and March 22 at 7:30 p.m. at the Gloria Shott Performance Hall at Å·±¦ÓÎϷƽ̨'s Dahlonega Campus. Admission is free.