A Tribute to C. Michael Ehrhardt
September 16. 1914
December 27, 1999
Michael Ehrhardt was born in
Carrollton, GA and was self taught in piano until the age of 12 when he began
music lessons. His professional training includes four years at the Leipzig
Conservatory in Germany, summer studies at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria
and further studies in this country with Rosinna Lhevine and Joseph Prostakoff.
He also studied composition and orchestration with Arnold Schoenberg.
After a long career as head of the
Music Department of the Thacher School in Ojai, California, where he was active
with the Music Teachers Association of California and the Ventura Concert
Series, Michael returned to Altanta in 1977 with his wife Florence to resume
teaching and composing.
Michael also created a television
series called "How to Teach Yourself to Play the Piano" for the statewide ETV
network. This series was taught by Mr. Ehrhardt and was intended for adult or
older beginner piano students. It was developed especially for the television
with the Adult Learning Department and WGTV of the University of Georgia.
In addition to his teaching
career, Michael was very active as a composer. His works cover a wide range
including a piano "Trio in D Minor," many works for piano solo, a piano
concerto, music for voice, organ, ballet, and incidental music for numerous
dramatic productions. He has several piano teaching solos and ensemble
compositions, ranging from beginning level through advanced, published by Willis
Music Company and Manduca Music.
Tom Burkett |
A Tribute to Elizabeth Morgan Little
(1916 - 2000)
Elizabeth M. Little, an Atlanta native, the daughter of Dr.
and Mrs. N.E. Morgan, was an acclaimed child prodigy. An Altanta Journal article
of July 2, 1922 proclaims five year old Elizabeth Morgan "probably the most
accomplished child musician Atlanta has produced. It describes the time when
Elizabeth at eighteen months heard the Star Spangled Banner played at a
patriotic rally, came home and played the tune "with one chubby finger"
unassisted!
With the guidance of her teacher, Miss Evelyn Jackson, her
progress escalated rapidly. A frequent competition winner, she was chosen by the
Georgia Federation, at age 15, to perform at their state convention. Her
selection was the Mendelssohn G minor Concerto, assisted by the fledgling group
later to become the Altanta Symphony Orchestra.
Although she attended both Curtis and Julliard, Elizabeth
preferred a teaching career to that of performing, for by this time she had met
and married another musician, C.L. Little (clarinet) and had begun her second
career - mother of two sons, Charles and John, and two daughters, Margaret and
Barbara.
Elizabeth's teaching career, and membership in both GMTA and
the Federation, spanned 30 years and it probably would not be an exaggeration to
conclude that her influence produced in the range of 150 career musicians and a
host of other students who learned to love and appreciate good music.
Janice Marshall
friend and colleague |