BUDDING Pianist CREATIVE ELEMENTS Info & Resources
AGE 12 AND UNDER
"CO-CREATING WITH THE MASTERS" - FOR CREATIVE STYLISTIC VARIETY
TWO CRITERIA FOR THIS PRIZE:
1) Contestant's adjudication program must include works from at least 3 of the 4 major era/style periods:
Note:
Judges will be the final arbiters with respect to any style or era ambiguities (e.g.: Clementi could be considered Classic Era or Romantic Era depending on what work is performed).
Students or teachers who are uncertain as to whether their programs would qualify for this prize are strongly encouraged to contact Evelyn Billberg well in advance of the festival.
2) Works must be stylistically contrasting and include (in ALL 3 works) some degree of creativity appropriate to the performance practices of their respective eras/styles.
Suggestions for creativity:
1) Contestant's adjudication program must include works from at least 3 of the 4 major era/style periods:
- Pre-Baroque or Baroque
- Classic
- Romantic
- Impressionistic or Modern/Contemporary*
Note:
Judges will be the final arbiters with respect to any style or era ambiguities (e.g.: Clementi could be considered Classic Era or Romantic Era depending on what work is performed).
Students or teachers who are uncertain as to whether their programs would qualify for this prize are strongly encouraged to contact Evelyn Billberg well in advance of the festival.
2) Works must be stylistically contrasting and include (in ALL 3 works) some degree of creativity appropriate to the performance practices of their respective eras/styles.
Suggestions for creativity:
- Ornaments/embellishments
- Variants/improvisations (esp. on repeats)
- Lead-in cadenzas
- Creative license with forms
- Detailed creativity tips: Word file or PDF format
BEST PERFORMANCE OF A CONCERTO MOVEMENT FEATURING THE PERFORMER'S OWN ORIGINAL CADENZA(S) AND/OR LEAD-IN(S)
(in appropriate Baroque, Classic or Romantic period work, or in appropriate Neo-Classical contemporary work)
Performances need not demonstrate literal improvisation. Cadenzas and/or lead-ins may be worked out in advance. At the least, however, they should sound spontaneous, as if improvised on the spot by the contestant.
Please let us know in the application form -BROKENLINK if the student has written (or will improvise) a concerto cadenza and/or lead-in, so we will know that the concerto movement performance qualifies for this prize. Unless a contestant is improvising literally, we would encourage contestants to write out by hand (or print by computer) their original cadenza(s) and/or lead-in(s). (Lead-ins are short enough that they could perhaps be penciled into the score.) It would be ideal to make two extra copies of original cadenzas for the judges. If a cadenza is semi-improvised, it would be appropriate to present a rough (even penciled) sketch and write “ad libitum” in the places where the student may deviate spontaneously from what is otherwise written out. Since the emphasis of this festival is on creativity and spontaneity, students should feel free to deviate from their "planned" cadenza(s) or lead-in(s). A written out cadenza may be useful for the judges to look at, but it should not be a straight jacket!
We understand that students must get help from teachers, books, articles, etc. in order to learn how to write or improvise cadenza(s) and lead-in(s). In the end, however, the student must be the primary author of cadenza(s) or lead-in(s) to qualify for this prize. We will rely on the ethical assurances of students, teachers, and parents in this regard. (If the teacher -- or someone else -- is the primary author, the performance can still qualify in one or more other categories, however.)
Performances need not demonstrate literal improvisation. Cadenzas and/or lead-ins may be worked out in advance. At the least, however, they should sound spontaneous, as if improvised on the spot by the contestant.
Please let us know in the application form -BROKENLINK if the student has written (or will improvise) a concerto cadenza and/or lead-in, so we will know that the concerto movement performance qualifies for this prize. Unless a contestant is improvising literally, we would encourage contestants to write out by hand (or print by computer) their original cadenza(s) and/or lead-in(s). (Lead-ins are short enough that they could perhaps be penciled into the score.) It would be ideal to make two extra copies of original cadenzas for the judges. If a cadenza is semi-improvised, it would be appropriate to present a rough (even penciled) sketch and write “ad libitum” in the places where the student may deviate spontaneously from what is otherwise written out. Since the emphasis of this festival is on creativity and spontaneity, students should feel free to deviate from their "planned" cadenza(s) or lead-in(s). A written out cadenza may be useful for the judges to look at, but it should not be a straight jacket!
