Pre-College Program (ages 11 to 18)

WHY ACADEMY STUDENTS EXCEL

• High standards in a warm and supportive environment.
• Outstanding professional regional faculty of:
  • instrumental, vocal, choral, and music studies teachers
  • chamber music ensemble coaches 
  • chamber orchestra conductor
  • vocal ensemble & choral conductor
  • accomplished composers.
• Small classes and individual attention
• Regular public and private performance
• Rewarding & challenging work with peersu
• Weekly Performance Class - a valuable performance opportunity
• Monthly, Semi-annual, Annual, and Special Performances
• Chamber Orchestra performance option
• Weekly Performance Class - a valuable performance opportunity
• Monthly, Semi-annual, Annual, and Special Performances
• Workshops, Master Classes, Electives, Special Classes
• Steinway pianos for most classes and ensembles
• College recommendation letters.

WHEN CLASSES AND REHEARSALS MEET
The Academy schedules avoid area youth symphony orchestra
rehearsals and regular performance schedules.

• Most Pre-college classes and ensemble rehearsals meet on Saturday afternoons at Bellevue Christian Church in Bellevue.
  Some may meet on a weeknight or 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 studio 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 audition and take placement interviews.
Chamber Orchestra students audition for seating every year.
Students remain by demonstrating continued growth in total musicianship.  
Placement in an instrumental or vocal ensemble or the chamber orchestra is at the discretion of the corresponding program director.
See 'Audition and Placement Details' below.

Chamber Music Ensemble:
Members perform from original scores of early, classical, romantic, modern, contemporary works, with each ensemble coached by a professional chamber musician.

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

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

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

Solo Performance:
Students are soloists when they enter. They sign up to perform in the weekly Performance Class, and perform in regular public and private Academy concerts, in addition to their studio recitals and concerto performances with regional orchestras as a result of winning competitions.
Chamber Orchestra members may also perform as soloists.

The 'Academy Artists Present" series provides monthly public & private performance opportunities. Performance dates are listed on the Calendarpage as scheduled.

PRE-COLLEGE BASIC PROGRAM:
Theory - The Language of Music - applied theory using scores and printed literature following the method of The Juilliard School pre-college program, NY.
Ear Training - sight singing and dictation.
Performance Class- group work, and solo performance by sign-up,
with faculty and student feedback.
Performance
Chamber Music Ensemble (Instrumental / Vocal)
Chamber Orchestra
Solo Performance.
Electives (teacher approval & subject to adequate enrollment) include:
History and Literature: Early through Contemporary
String Literature (new 2009-10)
Keyboard Skills/Harmony for non-pianists (basic theory class for string players and singers that will also give them basic keyboard skills).
Sight Reading Skills for String Players
Score Reading for Performance
Composition - beginning to advanced (see Composers below)
Orchestration
Conducting
Collaboration and Accompaniment
Repertoire.
Private tutorials are also available from Academy faculty.

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 may 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 annual Seattle Symphony Young Composer Workshops under the direction of Resident Composer, Dr. Samuel Jones. Composition graduates have gone on to Juilliard, Michigan, Eastman, Indiana, Lawrence, and other fine schools.

Singers:
Singers continue voice lessons with their private studio teacher.
The Literature & Performance vocal program concentrates on Theory for Singers, Ear Training, Sight Singing, Diction, Styles, Performance Protocol, Languages, Repertoire, Audition Prep., with an optional 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 normally do not allow time to learn and apply basic knowledge of theory, sight reading, and ear training skills.

Classical Guitar:
Guitar students continue private lessons with their own studio teacher.
A complete classical guitar program, when available, would include:
History and Repertoire, Fretboard Theory, Classical Guitar Ensemble.

AUDITIONS AND PLACEMENT DETAILS
Auditons are open all year - held primarily in Fall & Spring.
Jurors for new Pre-College students are the Academy President, Provost, & Chamber Music Ensemble Director.
The Chamber Orchestra Director auditions every member every year for seating.
Audition Performance time is about 15 minutes.
An accompanist is not needed for the audition.

Each new applicant is required to audition for entry, and
should be prepared to:
Play (or sing) two to three short 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 does not affect audition results, but 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.

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 allowed. Beginning composers are exempt from this submission, but are expected to advance quickly under Academy guidance to remain in the program.

All new pre-college students also have a Placement Evaluation interview which has no bearing on their audition result. This provides placement in the proper level of classes. Chamber Orchestra students can also take a placement evaluation, to see what they know or do not know about basic theory, to help them select a suitable program before graduation.

ACO - Academy Chamber Orchestra
Annual Registration/Audition Fee is $25. Non-refundable.
Annual Tuition: $700/year if paid by Nov 15, or $375/semester.
See Chamber Orchestra web page.

AMN - Music Studies, Chamber Music Ensemble, &
Solo Performance.
Annual Registration Fee: $25. Non-refundable.
Annual Audition & Placement fee only for new students: $45.
Three jurors hear each audition for Music Studies, Ensembles, Singers.
An accompanist is not needed.
Paid when the audition occurs. Non-refundable.
Children who want to advance to the pre-college level also audition.

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

Chamber Music Ensemble Music - Member cost for copying.
Members copy their parts from Academy scores, to be able to
mark and retain their own copies. Copying is done off-site.

AMN Annual Tuition for classes, ensembles, performance.
$2400/year for 4 hrs/week.
$1800/year for 3/hrs/week.
$1200/year for 2/hrs/week - available only with Academy approval.
$600/year for each additional class/ensemble.
Sibling Discount: 10% tuition discount for siblings.

Tuition payment is due:
1 In full in September by the 3rd week. No refunds after 3rd week.
2 1/2 at the beginning of each semester.
3 Monthly - pre-paid in Sept. with post dated checks held by the Academy to be deposited each month.

The basic 4 hour program includes Theory, Ear Training, Performance Class, Chamber Music Ensemble; or any combination of elective options acceptable to the Academy, based on a student's demonstrated or tested level.

Ensemble: Instrumental Only with/without Electives.
This option is only available to those who are very good sight readers,
have excellent pitch, and can either test out of basic theory and ear training, or have already successfully completed the basic 2 years (60 hours each) of theory and ear training. An exception is made only if a performer is essential to complete an advanced ensemble.

Ensemble 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 understand music terminology in German, Italian, French, English.

Ensemble performance occurs when an ensemble is deemed ready by the coach and the Ensemble Director.

Solo performance occurs when the performer is deemed ready by the private studio teacher, and the Academy.

Orchestra performance occurs in Winter and Spring.

Singer's Program - Includes performance class and performance.
$1200. (2 hrs/week/30 weeks). Fundamentals, ear training, sight singing, diction, audition prep, introducing concepts and literature.
$1800. (3 hrs/week) with 2 hrs Singers Classes and Performance: vocal or instrumental ensemble.
Singers are welcome to sign up to sing in the Performance Class
when their teacher says they are ready.

SATURDAY PRE-COLLEGE SCHEDULES - Effective 2009-10
50 minute sessions. Each session vacates so next session begins
on time.