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STUDENT PROGRAMS

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MTNA STUDENT PROGRAMS include performance competitions for junior high through collegiate levels and composition competitions for elementary through collegiate levels. State winners proceed to the division level; division winners progress to the national finals held annually at the MTNA Conference.
Because CAPMT is the California branch of the Music Teachers’ National Association (MTNA), all CAPMT members may enter students in MTNA events.

Annually, MTNA holds five national senior competitions and four junior competitions for elementary through collegiate-age students, 11 to 26 years of age, in brass, piano, strings, voice, and woodwinds (there is no junior voice competition). The competitions include Junior and Senior Performance and Young Artist Performance. There is also an MTNA Chamber Performance competition with the average age of ensemble members between 18 to 26 and the MTNA Student Composition competition for elementary to collegiate students.

The first-place winner of each state competition competes at the division level (California is in the Southwest Division). Division winners receive monetary awards. Prizes of instruments or cash awards and plaques are presented to national winners. National winners also perform at the MTNA National Conference. MTNA competitions are funded by the following: MTNA; the MTNA FOUNDATION FUND; Baldwin Piano Company; Steinway & Sons; Alfred Publishing Company, Inc.; Yamaha Corporation of America, Band and Orchestral Division; Yamaha Corporation of America, Piano Division; Morty and Iris Manus; Jane E. Snow, the Allen I. McHose Scholarship Fund; and the Evelyn Lindblad Folland Endowment Fund.

Registration for MTNA events must be completed online; fax or postal submissions will not be accepted. Note: California entrants will pay an additional state fee, which is mailed to the State MTNA Competitions Chair; a separate check must be written for the state fee.

The MTNA competitions will take place November 13 and 14 at Cuesta College, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo, CA 93403. For more information on the location, see: www.cuesta.edu. The Southwest Division Competitions will take place at the University of California Santa Barbara January 7-9, 2011.

In addition to application forms, complete information regarding the MTNA competitions is available on the MTNA website.  Details were also published in the April/May issue of American Music Teacher. The teacher entering students should read this information carefully. As with CAPMT events, failure to follow guidelines and requirements can result in a student’s disqualification. All applications must carry an e-mail address for the teacher, student, and parent. All entry fees are nonrefundable. 
Questions and concerns inevitably arise during the application process. When this happens, double check the information available in the Communiqué, The American Music Teacher (April/May issue), and the CAPMT and MTNA websites. If your questions are not answered by these sources, e-mail the CAPMT chairman or coordinator for the event. Please avoid  telephone calls to chairs or coordinators for CAPMT and MTNA; a short, succinct e-mail will be more successful and will usually result in a prompt answer.
Once all the requirements have been met and the applications have been submitted, enjoy preparing your student for the challenge, the excitement, and the sense of achievement that participation brings. Whether the event is competitive or involves a level of excellence, there are no losers; every student and teacher gains valuable experiences and a sense of accomplishment and pride when the student completes the performance and takes a final bow.
Click on a link below to contact the chair for the event:

  •  MTNA Competitions Chair
  •  MTNA Junior Performance Competitions Chair
  •  MTNA Senior Performance Competitions Chair
  •  MTNA Young Artist Performance Competitions Chair
  •  MTNA Chamber Music Performance Competitions Chair
  •  MTNA Student Composition Competition Chair
  • Online info and entry forms for MTNA Competitions: (Online application forms available in August 1, due by September 14, 2010 midnight) 
    Note:     Composition Competition requires online registration AND mailing of the compositions by the deadline.
     
MTNA policy permits individual states to charge an additional fee to help defray the high cost of administering these MTNA competitions at the state level.

CAPMT charges a fee per teacher, based on the number of students entered. This enables us to continue to offer these wonderful opportunities for members and students.

Fees are:
$40
Elementary (composition per student) $15
Junior (composition/performance per student) $20
Senior (composition/performance per student) $25
Young Artist (composition/performance per student) $30

 

 

CAPMT STUDENT PROGRAMS. At the local level, CAPMT sponsors competitions and auditions in both solo and ensemble performance and noncompetitive evaluations including theory, aural and oral exams. In the competitive events, students receiving the highest ratings are invited to perform and/or compete at the State Conference.  The competitive events are the Bartók and Contemporary Music Festival, the Concerto Competition, and Honors Auditions. Students entering the Piano Auditions or the Ensemble Auditions receive a numerical rating, and the Student Evaluations are non-competitive. This website is the official location for all entry forms and information. 

All CAPMT teachers entering students in CAPMT events must carefully read the Student Program Guidelines linked below. These requirements, as well as application forms, are in Adobe Acrobat PDF form and may be printed out for future reference. (An updated copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader may be downloaded free of charge; you must have a copy of this program on your computer in order to read the guidelines and the application forms.) Because the completed application form cannot be saved on your computer, it is a good idea to print two copies, one to mail to the chair of the event and one for you records. Notice the requirements concerning photocopying, duplication, and changes of repertoire, payment of fees, CAPMT membership, and eligibility based on length of study with the CAPMT teacher. Also, teachers who have students participating in any student program will be expected to help in some manner or to send a studio representative to assist as needed. These requirements are established to assure efficiency and fairness in all events. It is the responsibility of the teacher entering students in CAPMT events to be familiar with and to abide by these overall guidelines.

