Solo Festival Form and Info

Click here to download the Spring 2010 solo festival form.

 

Solo Festival is a chance for individual students to develop their skills for a performance.  A student will pick their piece to learn with their lesson teacher.  Additionally, they will work on scales and sight reading to round out their ability.  On the date of solo fest, the student performs their piece, scales and sight reading alone for an adjudicator.  The judge gives feedback for the student, including positive and constructive comments to help the students’ individual performance.

 

The following thorough description is courtesy of Dick DePasquale’s website:

Participating students must be registered in advance. Each student's lesson

instructor handles the registration of his/her students. There is a nominal fee involved

which covers the cost of hiring certified adjudicators and other ancillary expenses

incurred by the host school. Fees must be paid at the time of registration, are normally

collected by the lesson instructor and are non-refundable. Cash or checks may be used

to pay registration fees. Checks should be made payable to the lesson instructor. Fees

should be submitted in an envelope labeled with both the student’s and teacher’s name,

or mailed directly to the teacher at school.

 

Student growth represents the most important reason for participating in solo

contest. Solos are selected which will foster growth in particular areas of musical

development such as:

1. Technical development and the mastery of practice procedures which facilitate

this development.

2. Range development and the introduction of specific exercises designed to

expand range and endurance.

3. Development of tonal control and musical expressiveness.

4. Development of special techniques such as vibrato or compound tonguing.

5. Knowledge of the various intonation tendencies of the particular instrument

and related performance adjustments.

6. Facility development in varying styles of articulation.

7. Experience in unusual rhythmic meters and/or figures.

8. Solo contest serves to expose the student to a variety of literature significant

to the particular instrument within an historical perspective.

9. Solo contest offers the student an opportunity for performance experience.

Though most students are somewhat nervous performing alone at first,

performance experience builds confidence in performing and in oneself.

10. Solo contest offers the opportunity to compete for positions in area honors

band festivals. The January contest serves as an audition for our All-County

groups, the Spring contest qualifies the student for consideration for the

annual Area All-State festival groups, as well as consideration for positions in

the NYSBDA (New York State Band Directors’ Association) All New York

State Middle School Honor Band and NYSSMA (New York State School Music

Association) High School All-Conference ensembles. Since solo adjudication

scores are the primary basis of selection for these groups, students who never

participate in solo contests have no real chance of being selected for these

honors.

11. Last but not least, participation in solo contest provides the student with

definitive goals and motivation. We all need goals to realize our potentials and

kids are no different. Adults can set and work toward long-term goals readily.

But young people need short-term goals to stay motivated. Solo contest is

great for this since it occurs twice each year, and goals can be redefined as the

student proceeds successfully through the various levels of solo difficulty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mrs. Knitter’s Flute Lessons

Fairport Schools and Private Lessons