Festival System Guide


Please view, download, and print the instruction guide to festival registration system BEFORE logging in or emailing for help. It guides you through logging in, registering, editing students, and viewing trophy points, among other things.

​Festival Registration Guide--View and Download Here

Online Festival Registration and Login Here

**All DSMTA festivals are virtual for the 2021 spring season. Please read the following instructions on registering, creating videos, and uploading videos and music.**

Virtual Vocal Solo and Ensemble AND Piano Solo Instructions in 4 steps:
A. Teachers register students like normal (log in, fill out registration forms, etc.)
B. Someone records student playing (guidelines below) and creates an unlisted link (instructions below)
C. Someone scans the music (instructions below) and creates a pdf link (instructions below).
D. Someone uses the registration ID from step #1 to send in the video link and music pdf link here. (Instructions below)
*All of the "someone" steps can be parent or competent student if they have the registration ID from the teacher from Step A.
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​VIDEO Guidelines (for the person doing the recording):
  1. Normal "phone" videos are fine (mp4s). 
  2. Turn your camera horizontally (like a movie screen), never vertically. If you have home mess on the sides, try to clear it out first.
  3. Position the camera to include the student's face and hands. Waist up would be a good perspective, though if you have pedaling and you can include the entire body that is best.
  4. Begin the video with the student seated at the bench, give a few seconds of recording time, then place hands and begin. 
    1. ​If you want to be eligible for a Superior Plus rating, you must do your pieces on one long recording (you may pause in between pieces for as long as you need). Otherwise you may submit multiple recording links.
  5. DOUBLE CHECK YOUR WORK: Do a 10-second run-through with the student and record. Make sure everything sounds right before doing the whole thing.
  6. Don't forget to bow after!
STEP B: Creating an Unlisted Video Link (for the person who has the recording on his phone):
  1. The video will start off as a file on the phone, but we need a LINK from YouTube. (You may use another form of link sharing if you know how, but make sure ANYONE with the link can view it and that it does not get deleted or moved or the judge will not be able to access.)
  2. ​Here are written instructions.  Here is a video of instructions. You can do this from your phone, too, if you have the YouTube app. Simply click on the giant + sign at the bottom once signed in to upload a video and follow the written or video instructions linked in this step.
  3. Once you have the video uploaded to YouTube you copy the link just as the video shows and will paste it into the link listed in Step D, above. You will also need your music link, so follow instructions below.
Picture
STEP C: Creating a PDF and link of the scanned music (for the person who has the physical copy of the music):
  1. Most students are very familiar with scanning documents at this point in the pandemic. If they have a favorite scanning app (iphones can use the "Notes" app, for example), feel free to use it and make a shareable link from wherever you have the pdf stored. If you have never scanned a document, I recommend Adobe Scan, available in your app store. 
  2. ​Watch this 2 minute video on how to scan the document and save as a pdf. You can do all the pages of all the pieces of music into one pdf! Just keep scanning until they are all done.
  3. At the end, it shows you how to "share." Click the "share a link" and then choose "copy" to be able to paste the link into a notepage (or "email to yourself") to save for later, or right into the spot on Step D above. TIP: I found it easiest to paste the link into a blank email so that I could access it either on my phone or my computer in the "drafts" section of my email. This way I also could paste in the YouTube video links and have them in one place. But pasting into a Word document or notepad document will also work!​​
**Remember scanning this music is allowed by law under the emergency copyright uses NOT for any other purpose. All copies should be deleted after the judging, just as if a student went into a live festival with his/her purchased music and handed it to the judge temporarily. There is absolutely no linking to online non-public-domain copies of music allowed--your video will not be judged.** 
STEP D: Submitting the Video and PDF links (for the person who followed steps B and C above)
  1. ​Go here to submit your links to the system.
  2. ​You need the Registration ID and last name of the student you are submitting for. This is not the Student ID or teacher ID. It can be found near the bottom of each student's registration information in the confirmation email to teachers OR in the Teacher's Tenuto system by clicking on "My Registrations." Parents, get this from your teacher.
  3. Copy/paste the links from steps B and C above into the respective areas. You might not use all the slots, or you might, depending on if you did your two pieces in one video or two, or if you scanned your music in one pdf bundle or two. Either is fine. (See "Video Guidelines" for Superior Plus requirements.) You do not need to be specific on the titles for link submissions. You can type things like : "Schubert music" and "Beethoven piece" or "Both music scans" and "Schubert video" , etc. just to give the judge a general idea of which link goes to which. The judge has all your specific details right on his or her judge sheet. Please don't put duplicates of the same link with different titles. One link is sufficient if you have bundle scans and/or both performances in one link.
  4. Parents, if you are submitting the email, please put your email in the email line, as then you and your teacher will get a confirmation email.
  5. Check the confirmation email when it comes by clicking each link within the email to check if it worked. If you right click (or two finger click on macs) and choose "Open in incognito window" it guarantees to be just like a judge opening it. If you need to correct a link, go back to the first step again and start over. It will take you right back to the page where you entered the links and you can delete and redo one if you need.
Why can't I upload my pdf?
​Remember that you need a LINK to your music, not the actual .pdf of music. If you follow the steps above, the application scans everything into a pdf and then lets you create a sharing link. If you didn't use the application above but already have a pdf of your music, you will have to look up how to share your pdf with a shareable link, according to your own operating device and type of computer. (For example, OneDrive or GoogleDrive or Dropbox can create shareable links if a pdf is stored in these locations.) 
Questions? Please send your parents and students to this webpage before writing me. Even if this feels overwhelming to you, they are likely to already know how to do it all! Otherwise, email me at katy@newarkpiano.com 
Virtual Theory Festival 2021 - Information

REGISTRATION:
Please register as usual for the theory festival.  You must provide a student or parent email.  The Zoom link, written, and aural tests will be sent to the email address provided.

HOW THE TEST IS CONDUCTED:
For the Keyboard Exam, we ask students to set up the tablet in a place to show a full view of the keyboard: 
See this instructional video.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9_uaDfZjpE

For the Aural Exam, the parent/student receives an email including the test, which they print out.  
After taking the test (via Zoom), they either take a picture or scan their completed test and send it back as a PDF file to DSMTAtheorytest@gmail.com for grading.  
(Watch this video for how to make a PDF, https://youtu.be/HE3IRDblu8U)

For Sight Reading - the judge shows the sight reading through a screen share on Zoom.  For this to work, the student must join the Zoom session on a tablet or ipad, so that they can place the device on the music rack for the sight reading.  Note that, if there is some reason that your students cannot meet this requirement, please let the theory festival chair know so that another arrangement can be made.

For the Written Test - students will receive the test via email, they must print, complete, and then take a picture or scan their completed test and send it back as a PDF file to DSMTAtheorytest@gmail.com for grading.   

VOLUNTEER DUTIES: 
If you enter students in the festival, it is expected that you will either serve as a judge or as a grader.  Judges must be proficient in using Zoom.  Please email the theory festival chair, Sheila Hershey slhershey@gmail.com with your preference.

​Volunteer Forms:

​*Volunteer Forms are not to be used for the 2021 season. Instead you will be contacted upon registration if Chairs can utilize your help.*
 
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​You must complete volunteer forms by the deadline or your registration is not considered complete. They are online forms only. No mailing. ALL teachers fill out one form so you will add your name to a document others may have already filled out.



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