Forest
The Ascent Tier 3, Levels 15-21
Forest Level 1 (Ascent Level 15)
Dedicated to Amy Beach
Repertoire: Three selections from Amy Beach’s Children's Carnival: Promenade, Harlequin, and one additional selection. Any other repertoire, any instrument. Consider music by Louis Streabbog, Albert Ellmenreich, Friedrich Burgmüller, Stephen Heller, Robert Schumann, selections from the Anna Magdalena Notebook, the Notebook for Maria Anna (Nannerl), Amy Beach, Clementi Sonatinas, and J.S. Bach Inventions.
Instruments: Piano, voice, and 2nd instrument (required).
Technical Skill: Any three major scales, and any three natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales, hands together, three octaves and four octaves, up and down, plus the cadence I-IV-I-ii-V-V7-I or i-iv-i-ii°-V-V7-i using common tones. Play the tonic arpeggios, each inversion, one octave, up and down. Play a chromatic scale, three octaves and four octaves, up and down, hands together. Sing a major, natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor scale one octave, up and down, plus the Do Fa Do Re So Do pattern, a cappella or accompanied, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Play 1 minute of technical skill exercises on any 2nd instrument.
Musicianship: Sing the defined major, harmonic minor, and melodic minor mode vocalises, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Sing a melody on solfege while tapping two rhythms as written. Conduct in 2, 3, and 4, while counting subdivisions of two (8th notes), then while counting subdivisions of three (triplets), and then while counting subdivisions of four (16th notes). Sing the chromatic scale up and down on solfege. Sing major and minor mode triads in inversions, up and down.
Project: Set to music Circus by Eleanor Farjeon and perform in your recital.
Performance: Recital, 20-25 minutes, including minimum 3 minutes singing in primary and secondary language. 2nd instrument required.
Forest Level 2 (Ascent Level 16)
Dedicated to George M. Cohan
Repertoire: Any repertoire.
Instruments: Piano, voice, and 2nd instrument (required).
Technical Skill: Any three major scales, and any three natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales, hands together, three octaves and four octaves, up and down, plus the cadence I-IV-I-ii-V-V7-I or i-iv-i-ii°-V-V7-i using common tones. Play the tonic arpeggios, each inversion, two octaves, up and down. Play a chromatic scale, three octaves and four octaves, up and down, hands together. Sing a major, natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor scale one octave, up and down, plus the Do Fa Do Re So Do pattern, a cappella or accompanied, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Play 1 minute of technical skill exercises on any 2nd instrument.
Musicianship: Sing the defined major, harmonic minor, and melodic minor mode vocalises, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Sing a melody on solfege while tapping two rhythms as written. Conduct in 2, 3, and 4, while counting subdivisions of two (8th notes), then while counting subdivisions of three (triplets), and then while counting subdivisions of four (16th notes). Sing the chromatic scale up and down on solfege. Sing major and minor mode triads in inversions, up and down.
Project: Set to music My People by Langston Hughes and perform.
Performance: 1) Perform any instrument in a talent show for a live audience. 2) Accompany an act, such as a dance or magic trick, on the piano or any other instrument. 3) Perform a speaking role, such as emcee or actor, in any public performance before a live audience.
Forest Level 3 (Ascent Level 17)
Dedicated to Muzio Clementi
Repertoire: Two Clementi Sonatinas. Any other repertoire, any instrument. Consider music by Louis Streabbog, Albert Ellmenreich, Friedrich Burgmüller, Stephen Heller, and Robert Schumann, selections from the Anna Magdalena Notebook, the Notebook for Maria Anna (Nannerl), Amy Beach, Clementi Sonatinas, and J.S. Bach Inventions.
Instruments: Piano, voice, and 2nd instrument (required).
