2016 Virginia Music Educators Association (VMEA)

Audition Dates:

• May 7, 2016 • May 14, 2016 Audition locations and sign ups will be posted at www.vmea.com by February 15.

Audition Fee is $20 payable to: Heritage High School

Eligibility: Incoming 10 - 12 Grade Students enrolled in a music class in school; teacher must be a member of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME).

Should you win the audition to participate in the AVGE, you will be required to pay a fee of approximately $220 to cover food and lodging. Some school districts may give financial assistance for this event. You are encouraged to discuss this ahead of time with your teacher and administrators. Tentative Itinerary for the 2016 AVGE • Rehearsals:

• November 16 (evening) • November 17 (all day) • November 18 (morning)

• Performance on November 18 (afternoon)

All-Virginia Guitar Ensemble (AVGE) Audition Information & Materials

Photo from the 2015 All-Virginia Guitar Ensemble with Alan Hirsh, conductor

Contact: Dr. Kevin Vigil E-mail: kevin.Vigil@lcps.org

Photo from the 2015 All-Virginia Guitar Ensemble with Alan Hirsh, conductor

Photo from the 2015 All-Virginia Guitar Ensemble with Alan Hirsh, conductor

Audition Requirements

E Major Scale - 3 Octaves (See music included in this packet)

• 15 Points (out of 100) • 5 Points for correct notes • 5 Points for fluid, steady rhythm • 5 Points for tone quality (left and right hand

techniques)

Sight Reading (See the sight reading exercise from the 2015 audition) • 10 Points (out of 100)

• 5 Points for correct notes, rhythms and markings • 5 Points for steady rhythmic pulse

Ensemble Excerpt Prepare the Guitar 1 part from measures 1 - 49 of Pictures on a Train by Matthew Denman (published by Les Productions d’Oz). You will be asked to play an excerpt of approximately 20 measures. (Play mm. 27 - 48 with the top staff of mm. 45 - 48)

Music is available at www.vmea.com 1. Click on PROGRAMS 2. Click on ALL-Virginia Guitar Ensemble 3. Click DZ2ff8_G1_VMEA.pdf4. The password to open the pdf is: vmea2016

• 40 Points (out of 100) • 10 Points for correct notes and rhythms • 10 Points for tone quality from right hand and

left hand techniques • 10 Points for musicality: dynamics, phrasing,

interpretation • 10 Points for overall quality of preparation

Solo: Canarios by Gaspar Sanz (You must use the edition included in this packet) • 35 Points (out of 100)

• 10 Points for correct notes and rhythms • 10 Points for tone quality from right hand and

left hand techniques • 10 Points for musicality: dynamics, phrasing,

interpretation • 5 Points for overall quality of preparation

Dr. Matthew Denman, conductor for the 2016 All-Virginia Guitar Ensemble

Matthew Denman is the Instructor of Guitar at Oklahoma City University, Director of Education for the Guitar Foundation of America, Director of the Celedonio Romero Guitar Institute, founder of the Oklahoma Guitar Orchestra, and former Director of Guitar at Classen School of Advanced Studies. Matthew is a student of Pepe Romero who has said, "What José Antonio Abreu is to El Sistema, Matt Denman is to the Celedonio Romero Guitar Institute."

Recently, the Oklahoma City University Guitar Studio has won three national awards including first place at the 2015 GFA Ensemble Showcase and the UT Brownsville guitar festival and competition. In just three years, six OCU guitar graduate students have secured higher education positions as professors of guitar. In the spring of 2014, the OCU guitar studio performed on stage with Ballet Oklahoma for the world premiere of the reinvented Carmen.

Awards and honors include New Mexico Guitar Festival Artist in Residence (2016), the GFA Augustine Award for excellence in guitar education (2013), Images of Excellence Award (2013, 2012, 2010, 2009), and Teacher of the Year (2010-2011 Classen SAS). In the summer of 2013 Matthew was featured on the cover of Soundboard magazine Vol 39 No. 2. In 2015, Matthew conducted Brad Richter's Once We Moved Like The Wind with Carlos Bonell (Royal College of Music), Brad Richter, and the OCU guitar ensemble. He hosted the 2015 Guitar Foundation of America convention held at Oklahoma City University. During the convention, Matthew premiered his guitar orchestra piece, Picture on a Train, which has become very popular with guitar programs across the nation. In 2015, the vocal guitar duo Crouse Denman was formed featuring Dr. Courtney Crouse and Matthew Denman. Soon after, they performed for the OK Mozart Festival and the Romero Guitar Institute. The duo’s repertoire includes Spanish, modern, and early music.

The sight reading portion from the 2015 audition is included for reference as you practice your sight reading skills.