Studio Festival Videos Group A (3rd Grade and Below)

Instructions for Adjudicator: Please view each of the Participant's Videos. After you have viewed each video, please write the following in each textbox above each video:

1) Adjudicator's name

2) Adjudicator's e-mail

3) Participant's numerical rating (average for all compositions performed) and score

(example: 94, Outstanding)

4) Comments (approximately a few sentences max per piece)

CLICK THE SUBMIT BUTTON after viewing EACH video!!

AFTER RATING EACH VIDEO, choose the overall winner(s) (at bottom of this webpage), type E-MAIL and YOUR NAME, and click SUBMIT BUTTON at bottom of page.

Festival Participant #1

1st grader, Age 7

1 & 1/2 years piano study

Sight-Reading Score: Outstanding

Written Theory Test Score: Outstanding

KT&T Score: Outstanding

Performance: Outstanding

Festival Description

Inherent motivation. Whether it is a competitive event or simply a fun performance or workshop, we all need opportunities that provide the motivation and inspiration to focus our efforts on specific goals, affording continued development of our skills and talents.

The Opus One Åberg Studio Festival at McLelland Piano Studio in Hoover, Alabama is a special, annual event held in March. While the format sometimes varies, the activities always provide students a unique opportunity to evaluate performance, keyboard theory and technic, sight reading, and written theory skills. The event also helps prepare students for future participation in other, non-studio festivals such as the AMTA, (Alabama Music Teachers Association, state affiliate of the MTNA, Music Teachers National Association).

What is unique about the studio festival is that the requirements are customized for each student. No matter what age or level of advancement, the individualized goals and deadlines will provide just the right amount of structure for continued motivation.

The principle goal of this event is to supplement the Alabama Music Teachers Association pre-college auditions by affording students opportunities in sight-reading and written theory categories as well as performance and KT&T.

The event is held approximately 4-6 weeks prior to the AMTA auditions and the Spring Studio Recital thereby affording students an opportunity to assess development at a critical stage in their performance preparation. All students will not necessarily participate in the AMTA however most will participate in the studio recital. Therefore, at this stage, the goal for all students should be: music almost-up-to-tempo, basically memorized, with correct rhythm/notes/ pedaling etc. The remaining 6 weeks will be used to polish, secure memory, and strengthen performance skills so that the April performance events are a positive experience.

The 2010 festival will continue in the tradition of the 2009's "first ever" online festival. Beginning 2010, there will be 5 categories (Performance, Technic, Written Theory, Keyboard Theory, Sight-Reading) which will be completed over the course of 2 different weeks:

1) JANUARY:

January 18-22, 2010: Categories of Technic and Written Theory (Students will sign-up for a special day and time to be videotaped as they demonstrate several required aspects of PIANO TECHNIC. These requirements will be clearly specified in technic books and assignment notebook. Students will also complete a WRITTEN THEORY TEST. The videos will be posted online and a guest teacher will view the videos and provide written evaluations on each student's form and technic. The written evaluations will be available later in January - date TBA - once the adjudicator has had a chance to view all the videos.)

2) MARCH:

March 8-12, 2010: Categories of Performance, Keyboard Theory, Sight-Reading. (During their regularly scheduled private lesson will complete the above 3 categories. Keyboard Theory category will consist of 1 major and 1 minor scale key chosen randomly. The Performance category will be videotaped and posted online. A guest adjudicator will view the videos and provide a rating and written evaluations on each student's performance. Results will be posted online March 21, 2010.

Ratings are:

Outstanding (90-100)

Good (85-89)

Satisfactory (80-84)

Fair (75-79)

Needs Improvement (74 or below)

PERFORMANCE TROPHY AWARDSEach student will earn points for the rating received (in the performance category). (Outstanding = 5 points; Good = 4 points; Satisfactory = 3 points etc.) Once the student accumulates 10 points, a trophy is awarded. (Thus, a student would receive a trophy after 2 years of participation if an Outstanding Rating was received both years.)

