NZSM Young Musicians Programme

About the Young Musicians Programme

NZSM Young Musicians Programme (YMP) was established in 1999 to enhance the opportunities available to gifted young musicians to prepare for future tertiary study in music. YMP is an auditioned Saturday programme designed to supplement regular private tuition and the school music curriculum. Students work with the cream of New Zealand’s performers, composers and music educators as well as overseas visitors and faculty from the New Zealand School of Music.

NZSM Young Musicians Programme, formerly known as ”the Academy“, has gained widespread recognition through YMP students being selected for the NZSO National Youth Orchestra, NZ National Youth Jazz Orchestra, the finals of the NZ Community Trust Chamber Music Competitions and winning a variety of local and national competitions.

Many former YMP students have moved on to continue their studies at university level, some becoming the NZSM’s top graduates.

YMP Structure

Classical/Jazz Performance and Composition streams - 4 hours per Saturday

- Two-hour masterclass

  (Piano/String/Vocal/Jazz Combo/Composition Classes)

- One-hour ensemble option

(Chamber Music/Big Band/Gamelan)

-  One-hour theory (KAT Class or Jazz Theory Class)

The Chamber Music stream (formerly CHAMPS) - 2 hours per Saturday

- one hour chamber music coaching

- one hour theory (KAT Class)

The YMP will run for 30 Saturdays during the school year in 2011.

Course descriptions

Composition Class

Composers receive tuition in instrumentation and composition techniques, notation and presentation, and conceptual and creative development. These skills are put into practice in regular projects. Open discussion is fostered as the students see and listen to each other’s compositions and give and receive feedback in a workshop format. Composers work with Academy performance students to record and publicly present their work at YMP concerts.

Classical Performance Stream: Vocal Class

Vocal class students prepare songs in Italian, German, French and English over a two-year period.  They develop good posture, breathing and healthy vocal production. They learn to work well with an accompanist, study poetry and audition technique. Singers focus on solo songs with some ensemble singing. If available, students have the opportunity to attend the dress rehearsal of an NBR Opera together.

Classical Performance Stream: String Class

String class gives students frequent performing opportunities in front of peers (the hardest performing situation) with supportive comments. Students receive a technique overview and put this into practice when they workshop their prepared solo pieces and play in String Class ensembles, including string chamber orchestra repertoire, numbers permitting. Students will discover a range of string repertoire at a high level.

Classical Performance Stream: Piano Class

Piano class students are:

- guided in a better, secure technique

- given the gift of listening to every sound they make

- encouraged to widen their knowledge of the vast repertoire for piano, including some student compositions and New Zealand music

- working with others and learning from fellow students

- given opportunities for accompanying and chamber music

- given the opportunity for performing in public and again listening and gaining some knowledge of other instruments and their repertoire

Classical Performance Stream: Wind Class (including Brass)

Students work on techniques such as breathing, support, tonguing and finger control as well as musical phrasing as they workshop prepared solo pieces at a higher level. They are also exposed to a range of wind and brass ensemble repertoire.

Not offered in 2010

Jazz Performance Stream: Instrumental

Jazz students are organised into jazz combos according to their level and experience. Students are encouraged to compose and arrange for the ensemble and to take leadership roles where appropriate. Otherwise all students learn their roles within the combos as they practise balance, improvisation and expand their knowledge of jazz repertoire.

Jazz Performance Stream: Vocal

Jazz singers learn techniques, approaches, and methods of presentation specific to non-classical music. They work with bands, learn microphone and scatting techniques, extend their repertoire, and are provided with performance opportunities.

Jazz Theory

Essential skills of learning how music is constructed and analysed are taught to all NZSM Young Musicians. Students are organised into classes according to their level.

Jazz Theory Class A develops more advanced skills in improvisation and arranging, ear training, theory and musicianship.

Jazz Theory Class B develops more basic skills in jazz keyboards, ear training, theory and musicianship.

Keyboard Aural and Theory – KAT Class

Essential skills of learning how music is constructed and analysed are taught to all NZSM Young Musicians. Keyboard, Aural and Theory (KAT) allows classical programme and chamber music students to work at their own level using unique NZSM KAT workbooks as well as the NZSM-designed aural training software Ear Conditioner. Students can also choose to get assistance for studying for ABRSM or Trinity theory exams if they do not have a private theory teacher.

Ensemble Option: Big Band

Jazz instrumental students are placed in Big Band for the ensemble component of the programme. Most weeks are run like sectionals and additional players, including NZSM students and professionals, are brought in to make a complete Big Band for the dress rehearsals and YMP concerts.

Ensemble Option: Gamelan Class

Gamelan Class gives students tuition in various instruments of the traditional Indonesian metal orchestra, as well as an understanding of the history and cultural practices associated with Gamelan music. Each semester is dedicated to gamelan music of a different style – one semester is for Javanese Gamelan, the other for Balinese. Run as an ensemble class, students have many opportunities to perform.

Ensemble Option: Chamber Music

The chamber music stream is designed for both primary school and secondary school-aged students who have reached a minimum level of Grade IV and who wish to extend their understanding of music under coaching from professional musicians, while exploring the delights and dynamics of ensemble playing. Groups work with two or three main tutors throughout each semester, so that students receive tutors for most of the instruments in the ensemble. Groups are carefully formed each half-year term according to age, ability and musical preference.

Performance Workshop

All YMP students have the opportunity to attend a set number of the 30 one hour classes from guest tutors of national and international acclaim. Classes will be evenly divided between masterclasses for specific YMP streams and workshops on a variety of topics from applying for scholarships to good movement (Feldenkrais and Alexander Technique) to stage presence.