Two CAPMT events, Piano Auditions and Ensemble Auditions, are entered at the district or local chapter level. All registrations take place online; please see the home page for links to the registration site. Also, each district or chapter will hold these auditions on a different date. Should the dates and/or the chairmen not be posted on the CAPMT website, e-mail the District Coordinator or chapter president for the name and address of the person to whom the application forms and fees are mailed.

Each CAPMT event as well as the Northern Festival and Southern Festival is chaired by a different person, who will be listed in the updated online information later in the summer. Questions concerning the event may be directed to the chairman of the event. E-mail is the most efficient form of communication, saving both teachers and chairmen considerable time and effort.

Responses for the 2009 Student Programs survey have been collated and are available for review .
These responses have led to changes, which will be implemented starting in the Fall of 2009, and are outlined in the report: CAPMT Student Programs Changes for Today's Teaching - March 2009

The following programs are subject to the overall CAPMT Student Program Guidelines. Failure to follow the guidelines will result in disqualification.

BARTÓK FESTIVAL. Piano students any age up to and including students attending a four-year college compete in the performance of compositions by Bela Bartók and an additional twentieth century composer.

 

PIANO AUDITIONS. Students, in all ages, including college students and adults, are adjudicated on their performance of two memorized solos and one ensemble composition at the District and Chapter level.

  • Contact CAPMT Piano Auditions Chair
  • 2010-11 Application form with guidelines and repertoire:  Piano Auditions (Deadline varies by District & Chapter)
    PDF form problems? Look here.

 

ENSEMBLE AUDITIONS. Student instrumentalists (band, orchestral, piano, electronic instruments) and vocalists are adjudicated on their performance of one ensemble composition at the District and Chapter level.

  • Contact CAPMT Ensemble Auditions Chair
  • 2010-11 Program specific guidelines, Application and Evaluation form:  Ensemble Auditions
    PDF form problems? Look here.

 

NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN PIANO AND ENSEMBLE FESTIVALS. The Southern Festival is scheduled for Saturday, February 5, 2011, at Whittier College, Whittier, CA. Complete information will be mailed to teachers prior to January 4, 2011.

The Northern Festival is scheduled for Saturday, January 22, 2011, at Peace Lutheran Church in Danville, CA.
Complete information will be mailed to teachers prior to January 4, 2011.

HONORS AUDITIONS. Highly motivated students of all instruments and voice, any age up to and including students attending a four-year college, compete in the performance of three memorized solo pieces of contrasting musical periods.

  • Contact CAPMT Honors Auditions Chair
  • 2010-11 Application form and guidelines:  Honors Auditions (Postmark by October 10, 2010)
    PDF form problems? Look here.
  • The concerto competition for the North will be posted at a later date.

 

CONCERTO COMPETITION. In the late fall, for students from any starting age through those attending a four-year college (including graduate students). Auditions take place in the North and South, with the Finals at the CAPMT State Conference.

  • Contact CAPMT Concerto Competition Chair
  • 2009-10 Application form and guidelines:  Concerto  (Postmark by October 10, 2009)
  • Competitions Music Release Form
    PDF form problems? Look here.
  • The concerto competition for the North is at Dominican College in San Rafael on Sunday, Nov. 22 and for the South on Saturday, Dec. 12 at Whittier College in Whittier.

 

STUDENT EVALUATIONS.

PURPOSE

The CAPMT Student Evaluations program develops and evaluates performance, technique, sight reading, music literacy and aural perception. Performance for an evaluator includes three pieces representing differing time periods and styles. Memorization is recommended for all three pieces, but is required for two. In addition, students will have the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge of musical notation, symbols, terms, music history time periods, composers, form, tonality, and rhythm at a level appropriate to the age and level of the student. The CAPMT Student Evaluations Syllabus was extensively revised in 2009 and provides a comprehensive curriculum for the education of students. It replaces the Music Literacy Handbook. Since piano students represent the overwhelming majority of entrants, the revised Syllabus contains complete requirements for piano. Contact the Student Evaluations Chair for Performance and Technique requirements for Violin, Cello, and Flute.

Levels include Preparatory A (for use by students during the first year of study), Preparatory B and Levels 1 – 10. Complete requirements for each of the individual levels, as well as a sample written test, are available below.

GUIDELINES FOR TEACHERS

  1. Please read the 2010-2011 CAPMT Student Program Guidelines.
  2. Information regarding the date, location and application deadline for Student Evaluations may be obtained from the appropriate District Coordinator or the CAPMT Student Evaluations Chair.
  3. Submit the Registration form, together with an Evaluation form for each student, from the CAPMT Website to the District or Chapter Chair by the local deadline. The check for fees (one per teacher) is to be made payable to CAPMT, local district or chapter.
  4. All entrants and accompanists must abide by the federal Copyright Law. Photocopies are strongly discouraged.
  5. A second copy of the music must be provided to the Evaluator for repertoire that is not memorized. Please number the measures of all pieces.
  6. There will be no refunds of fees in the event of non-participation.
  7. Teachers who have students participating any CAPMT Student Program will be expected to help in some manner or send a studio representative to assist as needed.