In this aspect, students are only competing against themselves.

OPUS ONE COMPETITION -TECHNIC SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

For 2010, the Opus One Competition component to the studio festival will involve possible tuition scholarship(s). Based upon the results, a scholarship may be awarded to a promising student who has successfully applied the information regarding technic (our "C Code Challenge) presented during our weekly lessons. The amount of free lessons would be determined based upon results. The scholarship(s) would apply to the Summer Quarter.

All awards will be presented at the Awards Ceremony immediately following the Spring Studio Recital, Sunday, April 11, 2010 at 4:00 p.m.

Adjudicator

The guest adjudicator is asked to do the following:

Festival Participant #1 
Comments - Piece #1: 
You are in fantastic shape.  You have great dynamics already in this piece.  I think some of the pulsing/accents on the downbeat could pull back just a bit so it's not too much.  I love your energetic staccatos too, but be careful that the ends of your phrases don't get too clipped.  You have just a tiny bit of memory trouble that is interupting your flow, but I know you'll be able to work that out.  Great job. 
 
Comments - Piece #2: 
You pay such good attention to the dynamics and small details, I love it.  Make sure the tops of your crescendos don't get too accented, or we lose that "underwater" fuzzy feeling. Be sure to always count carefully - sometimes the dotted whole note seemed to go on indefinitely. You're very ready on this piece, great job!! 
 
Comments - Piece #3: 
Just a few memory troubles at the cadences in this piece, but you'll get that.  You've got a nice start with dynamics in this piece, but you could do a little more, I think.  You sit up so straight, you look at home at the piano.  Watch out for using your wrists to keep your beat, you were bouncing them to keep time just a little.  Great job today!!

Festival Participant #8
Comments - Piece #1:
How very clean and accurate you play this piece!  Could I have even more dynamics just to make it more interesting?  You play this easily, but I think the tempo is just a little quick for a "Fanfare" - it could be just a little more stately (and serious) and this would probably help your 8ths be even more even.  And a tiny picky thing - if those let hand half notes could be just a little longer - almost connected within a measure rather than getting cut 
short to almost quarter notes sound, that'd be great! 
 
Comments - Piece #2:
I love your energy and style in this piece, very exciting opening.  Make sure you  hold your long notes for their full value (measures 22-23 and like places).  Great crescendos and decrescendos - be sure not to "bonk" the last note after getting quieter.  I couldn't see if there was a ritard at the end in the score...did you slow down on purpose?  
 
Comments - Piece #3:
You are very prepared.  You have a great tempo and you play very evenly in this piece.  Measures 7 and 8 slowed down just a bit, make sure your tempo is completely steady.  Great job!

Festival Participant #11 
Comments - Piece #1:
Wow, I can't believe how much you've done in such a short time.  Your memory is pretty solid on this piece, just one little slip at measure 9 and 10 interupted your performance.  You are certainly aware of the places where there is staccato versus slurs; however, do more to make a difference between the two.  Make staccatos crisper (especially on top of p. 3), and really connect that half note melody that begins in m. 25 and 26.  I could really use more dynamics too, that would be great.  You're in excellent shape - keep polishing. 
 
Comments - Piece #2:
Keep your pulse steady on this one.  I had a little trouble telling where the downbeat was at first.  Hold your long notes for their full value, but be sure not to count by bouncing your hands.  Again, you're in good shape - we just need some of the finer things like dynamics (and memory of course).  Great job. 
 
Comments - Piece #3:
I can't believe how well you are doing for having played such a short time.  I can hear the difference in your articulations, but I would love even crisper staccatos and smoother slurs.  This piece also needs more dynamics - I only heard a hint of what could be there.  Keep up the good work, you're doing amazing.

Comments - Piece #3:

PLEASE CLICK THE SUBMIT BUTTON at right to submit your comments and rating.

