Alpine
The Ascent Tier 6, Levels 36-42
Alpine Level 1 (Ascent Level 36)
Dedicated to Chuck Berry
Repertoire: Any selections of rock & roll music, any instrumentation.
Instruments: Piano, voice, and 2nd instrument (required).
Technical Skill: Any three each of the following scales: Pentatonic, Whole Tone, Octatonic, and Blues, hands together, two octaves, up and down, any instrument. Chromatic scale, hands together, two/four octaves, contrary motion. Sing one Pentatonic, Whole Tone, Octatonic, and Blues scale, one octave, up and down, a cappella or accompanied, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Play 8 minutes of technical skill exercises on 2nd instrument.
Musicianship: Sing the scalar vocalises, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Sing a melody on solfege while tapping three rhythms as written. Conduct in 2, 3, and 4, while singing. Sing the chromatic scale up and down on solfege. Sing fully diminished and half diminished 7 chords in inversions, up and down.
Project: Compose and perform a pop/rock song using any pentatonic scale.
Performance: 1) Recital, 55-60 minutes, in the style of a rock concert. Any appropriate music, any instrumentation appropriate to the genre. Must play at least two instruments, and sing some solo vocals and some backup vocals. 2) Perform with a band at a secondary (middle, junior, or high) school dance.
Alpine Level 2 (Ascent Level 37)
Dedicated to Louis Moreau Gottschalk & John Philip Sousa
Repertoire: Gottschalk’s The Last Hope Op. 16, The Banjo Op. 15, Souvenir de Porto Rico (Marche de Gibaros) Op. 31; Pasquinade (Caprice), Op. 59, plus any other selections of choice by Gottschalk or Sousa, any instrument.
Instruments: Piano, voice, and 2nd instrument (required).
Technical Skill: Any three each of the following scales: Pentatonic, Whole Tone, Octatonic, and Blues, hands together, two octaves, up and down, any instrument. Chromatic scale, hands together, two/four octaves, contrary motion. Sing one Pentatonic, Whole Tone, Octatonic, and Blues scale, one octave, up and down, a cappella or accompanied, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Play 8 minutes of technical skill exercises on 2nd instrument.
Musicianship: Sing the scalar vocalises, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Sing a melody on solfege while tapping three rhythms as written. Conduct in 2, 3, and 4, while singing. Sing the chromatic scale up and down on solfege. Sing fully diminished and half diminished 7 chords in inversions, up and down.
Project: Compose a rhapsody on a folk song and perform in your recital.
Performance: 1) Recital, 55-60 minutes, including minimum 5 minutes singing in primary and secondary language. 2nd instrument required. 2) Participate in a marching band, at a public sporting event or parade, before a live audience, as instrumentalist or drum major, including requisite rehearsals and performance.
Alpine Level 3 (Ascent Level 38)
Dedicated to Cécile Chaminade
Repertoire: All Chaminade, including two selections from Album des enfants, Op. 123, two selections from Album des enfants, Op. 126, Piano Sonata in C minor Op.21, L'Ondine Op.101, plusany other Chaminade selections, any instrument.
Instruments: Piano, voice, and 2nd instrument (required).
Technical Skill: Any three each of the following scales: Pentatonic, Whole Tone, Octatonic, and Blues, hands together, two octaves, up and down, any instrument. Chromatic scale, hands together, two/four octaves, contrary motion. Sing one Pentatonic, Whole Tone, Octatonic, and Blues scale, one octave, up and down, a cappella or accompanied, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Play 8 minutes of technical skill exercises on 2nd instrument.
Musicianship: Sing the scalar vocalises, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Sing a melody on solfege while tapping three rhythms as written. Conduct in 2, 3, and 4, while singing. Sing the chromatic scale up and down on solfege. Sing fully diminished and half diminished 7 chords in inversions, up and down.
Project: Compose a choral piece, and rehearse and perform as the conductor.
Performance: 1) Recital, 55-60 minutes, including minimum 5 minutes singing in primary and secondary language. 2nd instrument required. 2) Lead the music at a Catholic mass, either as the piano accompanist, choir director, or cantor. Participate in requisite rehearsals prior to the performance.
Alpine Level 4 (Ascent Level 39)
Dedicated to Franz Liszt
Repertoire: All Liszt, including Liebestraum No. 3, Un Sospiro, one Etude of choice, one Hungarian Rhapsody of choice, one Mephisto Waltz of choice, plus any other Liszt selections, any instrument.
Instruments: Piano, voice, and 2nd instrument (required).
Technical Skill: Any three each of the following scales: Pentatonic, Whole Tone, Octatonic, and Blues, hands together, two octaves, up and down, any instrument. Chromatic scale, hands together, two/four octaves, contrary motion. Sing one Pentatonic, Whole Tone, Octatonic, and Blues scale, one octave, up and down, a cappella or accompanied, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Play 8 minutes of technical skill exercises on 2nd instrument.
