2018 Audition Information
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Sunday April 22, 2018. Checks can be postmarked on Monday April 23, 2018.
NOTE NEW VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENT: Due to the lack of support last year, we are insisting that every teacher who submits students volunteer for either the auditions or recital dates. We CANNOT make any exceptions. If you do not commit to a date, we cannot process any of your students’ applications.
NOTE NEW APPLICATION/PAYMENT REQUIREMENT: Due to confusion with applications and payments, only NYSMTA District 4 members may fill out applications (not parents of students). Also we will only accept checks from members as well. Please write a single check to cover all students fees. This makes our process much easier and eliminates most mistakes. If you have an issue with any of this please contact us.
DATES: The auditions will be held on Sunday, May 6th 2018 from 9 am-5 pm. The recitals will be held on Sunday, May 20th, 2018 from 10 am-3 pm.
ELIGIBILITY: Applicants may range from pre-school age to adult; voice applicants must be at least 14 years of age. The applicant must be a student of an MTNA member in good standing. If the applicant has studied less than a season (30+ weeks) with the present teacher, as of May 6th, 2018, the applicant also needs the written consent of the previous teacher.
REQUIREMENTS: Three memorized selections, two from any of the following four styles: baroque, classical, romantic, impressionist; and the third selection in any 20th ot 21st century style (other than impressionist). One movement of a sonatina or suite counts as one piece; do not submit several movements as one piece. Repeats with 1st and 2nd endings may be played; otherwise avoid double-bar repeats unless the composition is less than 30 seconds long. Transcriptions are permitted, but simplified arrangements are not acceptable. Ensemble programs are possible and encouraged. Applicants must furnish one printed copy of each selection for the judges’ table. Avoid photocopies except in cases of out-of-print music. Judges will hear at least a portion of each selection; most likely they will hear the entire program!
OPEN or CLOSED AUDITION? Students will once again have a choice of formats, the “open” audition OR the traditional “closed” audition. There is a field “Audition Type” in the Student Application to select which format you are entering. Teachers may put some of their students in one format, and the rest in the other format, if they wish. In the “open” format, a larger room will be used. Parents, teachers, friends will be allowed in the room to observe. The student and the audience will be expected to remain for one hour as 5 or 6 students have their audition. The atmosphere is the same as a “play in”, festival, or recital. The judges will not make any verbal comments. Whether or not the audition is open or closed, applicants are grouped according to age and length of time studied (except when there are special schedule requests).
EVALUATION CATEGORY: Students who wish to play fewer than the required selections, or who wish to play without memorization, may enter the auditions for the judges’ evaluations only and will not be eligible for a grade (color award) or concert performance. They will be eligible for a participation certificate and 2 points in the District’s Award Program. Select EVALUATION on the application under Audition Type.
JUDGES: The panel of judges will be given the student’s age and seasons studied (one season = 30+ weeks of study). Since judges vary in personality and taste and are giving their personal impression of a single performance, there may be substantial differences in evaluations from judge to judge and from season to season. We must accept, if not necessarily agree with, these differing opinions!
ACCOMPANISTS: Applicants in winds, strings, brass, voice must provide their own accompanist. A pianist who submits a movement of a concerto as one of his/her pieces should also provide an accompanist. Please advise us in advance of any time constraints on the part of the accompanist.
GRADES AND AWARDS: A numerical grade will be given in addition to a color award. This year, we are experimenting with a wider spread of numerical grades: Gold award grades will range from 95 to 99 (with 100 reserved for extraordinary performances); Silver from 90 to 94; Red from 85 to 89; Green from 80 to 84. Scores which average to 1 will be moved up to the next higher grade. Gold and Silver award students will have the opportunity to perform at the district concerts. A concert performance merits 2 points in the District’s Award Program.
GUIDELINES FOR GRADES: The judges will be using the following guidelines for the grades and awards:
GOLD (95, 96, 97, 98, 99) – Outstanding performance played with expression, style, technical security and poise. Any missed notes do not disturb the flow. Instrumentalists and vocalists show mastery of intonation. Repertoire is appropriate for age and seasons studied. All three pieces are very well mastered and ready for public performance. Merits 5 points in District Award Program.
