WHY ACADEMY STUDENTS EXCEL

• High standards in a warm and supportive environment.
• Outstanding professional faculty of:
  • instrumental, vocal, choral, and music studies teachers
  • chamber music ensemble coaches 
  • chamber orchestra conductor
  • choral conductor
  • accomplished composers. 
• Small classes and individual attention.
• Regular performance in a challenging program.

SUMMARY OF OTHER ADVANTAGES

• Steinway pianos support comprehensive class work,  chamber music ensembles, solo instrumental, vocal, and choral performance
• Weekly Performance Class 
• Monthly, Semi-annual, Annual and Special Performances
• Workshops, Master Classes, and Special Classes
• Students study with coaches and music studies faculty to develop comprehensive musicianship skills that lead to informed performance in solo, ensemble, and chamber orchestra works, by coming to understand the music and the composers' intention.

WHEN CLASSES AND REHEARSALS MEET
The Academy schedules around area youth symphony orchestra schedules.

Most Pre-college classes and rehearsals meet on Saturday afternoons at Bellevue
Christian Church in Bellevue. Some may meet on a weeknight in other locations.
Most master classes and workshops meet in Bellevue.
The chamber orchestra meets in north Seattle on Tuesday nights.
See Location page for addresses.

REQUIREMENTS:
Private Lessons
Students must be taking regular private lessons with their own private teachers and are not asked to change teachers. The Academy has a fine working relationship with excellent private teachers throughout the Puget Sound region, and that list continues to grow.
Courtesy referrals to fine private teachers and tutors are available to families on request; especially for new students to the region.

Entry audition
New students are auditioned and take theory placement interviews.
Students remain by demonstrating continued growth in total musicianship.  
Acceptance into an instrumental or vocal ensemble or chamber orchestra is at the discretion of the program director. See 'Audition and Placement Details' below.

PERFORMANCE:
The Academy is the only pre-college school in the region that offers this level of concentrated, professionally coached, instrumental and vocal chamber music ensembles and chamber orchestra work for 15 or 30 weeks each year, with regular public, private, and outreach concerts and recitals.

Chamber Music Ensemble: Trio, Quartet, Quintet, 4 Hand or Duo Piano.
Members perform from original scores of early, classical, romantic, modern, contemporary works, with each ensemble coached by a professional chamber musician.

Vocal Ensemble: each small ensemble works with a professional coach, to rehearse and perform classical literature from early music, renaissance, classical, romantic, modern, & contemporary works.

Choral Ensemble: perform works from early to modern classical literature with a professional coach/conductor.

Chamber Orchestra: a professional conductor/composer rehearses the group for 2 hours weekly, and has regular public performances in the community.
A pianist and soloists perform when appropriate. The orchestra also participates in combined Academy concerts.
Anyone may audition for the chamber orchestra, and all chamber orchestra members are welcome to also join an ensemble and take Music Studies classes. See the chamber orchestra web page at www.academychamberorchestra.org

Solo Performance:
Students are soloists when they enter. They have ample opportunity to perform in the weekly
Performance Class, and in regular public and private Academy recitals, benefits, and concerts in addition to their studio recitals, and concerto performances with regional orchestras as a result of winning competitions.

Academy Performances are listed on the Calendar page as they are scheduled.
Competition winners and graduate college acceptances are also listed on the
News: Accomplishments page.

MUSIC STUDIES:
Music Studies for Instrumentalists:
Theory (Juilliard School L&M method "Literature and Materials of Music"): learning theory
from printed music and scores.
Theory for String Players (Keyboard Skills for non-pianists)
Ear Training
Sight Reading Skills
History and Literature
Score Reading for Performance (Advanced Theory and Seminars)
Composition (beginning to advanced)
Orchestration
Conducting
Repertoire : Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Music Ensemble, Choral, Vocal,
Sonata, Concerto, and Solo
Performance Class**
Collaboration and Accompaniment

Theory and Ear Training are the basic classes and are pre-requisites for other classes unless a student can pass basic beginning tests.

** The closing Music Studies hour is the Performance/Repertoire Class
This includes performance of works in progress, rehearsals for recitals and competitions, group singing and sight reading in clefs and original languages. Occasionally, guest presenters are featured.
All Academy students, families, teachers,donors, guests are welcome in the Performance Class.
Students sign up in advance to perform in this class where they can take advantage of valuable feedback
from faculty and students.

Music Studies for Composers
We encourage each student's innate musical creativity with studies in composition. Their pieces are heard in the Performance Class and at the year-end Composers Concert, performed by Academy students, faculty, and friends.
All Theory (L&M) classes incorporate composition as a learning tool, but composition is more intense
for composers. Students may work privately with their own composition teachers and/or with Academy faculty composers.
Composition students also apply to participate in the annual Seattle Symphony's Young Composer Workshop. Academy students received 4 national ASCAP Young Composer Awards and 1 BMI Young Composer Award, to date, and have excelled in every annual Seattle Symphony Young Composer Workshop
under the direction of Resident Composer,Dr. Samuel Jones.

Singers Program:
Singers continue voice studies with their private studio teacher.
The Academy program of 3 hours concentrates on Theory Fundamentals, Ear Training,
Sight Singing, Diction, Styles, Performance Protocol, Languages, Repertoire, Audition Prep., and optional
4th hour of Keyboard Skills for non -pianists.
Solo and ensemble singing is part of this program.
This is basic training for singers who want to perform in any vocal style and successfully audition for fine choral groups and singing roles.
It also prepares those who want to be accepted by the finest music colleges/conservatories as a voice major.
As with instrumental lessons, private voice lessons do not allow time to learn and develop necessary basic theory, sight reading, and ear training skills.

