SAMTA Achievement Auditions

For Piano, Voice, and Orchestral Instruments

April 16-17, 2010

Location: UTSA Music Building

Chair: Omar Granados (210) 240-7655 

The Achievement Auditions are an annual event, open to all students of SAMTA teachers, regardless of age or level of ability. This is an excellent means for all of our students to receive comments and suggestions from other respected musicians. As a bonus, outstanding performers may be chosen to participate in an honors recital named Judges’ Choice Recital. 

Rules and Requirements 

I.                     Participation in the Achievement Auditions is open to all students in grades K-12. Students may enter only in the grade level in which they are currently classified in school. Students do not have to be members of TMTA Student Affiliate.

II.                   Participants must have been a bona-fide student of a SAMTA teacher for at least six months prior to the audition. 

III.                 Entrants in grades K-12 are required to play or sing 2 pieces of contrasting styles and by two different composers. 

A.      Pieces must be memorized.

B.      Each piece must be at least 16 measures in length, excluding repeated sections.

C.      Types of music ALLOWED for K-12: 

1. Original classics from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionistic or Contemporary time periods. (Contemporary music is to be defined here as : (1) pieces by the traditional contemporary composers like Bartok, Kabalevsky, Prokofiev, etc.; or (2) the newer contemporary composers like Olson, Karp, Glover, Palmer, etc.) For multi-movement pieces and collections, each movement is considered as a separate piece. For example, a Dance from Bach’s Suite is considered as one piece, a movement of a Sonata or Sonatina will be considered as one piece.

2. Method book pieces are allowed for all grade levels, as long as they are NOT arrangements of classic pieces.

3. Arrangements of hymns, traditional melodies, folk songs, popular songs and movie themes are allowed.

D.      Types of music NOT ALLOWED for K-12: 

1. Reductions, arrangements, transcriptions or simplified versions of the classics. This includes simplified versions of  classics sometimes found in method books.

2. Duets or Ensembles are not allowed. EXCEPTION: singers and instrumentalists may perform with piano accompaniment.

3. Piano concertos. 

E.       Permissible repertoire is at Chair’s discretion.

F.       Students are required to provide original scores of the repertoire to be judged and must number each measure lightly in pencil so that the judge may make references easily. Students providing photocopied scores will not be judged.

G.      Students performing a piece or pieces other than the ones listed on the registration form will not be allowed to perform.

H.      Students whose entries do not meet the above requirements will not be allowed to perform in the Achievement Auditions. Entries cannot be changed after the entry deadline, and entry fees will not be refunded. Please call the chairperson if you have any questions about the types of music allowed. 

IV.                An entrance fee of $10.00 per student is required at the time of registration. SAMTA teacher must send only ONE check with the total fees, made payable to “SAMTA.” Entrance fees are non-refundable. 

V.                  REGSTRATION WILL BE COMPLETED VIA ONLINE FORMS. More information on this will be available as the system is not yet functional at the time of yearbook printing deadline. Please watch the Ritornello and special mailers/emails which will be sent out with instructions for registration. 

VI.                Special time requests must be indicated on the entry form. No changes will be permitted past the deadline date. Please be aware that this event takes place on both Friday and Saturday, April 17 and 18, 2009. 

VII.              Deadline for all entries: MARCH 1, 2010. Registration will be closed after this date.

VIII.            Teachers who enter students MUST be present on the day of the auditions to work as monitors or to assist with the ribbons and critique sheets. Registration forms that do not list the teacher’s availability to work will not be accepted. Teachers are required at least 3.5 hours for every 15 students entered. If a teacher absolutely cannot work on the day of the auditions, he/she should first contact the chairperson and see if there is a preparatory activity in which he or she can invest 3.5 hours of time prior to the event. These tasks are limited, and will be given on a first come, first served basis. If there is no alternate task available and suitable for the teacher, he/she MUST send an adult substitute to work in his/her place. These teachers must complete the appropriate section on the registration form, specifying the name and phone number of the adult substitute. 

A teacher who does not work and does not send an adult substitute will be subject to a $50.00 penalty fee. (Non-payment of this penalty will result in being prohibited from entering students in the Achievement Auditions the following year.) [Passed by Executive Board, July 14, 2000] Teachers with teenage students who can serve as runners should contact the chair. Hours worked can be counted as service hours. 

IX.                The judges will write a critique and rate each participant based on his/her own merit. A ribbon will be awarded to each participating student according to the following rating systems:

X.                  At the end of the day, each judge will pick 2-4 students from those receiving a superior + rating to participate in the Judges’ Choice Recital. JUDGES’ DECISIONS ARE FINAL. The number of participants to be picked by each judge is determined by the number of students he/she hears that day. The teachers of the chosen participants will be notified within three days following the Achievement Auditions. The Judges’ Choice Recital will be held on

Sunday, April 25, 2010, UTSA

The above rules and regulations have been revised and contain vital information, both old and new. These rules are designed so that every participating student may have a fair and positive experience! Please read these rules very carefully and call the chairperson with any questions you may have. This will alleviate any misunderstandings at the event for you and your students. Due to the great numbers of students that participate in this event and the resulting volume of paperwork. 

ALL RULES AND REGULATIONS WILL BE ENFORCED!

CHAIR’S DECISIONS ARE FINAL.