Musicianship: Sing the scalar vocalises, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Sing a melody on solfege while tapping three rhythms as written. Conduct in 2, 3, and 4, while singing. Sing the chromatic scale up and down on solfege. Sing fully diminished and half diminished 7 chords in inversions, up and down.
Project: Compose/arrange a transcription of an orchestral work for solo piano and perform in your recital.
Performance: Recital, 55-60 minutes, including minimum 5 minutes singing in primary and secondary language. 2nd instrument required.
Alpine Level 5 (Ascent Level 40)
Dedicated to Hazel Scott
Repertoire: All Boogie-Woogie and related music, including at least 50% that Hazel Scott arranged or performed, plus any other Boogie-Woogie selections (piano, memorized) or Jump Blues (multi-instrumental).
Instruments: Piano, voice, and 2nd instrument (required).
Technical Skill: Any three each of the following scales: Pentatonic, Whole Tone, Octatonic, and Blues, hands together, two octaves, up and down, any instrument. Chromatic scale, hands together, two/four octaves, contrary motion. Sing one Pentatonic, Whole Tone, Octatonic, and Blues scale, one octave, up and down, a cappella or accompanied, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Play 8 minutes of technical skill exercises on 2nd instrument.
Musicianship: Sing the scalar vocalises, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Sing a melody on solfege while tapping three rhythms as written. Conduct in 2, 3, and 4, while singing. Sing the chromatic scale up and down on solfege. Sing fully diminished and half diminished 7 chords in inversions, up and down.
Project: Transcribe and arrange at least one Boogie-Woogie selection and one Jump Blues selection, and perform each at your recital.
Performance: Recital, 55-60 minutes, including minimum 5 minutes singing in primary and secondary language. 2nd instrument required.
Alpine Level 6 (Ascent Level 41)
Dedicated to Serge Prokofiev & Alexander Scriabin
Repertoire: All Prokofiev and Scriabin, including one full Prokofiev Sonata (all movements), Suggestion Diabolique Op. 4 No. 4, and Toccata in D Minor; Scriabin’s Op. 11 Two Poems (both pieces), Etude No. 12 in D-sharp Minor, plusany other Prokofiev or Scriabin selections, any instrument.
Instruments: Piano, voice, and 2nd and 3rd instruments (required).
Technical Skill: Any three each of the following scales: Pentatonic, Whole Tone, Octatonic, and Blues, hands together, two octaves, up and down, any instrument. Chromatic scale, hands together, two/four octaves, contrary motion. Sing one Pentatonic, Whole Tone, Octatonic, and Blues scale, one octave, up and down, a cappella or accompanied, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Play 8 minutes of technical skill exercises on 2nd instrument, and 4 minutes of technical skill exercises on 3rd instrument.
Musicianship: Sing the scalar vocalises, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Sing a melody on solfege while tapping three rhythms as written. Conduct in 2, 3, and 4, while singing. Sing the chromatic scale up and down on solfege. Sing fully diminished and half diminished 7 chords in inversions, up and down.
Project: Compose a chamber work or jazz combo using a whole tone or octatonic scale, rehearse and perform/record.
Performance: Recital, 55-60 minutes, including minimum 8 minutes singing in primary and two secondary languages. 2nd and 3rd instruments required.
Alpine Level 7 (Ascent Level 42)
Dedicated to George Gershwin
Repertoire: All Gershwin, including Rialto Ripples; Three Preludes for Piano; Rhapsody in Blue, plus any other Gershwin selections, any instrument.
Instruments: Piano, voice, and 2nd and 3rd instruments (required).
Technical Skill: Any three each of the following scales: Pentatonic, Whole Tone, Octatonic, and Blues, hands together, two octaves, up and down, any instrument. Chromatic scale, hands together, two/four octaves, contrary motion. Sing one Pentatonic, Whole Tone, Octatonic, and Blues scale, one octave, up and down, a cappella or accompanied, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Play 8 minutes of technical skill exercises on 2nd instrument, and 4 minutes of technical skill exercises on 3rd instrument.
Musicianship: Sing the scalar vocalises, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Sing a melody on solfege while tapping three rhythms as written. Conduct in 2, 3, and 4, while singing. Sing the chromatic scale up and down on solfege. Sing fully diminished and half diminished 7 chords in inversions, up and down.
Project: 1) Compose a 12-bar blues for combo, any appropriate instrumentation. 2) Compose and perform a ragtime, stride, or novelty piece for piano. 3) Arrange a public domain piano piece for wind or brass ensemble (such as concert band, jazz band, brass quintet, etc.).
Performance: 1) Recital, 55-60 minutes, including minimum 8 minutes singing in primary and two secondary languages. 2nd and 3rd instruments required. 2) Accompany a full musical or opera for rehearsals and at least three full performances in the pit or as conductor.