Festival Participant #15 
Comments - Piece #1:
What an excellent performance.  It's very well prepared and solid.  I think it could use a slightly wider dynamic range - if you make your louds a little more, than your softs could contrast without disappearing. Try to bring the right hand out just a little more, it's getting a little lost in the business of the left hand.  One last tiny thing, try to make measures 25 -28 as smooth and seamless as the rest of your work.  Great job!! 
 
Comments - Piece #2: 
You did very well on this piece.  You are such a steady performer.  You have good dynamics in this piece already, just work for a little more balance to the right hand.  You had slight memory trouble in each line, as if you couldn't remember each time where you were suppose to go.  Practice slowly so you have time to think ahead.  You handled these slips very gracefully, there was hardly any bumps in the rhythm, which is difficult to do, but of course the ideal is to have no memory slips.  Keep up the good work.  You're very close now! 
 
Comments - Piece #3:
What a cool piece.  I love how consistent you are with your accents in the LH.  I was wondering if they could be just a little more subtle - I personally felt they were a little too much - but that could be just my opinion.  I feel the RH can do a bit more to rise above the LH - especially when it comes to shaping of the melody.  Try and follow the line with some crescendos and decrescendos, but keep it smooth, don't let it get caught up in the accents of the LH.  One last little thing, try to get from m. 14-15 without a pause.  picky, I know...  You're in great shape.  Keep up the good work!

Festival Participant #16 
Comments - Piece #1:
You are doing very well on this piece.  Excellent use of the pedal - make sure to really clear it where it is marked for change.  Are there dynamics?  If not, you could make up your own plan to make the piece more interesting. 
 
Comments - Piece #2: 
This is your weakest piece of the three, but I believe you are actually in a good place to have this one ready in time.  You have great contrast with staccatos and slurs, I like that.  Keep the staccatos light and airy, not too accented.  You are already hinting at dynamic contrast and phrasing (ups and downs of the melody).  As soon as you get the memory under control, you can really do even more with that.  As you secure your performance, watch out for your cadences (the ends of your four bar phrases) - I can't tell if it is just memory trouble or if you have learned it incorrectly, but many of them have problems with rhythm, so just watch out for that as you keep going.  
 
Comments - Piece #3:
You have made amazing progress for only one year of study.  This is a simple piece, musically, so milk whatever is there.  Are there any dynamics?  Any echos?  You have lovely hand position.  Do count carefully, you sped up your counting from the tempo you set up in measure 1.  Great job.  Keep up the good work!!

Festival Participant #17 
Comments - Piece #1:
Good job on this piece, very steady.  Since this is called "Trumpet Call", could you play just a little louder - some notes are getting a little lost or not sounding because it was so soft.  I love how steady you played, but try not to bounce with your hand to keep time.  Great job. 
 
Comments - Piece #2:
Another good job.  My only suggestion would be to work towards smoother slurs. Think of the phrases as a whole rather than a bunch of individual notes.  I know you've not been playing very long, but it's never to early to start thinking this way.  Think reading sentences instead of just a list of words. Great memory work, very solid! 
 
Comments - Piece #3:
This is a very simple piece, musically, so make sure you are playing the right notes.  Try not to fall in the cracks.  Your teacher is an expert in technique, so I would want her confirmation in this, but it looks to me like you are really pushing or poking the key when you play this piece. Maybe you could let gravity and the weight of your hand do a little more of the work, more of an elephant step than a kangaroo jump?  You're off to a great start.  Keep up the good work!

Festival Participant #20
Comments - Piece #1:
Excellent job, you are very well prepared on this piece.  Your memory is solid and there is good contrast between your slurs and your staccatos - way to pay attention to the notation! Make even more out of the phrasing by doing more "decrescendo" on your two note slurs.  Also, try to lighten up your staccatos just a bit - even in their rare occurrence, they tried to overpower the melody.  Keep up the good work.

