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Important Event Dates
January 1 - January 31, 2024 at 11:59pm—COA Phase I—To Register/Edit Student
February 1 - 14, 2024—COA Phase II—To Enter Student Repertoire
March 7, 2024—COA Student Schedules Available
March 7-14, 2024—COA Phase III—To Enter Volunteers
April 6, 2024—Certificate of Achievement, Idaho Music Academy
General Information for Teachers and Families
Purpose
To provide a systematic and comprehensive plan to develop the following skills:
Performance
Technique
Theory and Ear Training (Aural Skills) (administered by individual teachers)
Sight-Reading
To develop practical goals to help students maintain steady and focused progression in their musical studies.
To encourage students to strive for musical excellence.
To provide students with a truthful and rigorous evaluation of their work.
Overview
Certificate of Achievement is the gold standard when it comes to piano exams in Idaho. Students who are enrolled in Certificate of Achievement participate in an annual evaluation in April. Experienced evaluators will hear students perform selected literature, technical elements, and sight-reading. Students will also complete a written theory exam that includes an ear-training component. Each student will receive a comprehensive assessment of progress that will be printed out by their teacher. Each student will also receive a certificate for successfully completing all four areas of the examination.
Students can earn up to 4 points per year for successful completion of each area of the examination:
1 point: Repertoire (average score 6 or higher)
1 point: Theory/Ear Training (70% or higher)
1 point: Sight-Reading (6 or higher), and
1 point: Technique (6 or higher)
When students have achieved a combined 12 points (approx. every 3 years), they will be awarded a trophy.
Cost
The fees for participation range from $35 to $60, depending on the level of enrollment.
Young Beginner—$35
Prep - Level 2—$40
Level 3 - Level 5—$45
Level 6 - Level 8—$55
Level 9 - Advanced—$60
Detailed Information for Teachers
Repertoire Level Requirements
(1 trophy point is earned if the average of performance pieces is 6 or above)
1. Repertoire Requirements:
Young Beginner: two pieces by memory, 12 measures minimum each
Level Preparatory-Level 2: two pieces by memory
Levels 3-5: three pieces, two of which must be memorized
Levels 6-9: four pieces, two of which must be memorized
Level 10: four pieces, two of which must be memorized plus a memorized etude
2. Teachers will select the level and the repertoire based on varying styles and techniques. No folk songs, arrangements or hymns are allowed, but challenging hymn arrangements are allowed at Levels 6 and above.
3. Different composers for each piece must be selected. You may use the “Suggested Repertoire” list on the certificateofachievement.org website as a guideline for leveling. Other resources include Magrath's “Pianists Guide to Standard Teaching and Performance Literature”, available for purchase online, the RCM Syllabus, a free online reference list, the California Certificate of Merit Syllabus, or the Keith Snell Repertoire books – by level.
4. All pieces selected for each student must be 'at or above' the levels represented in this list.
5. Each level will have a set time limit with the judges, and students may be asked to stop playing if they go longer than the allotted time.
Young Beginner-Level 2: max 5 minutes
Level 3-5: max 10 minutes
Level 6-7: max 20 minutes
Level 8-9: max 25 minutes
Level 10: max 35 minutes including Etude
6. Students may repeat a level or skip levels at the teacher's discretion.
Repertoire Selection
Students most benefit when repertoire is chosen from differing time periods and demonstrates different styles, technique and interpretive demands. This should be a teacher's goal when choosing to participate in this program, although it is understood that on rare occasions a teacher may choose to work outside these parameters. Differing time periods is not an enforced rule. Again, no folk songs, arrangements or hymns (advanced hymn arrangements acceptable at upper levels as long as they are of appropriate difficulty). The 5 different time periods we use at TVMTA are as follows:
Baroque
Classical
Romantic
20-21st Century Classical (Bartok, Prokofiev, etc.)
20-21st Century Popular (Joplin, pedagogical composers, Jon Schmidt, advanced hymn arrangements by Tonioli, Kevernen or others, jazz compositions, Kapustin, etc.)
If you are not sure which time period a composer belongs to, here is a valuable resource provided by MTNA: https://www.mtna.org/downloads/Engage/ComposerClassifications.pdf
Feel free to reach out to the Chairman with questions.
Technical Requirements
Please email the Chairman for this year's Technical Requirements. We will not be using the Technical Requirements on the certificateofachievement.org website. Technical Requirements including the Etude on Level 10 must be memorized.
