Fairfax – Piano Festival

Springfield Music Club

Every October in Fairfax, Virginia

Organized By: The Springfield Musician Club.

MEA Piano Studio, the leading destination for piano lessons in Fairfax, VA, piano lessons in Washington D.C., and lessons in the general northern Virginia area, participates in the annual Jazz-Blues Festival for music students in Northern Virginia. The Jazz-Blues Festival gives students the opportunity to explore music from the jazz-blues idiom. This is a non-competitive event open to any student that is able to prepare to memorized jazz-blues pieces. Students play their pieces in front of two judges along with small group of other students and parents. After their performance, students also have the option to play along with a percussionist.

Festivals are not competitions. Students are judged based solely on their own performance and their own music, even when someone play the same piece. The ratings that each student receives is based on how well a particular student follows the composer’s directions.

Basic Information

About Jazz

Below are what jazz songs sound like.

Location

The Fairfax Jazz-Blues Piano Festival is held at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, which is located in Fairfax, Virginia. This event is not open to the public, just students, their immediate family members, and their piano teachers. Students are assigned a specific time to perform and must stay for the entire hour to listen to the other students.

Fees

Students and parents should estimate about $25-35.  The final fee depends on what the student chooses to perform. For this festival, students may play solos (pieces play alone), duets (two players), or trios (3 players). This fee includes registration and per event fees. This fee does not include required music.

Awards

Unlike other festivals, students do not receive a trophy or pin. They do get the incredible experience of playing their pieces with a percussionist (the guy with the cool drum set). This is optional and can be done before or after their main performance.

Ohhh… Students do get a certificate. But students only care about the drummer…

Ratings

Ratings are the scores students receive. This are similar to grades that students receive on quizzes or tests. The ratings for the Jazz-Blues Festival are:

  • Superior Plus
  • Superior
  • Superior Minus
  • Excellent Plus
  • Excellent
  • Excellent Minus
  • Very Good Plus
  • Very Good
  • Very Good Minus

Grading

For this festival, students will be graded on the following items listed below. I’ve done my best to explain each item as simply as possible. Not all songs, especially for beginners, will include every single item.

  • Accuracy:
    • Playing at the correct tempo. Most songs have a tempo marking at the beginning of the piece. This marking tells the performer how fast or slow to play the piece.
    • Remembering the rests. Rests are moments of silence within a piece and those moments of silence are very important.
    • Playing the correct notes. This is very important for a performance. Students do not have to play their pieces perfectly but a pieces with lots and lots of mistakes indicate that a student was not well-prepared.
    • Holding notes for the correct note values.Rhythm is a very important aspect of music. Some notes are long, some are short, and together, they make a song.
  • Rhythm:
    • Having a good jazz feel.
    • Following the jazz swing. Some pieces have special directions to make it sound more “jazzy”.
  • Technique:
    • Playing the pedal. Some pieces will have use the pedal. If so, students are expected to use the pedal correctly.
    • Playing with good articulation. This includes a variety of things, like staccatos (short notes) or accents (slightly emphasized).
  • Continuity:
    • Having very few hesitations, pauses, stops and starts. Too many of these indicate a piece isn’t well-learned. Music should be fluid.
  • Dynamics:
    • Good use of dynamics. Dynamics are symbols that indicate when to play loud or soft. All songs have dynamics.
    • Making sure to have contrasting dynamics. There should be a noticeable difference between soft and loud.
    • Good balance between the hands. One hand (usually the left) should be louder than the other (usually the right).
  • Memory:
    • Playing both pieces well without the music.

Preparation

Students begin preparing the Jazz-Blues festival pieces in the Spring. Beginning early makes sure students are not rushed or stressed, and that they have ample time to prepare.

Please Note: Summer lessons are required to participate in the festival.

Also: All students are given Jazz-Blues pieces so all students have the opportunity to prepare and participate.

Music

Students may choose any two pieces that are considered Jazz-Blues. And have the following options:

  • Solo Performance
    • One original student composition
    • One choice composition
  • Solo Performance
    • Two choice compositions
  • Duet Performance (in addition to solo)
    • One or two duet pieces
  • Trio Performance (in addition to solo)
    • One or two trio pieces.

Registration

Registration for the festival is in September. Please respond to the email promptly. Once the deadline has passed, students can no longer register.

Rehearsal Class

The rehearsal class for the festival is always in October and is always listed on the studio calendar. Students participating in the Jazz-Blues festival are expected to attend the rehearsal.

Judging Sheets

Judging sheets are always emailed 1-2 weeks before the performance. Please print the judging sheets immediately and review for accuracy.  Please don’t wait until the last minute to print or look for or look at these very important forms. Why???

Well:

  1. Students that go to the festival without their judging sheets risk disqualification.
  2. Students that go to the festival with the wrong information (for example, the wrong piece), risk disqualification.

If you do wait until the last minute (I’m not available during the festivals because I judge other students):

Reminders

  • Students must prepare two pieces.
    • Soloists – both must memorized.
  • Arrangements are fine.
  • Pieces must be 16 or more measures.
  • Students must remember to bring their music.

Results

Student Results

Students will receive their results (scores and comments) at their next lesson. They will (may… if I remember) also be posted to the studio’s FaceBook page.

Past Student Performances

Under Construction

Past Student Compositions

Repertoire

Students must choose their piano solo pieces from the options below. Students are required to choose one piece from each list. A sample portion of each piece is provided so students can play through the song and decide if they want to learn the entire piece.

Please refer to your instructor for the appropriate level.

All pieces may be purchased online from Sheet Music Plus or locally from any Music & Arts store. The title and composer are listed on each piece. Please make sure this matches the piece that is purchased from the sheet music store.

Coming Soon

Contact

Please contact MEA Piano Studio if you have any questions about the festival.