MMTA College Competitions

State Level
Revised 2007

This document replaces pages 45-49 of the "Fall 1999 Handbook - Syllabus"

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Competitions are open to undergraduate students of teachers whose current dues have been paid to the national office by February 1. College students are not required to be student members in order to participate. GRADUATE STUDENTS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE.

Freshman level categories are eligible for students in their first or second semester of applied study and he/she is at a maximum age of 22 by February 1 of the competition year.

Sophomore level categories are eligible for students in their third or fourth semester of applied study and he/she is at a maximum age of 23 by February 1 of the competition year.

Junior level categories are eligible for students in their fifth or sixth semester of applied study and he/she is at a maximum age of 24 by February 1 of the competition year.

Senior level categories are eligible for students in at least their seventh semester of applied study and he/she is at a maximum age of 25 by February 1 of the competition year.

COMPETITION PROCEDURE

A first and second place winner will be named in each area. At the discretion of the judge(s), honorable mention may also be named. Winners in each category of the state college competitions will receive medals and/or certificates.

Music used by the competitor, accompanist, and adjudicator must be presented to the Vice President for Competitions by the competitor at least thirty (30) minutes prior to performance time. Music for the adjudicator must have the measures numbered. MMTA policy discourages the use of photocopied music.

COMPETITION CATEGORIES & REQUIREMENTS

CATEGORIES: Voice, Piano, Instrumental (brass, woodwinds, percussion, strings, or guitar)

DIVISIONS: Freshman/Sophomore Solo, Junior/Senior Solo, Freshman/Sophomore Jazz Solo, Junior/Senior Jazz Solo, Freshman/Sophomore Jazz Ensemble, Junior/Senior Jazz Ensemble, Freshman/Sophomore Chamber, Junior/Senior Chamber, Orchestra Concerto/Aria.

DUPLICATE REPERTOIRE RULE APPLICABLE TO ALL ENTRANTS IN ALL DIVISIONS:
STUDENTS ENTERING IN MULTIPLE DIVISIONS ARE REQUIRED TO ENTER DIFFERENT COMPOSITIONS IN EACH DIVISION. NO STUDENT MAY PERFORM THE SAME COMPOSITION, OR MOVEMENT THEREOF, IN MORE THAN ONE DIVISION.

Freshman/Sophomore Solo Division

Only students who are at the freshman/sophomore level of study in the instrument or voice may participate in this category. Entrants are limited to ten (10) minutes, which includes any time spent tuning. The duplicate repertoire rule applies. Specific repertoire requirements are as follows:

VOICE Entrants will sing two art songs of contrasting styles from different periods of song literature, performed in the original language. One song must be in English and the second must be in a language other than English. This division is designed for the performance of art songs, not opera or oratorio arias. All selections must be memorized.

PIANO Entrants will perform one composition (memorized) of their choice. This may be one movement of a multi-movement work.

INSTRUMENTAL Open to brass, classical guitar, all orchestral percussion, string and woodwind instruments. Entrants will perform any published solo of their choice. The selection must be an original work for the instrument and, if conceived with an accompaniment, must be performed with the accompaniment. Memorization is optional.

Junior/Senior Solo Division

Only students who are at the junior or senior level of study in the instrument or voice are eligible for this category. The time limits are as follows: voice, ten (10) minutes; all other instruments, fifteen (15) minutes, which includes any time spent tuning. In each performance (voice and piano) the entrant will select one of the compositions listed, and the adjudicator will select another. The adjudicator will hear enough of both in the allotted time to make an evaluation, and should, as time allows, hear the third selection. In all other instruments, the entrant will select the order of the selections performed. The duplicate repertoire rule applies.

Specific repertoire requirements are as follows:

VOICE Vocal selections will be three (3) contrasting art songs in three different languages from different periods of song literature, all performed in the original language. One selection must be in English. All songs must be art songs, not opera or oratorio arias. All selections must be memorized.

PIANO Three (3) solo selections (single movements are acceptable) representing at least two (2) contrasting styles chosen from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionistic, and the Contemporary periods are required. All compositions must be memorized with the exception of Avant Garde works composed after 1950.

INSTRUMENTAL Open to brass, classical guitar, all orchestral percussion, string and woodwind instruments. Entrants will perform two compositions from contrasting periods, one of which must be memorized. One of the compositions must be an original work for the instrument. The other composition may be a transcription, although arrangements and transcriptions are to be avoided if at all possible. Compositions originally conceived with an accompaniment must be performed with accompaniment.

Orchestra Concerto/Aria Division

Open to all undergraduate students in brass, classical guitar, percussion, piano, string, voice, and woodwind areas. Performance time allotted is fifteen (15) minutes for all areas except voice, which has ten (10) minutes. Lengthy compositions may be programmed with the understanding that the adjudicator may stop the performance prior to completion. The duplicate repertoire rule applies.

