*To participate in festivals and competitions, students need to first demonstrate strong performance skills at the necessary level and have a history of consistent practice. Competition standards are very high.
ROYAL CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC EXAMS: Exams are useful for students who are not on the competitive track but who still want goal and a strong technical basis. Parents are responsible for learning about the exams and registering the student at a time that works for their schedule. Before registering for an exam (RCM), students should learn the technical work and pieces first, to avoid negative stress. Exams are either remote or in person, dates fill up quickly, so families wanting to use this high-quality program should be familiar with the registration timeframe and coordinate with the teacher the goals, registration and be available to help students manage their goals. RCM uses a specific syllabus with a lot of repertory options. Be aware that RCM, like all exams, is a business, and the exams grow increasingly expensive, especially at higher levels. It is best to choose an exam level that is comparable to repertory that you already play instead of making a stretch to a higher level. Note: I did not participate in exams when I was a student and still had an excellent musical education: I was a competitive student and had a lot of one-on-one contact with concert pianists and professors in Festivals, competitions and adjudicated events. I support student using exams but do not require my students to use them. I use the RCM level standards to define which level my students are at, whether they take exams or not.
ATTEND CONCERTS whenever possible and listen to music! It broadens your knowledge of pieces, styles and expression. Students who listen to music progress faster. A list of important composers, performers and compositions is on the Listening Page in the website, and links to venues with quality events is on the Concerts page.
The Seattle International Piano Competition hosts three yearly competitive festivals open to all grades:
SIPC Bach Festival highlighting music by the composer J. S. Bach, held in Fall.
SIPC Viennese Festival highlighting music from the classical era (Mozart, Haydn, etc.) held in late Winter
SIPC Virtuoso Artists Festival highlighting Romantic and 20th century music, early June
In past years the festivals have been in-person, but in recent years they have been video-based. Winners are not awarded money but all participants are awarded a certificate and an evaluation, and a medal if placed. Placements include gold, silver, bronze and there are special certificates for honorable mention. Not all students who enter place, however the judges may place multiple students in the same medaling tier as a tie. The written feedback is valuable and the event provides the student a growth opportunity.
Performing Arts Festival of the Eastside – is open to all grades. The mid-February opening registration deadline for this Bellevue Festival is in very important not to miss as the event fills up almost right away. This year they required up to date vaccinations for Covid-19. The adjudicated classes happen mid-April. This festival is held at St. Andrews Lutheran Church on a Monday-Saturday during school hours and requires a parent to be able to drive the student to the festival and remain with them for their class which may be scheduled at any day of that week.
Seattle Young Artists Music Festival is a world-class music festival open to grades 5-12 and is held at the University of Washington School of Music. This festival is held during school hours during the University’s spring break week, and requires a parent to be able to drive the student to the campus and remain with them for their class. This is a time commitment you need to be aware of before participating. Registration usually opens in December. There are several class categories for pianists: Solo Work class, the Short Program Class, the Competitive Concerto class, and the Complete program class: The Complete Program class is a pre-requisite for entrance in any competitive concerto class. Participants perform four pieces, one each from the four periods of classical music, to demonstrate their understanding of a broad range of styles.
Music Artistry Program with the WSMTA
1. Provides an educational experience, which encourages goal setting, persistence, and creativity.
2. Provides a performance opportunity for students where an objective evaluation of the student’s skill and musicianship is made by an impartial, competent visiting artist.
3. Provides the teacher an opportunity to consult with another professional musician.
Each student and ensemble will be given a written evaluation and oral comments from the visiting artist. WSMTA will present a certificate to each student participating. The location is usually in a church Venue or a studio on the Eastside, held in March and can occur during school hours. A school excusal form is provided by the WSMTA.
The MAP program is competitive in that two students from each studio are selected for an honors recital.
The Young Composers Project gives students of WSMTA members the opportunity to submit their original compositions for judging and comments by qualified adjudicators. This year, for the first time, Washington State teachers will also have the opportunity to submit their own original compositions for comments from the adjudicators. These adjudicators are college professors and/or private teachers whose area of expertise is composition. The project provides educational feedback, a goal-setting format, and a focus on music that students love – their own compositions. Adjudicators select a first, second and third place composition for each grade level giving written comments. Certificates are awarded to all participants, and a small monetary prize is awarded to each first-place winner. First place winners are invited to perform their compositions at the WSMTA Conference each summer.
The LWMTA Young Composers Recital: The Young Composers Recital provides an opportunity for students to perform their own creative compositions as well as receive published manuscripts of their work. The recital is in January, held at Northwest Pianos, 13310 Bel-Red Rd, Bellevue
Composition Submission Deadline is mid-December
The Young Composers Recital is an exciting event that encourages musical creativity and provides students the opportunity to share their original works with fellow students and their teachers. All participants will receive a published LWMTA Young Composers Recital book which includes their original works.
MASTERCLASSES: The most advanced and serious students of the studio receive opportunities to work with professors and artist who can offer insight and performance feedback, and help guide and direct students who may be interested in pursuing music beyond high school. Students are selected by the teacher based on many factors, including especially technical fluency, ability to quickly adapt, performance accuracy, level of advancement and age. Tuition for these events is variable. In 2021 our visiting Artist was Gilbert Degreeve from the Antwerp Music Academy in Belgium, and in May 2022 we will have Professor Frank Huang from the University of Miami.
Musical Gift Recitals with the LWMTA These are recitals organized by the Lake Washington Music Teachers Association, a WSMTA chapter that emphasizes quality and compassion rather than competition, and these recitals occur in video format as well as in-person recitals. I invite students to participate but do not necessarily attend as they sometimes can conflict with my own schedule. I definitely approve of these recitals though! To share the gift of music in community service (retirement homes) is fantastic.
Musical Passport with the LWMTA – This is a smaller version of Festivals, with prizes and evaluations.
MTNA Composition Contest – Deadline mid-September – a national competition with top cash prizes in the hundreds and thousands. Students receive feedback, and results announced mid-December.
Eastside Music Teachers Association Scholarship Competition –
Outstanding Artist Competition