FUNdamentals Festival

Andrew participated in the annual FUN-damentals Festival. It's a piano festival (compete only with yourself so it's not a competition) put on every year by the local music teacher association. The students have to prove mastery in 8 different skill areas.


For those of you who are musical, they have to do: scales, chords, arpeggios, cadences, performance piece, sight reading, theory test, ear training.


You are rated on a 10 point scale for each area. If you get all 10's, you get a trophy. If you get all 10's and only one 9, you get a tri-colored rosette. There is also a purple rosette for all 10's and only two 9's. Andrew scored 10's in all but two areas. He got two 9's and five 10's (and 98% on his theory test). I think he was a little bummed to not get the tri-colored rosette or the trophy, but this is his first year doing both Major and Minor scales, etc. So he had to be competant on 14 different keys in four of those areas. He's been working hard for a few months and we're happy he did so well. I was impressed with his 10 on sight reading. That's one of the hardest things to do well under pressure (in my book).



The pictures are of him receiving his rosette from his teacher, Andrew with his rosette, and a 'true picture' of how draining the day gets for growing boys. Every child gets a ribbon for each score so even if they don't get a trophy/rosette, they leave with something to show for their hard work. (Purple ribbons for 10, blue ribbon for 9.)