Technical Skill: Any three major scales, and any three natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales, hands together, three octaves and four octaves, up and down, plus the cadence I-IV-I-ii-V-V7-I or i-iv-i-ii°-V-V7-i using common tones. Play the tonic arpeggios, each inversion, three octaves, up and down. Play the dominant 7 arpeggios, each inversion, one octave, up and down. Play a chromatic scale, three octaves and four octaves, up and down, hands together. Sing a major, natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor scale one octave, up and down, plus the Do Fa Do Re So Do pattern, a cappella or accompanied, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Play 2 minutes of technical skill exercises on any 2nd instrument.
Musicianship: Sing the defined major, harmonic minor, and melodic minor mode vocalises, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Sing a melody on solfege while tapping two rhythms as written. Conduct in 2, 3, and 4, while counting subdivisions of two (8th notes), then while counting subdivisions of three (triplets), and then while counting subdivisions of four (16th notes). Sing the chromatic scale up and down on solfege. Sing major and minor mode triads in inversions, up and down.
Project: Set to music She Walks in Beauty by Lord Byron (George Gordon) and perform in your recital.
Perofmance: Recital, 25-30 minutes, including minimum 3 minutes singing in primary and secondary language. 2nd instrument required.
Forest Level 4 (Ascent Level 18)
Dedicated to Dmitri Kabalevsky & Béla Bartók
Repertoire: Any music by Dmitri Kabalevsky and Béla Bartók (2-3 works from each composer). Any other repertoire, any instrument. Consider music by Louis Streabbog, Albert Ellmenreich, Friedrich Burgmüller, Stephen Heller, and Robert Schumann, selections from the Anna Magdalena Notebook, the Notebook for Maria Anna (Nannerl), Amy Beach, Clementi Sonatinas, and J.S. Bach Inventions.
Instruments: Piano, voice, and 2nd instrument (required).
Technical Skill: Any three major scales, and any three natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales, hands together, three octaves and four octaves, up and down, plus the cadence I-IV-I-ii-V-V7-I or i-iv-i-ii°-V-V7-i using common tones. Play the tonic arpeggios, each inversion, four octaves, up and down. Play the dominant 7 arpeggios, each inversion, two octaves, up and down. Play a chromatic scale, three octaves and four octaves, up and down, hands together. Sing a major, natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor scale one octave, up and down, plus the Do Fa Do Re So Do pattern, a cappella or accompanied, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Play 2 minutes of technical skill exercises on any 2nd instrument.
Musicianship: Sing the defined major, harmonic minor, and melodic minor mode vocalises, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Sing a melody on solfege while tapping two rhythms as written. Conduct in 2, 3, and 4, while counting subdivisions of two (8th notes), then while counting subdivisions of three (triplets), and then while counting subdivisions of four (16th notes). Sing the chromatic scale up and down on solfege. Sing major and minor mode triads in inversions, up and down.
Project: Set to music Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll and perform in your recital.
Performance: Recital, 25-30 minutes, including minimum 3 minutes singing in primary and secondary language. 2nd instrument required.
Forest Level 5 (Ascent Level 19)
Dedicated to The Bach Brothers (C.P.E., J.C., W.F., & J.C.F. Bach)
Repertoire: C.P.E. Bach’s Solfeggietto, plus one additional work from each composer, C.P.E. Bach, J.C. Bach, W.F. Bach, & J.C.F. Bach. Any other repertoire, any instrument. Consider music by Louis Streabbog, Albert Ellmenreich, Friedrich Burgmüller, Stephen Heller, and Robert Schumann, selections from the Anna Magdalena Notebook, the Notebook for Maria Anna (Nannerl), Amy Beach, Clementi Sonatinas, and J.S. Bach Inventions.
Instruments: Piano, voice, and 2nd instrument (required).
Technical Skill: Any three major scales, and any three natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales, hands together, three octaves and four octaves, up and down, plus the cadence I-IV-I-ii-V-V7-I or i-iv-i-ii°-V-V7-i using common tones. Play the tonic arpeggios, each inversion, four octaves, up and down. Play the dominant 7 arpeggios, each inversion, three octaves, up and down. Play a chromatic scale, three octaves and four octaves, up and down, hands together. Sing a major, natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor scale one octave, up and down, plus the Do Fa Do Re So Do pattern, a cappella or accompanied, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Play 2 minutes of technical skill exercises on any 2nd instrument.
