Purpose

To encourage and reward students who have demonstrated achievement and dedication to their musical studies.

Eligibility

  1. To enter students at the member teacher rate, teachers must have renewed their dues by October 15 of the current membership year. A $100.00 non-member teacher fee will be assessed if the membership is not paid for the current membership year.
  2. Entrants in grade 7, 8 or 9 enter Division I. Entrants in grade 10, 11 or 12 enter Division II. Entrants 19 and older enter the Adult Division.
  3. A student can WIN the first place award in each division one time only.

Applications

  1. Applications must be submitted on-line by the teacher.
  2. An entry fee of $20.00 per applicant must accompany each registration.
  3. All registrations must be received on or before the registration deadline.
  4. No late entries will be accepted.

Repertoire

  1. Only standard piano solo literature is allowed. No popular, arranged, or simplified music will be accepted.
  2. Entrant must perform three compositions, each from a different musical era. Refer to the MTNA Composer Classification List to determine the accepted style period for a composer.
  3. Division I is a maximum of fifteen minutes in length; Division II is a maximum of twenty minutes. The Adult Division is a maximum of thirty minutes.
  4. All music must be memorized.
  5. All music must have numbered measures.

Judges

  1. There will be a maximum of two judges for each division.
  2. Judges will be instructed not to stop entrants during the performance unless they have exceeded maximum performance length.
  3. Several minutes will be allotted to each applicant after the performance audition to enable the judges to speak with the entrant if so desired.
  4. Judges may give numerical scores for their own use and computations. However, no numerical scores will be placed on the student critique.
  5. Judges are not required to award the maximum number of scholarships.
  6. Judges will receive a copy of these guidelines.
  7. All judges’ decisions are final are not disputable.

Awards

  1. A maximum of two scholarships per division will be awarded. The amount of the awards may vary annually. In all Divisions – awards will be $100 for first place and $50 for second place for the current year.
  2. Scholarship winnings will be awarded to the student’s teacher, or to a music camp for the student’s use the following summer.
  3. Winning students will be invited to perform at the CMTA Spring Ensemble Recital.

Teachers

  1. Teachers will receive judge(s) evaluations at the end of the day. If the teacher is not present, the evaluations will be mailed to them.
  2. Winners will not be announced at the audition. The scholarship chair will notify teachers of winning students by phone sometime after the conclusion of the auditions.
  3. Teachers will instruct their students that they will be allowed to warm-up on the piano by playing scales and/or chords ONLY. The student is not allowed to play a portion of their audition program as a warm-up. If any portion of the program is played prior to the audition, the student may be disqualified.
  4. Teachers of participating students will not be allowed to discuss students, comments or decisions with the judges. Any such contact by a participating teacher with a judge will result in the disqualification of that teacher’s students. Any such contact before, during or after the scholarship audition will also result in the teacher being banned from participating the following year.
  5. The auditions will be closed.