Level Up Challenge
Calling all musicians! Join the Level Up Challenge, a competition judged by experts using a detailed rubric to provide valuable feedback.
Show off your musical skills by performing a solo piece for 1-2 judges during your scheduled appointment (sign up by April 2nd!). Everyone who participates will receive a certificate and a personalized rubric with feedback on their playing.
Compete for amazing prizes! Three winners will be chosen from each of the 7 skill levels based on their rubric scores. Winners will receive SOC gift cards, exciting prizes, and the chance to perform at the Level Up Showcase Concert!
Appointments are available on May 11th in Greenville and between May 6th-9th in Anderson. Ask your teacher for help choosing a piece and registering for the Level Up Challenge!
Prizes (awarded within EACH level)
1st prize: $50 SOC gift card, SOC swag gift basket, Level Up Showcase participation
2nd prize: $25 SOC gift card, SOC swag item, Level Up Showcase participation
3rd prize: $10 SOC gift card, SOC swag item, Level Up Showcase participation
All the Details
Our Level Up Challenge is open to all Membership students enrolled in private lessons and participation is highly encouraged. This event is an in-house rubric graded competition in which judges give each student a score based on their performance. Students that receive the highest scores within each Level will be eligible to win prizes and participate in the Level Up Showcase Concerts. Teachers will help students make a song selection. Song selection should display both technical and lyrical abilities.
This event will give students the opportunity to receive helpful comments from another music professional besides their usual private lessons teacher. Students will learn the dedication it takes to prepare for a performance based competition, and will learn coping skills for dealing with nerves. Students will be assigned a performance appointment time. Families with multiple participating students will be grouped together. Students should dress smart, as if they are going for a job interview.
Greenville Level Up Challenge: May 11th, by appointment,West Greenville Baptist Church
Anderson Level Up Challenge: May 6-9, by appointment, Anderson Arts Center
Students with the highest scores within each level will be asked to perform on our Level Up Showcase Concerts which will be held on the following dates.
Greenville Spring Showcase: May 17th at 7 pm, West Greenville Baptist Church
Anderson Spring Showcase: May 22nd at 7 pm, Anderson Arts Center
Registration Form
Music Level Guide
*Levels guide taken from www.hickeys.com.
Level 1 - Typical first year player
Difficulty: Very easy or “elementary.”
Time: 2/4, 3/4, 4/4.
Key: 2 keys on home side of circle of 5ths, plus maybe C (2-3 total.)
Tonality: Major & minor.
Rhythm: Whole, half, quarter notes.
Range: 5 - 8 notes.
Tessitura: same as range, minus “tricky” notes.
Dynamics: None.
Clef: Home clef only.
Length: Very short.
Level 2 - Typical second year player
Difficulty: Easy or “late elementary.”
Time: Same as Grade 1 - 2/4, 3/4, 4/4.
Key: 2 keys in home area plus C and 1 on “far” side (4 total).
Tonality: Major & minor.
Rhythm: Same as Grade 1, plus add eighths, dotted rhythms.
Range: Octave to 12th, depending on instrument.
Tessitura: Home octave.
Dynamics: p, f, mf.
Clef: Home clef only.
Length: Short.
Level 3 - Average middle school & later elementary player
Difficulty: Medium or “early intermediate.”
Time: Same as Grade 2 plus easy cut time and 6/8.
Key: 3 keys in home area plus C and 2 on “far” side (6 total).
Tonality: Major & minor.
Rhythm: Add simple 16th groupings and 16th flags on dotted eighths.
Range: 12th to octave.
Tessitura: Centers in home 10th.
Dynamics: pp. p, mp, mf, f, ff.
Clef: Home clef only.
Length: Short to medium.
Level 4 - Younger high school & later middle school player
Difficulty: Intermediate.
Time: Same as 3 but adds 3/8, 9/8, 4/2 and 12/8.
Key: 4 keys in home area plus C and 3 on far side (8 total).
Tonality: Major & minor, some Dorian, Lydian.
Rhythm: Add short simple (diatonic) 16th runs.
Range: 2 octaves.
Tessitura: Middle 12th.
Dynamics: pp thru ff plus fp.
Clef: Home clef only.
Length: Up to medium long, some multi-movement.
Level 5 - High school & early college level player
Difficulty: Medium-difficult or “late intermediate” / “early advanced.”
Time: Adds 5/4, 7/4, 3/2, etc standard meters. Standard time changes.
Key: 5 keys in home area plus C and 4 on far side (10 total). Standard key changes.
Tonality: Major & minor, Dorian, Lydian, other standard modes.
Rhythm: Add grace notes, 16th note chromatic runs, some 32nds.
Range: 2.5 octaves.
Tessitura: Middle 2 octaves, tending towards home 12th.
Clef: Home clef with brief, simple switches to next most common clef.
Dynamics: ppp thru fff plus sfz, fz, rf.
Length: Up to long, plus multi movement.
Level 6 - Typical college level player
Difficulty: Difficult or “advanced.”
Time: All times, mixed times (4 + 3/4 etc) and multiple time changes.
Key: All keys, “wrong key” & “no key” notation with dedicated accidentals.
Tonality: All modes, plus atonality.
Rhythm: All rhythms plus basic or short aleatoric sections.
Range: Full professional range as required by standard orchestral rep.
Tessitura: Central 85% of range.
Clef: Any clef as required by standard orchestral rep.
Dynamics: All or any.
Length: Any.
Level 7 - Advanced college & professional level player
Difficulty: Very difficult or “virtuostic.”
Time: All times & “none.”
Key: Same as 6.
Tonality: Same as 6 plus atonal, quarter-tonal, and alternate systems.
Rhythm: All rhythms, plus extensive aleatoric techniques.
Range: Full professional range with “athletic” hyper-extensions.
Tessitura: Anywhere in the full range.
Clef: Any.
Dynamics: All or any.
Length: Any, but especially applies to very long works.
*Levels guide taken from www.hickeys.com.