Outstanding Accompanist

Outstanding Accompanist auditions are held to recognize those students who contribute significantly to the choral programs of the state with outstanding choral accompanying. Candidates must be able to play the accompaniments and vocal parts for the music of an All-State choir and must demonstrate the ability to follow a director. District winners will be chosen for each of the five All-State choirs, and a state winner will be chosen from this pool.  The state winner will accompany Alabama at the All-State concerts.  District and State OA winners are honored at the All-State Concert.

1 Eligibility

  • Students in grades 7-12 may choose to audition as Outstanding Accompanist on the music for any of the five All-State Choirs: HS SATB, HS SSA, HS TTBB, MS Mixed, or MS Treble.
  • A candidate is eligible to audition for more than one All-State Choir, but may only be selected as the winner for one choir.
  • An OCS candidate must have an overall C average or above and be enrolled in the high school choral program.
  • OA nominees are NOT required to have been members of an All-State Choir the previous year, but must audition to sing in an All-State Choir the same year as the OA audition. If a nominee is selected as a District OA winner, but is not accepted to sing in All-State, he/she is still expected to attend the All-State Concert in order to accept the trophy.
  • A student who is selected as a district or state OA winner may audition in subsequent years.
  • The choral director must be a member of AVA/NAfME (NAfME.org).
  • If a school is on the block system, students who are enrolled for one semester in that school year will be eligible for all AVA activities during that entire school year.
  • AVA recognizes and includes homeschool choirs with the following stipulation: homeschool choirs must meet at least weekly for students to be eligible to participate in AVA adjudicated assessments or to audition for All-State Choirs.
  • Students must be in good standing with their choral department and their school to participate in any AVA event.
  • A director may nominate as many students from his/her school program as are eligible.

2 Music and Résumé

  • Each OA candidate should learn the piano accompaniment and the vocal parts for all of the All-State selections plus Alabama for the choir(s) for which they plan to audition. In the case of four-hand music, the candidate should be able to play either part.
  • Candidates should be able to follow a conductor as they play accompaniments and vocal parts.
  • Students, with the directors help, must compile the Outstanding Accompanist Résumé that contains Form 6.4 as the cover page and the additional components listed below, and bind them IN THIS ORDER:
    1. OA Résumé Form 6.4 as the cover page
    2. A current photograph
    3. A list of musical honors received
    4. A letter of recommendation from school choral director
    5. A letter of recommendation from piano teacher
     

3 Application for District Level OA

  • A complete audition application includes:
    1. OCS/OA/ME Registration Form 6.1
    2. OCS/OA/ME Student List Form 6.2
    3. school check made out to Alabama Vocal Association or signed school Purchase Order for Total Fees
    4. a copy of your NAfME card
  • Outstanding Accompanist registration fees include:
    • $40.00 school fee (there is only one school fee for OCS, OA, and ME for each school)
    • $10.00 fee for each student
    • ($50.00 late fee if registering after the deadline)
  • Mail your complete application by the deadline to your District Chairman.
  • No applications will be accepted later than one week prior to audition/interview date.
  • Directors must have current NAfME membership in order for their students to participate. If your membership is not current when you submit the registration, be prepared to present proof of membership (NAfME card or cancelled check to NAfME) when you register at the registration desk.

4   The Audition

  • Directors will receive notification of the audition time(s) after the complete registration application has been received and the OA times have been scheduled. 
  • Directors should arrive at the OCS audition site for registration at least one hour prior to the first scheduled warm-up time.
  • Directors should bring to the registration desk three copies of the Outstanding Accompanist Résumé for each applicant.
  • Appropriate audition attire consists of comfortable, flattering dress clothes. Men should wear dress slacks and a dress shirt or sweater. Ties and jackets are welcome, but not required. Ladies should wear dresses or nice slacks/skirts with a blouse or sweater. Skirts should be knee-length or longer. Both men and women should wear appropriate dress shoes rather than tennis shoes, flip-flops or sandals.
  • Auditions will be judged by a panel of two or three judges who will read the résumé prior to the audition.
  • During the audition, adjudicators will announce an excerpt for each piece, including Alabama, and students will play it, following a conductor. Then they will play selected excerpts of vocal parts as requested by the judges.
  • The panel of judges will select an HS SATB, HS SSA, HS TTBB, MS Mixed, or MS Treble winner from each district, if there are qualified candidates.
  • The two components of the total score for each candidate shall be the resume and the audition, with the audition being of primary importance.
  • The choral directors of all of the OA participants will be notified by phone call or email within 24 hours after the auditions as to the results of the audition.
  • The district chairman will return the candidate resumes to the director at or after the OA audition.

5   State Level Auditions

  • There is no separate registration form for for State OA candidates; however, directors of district winners are responsible for providing the same resumes as for the district audition. These resumes should be delivered to the District Chairman one week prior to the All-State Festival.
  • Auditions will be held in a designated room at the All-State site on the Wednesday afternoon and evening before All-State begins on Thursday.  A group photograph will be taken during this time.  District Chairs will notify directors of OA candidates about time of arrival for the audition.
  • The music requirement, performance and interview process, attire standards, and scoring rubric are the same as at the district level.
  • The panel of adjudicators will be chosen by the AVA President. District Chairs will not score their own District representatives. One overall State OA winner will be chosen, if there is a qualified candidate.

6   District and State OA Winners

  • The state OA winner will be announced on Thursday or Friday to all of the All-State Choral students.
  • The winner will accompany Alabama at the middle school and high school All-State concert and will receive a trophy and a scholarship award.
  • The remaining District OA winners will receive trophies at the All-State festival.
  • The school of the State winner will receive a plaque.

7   Scholarships

  • All AVA scholarships will be paid directly to the college in which the recipient is enrolled. It is the responsibility of each AVA scholarship recipient to notify the Executive Secretary of his/her college enrollment in order for payment to be made. Students will forfeit the AVA scholarship if they fail to use it within five (5) years.

 

 

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