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 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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 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)

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

 

Strategic Timing

Given that a well-promoted Practice Championship is going to produce torrents of additional practice, but that it will only be running for a limited time, it makes sense to choose that time carefully.

But when is such a burst of practice likely to have greatest impact? The answer will vary depending on your studio's current needs, but you should consider these:

Recital leadup

If your studio has a big annual Studio Recital in September, then a practice competition in August ensures plenty of preparation over those last few weeks.

Better still, it allows you to turn the recital into a presentation ceremony for the competition winners, with the whole event still being fresh in everyone's minds. (To really heighten the sense of anticipation for the announcement, hide the studio leaderboard for the final two weeks—that way students won't have any sense of who the winner is until you open the envelope)

Starting the year with a bang

Welcoming students back to a new year of lessons with a practice competition is a great way to have everyone in top gear straight away.

Reinvigorating flat times

If there is a time of year when students are usually a little jaded—toward's the end the year is always the issue in my own studio—then a practice competition can help put some fizz back in the champagne.

Avoiding clashes

Before you create dates purely based on your own studio's needs, double check with your students to make sure you're not considering a 4 week event in the middle of the school exams, or when a third of your studio will be away on school camp.

"Surprise" competitions

This robs you of the opportunity for an extended period of hype, but allows you to respond quickly to an unexpected deadline. So if, for example, you suddenly find out that your studio needs to provide performers for a major MTA workshop in only 8 weeks, then it would make sense to have a practice competition now, even though one hadn't been scheduled.

Not how you should always run things, but being light on your feet like this allows you to turn complications into opportunities, and practice competitions are a powerful weapon in just about any campaign.