I. DISTRICT CONTEST-FESTIVALS
A. Purpose
1. To provide students and teachers
a means of receiving
constructive criticism by competent
judges.
2. To stimulate and to recognize
constant growth.
3. To provide students and teachers
a means of hearing the work
done by others.
B. Eligibility
1. All piano teachers having entries in the contest must be
active
members of NCMTA with current dues paid by January 1.
2. Contestants must be elementary, middle school, or senior
high
school students. (See C. 2 below.) Students out of high
school
cannot compete.
3. Contestants must be actively studying piano with an NCMTA
teacher.
C. Regulations
1. Students must perform works selected from the current
official
contest music list which is published annually in the May
issue of
THE NORTH CAROLINA MUSIC TEACHER and on the web
at www.ncmta.org. No changes in pieces will be allowed after
registrations have been submitted.
2. Teachers are always encouraged to use editions of the
highest
quality. All students/teachers using electronic resources
must
be sure to have read and filled out completely the MTNA
Competitions Music Release Form (*). A fully filled out copy
of
this MTNA Competitions Music Release Form must be presented
at registration of any NCMTA function in which a student is
using
such copies of music, otherwise the student will be
disqualified and
unable to participate.
*Forms provided by District and State Chairpersons or found
on
the NCMTA website
3. On the basis of music chosen, any contestant may enter
either
the Junior or Senior competition, but not both. Since there
is an
overlap in the difficulty of the Junior and Senior lists,
the teacher
will determine which level each student should enter.
4. A teacher may enter any number of students.
5. The Contest-Festival (CF) list consists of 4 entry
levels: (Junior A,
Junior B, Senior A, and Senior B). Students must perform a
piece
from each of the three musical periods (I, II, and III). At
least TWO
of the compositions a student plays MUST be from the level
at
which the student is entering. The third composition may be
from
an ADJACENT level, either above or below. For example, a
student
entering at Junior Level B may play one composition from
Senior
Level A, or a student entering at Senior Level A may play
one
composition from Junior Level B. There are two exceptions to
this
rule:
1) In order to enter Senior Level B, a student must play ALL
THREE compositions from this level.
2) A student may enter Senior Level A using TWO
compositions from Senior Level B and ONE composition
from Senior Level A. When entering students in the CF,
the teacher MUST indicate the entry level of the student.
6. Students entering at Junior Level A will not advance
beyond the
District CF.
7. Students earning a “Superior” rating at Junior Level B,
Senior
Level A, and Senior Level B may advance to the State CF.
8. NO ONE MAY PLAY FOR CRITICISM ONLY. Each soloist will
be assigned an honor rating as follows:
a. SUPERIOR - Awarded to those students who play with
meticulous accuracy in the correct style of the composer
and with imagination. Students earning a superior rating
will receive a gold seal on their certificate.
b. EXCELLENT - Awarded for accuracy and observation of
details of the score. (This is definitely an honor rating.)
Students earning an excellent rating will receive a silver
seal on their certificate.
c. VERY GOOD - Generally good but some details overlooked.
d. FAIR
9. Contestants will be expected to register and participate
in contests
within their own district except where travel will be
shorter to
another contest, or where a conflict in date might be
avoided.
Where such a change may seem necessary, the district
chairperson to whom they are applying will rule on their
acceptance,
dependent on time and space available. In no case
may a student be permitted to enter more than one District CF.
10. Performance
a. Students must have the measures of their pieces numbered.
b. Da Capo repeats are expected. Extensive repeats should be
avoided.
c. All contestants must perform from memory.
d. Suggested editions are given, but any complete standard
edition may be used.
e. Timing: 8 minutes (Jr. A), 10 minutes (Jr. B) 12 minutes
(Sr.
A), 15 minutes (Sr. B)
f. Judges are permitted to stop a contestant at the time
limit.
11. Depending on the size of the room, it is up to the
District
Chairperson to have the room open.
12. Junior Level B, Senior Level A, and Senior Level B piano
students
who receive a rating of “Superior” in the current year in
District CF
may participate in the State CF.
13. Judges’ decisions are final. Initiating discussion with
a judge - by a
student, parent or teacher - questioning comments or ratings
from
the Contest-Festival may result in penalties to the student
or teacher
for future Contest-Festivals. A committee comprised of the
Piano
Section Chair, the State Contest Director and the District
or State
Contest-Festival Chair will be formed to address any
grievances
filed by the judge.