Comments - Piece #2:
Once again, a very well prepared performance, and you look very comfortable at the piano.  Your memory is right on!  You are really following your dynamics too, just be careful not to get so soft that your melody disappears.  Ask your teacher if a slightly faster tempo might help smooth out your lines just a little bit more.  Great job.

Comments - Piece #3:
Ok, so you had a little memory trouble in this one at the beginning...but once you got started, you nailed it.  Be careful though...each time you restarted, it was a little faster and you bounced your hands a bit to keep your pulse.  Don't lose control over a memory slip, stay focused.  You have plenty of time to work out these kinks.  One last comment, maybe add one or two dynamics to add variety to the repetition of the phrases.

Good luck!

Festival Participant #21 
Comments - Piece #1:
Very nice preparation on this piece.  Your slurs were very smooth for the most part, it's tricky, but try to "connect" your repeated notes even more, make them just a bit longer.  Overall, you were very steady, though I did hear a slight accelerando at the end of the second phrase...I wasn't sure if you were possibly doing it on purpose - it is a tambourine piece (gypsy like) after all.

Comments - Piece #2:
You have such great posture at the piano.  The inner section of this piece was very nice, love the smooth slurs and good steady counting. I had trouble telling what the rhythm was in the outer sections (even once I saw the score, it felt a little inaccurate) - be sure to set the tempo clearly and then keep it steady.  Likewise, when you jump up an octave, do it in rhythm...you can practice just those couple of measures together over and over until you are comfortable with the octave shift.  Good job.

Comments - Piece #3:
Good job on this piece as well.  You played pretty smoothly on your quarter notes.  You did have a couple of stumbles...not so much memory trouble, just a little inaccurate on the counting (m. 4, 6 for example).  I would love to hear slightly more dynamic contrast as well, if you could.  You're in great shape.  Good luck!

Festival Participant #22 
Comments - Piece #1:
You have a great start on this piece, it has a nice energy to it.  The memory still needs some polishing, (it's really holding you back from making music) especially within the B section.  You can work with a metronome in this section until it is more accurate and reliable/consistent.  Metronome work would help you stay steadier all the way around (...assuming you've been introduced to the metronome, of course).  Try to add even more dynamic contrast and more crescendos and decrescendos to make it more interesting.  It would be great if the staccatos in the right hand could be just a little lighter.  You have a great start on this piece - I think pulling the memory together is going to really help you make music out of this piece!  Good luck! 
 
Comments - Piece #2:
You have a wonderful sound in this piece - a great contrast to the previous work.  You started out very clear and steady with the tempo, but as you got into it, you started cutting short the half note dots...be sure to give them their FULL three beats.  I can hear a hint of dynamics and shaping, but I want more please.  Finally, wait till the piece is completely finished before moving - let that last note ring, then let the sound stop before you take your hands off the keyboard.  Great job. 
 
Comments - Piece #3:
This piece is in good shape too..good dynamics and good slurs/staccatos contrast. Count steady...double check measure 11.  Also, in measures 17 and 18, is there a staccato on beat 3?  Or is it just a quarter note that should be the same length as the others?  I couldn't tell from my view of the score.  Keep up the good work!

Festival Participant #24
Comments - Piece #1:
You have a nice perky tempo in this piece.  You also have EXCELLENT dynamics, great contrast - be sure not to let the switch in dynamics interupt the tempo/flow of the piece.  You have wonderful strong fingers, great control for having played such a short time.  Continue to work for even length on your quarter notes.

Comments - Piece #2: 
Great job.  This piece was very steady with good counting.  Measure 7 was just a little hesitant - work on that measure by itself a bit, then add it back into the piece so it can be as steady as the rest.  Can you add any dynamics to this piece?  
 
Comments - Piece #3:
Great job on this piece too.  Your tempo was steady as a rock, I love it.  Try to add a little dynamics/contrast for variety on the repetitive phrases.  Be sure to hold the bagpipe drone (LH half notes) for as long as you can before they repeat...sometimes you cut them off as short as a quarter note.  
 
