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Purpose
To use one's God-given abilities to praise Him with piano music.
To grow in musical and technical ability through learning a piece of music well enough to perform before an audience.
To have the opportunity to receive constructive oral and written comments from someone other than the participant's teacher.
To develop self-confidence and poise before a group.
To hear other student musicians perform.
Participant Eligibility
Any student in grades 5-8 who has had a minimum of 6 months of lessons.
Students choose level of difficulty according to their ability. Students who have previously entered at the beginner level may continue to do so, but teachers should encourage students who are capable to enter at a higher level.
Each entry should be of performance quality at the time the entry is sent in.
Materials
Three levels of difficulty
Beginner: any piece of music not on the WSMA lists*.
Intermediate: Class C music as rated by WSMA*.
Advanced: Class B music as rated by WSMA*, or Class A if teacher feels student is ready for that.
* WSMA lists are available through the WSMA website or from local music stores, such as Leithold's or SSE Music.
Legal copies of the piece as needed. (See Copyright Laws) Ratings will be withheld if illegal copies are used.
Just a judge's copy is needed if the piece is memorized. If not, two copies are needed.
Popular music is discouraged because simplified arrangements often differ from recordings, but the music must be performed and judged according to the written music.
Measures should be numbered in pencil.
Evaluation
Ribbons will be awarded for all ratings.
Students will receive a rating of I, II, III, or participation.
Judges write out evaluations individually; not using a consensus method.
All performances are judged on the basis of the written music.
Physical Requirements
Performance rooms (number will be determined by number of entries).
In-tune pianos
Table and comfortable seating for the judge.
Pencils for the judge.
Seating for the spectators.
Personnel
A door monitor at each site to:
keep track of the schedule
check in contestants
announce student names, school, and title of piece
post ratings
allow entry to the room only between performances
A runner to:
supply refreshments to judges
serve as a general "gofer"
Procedures
Preparatory
Reserve rooms for performance and warm-up.
Arrange for in-tune pianos.
Obtain one judge per room and send copies of forms and guidelines.
Check intermediate and advanced judging forms to make sure that selections have been taken from WSMA lists.
Schedule performance times. If possible, schedule intermediate and advanced entries apart from beginner entries. This will pre-vent the judge from having to "shift gears" and also prevent beginners from being intimidated if they have been scheduled right after a superior performer.
Assign a door monitor per room plus one runner.
Day of festival
Arrange rooms.
Post schedules.
Arrange judging sheets in order for the judges.
Updated 05/12/04