All-State Piano Ensemble

Table of Contents

• About All-State Piano Ensemble
• Student Selection Guidelines
• Piano Ensemble Benefits
• Video Audition Information
• Registration

2023 All-State Piano Ensemble

The 2023 All-State Piano Ensemble event will take place on February 17-19, 2023 at Campbellsville University.

The registration deadline for the 2023 All-State Piano Ensemble is October 8, 2022.

The video submission deadline is January 20, 2023.

Student Selection Guidelines

Students in grades 4-12 are eligible. Students must be in method level 2 or above to participate as a 4th grader. This year promises another year of fun and excitement with music that will challenge and motivate students. If you have not entered students in the past, this is the year to begin.

Repertoire will include various styles and levels that offer the usual exciting dimension of ensemble playing.

Piano Ensemble Benefits

• A reinforcement of rhythmic skills
• Heightened skill of listening to all parts of the music
• A deeper understanding of interpretation and expression
• A rewarding experience of sound and style exploration
• The fun of making music with other piano students/teachers
• A great sense of responsibility to the group

What to Expect

It is like playing in an orchestra, a band, or a jazz combo. Each player contributes a special musical part to create a whole. Individual parts may be single lines of music, but a single-line part does not mean easier. There is the added responsibility of interacting with the other players—the balance, the pulse, the interpretation—all skills we are eager for our students to achieve in order to become fine musicians.

Students or teachers do NOT need to have prior technology experience!

All-State Piano Ensemble Details

The keyboards will be digital keyboards equipped with multiple sounds allowing students to experience “playing in an orchestra”.

The ensemble music is packaged with a conductor’s score and individual parts; therefore, it is not practical for participating teachers or students to buy the music. The All-State Committee will purchase the music; a music rental fee is included in the audition fee. Students will return the music after the concert, and the scores become a part of the KMTA ensemble library. After registrations are received with the level of students indicated on the form, individual parts for each student will be mailed to the teacher to distribute.

Software recordings are provided for the repertoire and will be posted on the KMTA website. These allow students to listen to the complete orchestration and hear the interaction of different parts. It is not required that students practice with the software prior to the conference, but if the opportunity is available, take advantage of it. The individual parts may be isolated. They may be played back on:
• Instruments or modules with a disk playback feature and general MIDI sound;
• A computer equipped with a general MIDI sound source and a program that plays back accompaniment software. (If you or your students don’t have access to instruments that provide software playback, there may be other resources in the community.
• Many churches, schools, and universities have keyboards or keyboard labs that have software playback features. Check on the possibility of arranging a time for your students to practice with the software.
• If your local music store carries instruments that provide disk playback, check on the possibility of having your students stop by the store and practice with the software recording.
• Check with other teachers in your community who have any of the setups listed above and “barter” some lab time for your student to practice with the software.

Video Audition Submissions

Each student must submit a video audition of one of the pieces the ensemble will be performing. This choice will be left to the teacher after the music is received.

Auditions must take place in the teacher’s studio with the student’s upper body and hands in full view. Auditions may be submitted by YouTube, email, or text.

Follow the instructions below to submit your video on Youtube:

The video submission deadline is January 20, 2023.

Registration

The fee of $85 per student is to be paid at the time of registration and is non-refundable.

If you are registering multiple students, please register them all at once and make a single payment!

Students will be divided into groups representing different levels of training. Levels will be determined from the information requested on the registration form, so it is very important to fill out this portion of the form. A confirmation letter and the music for each participating student will be mailed as soon as all registrations are received and music assigned.

For returning students, teachers should indicate Group level and the most recent year in which the student performed.

For new students, list a recent piece performed by the student including the title and composer. This will allow the committee to assign each student to the most appropriate group level. (Group A is comparable to level 2 in a method book.)

The non-refundable audition fee includes the rental of all the required music.

Auditions are open to non-KMTA members. A teacher registration fee must be paid before students can be entered. The teacher registration fee is $20 the first time. The 2nd time a non-member teacher enters a student the teacher fee will be equal to the current KMTA member’s dues.

All-State Coordinator

Information Details

Register using our online form and pay via Paypal here:

Additional information about All-State Piano Ensemble can be found here:

When you book your hotel, make sure to check out the hotels in the area that offer a KMTA discount. Hotel info TBA.

Past KMTA All-State Piano Ensembles

• 2019 All-State Piano Ensemble
• 2016 All-State Piano Ensemble