Annual Young Church Musicians Recital Competition
Sponsored by the Alliance of Christian Musicians, Pacific Northwest Chapter

Saturday, March 31, 2012, at 10 a.m.
Faith Presbyterian Church
620 South Shirley Street
Tacoma, Washington
Register Now OnlineRegistration Closed- Download Competition Brochure (PDF, 350 KB)
Purpose
The Alliance of Christian Musicians sponsors an annual recital competition for young Christian musicians learning piano, organ, and woodwind, brass, and stringed instruments.
The purpose of this competition is to:
- encourage and enable Christian students to continue their musical education, and thereby,
- promote excellence among young Christian artists as they participate musically in corporate Christian worship.
Winners of the competition are awarded cash scholarships for continuing their musical education. (See “Prizes.”)
Eligibility
This recital is open to Christian students who:
- are in Grades 4–12; also, graduates born after June 30, 1992,
- profess personal faith in Jesus Christ,
- participate faithfully in a local church that holds to historic Christian beliefs, and
- are currently enrolled in a music educational program. Commonly, this means taking regular music lessons from a professional music teacher.
Application & Audition Process
- Application fee is $25 per student. There are no family discounts for this event.
- All applicants must audition to qualify for this competition. An audition may be submitted by video on YouTube.com or DVD. Video auditions must contain an unedited video recording of the student performing the selected piece in its entirety. Applications with videos must be submitted on or before
Tuesday, February 1, 2012[deadline extended] Saturday, February 4, 2012.
For musicians unable to send a video, live auditions will be held on January 28, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. at Faith Presbyterian Church, 620 South Shirley, Tacoma, Washington (Choir Room). The live auditions will be video recorded for later review by ACM adjudicators. In order to participate in the live audition, applications must be submitted on or before Tuesday, January 24, 2012.
- Audition performance (video or live) may not exceed 7 minutes in length. The audition repertoire may be different than what is played at the competition on March 31, 2012.
- Memorization of the music performed is not required for the audition or competition.
- Audition videos will be reviewed by qualified adjudicators. Competitors will be selected based on:
- variety of repertoire for the recital program on March 31,
- difficulty and competitiveness of the repertoire, and
- suitability of the music as a solo presentation in Christian corporate worship services. (See “Repertoire.”)
- Final list of competitors will be announced no later than February 8, 2012.
2012 Schedule
January 24 |
Live audition postmark deadline |
January 28 |
10:00 A.M. — Live audition for applicants who cannot submit a DVD by the deadline Location: Choir Room, Faith Presbyterian Church, 620 S. Shirley St., Tacoma, Washington |
|
Video audition postmark deadline |
|
Final list of competitors published via e-mail to all applicants |
March 31 |
10:00 A.M. — Intermediate and Advanced Recital Competitions Location: Sanctuary, Faith Presbyterian Church, 620 S. Shirley St., Tacoma, Washington |
Repertoire
- Performers are limited to one selection, not to exceed 7 minutes in length.
- Students may audition with a different piece than played in the competition. However, the audition piece should reflect a similar level of difficulty and skill as the competition piece.
- Students may draw from the vast collection of music composed for instruments throughout the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern periods, including arrangements of hymns and other songs written for corporate religious worship.
- ACM suggests that students and teachers select music according to its suitability as a solo presentation in a Christian worship service, including special events such as weddings and funerals. This could include compositions not originally intended for religious purposes.
Note: ACM recognizes that recent trends have replaced classical music repertoire with popular songs as a musical mainstay in Christian corporate worship. This may cause some uncertainty in repertoire selection. Students and teachers are welcomed to express any questions about suitability of repertoire to ACM by writing acm_pnw@yahoo.com.
Competition
There are three divisions of competition:
- Elementary
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Auditions will determine the division in which the student will compete.
Prizes
Prizes will be awarded in the form of a cash scholarship paid to a professional music educator of the student’s choice for the winner’s continuing musical education.
Three prizes will be awarded in each division:
| Elementary | Intermediate | Advanced | |
| First Prize | $100 | $400 | $400 |
| Second Prize | $75 | $250 | $250 |
| Third Prize | $25 | $100 | $100 |
A total of $1,700 in scholarships will be awarded. Prizes will be given to qualified music teachers for the winners’ future music education. Because the competition seeks to promote excellence in musical performance, ACM reserves the right to withhold a prize (first, second, or third) if the adjudicators believe that no performer has earned it.
Audience
Relatives and friends of the performers are cordially invited to attend the recitals on March 31, 2012. In order to defray the expenses of the recital, donations will be received at the door. Donations to the ACM are considered charitable contributions and are tax-deductible.
Frequently Asked Questions
For more details, please read our page of Frequently Asked Questions.
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Register Now OnlineRegistration Closed - Download Competition Brochure (PDF, 350 KB)

Competitors at the 2011 Young Church Musicians Recital Competition
Questions?
Contact Mr. Ron Bechtel at (253) 278-7595 or acm_pnw@yahoo.com.