We understand that students must get help from teachers, books, articles, etc. in order to learn how to write or improvise cadenza(s) and lead-in(s). In the end, however, the student must be the primary author of cadenza(s) or lead-in(s) to qualify for this prize. We will rely on the ethical assurances of students, teachers, and parents in this regard. (If the teacher -- or someone else -- is the primary author, the performance can still qualify in one or more other categories, however.)
THE KAREN GREENHALGH AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE OF A TASTEFUL TRANSCRIPTION OR ARRANGEMENT (IN ANY STYLE) FOR PIANO SOLO OR FOR 4 OR MORE HANDS ON 1, 2, OR 3 PIANOS
(3rd piano contingent on space and availability)
Arrangements and transcriptions flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries. They were the means by which amateur musicians could enjoy great operas, oratorios, symphonies, songs, string quartets, etc. With the advent of recordings and overzealousness for "authenticity," arrangements and transcriptions have fallen somewhat out of favor. In some festivals and competitions they are even disallowed, for fear that students will play tacky, watered-down versions of the great masterworks. We have, as they say, "thrown the baby out with the bath water." We seek to encourage a renewed zeal for tasteful arrangements and transcriptions by offering this award.
Note: This award category could conceivably be a jazz/pop/rag work; it would be up to the judges and/or the festival Director to decide if the piece played can be defined as a transcription or arrangement. (In a sense, all jazz is "arranging," but we would want to see that the arranging is more than simply a standard jazz piano rendition.)
If in doubt, contact Dr. Houle
ORIGINAL TRANSCRIPTIONS/ARRANGEMENTS
If an original transcription or arrangement is played, judges evaluate the quality of both the performance and the transcription/arrangement itself.
For lots of great ideas for repertory, check your library for:
The Pianist's Guide to Transcriptions, Arrangements and Paraphrases by Maurice Hinson, 1990, ISBN 0-253-32745-8, Indiana University Press.
For more ideas, contact:
Dr. Koji Attwood, piano faculty, Gifted Music School, Salt Lake City, UT (he has written many outstanding transcriptions in the grand tradition of the 19th century): kojiattwood@gmail.com. His transcriptions are published by Abundant Silence.
Dr. Walden Hughes of Northwest Nazarene University (he has also written many arrangements and transcriptions): WDHughes@NNU.EDU.
Did you know that Franz Liszt's famous "Liebesträume: Drei Notturnos" are Liszt's own transcriptions of his own songs? Any of these -- including the most famous "Liebesträume #3 in A-Flat Major -- would qualify for this prize category!
Arrangements and transcriptions flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries. They were the means by which amateur musicians could enjoy great operas, oratorios, symphonies, songs, string quartets, etc. With the advent of recordings and overzealousness for "authenticity," arrangements and transcriptions have fallen somewhat out of favor. In some festivals and competitions they are even disallowed, for fear that students will play tacky, watered-down versions of the great masterworks. We have, as they say, "thrown the baby out with the bath water." We seek to encourage a renewed zeal for tasteful arrangements and transcriptions by offering this award.
Note: This award category could conceivably be a jazz/pop/rag work; it would be up to the judges and/or the festival Director to decide if the piece played can be defined as a transcription or arrangement. (In a sense, all jazz is "arranging," but we would want to see that the arranging is more than simply a standard jazz piano rendition.)
If in doubt, contact Dr. Houle
ORIGINAL TRANSCRIPTIONS/ARRANGEMENTS
If an original transcription or arrangement is played, judges evaluate the quality of both the performance and the transcription/arrangement itself.
For lots of great ideas for repertory, check your library for:
The Pianist's Guide to Transcriptions, Arrangements and Paraphrases by Maurice Hinson, 1990, ISBN 0-253-32745-8, Indiana University Press.
For more ideas, contact:
Dr. Koji Attwood, piano faculty, Gifted Music School, Salt Lake City, UT (he has written many outstanding transcriptions in the grand tradition of the 19th century): kojiattwood@gmail.com. His transcriptions are published by Abundant Silence.
Dr. Walden Hughes of Northwest Nazarene University (he has also written many arrangements and transcriptions): WDHughes@NNU.EDU.
