Grade by Grade Guide for Instrumental Skill Building
A guide to improving your instrumental skills to increase scholarship opportunities from recruiters.
1. Score a superior rating at State Festivals
2. Place in a statewide or regional competition
1. Your solo repertoire (show diverse styles, periods, and technical demands)
2. Your rankings or ratings at festivals and competitions
3. Your leadership potential, demonstrated by participation in school and community ensembles.
Attend six concerts or recitals outside of your teacher’s studio this academic year. For example, two concerts at the high school you will attend, two concerts/recitals on a college/university campus, and two concerts by professional organizations like your city’s symphony, community concert band, or touring recitalists.
Participate in statewide festivals by performing a solo that is appropriate to your technical ability.
Attend Summer Keyboard Camp that has age appropriate performance repertoire.
Keep Accoladi updated each semester and summer. Focus on strengthening your video profile before senior year starts.
Attend six concerts or recitals outside of your teacher’s studio this academic year. For example, two concerts at the high school you will attend, two concerts/recitals on a college/university campus, and two concerts by professional organizations like your city’s symphony or touring recitalists.
Attend one Master Class on a college campus.
Participate in a statewide festival by performing a solo that is appropriate to your technical ability. Perform in a studio recital.
Attend Summer Keyboard Camp that has age appropriate performance repertoire.
Keep Accoladi updated each semester and summer. Focus on strengthening your video profile before senior year starts.
Attend eight concerts or recitals outside of your teacher’s studio this academic year. For example, two concerts at the high school you will attend, two concerts/recitals on a college/university campus, and two concerts by professional organizations like your city’s symphony or touring recitalists. In addition, add two concerts/performances outside the discipline of your primary performance ensemble. Example: Broadway musical, opera, and/or a ballet.
Attend one Master Class on a college campus.
Participate in statewide festivals and competitions by performing a solo that is appropriate to your technical ability. Perform in a studio recital.
Attend Summer Keyboard Camp that has age and proficiency appropriate performance repertoire. This should be on a college campus.
Keep Accoladi updated each semester and summer. Focus on strengthening your video profile before senior year starts.
Attend eight concerts or recitals outside of your teacher’s studio this academic year. For example, two concerts at your high school, two concerts/recitals on a college/university campus, and two concerts by professional organizations like your city’s symphony or touring recitalists. Add two concerts/performances outside the discipline of your primary performance instrument. Example: Broadway musical, opera, ballet, community chorus, or folksong festival.
Attend one Master Class on a college campus. Begin music theory instruction. This can be through formal course offerings at your school, college-prep classes, or online.
Participate in statewide festivals and competitions by performing a solo that is appropriate to your technical ability. Accompany at least three wind or string instrumentalists in their designated Solo and Ensemble Festival. Perform in a studio recital.
Attend extended Summer Music Camp that has age appropriate performance repertoire. This should be on a college campus, preferably on the college campus you want to attend. While attending this camp, take at least one private lesson from a professor in whose studio you might spend the majority of your collegiate experience.
Keep Accoladi updated each semester and summer. Focus on strengthening your video profile before senior year starts.
Attend ten concerts or recitals outside of your teacher’s studio this academic year. For example, two concerts at your high school, two concerts/recitals on a college/university campus, and two concerts by professional organizations like your city’s symphony or touring recitalists. Add two concerts/performances outside the discipline of your primary performance instrument. Attend two concerts by professional organizations like an organ recital, harpsichord recital, Broadway musical, opera, ballet, community chorus, or folksong festival.
Attend four Master Classes on at least two different college campuses. Continue music theory instruction coupled with sight-singing development. This can be through formal course offerings at your school, college-prep classes, or online.
Participate in statewide and regional festivals and competitions by performing a solo that is appropriate to your technical ability. Participate in four-hand division. Accompany at least five wind or string instrumentalists in their designated Solo and Ensemble Festival. Perform in a studio recital. Perform solo recital of eight contrasting compositions with three of the selections memorized.
Attend extended Summer Music Camp that has an age appropriate performance repertoire. This should preferably be on a college campus you want to attend. While attending this camp take at least one private lesson from the professor in whose studio you might spend the majority of your collegiate experience. Consider a nationally recognized summer enrichment program such as “The Governor’s School for the Arts” in your state or a camp with noted conductors and performers.
Keep Accoladi updated each semester and summer. Focus on strengthening your video profile before senior year starts.
Attend ten concerts or recitals outside of your teacher’s studio this academic year. For example, two concerts at your high school, two concerts/recitals on a college/university campus, and two concerts by professional organizations like your city’s symphony or touring recitalists. Add two concerts/performances outside the discipline of your primary performance instrument like an organ recital, harpsichord recital; and two performances such as a Broadway musical opera, ballet, community chorus, or folksong festival.
Attend six Master Classes on at least three different college campuses. Continue music theory instruction coupled with sight-singing development. In addition, take a music history course to learn the basic style periods and composers and works related to each of these style periods. You can use formal course offerings at your school, college-prep classes, or online instruction.
Participate in an extra-curricular musical performance outside of the daily academic structure. Examples: pit orchestra for your community theater’s Broadway musical presentation, pit orchestra for community ballet presentation of the “Nutcracker,” or holiday recital presentations. Accompany at least seven wind or string instrumentalists in their designated Solo and Ensemble Festival. Perform in a studio recital. Perform solo recital of ten contrasting compositions with five of the selections being memorized. Compete in a regional or national concerto competition. For example: Midwest Young Artists Concerto Competition, Ylda Novik Memorial Concerto Competition, Legacy Concerto Competition, Blount-Slawson Young Artists Concerto Competition or the National Philharmonic Concerto Competition. Your local symphonies might sponsor concerto competitions. The winners often receive college scholarships!
Attend extended Summer Camp that has age appropriate performance repertoire. This should be on a college campus, preferably the college you want to attend. While attending this camp, take at least one private lesson from the professor in whose studio you might spend most of your collegiate experience. This can be a nationally recognized summer enrichment program like “The Governor’s School for the Arts” in your state or one of the camps that features America’s most noted conductors and performers as instructors.
Keep Accoladi updated each semester and summer. Focus on strengthening your video profile before senior year starts.
Attend four concerts or recitals outside of your teacher’s studio this academic year. Each of these concerts/recitals should be at the schools that you are auditioning for acceptance and scholarships.
Attend four Master Classes each on a different college campus. Continue music theory instruction coupled with sight-singing development. Take weekly online music theory tests.
Most importantly, take the first audition time available for each college/university where you are auditioning. Follow your audition with personal hand-written notes of thanks to each person on the audition committee.
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