Examinations & Auditions

Ottley Music School is the Adelphi Center of the National Guild of Piano Teachers, where each year the piano students and instrumental and voice students (in Ensemble with piano) of Ottley Music School and other teachers in the area are examined or auditioned for membership into the Fraternity of Student Musicians.  The levels begin at Elementary A-F, then Intermediate A-F, and Prep (high school) A-D, High School Diploma, and four Collegiate Diplomas, and finally the Artist Diploma, standards correlating to those in an academic institution.  These auditions convene in the spring of each year, and students receive a comprehensive report card (with 44 items to be judged), a professional certificate of achievement, and a bronze, silver or gold pin depending on the number of works played.  For those playing 15-20 memorized pieces, students receive a large gold pin.

Students perform

• solo piano pieces, or
• duet (1 piano 4 hands), or
• duo (2 pianos 4 hands), or
• Ensemble (1 or more pianos with other instruments or voices).

Therefore, all students of the Ottley Music School have opportunity and are expected to present for these auditions annually, so as to receive evaluations from a national organiza-tion that leads in setting standards for music community school.

The cost of the audition depends on the level and amount of pieces being presented to the judge and are set each year by the Guild, and is written in their 68-page Guild Syllabus.

Students register for the audition at the Ottley Music School, and the funds and list of students are sent 3 months ahead of the audition time to the headquarters in Austin, Texas.  Those taking Diploma auditions must have their program submitted in the fall before the upcoming spring for approval of their program.

The Ottley Music School students from the Little Mozarts (4-6 years old) at level Elementary-A and upwards have successfully sat for the Guild Auditions from the 1970s, up through the High School Diploma before going on to college or conservatory, many of them scoring very high from Excellent Plus to the top Superior Plus with the judges. Some college-bound students have tested out of some freshmen courses in college or conservatory as a result of their auditions and exams at OMS.  On student with a Master’s in Theatre Arts and wanting to study at Howard University was sent to Ottley Music School to qualify in music.  After 18 months study, she qualified to enter the master’s program in music at Howard, and successfully completed in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy.

Students are also afforded the opportunity to enter into competitions such as the Maryland Music Teachers Association. Click here for their calendar of events.