Did you know that Franz Liszt's famous "Liebesträume: Drei Notturnos" are Liszt's own transcriptions of his own songs? Any of these -- including the most famous "Liebesträume #3 in A-Flat Major -- would qualify for this prize category!
THE DARIUS HOULE AWARD FOR BEST DEMONSTRATION OF SPONTANEITY AND/OR IMPROVISATION IN A JAZZ, POP, GOSPEL OR RAG STYLE WORK
The great classical pianist Vladimir Horowitz admired jazz pianist Art Tatum. Ravel and Bartók revered George Gershwin. In his last interview Leonard Bernstein expressed high admiration for the Beatles. Yet the artificial divisions between “serious” and “popular” music persist. Music of any style - classical, jazz, pop, gospel, rag, etc. - can vie for most of the festival prize categories.
This prize, however, is exclusively for the best demonstrations of spontaneity or improvisation in a jazz, pop, gospel, or rag style. Performances need not demonstrate literal improvisation. At the least, however, performances should sound spontaneous, as if improvised on the spot. Playing from "fake charts" (also called "lead sheets," wherein only the right hand melody is notated, along with chord symbols) is encouraged, but music fully notated is also acceptable, as long as it sounds free and improvisatory.
Is music by George Gershwin "classical" or "jazz?" He's "classical" in the sense that compositions are fully notated, but he certainly comes off as jazzy, so we would be fine with anything by Gershwin. Keep in mind, however, that Gershwin never played his own pieces the same way twice. No edition should really be regarded as the "one and only definitive authentic" edition, no matter how excellent or well researched! It is fascinating to hear Gershwin’s improvisatory style in piano rolls and radio performances -- don’t expect to hear the same notes on these as what you see published as music! For an example of this, ask your local librarian to locate (or get a copy by interlibrary loan):
"I Got Rhythm – the music as performed by George Gershwin on radio, February 19, 1934, transcribed by Dick Hyman," Keyboard Classics, Jan/Feb 1984, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 24-25 (quite different from the published version!)
or check this out:
The Man I Love – the music as performed by George Gershwin on radio, February 19, 1934, transcribed by Artis Wodehouse, Piano & Keyboard, Jan/Feb 1993, No. 160, pp. 24-32 (also different from the published version!)
Lastly, for the ultimate in "alternative" improvisatory Gershwin, get your hands on this book of transcriptions of his piano roll performances (prepare to be shocked if you compare the tunes with the "standard" published versions!):
Gershwin's Improvisations for Solo Piano Transcribed from the 1926 & 1928 Disc Recordings by Artis Wodehouse, Warner Bros. Publications, ISBN 0-7692-0891-6
For teachers and students who need an easy to understand, step by step method series for how to read jazz/pop fake charts, here’s a highly recommended 5-book series for beginner to intermediate level students:
Easy Keyboard Harmony: Teaching Improvising from Standard Chord Symbols (Provides Opportunities for Ear Training and Music Writing), by Wesley Schaum, in five books, Schaum Publications.
Three of the most important and highly recommended "how to" jazz improvisation books for more advanced students are listed below:
• The Jazz Piano Book by Mark Levine (Sher Music Co.)
• The Jazz Theory Book by Mark Levine (Sher Music Co.)
• Jazz/Rock Voicings for the Contemporary Keyboard Player by Dan Hearle (Studio P/R, Inc.)
See also: How to Play Jazz Piano.
This prize, however, is exclusively for the best demonstrations of spontaneity or improvisation in a jazz, pop, gospel, or rag style. Performances need not demonstrate literal improvisation. At the least, however, performances should sound spontaneous, as if improvised on the spot. Playing from "fake charts" (also called "lead sheets," wherein only the right hand melody is notated, along with chord symbols) is encouraged, but music fully notated is also acceptable, as long as it sounds free and improvisatory.