Classical Guitar Program: (tba).
History and Repertoire – An examination of guitar repertoire and literature.
Presents a clear outline of repertoire, giving both a historical context as well as a graded program
(from easy works to more complicated and difficult ones).
Also an opportunity to listen to recorded classical guitar works, and compare various performance styles.

Fretboard Theory – This class would develop a thorough understanding of the entire fretboard, examining position playing, scales, intervals, triads, 7th chords, with a focus on theoretical concepts as demonstrated
by actual classical guitar music.

Classical Guitar Ensemble – Prepare ensemble works for performance.
Duos, trios, or larger ensemble pieces are possible.

Private Instruction (available offsite) – Private studio lessons working to develop a student's technique
and musicality through a method involving etudes and musical works.
Students continue private lessons with their own studio teacher.

MASTER CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
Fees are announced for each event.
Master Class participants are selected by the Academy.
The classes are open to all young musicians in the Pacific Northwest as auditors.
Teachers, families, friends are always welcome.
Workshops have open enrollment, but Academy students have priority if space is limited.
Master classes and Workshops are announced on the Master Class page.


AUDITIONS AND PLACEMENT DETAILS
Audions are open all year.
Jurors for Music Studies and Ensemble Performance are the
Academy Provost, President, & Ensemble Director.
The Chamber Orchestra Director auditions his members every year.

Audition Performance time is about 15 minutes. An accompanist is not used for the audition.
Each applicant is required to audition for entry, and should be prepared to:
Play (or sing) two to three pieces or excerpts that demonstrate his/her highest level of musical and
technical achievement (from the students current repertoire).

Play (or sing) scales and arpeggios that are appropriate for the student's age and level of achievement.

Sight read a short piece of music provided by the auditioners. This will not affect the audition result,
but it lets the jurors know what the performer needs to learn.

Voice students are also evaluated for accuracy of pitch, natural sound, and enthusiasm for singing.
Voice students over age 15 must demonstrate a desire to further vocal studies.

Composition students must be competent on one instrument, and must submit samples of their own compositions as part of their audition. Computer printed scores are appreciated, but computer generated compositions are not accepted.
Beginning composers are exempt from this submission, but are expected to advance quickly under
Academy guidance to remain in the program.

New students for Music Studies and Ensembles also have a Placement Evaluation interview which
has no bearing on their audition result. Placement is
level of classes and ensembles.

Annual Pre-College Fees & Tuition
30 weeks each year.

Chamber Orchestra
Fee: Chamber Orchestra Annual Audition fee is $25. for new and returning members. Perfomances are Winter, Spring, and as announced.

Tuition: Chamber Orchestra only = $325/semester,
or $600 for the year if paid before November 15.
Rehearsals are 2 hrs/week for each 15 week semester.
Auditions are held by the Director/conductor.
See Chamber Orchestra web page.
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Music Studies, Chamber Music Ensemble, & Solo Performance
for instrumentalists and singers.
Fee:
Registration $25. Paid with application or before 9/1. Non-refundable.

Audition & Placement fee for NEW (non-orchestra) students is $45.
Paid when audition and placement interview are scheduled.. Non refundable.
Children who want to advance to the pre-college level also audition.
Auditions are open all year. Late placement will depend on openings & qualifications.
Three jurors hear each audition.

An accompanist is not used for the audition.

Textbooks and class materials: $0 - $20 total. Paid upon receipt.
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TUITION

$600. for each class or ensemble (1 hour/week for 30 weeks).
Enrolled students may also perform as soloists in Academy concerts (free).

Full Program - recommended for serious musicians = $2400.
4 hrs/week for 30 weeks. 2 Classes, Performance Class, Chamber Music Ensemble.
3 hrs/week/30 weeks = $1800.
2 hours/week/30 weeks = $1200.
A recommended class would be Sight Reading Skills or Theory for those who have not had it already. A performer who does both Chamber Orchestra and Ensemble does not have to take
a Music Study class, but is welcome to do so, especially if theory has not been learned.
.Informed performance (also called musicianship) is essential to musicianship.
Music college auditions will include testing on theory, ear training, and sight reading.

Ensemble Only: Instrumental or Vocal :
1 hr/week/30 weeks, $600. or $300 per semester.
This option is available to those who are good sight readers, have excellent pitch, and have
either had theory classes, are taking them, or who can test out of them. A theory foundation is essential for all performers.

Rehearsals are for interpretation, collaboration, and fine tuning with the coach.
The music is learned at home. Each first rehearsal of a new work begins with a group score reading session. Each performer should have a Harvard Dictionary of Music (paper back)
to verfy (or learn) music terminology in German, Italian, French, English.

Ensemble performance occurs when an ensemble is deemed ready by the coach and the Ensemble Director.
Advanced ensemble performers may take 2 ensembles at the discretion of the Ensemble Director.

Singer's Program - Includes performance class and performance.
$1800. (3 hrs/week/30 weeks)
$2400. (4 hrs/week) with 3 hrs Singers Classes and Keyboard Harmony for those who
do not play piano (see below), or another class or performance group.

Classical Guitar Program: 15 -30 weeks: tba
Special Electives 1 hr/week $300 for 15 weeks, $600 for 30 weeks. tba.
These will be announced in advance on the NEWS page, and to all pre-college
families and teachers by email.

Late Entry fees are pro-rated.

Workshops, Master Classes. See Masterclasses and Workshops page.

Summer Workshops. See Summer page www.amnw.org/summer.


SATURDAY SCHEDULES