DSMTA FESTIVAL GENERAL MEETING MAY 23, 2007
Jean Pyle’s House
10:00 AM
The meeting was called to order by Elayne Penn, Solo Festival Co-Chair. Those present were Linda Barone, Helen Hoffmann, Sharon Parker, Elayne Penn, Jean Pyle, June Rietdorf, Marge Roddy and Cathy Stamegna. The following members were unable to attend but sent comments and/or suggestions: Marilyn Atkins, Paula Gardiner, Pat Hain, Lillian Schaube and Dawn Stevens.
Some of the following are suggestions we are proposing to the Board to make certain changes or clarifications where we felt they were needed. Other items can be handled by the Festival Committee itself.
Next year, judges are to be told more decisively that the Superior Plus is to be given to only a very few students whose performance was spectacular. This year there were around 50 S+ out of around 400 students, which was far too many.
One judge gave a student aVery Good, but gave all Superior checks.. That is not what “positive” means, and should be cleared up when talking to the judges.
Last year’s meeting decided that, in the Ensemble Festival, duet students should receive up to 10 points for elementary, 15 for intermediate and 20 for advanced. This did not happen this year. All levels got 20 for Superior. The group felt that was too many points. The original system was duets and duos 10, concerto 20, accompanist 10. We need to fix this. It should not be quite so easy to earn trophies.
The rule that duet parts should not be more than one level apart was discussed. Some members felt they could be two levels apart. The meaning of “level” was discussed. It was clarified that an elementary and an intermediate student could play together, but no student-adult or elementary-advanced duets.
In the Theory Festival, members wanted melodic minor scales in a new Keyboard Level 11, along with dominant seventh arpeggios. Many students are ahead a level in Keyboard, and should not have to repeat Level 10 Keyboard is they made a good grade.
We agreed that the Sightreading needs to be rewritten, on Level 2 up. Level 2 and 3 should not have key signatures because many modern coursebooks do not teach them that early. Sharon Parker and Cathe Stamegna will rewrite the sightreading, if Lisa gives her approval. Sharon thinks she has copies of some of the sightreading, from being on the Theory Committee when they were written, and will send copies to Cathe when she finds them.
The melodic dictation also needs rewriting. Going directly from filling in notes here and there to writing the whole melody is too sudden. Perhaps filling in one measure of a melody, then later two measures, and working up to the whole melody would work better. Also, the minor melody in Level 5 is not appropriate, as the students do not learn to write minor scales or key signatures until Level 6.
Elayne reminded us that points expire after 3 years if the student does not earn points. The cards are held for another 3 years in an inactive file. A student who returns after several years and has earned trophies in the past can show the highest trophy earned and resume earning points at the level of that trophy.
As to repertoire,
The Festival Committee needs to go back to screening all the applications to check that repertoire is in accordance with the Festival rules.
A package of correct applications, showing the current repertoire requirements, is to be sent out e to the members, with a reminder that only this application will be accepted.
The list of suggested repertoire, which was developed several years ago, should be included in the packet sent to teachers.
Off the subject, our brochure says the local dues are $15.00, and National says $20.00. This needs to be straightened out.
The members felt the Honors Recital should be separate from the Festival. We suggest that each teacher can send three students for audition by an outside judge, to be on it. Students to be submitted must have received S or S+ in the most recent Festival, and have earned at least 50 points. One member suggested that Honors Recital students be on UI or Advanced levels only.
It was also suggested that we abolish the Honors Recital, since it always causes problems and comes at an inconvenient time of year for teachers and students.
Students who make S+, and possibly S, should be listed in Brandywine Crossroads and/or the News-Journal.
Since getting a plus (Excellent+) now adds two points to the total points (E=16, E+=18) we felt that a minus should subtract one point, so that, S being 20 points, S minus should be 19. S minus should be worth more than E+ but less than S. This was considered in the office this year, but not done because we were already almost halfway through the Festival and would have to redo a lot of paperwork, causing possible errors.
It was noted that those who are grumbling about the Festivals should have been here today.
Lillian Schaube suggested that DSMTA should have a website so new teachers can find us and parents can find a teacher, and our members can get forms and information easily. All forms should be available online and able to be submitted online. Repertoire lists and other information should be on it. June Rietdorf said this was passed by the Board two years ago, and we have been given a $150 donation toward setting it up.
We digressed to do some Board business. June, Cathy, Elayne, plus Lisa by phone or email, making a quorum of Board members, voted to send the check to Pennsylvania for our share of the 5 Browns at the convention. This vote was needed before June could write the check.
Linda Barone said the seal size should be clarified on the theory certificates, because parents did not understand the system. We filled her in on what the seals mean, but an explanation should go to members with the theory results.
Members present expressed a fear for the organization. They felt that there needs to be Board meetings and newsletters. More information needs to go out to members, and new members need to receive more information about our activities.
The meeting was adjourned.