Is music by George Gershwin "classical" or "jazz?" He's "classical" in the sense that compositions are fully notated, but he certainly comes off as jazzy, so we would be fine with anything by Gershwin. Keep in mind, however, that Gershwin never played his own pieces the same way twice. No edition should really be regarded as the "one and only definitive authentic" edition, no matter how excellent or well researched! It is fascinating to hear Gershwin’s improvisatory style in piano rolls and radio performances -- don’t expect to hear the same notes on these as what you see published as music! For an example of this, ask your local librarian to locate (or get a copy by interlibrary loan):
"I Got Rhythm – the music as performed by George Gershwin on radio, February 19, 1934, transcribed by Dick Hyman," Keyboard Classics, Jan/Feb 1984, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 24-25 (quite different from the published version!)
or check this out:
The Man I Love – the music as performed by George Gershwin on radio, February 19, 1934, transcribed by Artis Wodehouse, Piano & Keyboard, Jan/Feb 1993, No. 160, pp. 24-32 (also different from the published version!)
Lastly, for the ultimate in "alternative" improvisatory Gershwin, get your hands on this book of transcriptions of his piano roll performances (prepare to be shocked if you compare the tunes with the "standard" published versions!):
Gershwin's Improvisations for Solo Piano Transcribed from the 1926 & 1928 Disc Recordings by Artis Wodehouse, Warner Bros. Publications, ISBN 0-7692-0891-6
For teachers and students who need an easy to understand, step by step method series for how to read jazz/pop fake charts, here’s a highly recommended 5-book series for beginner to intermediate level students:
Easy Keyboard Harmony: Teaching Improvising from Standard Chord Symbols (Provides Opportunities for Ear Training and Music Writing), by Wesley Schaum, in five books, Schaum Publications.
Three of the most important and highly recommended "how to" jazz improvisation books for more advanced students are listed below:
• The Jazz Piano Book by Mark Levine (Sher Music Co.)
• The Jazz Theory Book by Mark Levine (Sher Music Co.)
• Jazz/Rock Voicings for the Contemporary Keyboard Player by Dan Hearle (Studio P/R, Inc.)
See also: How to Play Jazz Piano.
BEST DEMONSTRATION OF GENUINELY SPONTANEOUS IMPROVISATION IN ANY STYLE
To qualify for this prize, students must evince real-time spontaneous improvisation with some degree of chance or randomness. Preferably, this should involve some input from and/or collaboration with the judges.
This is a new prize category, inspired by two exceptionally creative students, Lauren Danforth and Emma McKinch, who included the following on their 2013 duet program:
• IMPROVISATION: REALIZATION OF A HARMONIC STRUCTURE CHOSEN BY THE JUDGES. IN THE KEY OF F, C, OR G, USING I, II, IV, V, AND/OR VI.
Emma also included these demonstrations on her solo program:
• IMPROVISATION ON IMAGES SELECTED BY THE JUDGES
• IMPROVISATION ON A 3-5-NOTE MOTIVE (WHITE KEYS) SELECTED BY THE JUDGES
Hats off to these brave young ladies (and their teacher, Drea Wagner) for making festival history! Since these intrepid feats of musicianship did not align very well with any existing 2013 prize category, this new "Spontaneous Improvisation" prize category was created. We hope many students will try their hand at competing for this wonderful new prize.
Other examples of demonstrations that might earn students this prize:
• Improvise on an extra-musical scene selected by the judges (not revealed in advance)
• Improvise in the key of either C, F, or G (judges' choice) using I, II, IV & V chords (judges may choose some or all of these)• Improvise in jazz or "classical" style (judge's choice) using I, IV & V chords
• Improvise in C Major on a spontaneous blues pattern played by one of the judges on a second piano (or as a duet - 1 piano, 4 hands - with one of the judges)
• Improvise on a 4, 5, or 6-note motive (white keys) selected by the judges
• Improvise on a 3, 4, or 5-note motive (black keys) in which the 1st and last notes are selected by the judge and the other notes are selected by the contestant
• Improvise on an image or mood starting with the letter "___" (letter determined by judges). (Or: Student determines the letter, but judge picks mood or image starting with that letter.)
• Improvise on a simple "fake" chart (not revealed in advance, except perhaps for broad description of parameters - key, types of chord such as I, IV V, etc.). [Judges & Director will have fake charts handy for this if requested.]
• Sight-read and improvise on a short melody notated on a one-line "staff" by one of the judges. (Fill out harmonies? Vary rhythms, meter, etc?) See Houle's It's Easy to Improvise.
