2015 MUSIC COMPETITION

For High School-age Musicians
Murrieta Rotary stages an annual competition to
recognize the talent of young musicians and to
encourage their continued musical development.
This contest is aimed at high school-age youths.
OPPORTUNITY AWAITS
YOUNG MUSICIANS
The Murrieta Rotary Club announces its
2015 MUSIC COMPETITION
with cash prizes and a chance to compete and
entertain at a higher level offered to talented
high school age musicians
Application deadline: February 10, 2015
Competition date: February 17, 2015
(The contest will be at 6:30 p.m. in the Salvation
Army Center, 40270 Los Alamos Rd., Murrieta.
The public is invited to attend. The event is free.)
Prizes to Murrieta winners:
$400 -- first place
$250 -- second place
$100 -- third place
District level prizes in each of
3 categories:
$1,000 -- first place
$500 -- second place
$250 -- third place
Plus -- First place district winners will be required to
perform at the district annual conference on
May 16 in Cathedral City.
_____________________________________
Contest Contact:
Contest chair -- Jody Lawlor
Phone -- 951-217-0175
Email -- [email protected]
Mail -- Murrieta Rotary
25060 Hancock Ave., #103-365
Murrieta, CA 92562-5959
Rotary International is a service organization that
sponsors many outstanding programs for youth. In
addition to this contest, the Murrieta club sponsors
youth leadership camps for select 11th and 7th
graders and a host of other activities through its
Rotary-in-the-schools organization called Interact.
Murrieta Club-Level Competition
The Murrieta contest is a prelude to Rotary District
5330 competition. One or more Murrieta winners,
depending on the judges’ recommendations and the
chair’s discretion, may advance to the district level.
Eligibility
This competition is open to students in 9th through
12th grades or home-schooled students in the high
school age-range. Students should be from the
Murrieta area. Others may be accepted if the club
in their community does not sponsor a contest or if
the student’s obligations conflict with their home
club contest. All contestants must reside in Rotary
District 5330.
Musicians who are previous first-place winners in
the Murrieta or district competitions are ineligible to
compete again.
Murrieta first-place winners are, however, eligible to
compete in other club contests if they were not topfinishers in the district contest and if that club’s
rules permit.
Students may compete in only one club-level
contest a year.
Applications
All musicians wishing to compete in the Murrieta
contest must complete an official application form
and return it to the club chair by the deadline noted
in this announcement. Applications may be mailed
or scanned and then emailed to the chair.
Due to time constraints, the number of
participants may be limited, so submit your
application as soon as possible.
Categories
Performance Requirements
Competition on the club level is open, meaning that
judges will rank contestants without regard to
categories.
Contestants should perform music that best
demonstrates the musician’s talent and musicality.
They may perform one or two pieces, but the total
performance time should not exceed 9 minutes.
At the district level, however, musicians will be split
into vocal, instrumental and piano categories, which
will be judged separately.
District Competition
Those entering the Murrieta contest should check
their personal calendars for availability for districtlevel competition and commit to those dates if they
are advanced to that contest.
District competition is scheduled for these dates:
Instrumental -- March 28, 2015
Piano -- April 11, 2015
Vocal -- May 9, 2015
If there are a large number of entrants in categories,
the district will run semi-finals from 9 a.m. to noon.
Finals will follow from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
All district competition is hosted by the University of
Redlands’ School of Music in the Frederick Lowe
Performance Hall.
Judging, Contest Conduct
Professional musicians will evaluate and rank the
contestants. Their decision about winners and those
to advance to the district contest will be announced
shortly after the competition concludes.
Any protest relative to the conduct of a contestant or
the operation of the contest must be made to the
chair before the winner is announced. The chair’s
decision is final.
Expenses
There is no entry fee for the Murrieta contest. There
is, however, a $75 fee for the district competition, and
the club pays the fee for those it enters. Other
expenses, such as for accompanists and travel, are
the contestant’s obligation.
Pianists and instrumentalists must performance
classical music. Vocalists are to perform classical
pieces or music from musical theater. Music
from country western, popular and religious
genres are not permitted.
Contestants may use sheet music while
performing at the club level contest, but pieces
MUST be memorized for finals competition.
More detailed performance requirements are in
the attached district rules. Length of pieces
performed, memorization of music, district contest
arrangements and more are discussed. Be sure
to review this section.
A grand piano will be provided on stage for use by
contestants and their accompanists. Those
competing must provide their own accompanists
as well as any equipment needed for backup,
like CD or tape players with electrical cords.
