History of the Young People's Auditions

The Young People's Auditions were conceived in the late 1950's by the Rockland Symphony Orchestra to select young soloists for perform at its Young People's Concerts. When the Rockland County Music Teachers Guild was founded in 1962, it assumed responsibility for conducting the auditions and expanded the program to include a non-competitive division where students receive evaluations and ratings from an impartial panel of judges.

Judging

• Students will be heard by two impartial judges.

• For pianists, both judges will be pianists. For instrumentalists and singers, when there are five or more applicants for a given instrument, at least one will have expertise in the instrument.

• Judges will be provided with the applicant's first name, age, grade in school and seasons studied, but not the teacher's name.

• Judges are selected from outside the RCMTG and county when possible. 

• Judges will select one work as "best performed." If the student qualifies for the Blue and Gold Recital, this will be the work performed. 

• Comments regarding judging and grading should be addresssed to the audition chairs. Any unauthorized communication with judges, prior to or after the audition, may result in disqualification of the teacher or student the following season.

Eligibility

• All applicants must study with a teacher that is a RCMTG member.

• Applicants must be of school age to 25 years, and vocal applicants must be at least 14. 

• If a student has not completed one season (30 weeks) with the current teacher by the application deadline, the student will need written consent from the previous teacher.

• Concerto Division applicants must not have graduated high school yet. 

Fees

• Teachers must list exact repertoire and create a program under 10 or 20 minutes and indicate this on the application.

• Teachers are required to indicate the exact length of the program to assist in appropriate scheduling of judges. 

• One fee covers the ensemble in the ensemble division.

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Under 10 min. = $30 

Under 20 min. = $40

Concerto Division: if program will run over 20 minutes the fee is $50.

GOLD

100-96

Outstanding performance, 

played with expression, style, taste, technical security and poise. Any missed notes do not disturb the flow. Instrumentalists and vocalists show mastery of intonation. Repertoire is appropriate for age and seasons of study. All three pieces are well mastered and ready for public performance.

BLUE

95-91

Superior performance,

well prepared and executed. Perhaps one or two musical or technical elements are not quite mastered, or there is a brief memory or technical slip. Instrumentalists and vocalists demonstrate a pleasing level of intonation. At least two, if not all three, pieces are mastered and ready for public performance.

GREEN

90-86

Commendable performance, with moments of beauty. Although there is some work worth noting, student may appear unnerved, or at times perform hesitantly or perfunctorily. Instrumentalists and vocalists may show lapses in intonation. At least two pieces are not ready for public performance.

RED

85-81

Satisfactory performance,

but perhaps a mechanical or academic rendition with limited awareness of style and little attention to musical and technical elements. Instrumentalists and vocalists may show poor intonation. Perhaps all three pieces or not ready for public performance.