Guest Post on NFMC by Ann Robinett

This is the first in a new series that will be exploring professional organizations for voice teachers.  I will be writing a little about some organizations and the programs they offer, and I've also asked a few people to do guest posts.  

Today we have a guest post from Ann Robinett about the National Federation of Music Clubs.  

As a long-time teacher of piano and voice, I have enjoyed my associate with the National Federation of Music Clubs for over 30 years. The organization has more than 200,000 members throughout the United States. Membership is open to senior, student, and junior members who form community and state clubs.

Federated in 1898, NFMC was created to promote music education as well as the creative and performing arts. One of its primary goals is to promote all aspects of American music.

NFMC is chartered by the Congress of the United States and is the only music organization affiliate with the United Nations.

Awards are available on local, state, and national levels. Each year NFMC provides over three-quarters of a million dollars for awards for performers and composers of all ages. Performance opportunities are offered through the Festival program, with 117,000 juniors AND adults being adjudicated each year.

Participants can earn points toward festival cups by playing piano, strings, organ, winds, brass, and voice. Festival cups are also earned in composition, theory, sight-reading, ensembles, and dance.

Collegiate awards are available in voice, piano, and many instruments.

Every two years auditions are held for young musicians who are ready to pursue concert careers. The national winner of each division wins a $10,000 award as well as a two-year contract for personal appearances throughout the country.

NFMC offers a wide variety of performance and awards for musicians of all ages and levels of study from the young beginner to the virtuoso. Innumerable programs offer assistance to teachers for their own progress and the progress of their students. 

For a more complete overview of the National Federation of Music Clubs, please go to the website at www.nfmc-music.org 

Contests, Festivals, and Other Learning Opportunities

My goal in this post is to explore a few of the performance and learning opportunities for students outside of regular lesson and practice time.  These are things I know about, not necessarily things I am offering to my students right now.  Please feel free to comment to add more information about specific events or programs.  Also add programs that I might not be aware of.

We'll start small with a couple of additions that can happen just with your studio.

Recitals

Most teachers offer recitals.  Where we differ is the number or structure of those recitals. How many recitals do you offer each year?  Are recitals open to anyone who wants to attend, or do you make them for just the students?  Do you charge for your recitals? Admission?  Accompanist fees?  How formal are your recitals?  In reality, a recital could be all your students in their nicest clothing, performing memorized in a rented concert hall, for anyone will to pay the admission price, with catered refreshments, of course.  Or, a recital could be a pajama party in your studio where only students attend and they munch on their favorite breakfast cereals as they sit on the floor and listen to each other sing.  

Studio Classes

I tend to think of recitals being performance oriented and studio classes being learning oriented.  Often my students perform at studio class, but we then give some feedback on what we saw and heard.  Sometimes it will be similar to a master class where I work with the students in front of the group.  Other times, I don't have enough students that want to sing or are sufficiently prepared to sing, so I present mini-workshops.  

Masterclasses

At our school, I prepare the students, but the planning and organization for the day, and any associated fees are taken care of my the choir department.  I also know many teachers that hire clinicians to do masterclasses for just their studio.  I've also seen teachers offer joint masterclasses for their students.  

Solo and Ensemble Contest

Contests are great ways to feedback from someone besides the student's regular teachers.  Many schools offer Solo and Ensemble Contest through their choir departments.  Ask your students if they plan to be involved.  Ask the local choir teachers if they offer this and if you can select the music and prepare your students for it.  

National Association of Teachers of Singing

MN-NATS sponsors students adjudications every fall.  Many other states have similar programs.  The MN program is for students 14 years old through adult avocational, and is strictly classical repertoire.  

Hal Leonard Vocal Competition

Click here for the rules for 2014.  One of the reasons I started offering this option to my students is that it has a 12 and under category, so my youngest students get opportunities.  Since the 2nd year, they have also offered a musical theatre category, which again interests more students than I might get for  NATS which is strictly classical.  

National Federation of Music Clubs

I grew up with NFMC and participated in many local festivals in the voice, organ, and piano categories. In the local association festivals, students can sing in either musical theatre or classical categories.  They do have options for young children, and I just found out that my local association also offers adults the opportunity to sing for festival.  I am not currently a member because I'm spread too thin right now, but I would love to get back to this at some point in the future.  

Music Teachers National Association

Our state division of MTNA, Minnesota Music Teachers Association, offers wonderful educational programs.  In my studio, I am currently offering MMTA Theory Exams, Voice Exams, Voice Contest, and Young Artist Contest.  I have not yet added the MTNA competitions, but I'm interested in learning more.  

Royal Conservatory Music Development Program

This is another program that I am very interested in, but simply don't have the time to commit to at this point.  Exams cover vocal skills, theory, and performance.  Another benefit of this, as pointed out by a parent who wants me to add this for her child, is that the standards and testing are global.  A student that could pass the test here, would also be able to pass the test in any part of the world where the program is offered.  

Music Camps

I have wonderful memories of the music camps I attended and the people I met there. Many colleges and universities offer camps for middle school and/or high school students. Check with local music and theatre organizations to see what they offer.  

What do you offer your students outside of regular lesson time?  How have you selected the options that work best for your studio?