Theory Requirements
NOTE: DUE TO SPACE CONSTRAINTS THIS YEAR, TEACHER WILL NEED TO ADMINISTER THEORY AND EAR TRAINING TO THEIR OWN STUDENTS .
Theory requirements can be found on the certificateofachievement.org website under the syllabus for each level.
It is strongly suggested that teachers choose one of the following workbooks to help adequately prepare students for the theory exams:
Keith Snell “Fundamentals of Piano Theory” books levels P-10
Julie Johnson “Basics of Keyboard Theory” books levels P-AP
For Young Beginner Level Students, have students be prepared to:
Name and write notes on the grand staff from bass C to treble C,
Identify line and space notes
Identify notes as higher or lower in a pair
Identify whole steps and half steps on a keyboard
5 finger patterns on CGDAF, and a and d minor, as well as those triads blocked in root position (same as technical requirements)
4/4 and 3/4 time signatures,
Note and rest values of whole, half, dotted half, and quarter
Identify finger numbers on a picture of a hand
Sightreading
Students will be given 2 minutes to study the example without playing it, and will then be evaluated on one performance of the example. Please see the Sightreading Rubric available on this website for more specific grading information.
Sightreading examples for each level can be found on the certificateofachievement.org website. Other suggested resources to help students prepare:
Piano Adventures Sightreading Books (from middle Prep level and up)
Paul Harris “Improve your Sight-Reading!”
Four Star Sight Reading and Ear Tests
Minnesota MTA: Sightplaying Books (excellent) levels Prep-6
It is suggested that teachers begin a “dry run” of the sightreading exam starting the beginning of every lesson from Jan-April. Give a new example to the student, 2 min. to study, and then state a probable score to the student for feedback.
Ear Training
Most students pass the ear training exam without any additional study beyond what is already happening in the lesson. Ear training scores (about 10 total points) are combined with the Theory Exam score (from 60-100 points) for an aggregate total score.
For extra practice, suggested resources include:
Julie Johnson “Ear Training Basics” (half of the material needs to be done in the lesson with the teacher, includes a CD, does not include the answer key)
Alfred's “Ear Training Book” up to Level 6
Gilson Schachnik's “Beginning Ear Training” (uses solfedge)
Various online websites and apps can be used
Trophies
1st Level Trophy = 12 cumulative points
2nd Level Trophy = 24 cumulative points
3rd Level Trophy = 36 cumulative points
Advanced/Level 10 = Advanced Trophy
Important Event Dates
January 1 - January 31, 2024 at 11:59pm—COA Phase I—To Register/Edit Student
February 1 - 14, 2024—COA Phase II—To Enter Student Repertoire
March 7, 2024—COA Student Schedules Available
March 7-14, 2024—COA Phase III—To Enter Volunteers
April 6, 2024—Certificate of Achievement, Idaho Music Academy
Registration
Certificate of Achievement will be exclusively online registration with payments through PayPal or via a check to our Treasurer. No late registrations will be accepted. There are no refunds for cancellations.
2024 Participation Options
Students will have 2 options this year for participation:
1. Live, in person adjudication with a judge at Idaho Music Academy for Sight-Reading, Technique, and Repertoire; Theory and Ear Training (“Aural Skills”) to be administered by teachers to their own students.
2. Virtual Adjudication for Technique, Repertoire, and Sight-Reading.
Videos must be uploaded by 6 a.m. on April 6th. Please double check that your student’s links work. Be sure links are not marked “Private”, but rather “Unlisted” (those with link can view). Teachers are not to use their own youtube accounts, as it makes it obvious to the judge who the teacher is.
Log onto your account on the online portal. Select “My Students”. Click “Edit” and scroll down to “Video Performance Link”. Paste the student’s youtube links in this space and then be sure to save changes.
It can be very frustrating to upload long videos to youtube. For longer pieces, we suggest a link for each piece, as well as a link to them playing their technical requirements, and another link to their sight-reading performance. Do what works for you. Label them as such.
For the Sight-reading exam, please print the level appropriate for your student and place it in a sealed envelope. The student must open the envelope live on the video. The student is then given 2 minutes to study it before playing. The two minute study time can be included in the video, but is not required and can be edited out if you wish.
You may have noticed your student is assigned a time on your schedule. That is the time that the judge will adjudicate your videos on April 6th.
If there are any comments, questions, or concerns please contact...
Suzy Clive
Certificate of Achievement Chair
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