National Piano Guild

Unlike many other assessments out there, which of course have their merits, the Guild Auditions do not have a set list of pieces that students must choose from—the teacher is responsible for selecting the repertoire for each student. For the elementary levels, students can even use method book pieces. There are a few rules, but they are very reasonable; for example, students who are at intermediate levels and beyond must balance their program by choosing at least one piece in each of the four main stylistic periods, and those who study for advanced diplomas must have their programs pre-approved.

Students can play anywhere from 1 to 20 pieces. The standard audition requires everything to be memorized, but there is also a category called hobbyist, where memorization is not required. So, even if a student has tremendous difficulty in memorization, they can still participate and receive a certificate and adjudicator feedback just like everyone else. Students who enter the audition playing only one piece receive a “Pledge” certificate; if they play 2-3 pieces, they get a “Local” certificate, then District (4-6 pieces), State (7-9 pieces), National (10-14 pieces), and International (15-20 pieces). Therefore, the audition can be as easy or as difficult as the teacher feels a particular student is ready for.

Beyond Elementary A, students must be able to play the scales and cadences associated with their chosen repertoire (so if their piece is in C major, they must demonstrate to the judge how to play a C major scale followed by a cadence). The length and speed of the scales and the complexities of the cadences increase as the levels go higher. These are called the IMMT—Irreducible Minimum Musicianship Test—everyone must do it, unless they are only at the Elementary A level. This ensures that students have the “bare minimum” technical skills. Other than that, teachers and students can choose whether or not they want to do sight reading, ear training, improvisation, or more techniques such as arpeggios, chords, and even transposition. The diploma levels have more strict musicianship requirements, but for the average student, the program really can be tailored to showcase their strengths, so if a student is just terrible at sight-reading, they can choose to not do that until they become better at it next year. I am not saying sight-reading is not important; of course it is, but the syllabus allows beginners and intermediate students flexibility in designing an audition program that celebrates their strengths. As the students progress through the levels, of course, teachers should gradually increase musicianship skills as part of the audition program, and those who choose to do these extra things get rewarded by getting extra “Commendation” checks on the report card under “Added Phases.”