I don't know if memory is part of your goal for these pieces, but if it is, you 
will want at least two weeks of playing from memory before you have to perform.  
Don't wait until the last minute.  You're ready to start committing to memory.

Festival Participant #26
Comments - Piece #1:
You have a good start on this piece, but it needs some polishing.  Your rhythm at the beginning (especially m. 3 and 4) was a little unclear, but you straightened it out in the repeat.  Be sure to set your tempo from the very beginning.  Work on connecting your quarter notes, I believe they are marked slurs in your part, yes?  When you are ready, start adding dynamics.  
 
Comments - Piece #2:
You had a nice solid beginning in this piece, you sounded very comfortable.  You had a very steady tempo at the beginning, but tried to speed up a bit starting in measure 5(?).  Keep it steady.  Determine the lengths of your notes and try to be consistent...do you want your quarter notes to be staccato?  Make sure you give notes their full value (half note in m. 13 needs full 2 beats.) I already hear a hint of dynamics (yay!), but let’s do more, can we?  Make sure your left hand doesn't move out of position in measure 9.  
 
I don't know what your plan is for memorizing these pieces, but don't wait until the last minute if you are planning on performing them soon.  Even though you still have some details to work out, you can start by memorizing one or two 
measures a day so you can have a cushion of time to play from memory before your performance.
 
McLelland Piano Studio

Festival Participant #27
Comments - Piece #1: 
This was a very spooky piece, and you did it very well. Adding the pedal was a great touch, I just wanted to make sure it was in fact supposed to be down the whole piece.  I can hear some dynamic contrast in there on the second half of the piece, that's great.  Be very careful with the counting, I can see your body moving to the beats (try to sit still) - but I couldn't always tell where the beat was or how many beats per measure.  I shouldn't need the score to "feel" the rhythm.  Great job.

Comments - Piece #2: 
Wow, you've done well for such a young person in such a short time at the piano.  Another spooky piece for you.  You were very steady in this piece, though again, try not to pulse with your upper body so much. Ask your teacher, but I thought it would be fun to have the RH chord be a little softer - more of a whispered "yeah".  And be sure to honor that rest at the end of the measure - the silence is as important as the notes.  Be sure to finish out the piece before you move, don't just fall away from the keyboard after the last note.  Good luck.

Festival Participant #28
Comments - Piece #1: 
You did a nice job on this piece.  In the A section, it would be nice, I think, if it could be smoother...less accented and articulated. Pretend you're a harp here.  In the B section, you have a nice shaping going in the LH melody, though sometimes as you crescendo some notes stick out.  A slightly faster tempo might help with this a tiny bit.  I also think the RH accompaniment could be just a little less, more like a little tambourine slap. Good job.

Comments - Piece #2: 
In this piece, you are doing some very nice things musically, with the dynamics and shaping.  You are very musical for someone so young and who's only studied for a short time. Unfortunately, your memory troubles are a big distraction.  Work hard to iron out your stumbles so that we can hear what you are really capable of.  Practice in groups of 4 measures to work on the phrases, then add the measure before so you can practice getting to and through the trouble spots.  And don't let yourself be undone by problems that come up.  Let it go and move on.

Comments - Piece #3: 
You have a great start on this piece.  And while there are some hesitations, your memory seems a bit more secure here.  I already hear some shaping in the LH melody, though I think you can do even more.  Practice LH alone to hear what this guy is doing and where it's going.  Really hear the string bass picking out that walking bass line.  I think the RH could be even less as well to let the LH sing out more.  Unless there is something in the score I can't see, I'm worried about your rhythm all through this piece.  You have a skipping pulse going on when I think it should just be a straight boom-chick kind of thing.  It should almost sound like two-eighths, two-eighths, two-eighths...though with more emphasis on the LH, of course.  Could you double check that for me please.  You play very musically, keep working on the details! Good luck!!!