Students Registered for Sight Reading Examinations January 7 (snow date January 14)
​     Room and Time listed HERE when this information has been received:



 (Dr. Lee will give each student a printed judging sheet to take this exam).

Be sure you write the correct room and time information on your judging sheet if you have exchanged with someone)



Festival Location:
George Mason University, Music Theatre Building (MTB)4379 Mason Pond DrFairfax, VA 22030


​

Virginia Music Teachers Association
Sight Reading Exams

Skills Day: Keyboard & Sight Reading
January 7, 2024
(Snow date January 14, 2024)

Application Deadine:
​December 1, 2023

Students may request AM or PM time frame.



 GUIDELINES

Students must bring 1 rating sheet for each skill being tested.  The teacher must download them for you from mtfest.com.  They will be available after the schedule is published and you'll be given them at your very next lesson!

Teachers must agree to abide by the Teacher Responsibilities.

No make-up exams will be given for any reason.

Due to the number of exams being given, the paucity of volunteers, and the difficulty of scheduling adjacent exams for those students testing on two or more skills, please ask your students to save the whole day, and understand that time requests, nor requests for make-ups can be honored.
WHAT TO EXPECT

The student will be asked to look over two separate copies of music to familiarize herself with the piece.  Two pieces will be used for sight reading except for levels 10,11 and 12 where only one piece will be used.

The judge will ask questions and possibly ask the student to tap a rhythm, hands separate, or together.

The student may be asked to count aloud.

In long pieces, the judge reserves the right to stop the performance before the end of the piece.

Sight reading terminology will be based on the VMTA Terms list and signs that each student has prepared for their VMTA Theory Exam.

CORRECT USE OF FINGERING will be a factor in every level.

All knowledge of prior levels is cumulative.

Sample Questions:

What is the time (or meter) signature?  What does the bottom number mean?

How many dotted half notes are there in this piece?

On the fall board, with both hands, tap the rhythm of measures 3 and 4.

Point out the first phrase.  Tap the rhythm of that phrase.

EVERY FAMILY may download a
VMTA SIGHT READING SYLLABUS here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1r0_cCJ9iXfCwdSB2qhjFto0Q6yd0hYAU/view?usp=sharing


The only preparation in our studio for this exam is your daily preparation of new pieces for your lessons, your pencilwork and organized practice plans that enable you to focus on various aspects of new pieces, and any supporting sight reading books younger students complete as part of their weekly practice.

​This event is required for participation in District Auditions.
is event is a pre-requisite for Northern District Auditions (NDA).  The requirements for NDA are listed below:

Audition Level

Time Limit
I-A    5 minutes

I-B   10 minutes

II-    15 minutes

III-    20 minutes
​
  Sight Reading Graide Theory Level
LEVEL I-A  SR1   Gr.K       (T)1A 
LEVEL I-A  SR 1   Gr. 2     (T)  1A 
  I-A         SR 1      Gr 3      (T)  1B
I-A           SR2    Gr 4         (T)  1B       
I-B           SR2     Gr 5        (T)   2A
I-B           SR 3     Gr 6       (T)  2B
II               SR 4     Gr 7      (T)  3A
II               SR 5     Gr 8      (T)  4
II               SR 6     Gr 9      (T)   5      
II                SR 7     Gr 10    (T)   5              
III              SR 8      Gr  11    (T)  6
III              SR 9      Gr 12     (T) 7

Location  

DATE AND PLACE
Sunday, January TBD, 2024, All Day
George Mason University,Music Theater Building (MTB), 4379 Mason Pond Dr, Fairfax, VA 22030
REGISTRATION DEADLINE:  December 11, 2022