• Demonstrate randomly selected elements from one of the highly recommended Flip for Improvisation* books by Christine J. Schumann: Flip for Improvisation--Pictures in Sound (in 3 books):
Level 1 (Beginner, Easy: Animal Games)
Level 2 (Intermediate: Theory Concepts & Technique Tricks)
Level 3 (Advanced: Scales, Modes, and Rhythm)
Many other out-of-the-box creative ideas can be found in these other outstanding books:
• Piano Teacher's Guide to Creative Composition by Carol Klose**
• Creative Composition Toolbox (in 6 books) by Wynn-Anne Rossi**
• Creative Pedagogy for Piano Teachers: Using Musical Games and Aural Techniques as a Dynamic Supplement for Piano Teaching by Jeffrey Agrell & Aura Strohschein***
* The judges would select a random page from each of the sections of one of these books. A sample result might be "Creeping Caterpillar," "C Major Scale" and "Triplets." The contestant then improvises something that sounds like a "Creeping Caterpillar" while using the C Major scale and triplet rhythms.
**Highly recommended by Dennis Alexander in the March/April issue of Clavier Companion.
***Endorsed by Drs. Salmon and Houle
This is a new prize category, inspired by two exceptionally creative students, Lauren Danforth and Emma McKinch, who included the following on their 2013 duet program:
• IMPROVISATION: REALIZATION OF A HARMONIC STRUCTURE CHOSEN BY THE JUDGES. IN THE KEY OF F, C, OR G, USING I, II, IV, V, AND/OR VI.
Emma also included these demonstrations on her solo program:
• IMPROVISATION ON IMAGES SELECTED BY THE JUDGES
• IMPROVISATION ON A 3-5-NOTE MOTIVE (WHITE KEYS) SELECTED BY THE JUDGES
Hats off to these brave young ladies (and their teacher, Drea Wagner) for making festival history! Since these intrepid feats of musicianship did not align very well with any existing 2013 prize category, this new "Spontaneous Improvisation" prize category was created. We hope many students will try their hand at competing for this wonderful new prize.
Other examples of demonstrations that might earn students this prize:
• Improvise on an extra-musical scene selected by the judges (not revealed in advance)
• Improvise in the key of either C, F, or G (judges' choice) using I, II, IV & V chords (judges may choose some or all of these)• Improvise in jazz or "classical" style (judge's choice) using I, IV & V chords
• Improvise in C Major on a spontaneous blues pattern played by one of the judges on a second piano (or as a duet - 1 piano, 4 hands - with one of the judges)
• Improvise on a 4, 5, or 6-note motive (white keys) selected by the judges
• Improvise on a 3, 4, or 5-note motive (black keys) in which the 1st and last notes are selected by the judge and the other notes are selected by the contestant
• Improvise on an image or mood starting with the letter "___" (letter determined by judges). (Or: Student determines the letter, but judge picks mood or image starting with that letter.)
• Improvise on a simple "fake" chart (not revealed in advance, except perhaps for broad description of parameters - key, types of chord such as I, IV V, etc.). [Judges & Director will have fake charts handy for this if requested.]
• Sight-read and improvise on a short melody notated on a one-line "staff" by one of the judges. (Fill out harmonies? Vary rhythms, meter, etc?) See Houle's It's Easy to Improvise.
• Demonstrate randomly selected elements from one of the highly recommended Flip for Improvisation* books by Christine J. Schumann: Flip for Improvisation--Pictures in Sound (in 3 books):
Level 1 (Beginner, Easy: Animal Games)
Level 2 (Intermediate: Theory Concepts & Technique Tricks)
Level 3 (Advanced: Scales, Modes, and Rhythm)
Many other out-of-the-box creative ideas can be found in these other outstanding books:
• Piano Teacher's Guide to Creative Composition by Carol Klose**
• Creative Composition Toolbox (in 6 books) by Wynn-Anne Rossi**
• Creative Pedagogy for Piano Teachers: Using Musical Games and Aural Techniques as a Dynamic Supplement for Piano Teaching by Jeffrey Agrell & Aura Strohschein***
* The judges would select a random page from each of the sections of one of these books. A sample result might be "Creeping Caterpillar," "C Major Scale" and "Triplets." The contestant then improvises something that sounds like a "Creeping Caterpillar" while using the C Major scale and triplet rhythms.
**Highly recommended by Dennis Alexander in the March/April issue of Clavier Companion.
***Endorsed by Drs. Salmon and Houle
