Classical & Jazz Piano, Music Theory/Composition, and more!

As we wind down the school year, congratulations go out to all our students who took part in local, state, and national audition opportunities this year. We are thankful and proud of our students and their families who support, and take part in, music education. We do our best to post all events here as soon as we have the information. Remember to visit the Student Resources page to learn about more opportunities through NFMC for composition, writing, and performance. 

   .~*^*~.~*^*~.~*^*~.~*^*~.~*^*~.~*^*~.~*^*~.~*^*~.

New from SCMTA Piano Skills Festival

Virtual Audition Dates

April 12, 2025

April 2025 Dates

April 1, 2025

Deadline to enter the SCMTA Composition and Songwriting Contest

Students must be 25 years of age or younger

Saturday, April 5, 2025

Charleston District VII Auditions (SCMTA)

Charleston Academy of Music

Saturday, April 26, 2025

State Auditions (SCMTA)

Only students receiving an "Outstanding" at District are invited. 

Location: USC, Columbia, SC. 

May and June 2025

The National Guild of Piano Teachers auditions are typically held in early May in Columbia, SC. There is a new NGPT center in Orangeburg in June. (Orangeburg is closer to Charleston)

Rehearsal tips for 2025 

1. Have a clear goal for every practice session (examples would be: improving on, or memorizing, a section in a piece of music; focusing on a scale or a technique that needs work; sight-playing or musical analysis.)
2. Focus on the quality of your practice time, not the length of your practice time. Be sure you are leaving your practice time knowing you have accomplished a set goal.
3. Once you have determined your goal for your rehearsal session, approach challenging sections of a piece first, then play music that you are more comfortable with toward the end of your session.
4. Use your Metronome. A good rule of thumb is to start daily practice on a work 5 - 8 bpm slower than what you achieved the day before. 
5. Rehearse daily. Even a short session of 15 minutes on a busy day can lead to significant improvement. Parents this tip is very important for younger children. Do not wait to help your child rehearse the night before their lesson, or only have one or two days a week set aside for practice. Your child will not succeed as quickly as other students if you create this pattern. 
6. For older students, take short breaks during your rehearsal; Stand up and stretch, get a glass of water, or look out the window. This is a refresher for the mind and body.
7. Keep your lesson assignment notes on your piano where you can reference them in every practice session. Personal rehearsal journals can be a benefit for advanced students.

***Playlists for student listening work can be found on our listening site. ***

Ms. Paul offers private lessons in piano, ukulele, guitar, voice, and mountain dulcimer; locally and online.