D. Judges
1. The Contest Director does what is necessary to obtain
qualified
judges as noted by the piano section.
2. Judges should not judge in their own location.
3. Judges may return to a district after 2 years.
4. Judging fee is $30.00 per hour.
E. District Registration
1. Registration deadline: Registration blanks must be
completed and
mailed, with fees, to the District Chairperson FIVE weeks
prior to the
date of the first District CF. See the NCMTA for current
dates.
2. Withdrawal deadline: Notice of withdrawal must be given
to the
District Chairperson 2 1/2 weeks prior to the date of the
first District
CF, if a refund of fees is expected.
3. To determine your district, see the District CF Locations
listed in the
fall NCMT.
F. District Fees
1. $15.00 for each Junior contestant.
2. $15.00 for each Senior contestant.
G. District Contest-Festival Locations (listed by counties)
1. Albemarle: Anson, Cabarrus, Davidson, Davie, Rowan,
Stanley, Union
2. Charlotte: Mecklenburg
3. Greenville: Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Carteret, Chowan,
Currituck,
Craven, Dare, Edgecomb, Gates, Greene, Hertford, Hyde,
Lenior,
Martin, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrell,
Washington,
Wilson
4. Lumberton: Bladen, Columbus, Cumberland, Hoke, Richmond,
Robeson, Sampson, Scotland
5. Mars Hill: Alexander, Allegheny, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe,
Burke,
Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston,
Haywood,
Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison,
McDowell,
Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga,
Wilkes,
Yancey
6. Raleigh: Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Halifax,
Harnett,
Johnston, Lee, Moore, Nash, Northampton, Orange, Person, Vance,
Wake, Warren, Wayne
7. Wilmington: Brunswick, Duplin, Jones, New Hanover, Onslow,
Pender
8. Winston-Salem/Greensboro: Alamance, Caswell, Forsyth,
Guilford,
Montgomery, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, Yadkin
II. STATE CONTEST-FESTIVALS
A. Purpose
1. To give those students who are winners of “Superior”
ratings in
the District CFs an opportunity to play again for
constructive
evaluation.
2. To give the students a chance to hear other honored
pianists
throughout the state.
B. Eligibility
1. All piano teachers having entries in the contests must be
active
members of NCMTA with current dues paid by January 1.
2. Students may be a senior level or a junior level entry.
3. Students must have made a “Superior” rating at the
District CF in
the current year.
C. Regulations
1. NO ONE MAY PLAY FOR CRITICISM ONLY. Each soloist will
be assigned an honor rating.
2. All contestants must perform from memory.
3. Students entering at Junior Level B, Senior Level A, and
Senior
Level B who received a “Superior” rating at the District CF
may
advance to the State CF where they will be judged by an
in-state
judge.
4. All students who proceed to the State CF will play THE
SAME
THREE compositions that were performed at the District
Level.
5. Depending on the size of the studio, it is up to the
State Chairperson
to have the room open.
6. Students receiving a “ Superior” at the State CF will be
invited to
perform at the State Conference. There will be 2 recitals: a
Junior
Recital (Level B) and a Senior Recital (Levels A & B).
7. Judges’ decisions are final. Initiating discussion with a
judge - by a
student, parent or teacher - questioning comments or ratings
from
the Contest-Festival may result in penalties to the student
or teacher
for future Contest-Festivals. A committee comprised of the
Piano
Section Chair, the State Contest Director and the District
or State
Contest-Festival Chair will be formed to address any
grievances
filed by the judge.
D. Judges
1. The Contest Director does what is necessary to obtain
qualified
judges as noted by the piano section.
2. Judges should not judge in their own location.
E. State Registration
1. Registration blanks: Secure a registration blank from
your District
Chairperson on of the District CF.
2. Registration deadline: Registration blanks must be
completed and
mailed, with fees, State Contest Chairperson no later than 4
days
following the last district contest date.
3. Withdrawal deadline: Notification of withdrawal must be
postmarked no later than 1week prior to the State CF if a
refund is
expected.
F. State Fees
1. $ 15.00 for each Junior contestant.
2. $ 15.00 for each Senior contestant.
G. State Contest-Festivals Locations
1. Eastern part of the state
a. Greenville District
b. Lumberton District
c. Raleigh District
d. Wilmington District
2. Western part of the state
a. Albemarle District
b. Charlotte District
c. Mars Hill District
d. Winston-Salem/ Greensboro District
H. The April date of the State CFs (East and West) will be determined
by the Contest Director and the two State Chairpersons.