Musicianship: Sing the defined major, harmonic minor, and melodic minor mode vocalises, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Sing a melody on solfege while tapping two rhythms as written. Conduct in 2, 3, and 4, while counting subdivisions of two (8th notes), then while counting subdivisions of three (triplets), and then while counting subdivisions of four (16th notes). Sing the chromatic scale up and down on solfege. Sing major and minor mode triads in inversions, up and down.
Project: Set to music Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? by William Shakespeare and perform in your recital.
Recital: 30-35 minutes, including minimum 3 minutes singing in primary and secondary language. 2nd instrument required.
Forest Level 6 (Ascent Level 20)
Dedicated to Stephen Sondheim
Repertoire: None (see Performance, below). Recommended study of Sondheim and other musical theater.
Instruments: Piano, voice, and 2nd instrument (required).
Technical Skill: Any three major scales, and any three natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales, hands together, three octaves and four octaves, up and down, plus the cadence I-IV-I-ii-V-V7-I or i-iv-i-ii°-V-V7-i using common tones. Play the tonic arpeggios, each inversion, four octaves, up and down. Play the dominant 7 arpeggios, each inversion, four octaves, up and down. Play a chromatic scale, three octaves and four octaves, up and down, hands together. Sing a major, natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor scale one octave, up and down, plus the Do Fa Do Re So Do pattern, a cappella or accompanied, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Play 2 minutes of technical skill exercises on any 2nd instrument.
Musicianship: Sing the defined major, harmonic minor, and melodic minor mode vocalises, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Sing a melody on solfege while tapping two rhythms as written. Conduct in 2, 3, and 4, while counting subdivisions of two (8th notes), then while counting subdivisions of three (triplets), and then while counting subdivisions of four (16th notes). Sing the chromatic scale up and down on solfege. Sing major and minor mode triads in inversions, up and down.
Project: Set to music The Walrus and the Carpenter by Lewis Carroll (1871) and perform.
Performance: Participate in musical theater rehearsal and performance as a singer, actor, and/or chorus. 2) Participate in musical theater rehearsal and performance as an instrumentalist. Submit program and photo evidence.
Forest Level 7 (Ascent Level 21)
Dedicated to Domenico Scarlatti
Repertoire: Scarlatti’s Sonata in E Major, K. 380, plus one or more additional selected work by Scarlatti, any instrument. Any other repertoire, any instrument.
Instruments: Piano, voice, and 2nd instrument (required).
Technical Skill: Any three major scales, and any three natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales, hands together, three octaves and four octaves, up and down, plus the cadence I-IV-I-ii-V-V7-I or i-iv-i-ii°-V-V7-i using common tones. Play the tonic arpeggios, each inversion, four octaves, up and down. Play the dominant 7 arpeggios, each inversion, four octaves, up and down. Play a chromatic scale, three octaves and four octaves, up and down, hands together. Sing a major, natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor scale one octave, up and down, plus the Do Fa Do Re So Do pattern, a cappella or accompanied, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Play 2 minutes of technical skill exercises on any 2nd instrument.
Musicianship: Sing the defined major, harmonic minor, and melodic minor mode vocalises, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Sing a melody on solfege while tapping two rhythms as written. Conduct in 2, 3, and 4, while counting subdivisions of two (8th notes), then while counting subdivisions of three (triplets), and then while counting subdivisions of four (16th notes). Sing the chromatic scale up and down on solfege. Sing major and minor mode triads in inversions, up and down.
Project: Set to music A Song for St. Cecilia's Day by John Dryden (1687) and perform in your recital.
Recital: 30-35 minutes, including minimum 3 minutes singing in primary and secondary language. 2nd instrument required.