Performance Order
Prior to the competition, the order of performance
will be determined by the club. Contestants will
be notified of the order in advance. If there are
time conflicts with an entrant’s accompanist, the
club chair should be contacted immediately once
the order is announced.
Contestants are expected to attend the
performances of the other entrants, except during
their own warm-up period.
DISTRICT RULES FOR CONTESTANTS
The 16th Annual Rotary Music Competition provides an introductory platform for high school
musicians to perform and for many to enhance career opportunities. These rules govern all
competition levels for three categories -- pianist, vocalist and instrumentalist.
Three prizes up to $1,000 are awarded in each category at the district finals. Entry forms and
further information are available from the music chairperson of your local Rotary club or from
your music teacher.
Only high school students (or home study students) living within Rotary District 5330 are eligible
to enter the Rotary Music Competition. Students must be within the area served by their local
Rotary club.
Contestants may perform a composition of their choice at the local club level, but they are
encouraged to perform at least one piece required for the finals competition. Performers may
use sheet music when they appear before the local cl
Pieces must be memorized for finals competitions. Contestants may not perform music that
they have composed themselves at the district level.
No previous first place winner of Rotary Music Finals Competition may re-enter as a
contestant.
Contestants may not enter more than one club’s competition in any given year.
At the local level, a contestant should perform a piece that best demonstrates his/her talent and
musicality. But be aware that there are specific repertoire requirements for finals contests. At
the finals, pianists and instrumentalists must play at least one piece of classical music, and
vocalists must perform songs from musical theater or classical music, or both. Judges will not
accept songs from the country western, popular and Christian music genres at this
competition.
The local club shall determine prizes at the local level of competition.
The club music chairperson is responsible for letting each winner know what expenses will be
paid by Rotary. If the contestant is a district finals winner and their performance at the district
conference takes place during mealtime, Rotary District 5330 may pay for a meal for the
performer and two family members. It is the responsibility of the contestant or their sponsoring
club to pay for any additional expenses.
Finals Competition
All competitions will be held at the University of Redlands. We have made the effort to
schedule both the semifinals and finals in all three categories on the same day so that
competitors, families and Rotary club sponsors will not have to travel there on more
than one day. However, if fewer than 13 contestants are entered in any one
competition, the final competition will be the one held in the morning.
Judging
Judges will utilize the adjudication sheets included with these rules with equal weight
given to tone quality, technique, interpretation and general effect.
Contestants’ names will be on the adjudication sheets. Contestants will be ranked by
first place through the number of participants in the contest. Judges will total the points
for each performer in the Total Points column. Judges will also rank each participant.
The Net Points will be used as a basis for the ranking. There may be ties in points, but
not in rank.
After the last performance, judges will meet separately with each other to determine the
rankings of the first through third place performers. Judges will enter their scores on the
Adjudication Summary Form (see page 8) for retention by the chairperson of the
contest.
Any protest relative to the conduct of a contestant or the operation of the contest, at any
level of the contest, must be made to the chairperson of that contest before the winner
is announced. The decision of the chairperson will be final.
Judges’ Critique
Judges are usually agreeable to meeting individually with each contestant to
provide a critique of their performance. Individual score sheets will be given to
the contestant with the judges’ comments.
Prizes
Prizes will be awarded as follows to the winners of finals competitions in each
category of performance:
1st Place - $1,000
2nd Place - $500
3rd Place - $250
Second and third prizes will be presented to the contestants at the completion of
the finals competition. First prize winners will be expected to perform at the
Rotary district conference on May 16, 2015, in Cathedral City, when they will
receive their prizes at the end of their performance.
Contestant’s Repertoire
The contestant will perform one or more pieces in the competition.
Pianists and instrumentalists must play at least one piece of classical music.
Additional pieces will be the contestant’s choice.
Singers must perform songs from musical theater or classical music.
Contestants should be aware that judges will not accept songs from the
country western, popular and Christian music genres at this competition.
The entire performance should not exceed 12 minutes for the competition for
piano and instrumentalists. Generally, vocal competition should be five to eight
minutes. Extremely short pieces will be penalized; however, other timing will not
be subject to penalty points. If the performance exceeds the specified time, the
judges may ask the contestant to stop, but that will not be deemed a negative
request. If there are more contestants than usual entered, the chair may request
that performers limit the length of their presentation, eight minutes for piano and
instrumental, and five or six minutes for vocalists.
Pieces must be memorized and the music score may be requested to be
provided to the judges. Some judges do not require a score; we will try to notify
contestants of their wishes. Judges have previously requested that the
measures performed on the score be numbered, so that judges can identify
specific parts of the music for their comments.