Performance Opportunities

YMP tutors encourage students to make the most of all performance opportunities. All streams perform in at least two of six YMP concerts on NZSM campus throughout the year.

YMP students also have the opportunity to perform in:

∙ lunchtime concerts at St Andrews (Wellington City) and St Marks (Lower Hutt)

∙ competitions such as the New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music competition and the IRMT Piano Plus competition

∙ additional concerts such as at Te Papa and Capital E

∙ tours such as to the Wanganui Jazz Club and/or Wellington school tours

Download NZSM Young Musician's Programme Application Form

YMP Fees

NZSM Young Musicians Programme is extremely good value for money, costing only around $10 per hour for tuition from some of Wellington’s best music teachers.

Classical/Jazz Performance and Composition streams: $1000 full year, to be paid in two instalments of $500

Chamber Music stream: $640 full year to be paid in two instalments of $320

Students enrol for the full year and the two instalments of fees must be paid no later than 12 February 2011 and 18 June 2011. Fees include GST. YMP endeavours to make scholarships available to as many students as possible and these are awarded on both a needs and merit base.

Download NZSM Young Musician's Programme Application Form

Important dates

2010

10 December Deadline for Classical Performance and Chamber Music applications – note: if wanting to do Chamber Music as an ensemble option, you must audition in 2010

11 December Piano Class and Chamber Music auditions

13-14 December Chamber Music, String Class and Classical Vocal Class auditions.

2011

17 – 20 January  NZ Jazz Foundation Secondary Schools Jazz Workshops

3-8 February   Jazz Performance and Composition auditions

12 February First instalment of YMP fees due, 2011 YMP begins for 10 weeks

18 April – 1 May  School holidays, no YMP

7 May  YMP again for 4 weeks

Xxx NZSO/Todd Corporation Young Composer Competition entry deadline

21 May YMP concert 1: classical performance and composition

28 May YMP concert 2: chamber music and classical performance and composition

4 June Queen’s Birthday weekend, no YMP

8 - 9 June Big Sing Wellington

11 June YMP again for 6 weeks

11 June YMP concert 3: jazz

18 June Second instalment of YMP fees due

19 June NZ Community Trust Chamber Music Competition

– Wellington rounds

16 – 31 July School holidays, no YMP

6 August  YMP for 10 weeks

19 - 20 August NZSM Jazz Festival

27 August – 2 September NZSO National Youth Orchestra rehearsals

29 – 31 August Big Sing National Finale in Christchurch

2 September NZSO National Youth Orchestra Wellington concert

24 September YMP final concert 1: jazz

1 October YMP final concert 2: classical performance and composition

8 October YMP final concert 3: chamber music and classical performance

8 October Last day of 2011 YMP

10 – 24 October  School holidays, no YMP

12 – 17 December  YMP Classical Performance and Chamber Music auditions

For more information please contact shannon.digby@nzsm.ac.nz and subscribe to NZSM events email Dawn Chorus to hear about YMP concerts. events@nzsm.ac.nz

Tutors

Tutors for 2011* include:

Piano Class: Judith Clark

Jazz Combos: to be confirmed

String Class: Peter Garrity

Chamber Music: Catherine McKay, Peter Garrity, Katrin Eickhorst-Squire

KAT Class: Anton Killin

Jazz Theory Class: Dave Lisik

Big Band: Rodger Fox

Composition Class: Johannes Contag

Classical Voice Class: Linden Loader

Jazz Voice Class: Tessa Quayle

Wind Class: Tui Clark and Amie Sinden

*Tutors are subject to change

Download NZSM Young Musician's Programme Application Form

YMP Audition requirements

Classical auditions will be held in December 2010, Jazz and Composition auditions will be held in February 2011. Expect auditions to last 12 – 20 minutes for classical auditions and 30 minutes for jazz auditions.

Jazz Performance: Instrumental

1) play a prepared piece, preferably in a jazz style; an etude, transcribed solo, head, etc. You are free to use a backing track or metronome

2) sight read a short of music in a jazz style

3) improvise over a blues in F or Bb

4) display simple aural skill capabilities (recognise major/minor/augmented/diminished triads/7th chords and intervals)

5) have a quick chat about the student's interest in music

For drummers in place of 3):

demonstrate ability to play various jazz styles (swing, bossa, rock, etc) and trade 4's in swing soloing style

Jazz Performance: Voice

1) sing a prepared piece, preferably in a jazz style by memory. You are free to use a backing track or metronome

2) either improvise (scat) over a blues in F or Bb, or sing a prepared transcribed solo

3) display simple aural skill capabilities (recognise major/minor/augmented/diminished triads/7th chords and all intervals within an octave)

4) have a quick chat about the student's interest in music

Classical Performance: Piano

1) play a short piece by a composer from the Baroque period according to your musical and technical capabilities

2) play a short piece by a composer from the Classical period according to your musical and technical capabilities

3) play a short Romantic, nationalistic or modern piece according to your musical and technical capabilities

4) you may be asked to play scales and arpeggios

5) have a quick chat about the student's interest in music

Classical Performance: Voice

1) sing two prepared songs, preferably by memory. One should be in another language other than English, if possible. You are free to use a backing track or metronome

2) have a quick chat about the student's interest in music

Chamber Music and Classical Performance: Strings, Wind

1) play two contrasting pieces according to your musical and technical abilities

2) you may be asked to play a scale or an arpeggio

3) you may be asked to sight read a short piece of music

4) have a quick chat about the student’s interest in music

Composition

1) present the scores and/or recordings of two contrasting compositions

2) have a quick chat about the student’s interest in music

Feedback | © 2007 NZSM | Last Updated: December 7, 2007