Most Downloaded

 Elton Joel RW2   2'25
With apologies to them both. A rock piano solo without lyrics.

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Recording (mp3, 1.9MB)


 Elegy RW2   2'25
Many, many parts to weave and balance - needs ensemble skills, even though it's for solo piano.

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Recording (mp3, 1.6MB)


 Grumpy Trolls RW2   2'25
A contest piece with bite. Storms and stamps all over the piano before the jump-up-and-bow finish.

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Recording (mp3, 1.2MB)



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Recently added

 Snowflakes RW2   2'25
A delicate picture piece - how many shades of quiet can you play?

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Recording (mp3, 0.9MB)


 MicroWaltz RW2   2'25
Less than a minute long. For early intermediate students.

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Recording (mp3, 0.8MB)


 Processional RW2   2'25
A concert opener that quickly breaks out of its initial stately reserve.

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Recording (mp3, 2.6MB)


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Running a competition          back to magazine homepage

by Philip Johnston

Introduction | Hyping the lead-up | Limiting the time | Creating prize categories
Choosing great rewards | Certificates | The "Doubler" factor | Creating leaderboards | Team based competitions | Strategic timing | Interstudio competitions
Creating a Hall of Fame
| Turning it into a fundraiser


Creating prize categories

The problem with having a single prize is that once students realize that they're not on the leaderboard, there's little incentive to keep working. So instead of just handing out a prize for "most practice", the aim is to have many, many categories of prizes so that your students have plenty of possible rewards to aim at.

This means that even if they're being left for dead in the overall total, they still have reasons to keep participating. Try some of these:

• Best single day of practice

• Most consecutive days of at least 30 minutes

• Most practice over a weekend

• Highest minimum practice recorded

• Most practice by a beginner

• Most days overall of 90 minutes or more

• Most practice by a Wednesday student

Fewest days of 10 minutes or less

Great start. Student who did the most practice in the first week

• Highest total for the Double Week

Greatest improvement since last practice championship

You'll think of plenty of your own, but with so many possible prizes on offer, when the time comes to announce the awards in your newsletter, lots of your students will feature on the honor roll.

Choosing great rewards >>>