Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Recital #27 --- Call For Submissions

Recital #27 is now open for submissions!

Believe it or not, our 27th quarterly Piano World Adult Beginners Forum recital approaches! The recital will be posted some time on the 15th of August, which means that the submissions must be in by 9:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time, August 14. Please note this deadline is very firm; I cannot start working on the recital until it is closed, and once it is closed, no new entries can be added.

While any and all styles of music are welcome, we do ask that it be piano related. Only one recording may be submitted per forum member (although that recording may consist of a medley of two or more very short related pieces).

If you are fairly new to the piano, please do not be intimidated by some of the talent here in the ABF. We all consider ourselves to be beginners even though we may have been playing for some time. And, we LOVE to hear recordings from folks new to the keyboard. So even if you’re on your first Alfred’s method book, we would *really* enjoy hearing from you.

Recital submissions must be in MP3 format. The maximum size of the file is 20 MB. We recommend encoding the recording at 192 kbs with a constant bitrate, as that works best with the online streaming player. At that bitrate, a 20 MB file works out to be about 7 minutes in length. Your recording will be normalized when placed in the consolidated zip files, but your original link will still be available for those who want it.

If you are new to recording your music, there are several threads in the forum archives that address the ways and means. See the "Important Topics in the AB Forum" thread stickied at the top of the AB forum page. Audacity is an excellent free recording application that can be used.

Submitting Your Recording:

We will be using again the absolutely marvelous automatic web-based recital program that mahlzeit wrote for us. You will upload your mp3 file to the recital server as part of the recital submission process.

When you have your mp3 file ready, go to:

https://recitals.pianoworld.com/

and follow the instructions there. Please note that this URL reflects our new permanent home for all the recital files. Once you have uploaded your info to the automated recital software, you will receive a confirmation e-mail. You will have the opportunity to revise your submission any time up until the deadline. If you have any problems at all using the new website, or if you do not receive a confirmation e-mail within a few hours, just PM me. If you have not participated in past recitals using this software, you may want to submit your recital piece at least a day in advance in case you run into any problems with it.

The recital website uses the following submission template to be filled out along with your attached music file. You may want to have your responses to these fields prepared in advance so all you have to do is cut and paste:

Performer's Name: {forum ID and real name if you’d like}
Where you are located: {optional}
Avatar image link: {optional}
Experience: {Yrs/Mos of piano playing experience}
Link to YouTube or other video: {optional}
Home page link: {optional}
Title of piece/composer:
Source of music: {sheet music, improvised score, play-by-ear, etc}
Instrument used: {Piano make, keyboard model, etc.}
Recording method: {audacity, Zoom, digital to PC, etc.}
Constructive technical feedback wanted: {Yes/No}
Additional Info: {Your thoughts on the piece, what you had for lunch, etc.}


The due date for all submissions is 9:00 pm US EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME on August 14, 2012.

Did I mention that the 9:00 pm deadline was firm?

Think "consistency of concrete."

By submitting a piece to the recital, you are certifying that it is a recording of your own performance.

Again, the recital order will be presented in the order the pieces were received, so the sooner you send in your piece, the higher you will be on the list! You can revise your entries on the template (e.g., thoughts about your piece, adding YouTube links, and the like) any time and not lose your place in the recital queue, but if you resubmit your recording at any time, for any reason, you will be bumped to the end of the list.

Should anyone have any questions at all on what to do or how to do it, this is the place to ask. Remember, there are NO stupid questions, as we have a steady flow of new members in AB forum for whom this is their first recital, so your questions will probably help to eliminate other members’ problems. Please ask away!

Let's all go out and brave that Red Dot and share a lot of beautiful music!

I just woke up in the middle of the night, saw that it's open and Woot! In at place 1 again??!

Next time, though, Wouter, I won't make the mistake of opening the recital before posting the Call For Submissions.

Ah, ok nice, thanks for that!

And Monica, you have the luxury to post at any place you want. What place do you pick this time?

Monica I see a few small issues

(1) if I use a è in my title of the submitted piece (pièces de clavecin), I get to see weird characters

(2) I already see this recital on the list of closed recitals (http://recitals.pianoworld.com/closed-recitals.php) and also in the wrong place (between 25 and 26)

In at no 4 this time. I recorded this a few weeks ago and was hoping to record something a little more recent, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen this summer...

(*shakes fist at beautiful summer weather spoiling my practice and recording sessions!!)

I guess I gave you my spot Ben. I changed my mind on my submission at the last moment and submitted something else.

twin Bach submissions from me and daughter....

We have a recording of daughter - but will try for a better one as it has lots of dog 'tap dancing on wooden floor' noise in the background! My contribution is yet to be recorded - but will be soon!

(I have a sneaking suspicion I'm about to be upstaged as Bach is very much my 'weak' suit and daughters 'strong' suit!)

Okay, I did it, I submitted a super short very tentative recording! This morning I tried to record it again to improve the dynamics and add the repeat part, but I couldn't hit a right key for the life of me! I still don't know how I managed to get a single decent recording.

Please bear with me, I've been plink plonking on the keyboard for less than 6 months. There are a few other pieces that I seem to be able to play from start to end but the Red Dot still gives me the shivers!

Ok, I'm in! I sended a piece of Helen Jane Long.
This time I wasn't deeply "in love" with the piece but I wanted to do a (short!) break in my studies of Einaudi.

Not sure I'm going to get in this time. I've just been far too busy

I'll try to submit something short and sweet if I have the time.

I am in at #17. There is always this burst of submissions when the recital first opens - it's great to see how eager people are to share their performances.

Sam

(1) Yeah, international symbols give the software some problems. I'm not able to fix that.

(2) The recital is very much open, as attested by our 17 submitted pieces thus far. Don't sweat it.

Probably dead last, as it doesn't look like I'll have time to do a recording session before going out of town.

You are absolutely correct that I have an unfair advantage in that I, and I alone, know exactly when the recital will open. For that reason, I deliberately refrain from submitting my recordings first, even on the occasions I'm actually ready. I started managing the recitals with #7, and you can go back through numbers 7-26 and see where I've placed if you want to double-check.

I feel everybody but the admin should have an equal shot at making it in for number 1, which is why I tweaked you for submitting before the call for submissions was posted--and why I'll make sure to close that loophole in the future.

I've decided (or rather had decided for me) to try a new challenge. I'm going to start, practice, and record a new piece in the next two weeks. I've been doing a LOT of sight reading over the last couple of months and haven't focused on any new pieces.

Nothing like a deadline to focus the attention!

Ok, I am in. I couldn't listen to check my piece / Monica, I have sent you and email to ask if you would kindly verify that it is ok, and if not, to help me out.

Thanks again, and always to Monica for her efforts and to all the others who have worked and contributed to make these recitals the great success they are!!!

>and you can go back through numbers 7-26 and see where I've placed if you want to double-check.

Thanks, I don't feel any need to check you. On the contrary, as admin you are doing all the hard work. If anybody deserves to end up 1 a few times it would be you right?

Your recording uploaded fine, casinitaly. Good to go!

+1