ALL ABOUT ADJUDICATIONS
In Person Adjudications
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Registration forms are due by Saturday, October 25th.
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To help with the scheduling, please include in your registration your preference of day (Saturday or Sunday), time of day (morning or afternoon), or if you have NO preference.
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To register, click on the following link:
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After submitting your registration form, you will be sent an invoice which is payable either by mailing a check or paying through PayPal (PayPal will accept Venmo or credit cards)
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Fee schedule of each level:
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Early Elementary through Elementary = $25
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Late Elementary through Intermediate = $35
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Late Intermediate through Advanced = $45
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Optional 15-minute Teacher Conference = $25
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More About In-Person Adjudications
Teachers purchase blocks of time (15 minutes/$25, 25 minutes/$35, or 35 minutes/$45) during which their students perform 2 solo pieces of contrasting style for an adjudicator to hear and write comments about. Music may be selected from traditional classical repertoire as well as method books, arrangements of popular themes, and contemporary compositions. (Duets are discouraged because there is a special event in the spring “The AKTA Ribbon Festival” where students can perform duets and their own compositions.) Students bring their music for both pieces to the adjudication with measures numbered at the beginning of each system. Music must be an original score and not a photocopy. The only exception to this is if the music is a purchased download, in which case, the “authorized for use” should be visible on the PDF. One piece should be memorized and “recital-ready,” while the other piece should have all the notes and rhythms learned but can be "in progress" and needing additional refinement. Please note, for the non-memorized piece, the student will need two original scores: one for the adjudicator and one for themselves. The adjudicator works with the student at the piano during this mini-lesson and parents and interested parties are welcome to attend. Since primer students are not encouraged to participate in adjudications, teachers may want to group their early beginners (E1 and E 2) in more of a class-like arrangement and these students only play one piece. All students receive a ribbon for participation. Adjudicators are chosen for their teaching skills, their musical and pianistic knowledge, and their ability to work with students in a positive and constructive manner.
Virtual Adjudications
If there is interest, we will offer virtual adjudications. Students will create videos of their performances which will then be emailed to our adjudicator, who will view the performances and provide written comments. Videos can be done using a cell phone or other mobile device, but it is best if the student is not backlit.
Dates and Registration Information for Virtual Adjudications
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Registration forms are due by Saturday, October 25th
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To register click on this link:
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Videos, PDFs of scores, and printed programs of all students and their repertoire are due Saturday, November 16th.
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FEES: Fees for Virtual adjudications are as the same as for in-person adjudications
More about Virtual Adjudications
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Repertoire requirements are the same as for in-person adjudications
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Instructions for videos, programs, and scores will be emailed to both the teachers and students once registrations are submitted and fees collected.
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To avoid any copyright issues, participating students will need an original score or, if the music is a purchased download, the “authorized for use” should be visible on both the PDF that goes to our adjudicator and in the student’s video. IMSLP scores that are in the Public Domain are allowed.
In case you are wondering about copyright law regarding the sharing of PDFs of music, we received the following clarification from MTNA:
It is legally acceptable to send a PDF to a judge if:
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The student owns a legitimate print or digital copy, and
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The PDF scan is used only for the judge’s adjudication and is subsequently deleted.
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At no point should the PDF be distributed to any other individuals.
Karen Wright has been playing piano for 31 years and teaching for over 15 of those. With a B.S. in Piano Performance from Corban University in Salem, Oregon and an M.A. in Music from Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, she has studied with Prof. John Bartsch, Prof. Peggy Dougherty, and Dr. Susan Chan. Her graduate presentation at Portland
State was focused on Spanish influences in French Impressionistic composers. She has extensive vocal and instrumental accompanying experience at the
ABOUT OUR ADJUDICATOR
collegiate level, and has provided music for countless weddings and church services. Her most extreme piano experience was playing keys in a band at Icestock, a music festival in Antarctica. She is currently teaching a full roster of students in Seward, Alaska.