Archive for August, 2010
We’ve opened the sign-up form for our Performance Evaluations for August 28th and 29th. Workshops are a great way to build those competition skills so please be sure to attend. Thanks everyone!
Remember: Performance and Evaluations are also serve as auditions to participate in competitions and TV shows. National Guild participants can perform their best national guild audition pieces again to try out for TV or for a chance to be picked to compete in future competitions.
Note: recital attire is required.
Congratulations to our national guild participants. All of our performers have received grades of Excellent Plus or higher! 
Here’s the breakdown:
Superior Plus : 31% ( A+ equivalent )
Superior : 55% ( A equivalent)
Superior Minus: 10% ( A- equivalent)
Excellent Plus: 4% ( B+ equivalent)
Please follow this link to view the full list.
Congratulations everybody! 
How To Calculate Your Pupils Current Rating in Guild Auditions
The numbers of C and A Checks on a pupil’s report card will determine his/her current years rating in the National Piano Playing Auditions, as follows:
Family Circle Current Rating
means the pupil’s preparation shows he/she is not yet ready to appear in public, but that they should find pleasure in playing the piano daily, trying always to improve their technical facilities as the golfer does his/her stroke so as to be able to please a wider audience, outside his/her family group; More A than C Checks. Fair.
Room Circle Current Rating
means the pupil’s preparation shows he/she is prepared to appear before his fellows in his room at school, who, being held for the most part, unaccomplished in music, are therefore not critical; 1 to 6 more C’s than A’s. Good to Good Plus.
School Circle Current Rating
means the pupil’s preparation shows he is prepared to the extent that he could creditably represent his school or club in a musical program at his school. 7 to 10 more C’s than A’s. Excellent to Excellent Plus.
Citywide Circle Current Rating
means the pupil’s preparation shows his/her playing sufficiently polished or outstanding to make him a possible selectee to represent his school in a citywide or countywide concert. 11 to 27 more C’s than A’s. Excellent Plus to Superior.
Top-Talent Circle Current Rating
means the pupil’s preparation shows he/she is adequately equipped musically and technically to appear before any audience anywhere, even though newspaper critics may be in the audience to herald his/her faults and virtues to the world. 28 (or more) more C’s than A’s. Superior Plus.
Piano Hobbyist Certificates
Students entering the auditions as piano hobbyists are graded on an A, B, C, D, and F basis. Letter grades are as follows:
A—Superior
B—Excellent
C—Good
D—Fair
F—Failing
Circle ratings do not apply to these students.
Explanation
Every Piano hobbyist or professional can be included in one of the above Circle Ratings. Judges are asked to express an opinion of each pupil’s preparation and his fitness to appear without discouraging results before groups that range from friendly to hostile. The Family, Room and School Circles are friendly groups before whom anyone can play without devastating results, but the City-Wide and Top-Talent Circle demand piano-playing of a higher order. Judges are therefore instructed neither to underrate or overrate any hobbyist or professional appearing before him for adjudication. The number of C and A Checks on the pupil’s report card will automatically indicate the Judge’s estimate, as explained above. Six more C’s than A’s will permit the pupil to enter for National NFSM membership in the next classification next year.