SILVER (90, 91, 92, 93, 94) – Superior performance, well prepared and executed. Perhaps one or two musical or technical elements are not quite mastered, or there is a brief memory or technical slip. Instrumentalists demonstrate a pleasing level of intonation. At least two, if not all three pieces are ready for public performance. Merits 4 points in District Award Program
RED (85, 86, 87, 88, 89) – Commendable performance with moments of beauty. Although there is some work worth noting, student may appear unnerved, or at times perform hesitantly. Instrumentalists and vocalists may show lapses in intonation. At least two pieces are not ready for public performance. Merits 3 points in District Award Program
GREEN (80, 81, 82, 83, 84) – Pieces are performed with limited awareness of style and little attention to musical and technical elements. Possible memory problems. All three pieces not ready for public performance. Merits 2 points in Award Program.
AUDITIONS will be held on Sunday, May 1st, 2016 at Music Conservatory of Westchester in White Plains. Concerts will be held on Sunday, May 15th, 2016 also at Music Conservatory of Westchester.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Applications must be received by Sunday April 17, 2016. Applications up to four days late must include a $5 penalty per student. Applications more than 4 days late will not be accepted.
APPLICATION FEES: The fees have been increased this year due to rising costs are as follows: $25 for a program whose TOTAL playing time is less than 9 minutes in length; $28 for a TOTAL playing time of 9 to 15 minutes; $30 for a program whose TOTAL playing time is over 15 minutes. Checks should be made payable to NYSMTA District 4 (non-refundable).
NO WORK, NO PLAY! We really need your assistance as monitor on the audition day or as a master of ceremonies on the concert day (specify AM or PM). There is a space on the teacher’s part of the application to indicate when you will help. Teachers who do not contribute in some manner to the running of the auditions will not be permitted to enter students. You will be contacted to determine how you can contribute.
SEASONS STUDIED means teaching season – not years, not the total number of lessons. We realize that there are inequalities here – that some students study only 32 or 36 weeks in a season and others perhaps as much as 48 weeks. A student who began lessons in the fall of 2000 would have completed 4 seasons by May 2005. It does not matter whether the student took just 4 weeks off during the summer or 3 months off during the summer. It’s not 100 % fair, but nothing in life is 100 % fair!
REPERTOIRE: Please be thorough in listing the repertoire – what you put on the application will appear on the judges’ schedule… and, if chosen, on the concert program. Because the deadline is just a little over a month before the audition, no repertoire changes will be accepted after the April 15th deadline.
THE CONCERT PIECE is chosen by the judges. In case of disagreement between the judges, the shorter of the two choices will be the concert piece. As a general rule, the piece chosen by the judges for concert performance should not be more than half as long as the total playing time of the three pieces. Example: total playing time 6 minutes = concert piece approx. 3 minutes. Judges will not be able to recommend pieces for performance which substantially violate this guideline.
COMMENTS TO THE TEACHER: If a judge wishes to write a comment to the teacher which is not to be seen by the audition committee, the judge may write it on a separate sheet, place it in an envelope and seal it, with the student’s I. D. number on the outside.
ENSEMBLE: Ensemble selections do not need to be memorized. The fee for ensemble follows the same guidelines as the solo audition. Students from different families may share the fee.
SIBLINGS: We will schedule them as close together as possible. The judges’ schedule will indicate that they are out of normal age sequence.
SCHEDULES: Teachers, students and parents must understand that filing an application is a tacit agreement to accept any appointed time between 9 am and 6 pm on May 1st. Special time requests will be limited to AM or PM, and must be requested at the time of the application. Last minute requests (after the application has been filed) will carry a $5 surcharge per request. Note that the time allotted for each audition will be approximately 5 minutes longer than the playing time of each program. This gives the judges time to write comments, grades.
ANY QUESTIONS you may send an email to nysmtadistrict4@gmail.com