Specific repertoire requirements are as follows:

PIANO A movement (memorized) of a concerto for piano, or a composition originally composed for piano and orchestra

VOICE One (1) vocal aria from an opera, oratorio or classical cantata, sung in the original language and in the original key

INSTRUMENTAL One (1) movement of a concerto for the solo instrument and orchestra, or a composition originally composed for that instrument and orchestra. Memorization is preferred.

JAZZ SOLO DIVISION

The Jazz Solo Division is open to all instruments and voice. Recorded accompaniments are acceptable. Stereo systems will be provided for recorded accompaniments (CDs are required for instrumentalists, tapes are acceptable for vocalists.) Recorded accompaniments may not be duplications of copyrighted materials. Students must supply their own accompaniment CDs and/or tapes for competition. Contestants are not required to supply scores or lead sheets for the adjudicator.

Freshman/Sophomore Jazz Solo

Only students who are at the freshman/sophomore level of study in voice or instrument are eligible for this category. Contestants are limited to ten (10) minutes. All selections must be memorized. The duplicate repertoire rule applies.

Specific repertoire requirements are as follows:

VOICE A medium to fast tempo 32-bar standard songform and a ballad

INSTRUMENTAL A standard 32-bar songform and a 12-bar blues

Junior/Senior Jazz Solo

Only students who are at the junior or senior level of study in voice or instrument are eligible for this category. Contestants are limited to fifteen (15) minutes. In each case the student will select one of the compositions listed for performance, and the adjudicator will select the others. The adjudicator will hear enough of two selections in the allotted time to make an evaluation, and may, at his/her discretion, ask to hear part of the third selection. All selections must be memorized. The duplicate repertoire rule applies.

Specific repertoire requirements are as follows:

VOICE A medium to fast tempo 32-bar standard songform, a ballad and a vocal scat improvisation on a standard 32-bar (minimum) songform.

INSTRUMENTAL A medium to fast tempo 32-bar standard songform, a 12-bar blues and a ballad

Small Jazz Ensemble Division

Ensemble personnel must consist entirely of students and may range from 2-9 players, open instrumentation, with no recorded accompaniments. Only if a published arrangement is being performed must an original score or lead sheet be supplied to the adjudicator.

Freshman/Sophomore Small Jazz Ensemble

Open to ensembles whose members are all at the freshman/sophomore level of study in voice or instrument. At least two members must improvise solos. Contestants are limited to twelve (12) minutes. The duplicate repertoire rule applies.

Specific repertoire requirements are as follows:

VOCAL FEATURE A medium to fast tempo 32-bar standard songform and a ballad

INSTRUMENTAL FEATURE A standard 32-bar songform and a 12-bar blues

Junior/Senior Small Jazz Ensemble

Open to ensembles who have a least one member at the junior/senior level of study in voice or instrument. At least two members must improvise solos. Contestants are limited to twenty (20) minutes. The duplicate repertoire rule applies. Specific requirements are as follows:

VOCAL FEATURE A medium to fast tempo 32-bar standard songform, a ballad, and a vocal scat improvisation on a standard 32-bar (minimum) songform

INSTRUMENTAL FEATURE A medium to fast tempo 32-bar standard songform, a 12-bar blues and a ballad

Chamber Music Division

All contestants in the ensemble will be judged on an equal basis. The ensemble must consist of at least two (2) performers and may have no more than eight (8) performers. Ensembles may be of any combination of undergraduate students in piano, voice, brass, percussion, strings, and woodwind instruments. However, ensembles of three (3) or more pianos are not permitted. The core of the ensemble must remain the same; however, one person may be added to the core as long as the total does not exceed 8 performers. (i.e. a woodwind quintet may add a pianist for the Poulenc Sextet).

The performance will be without conductor. The ensemble may not be assisted by their teacher and/or coach in equipment setup, turning pages, or tuning during competition. Cuts are not permitted. Repeats are left to the discretion of the ensemble.

The repertoire program submitted MUST include the time duration of each piece.

Arrangements may be used but they may not be simplifications of compositions written for the same instrumentation, for example, a piano reduction from an orchestra score will not be acceptable. Classification is determined by the member with the highest college level. For example, a trio with two freshmen and one junior will have to compete in the Junior/Senior portion of the division.

FRESHMAN/SOPHOMORE CHAMBER

Members must include only sophomores and freshmen.

Repertoire: One (1) work, or movements of a larger work composed from any period. A maximum of twelve (12) minutes performance time is allowed.

JUNIOR/SENIOR CHAMBER

Members must include at least one junior or senior to be eligible for this category. Other members may be underclassmen.

Repertoire: Two (2) works, or movements of larger works, representing two (2) contrasting time periods: before 1750, 1750- 1825, 1826-1700, after 1901. A maximum of twenty (20) minutes performance time is allowed.