The New England Brass band is proud to announce the 2021 Stan Whitlock Youth Solo Competition, proudly sponsored by the New England Brass Band Stan Whitlock Fund and Virtuosity Music.
Official Rules, Regulations, and Procedures
Eligibility
- Competitors must be between the ages of 14 and 21 as of December 15, 2021 (application deadline), and reside in the U.S. (proof of residency may be requested).
- Competitors must play a brass or percussion instrument (need not be a traditional British Brass Band instrument).
- Repertoire must have extant brass band accompaniment. Brass quintet arrangements will not be acceptable.
- All applicants invited to participate in the finalist round in Wilmington, MA, will be required to show proof of U.S. residence.
How to Enter
- All competitors must perform a solo work composed originally for a brass or percussion instrument for which brass band accompaniment currently exists. Please see https://www.justmusicuk.com/browse for a non-comprehensive list of possible works.
- Upload your video to YouTube per the guidelines provided below.
- Complete the online application at https://forms.gle/WB8BewarZNU9nJ6Q8
- Submit the application fee in the amount of $65 to The New England Brass Band via PayPal, noting applicant name and referencing the competition in the “notes” section.
The NEBB wishes above all to conduct as fair a competition as possible. To that end, ALL eligibility rules and deadlines will be strictly enforced, without exception. Compliance with the published rules is solely the responsibility of the applicant. Requests for clarification of any rules may be submitted to the competition chair at andrewbharms@andrewbharms.com, whose interpretation of the rules will be considered final. The adjudication panel for each age group will contain no teacher or relative of anyone competing in that group.
Preliminary Competition
Applicants should upload a video recording to YouTube. Please adhere to the following guidelines:
- Solos should be performed with piano accompaniment.
- Video/audio recording quality is not a conscious consideration. However, a minimum standard is advised. In general, iPhone 7 or later video and audio, placed adequately far enough away, should provide sufficient quality.
- Videos should be unedited and free from digital manipulation and enhancement.
- Videos should be marked public unlisted.
- In the “information” line, applicants should provide name, location, and date recorded.
- Solos should be performable in 8 minutes or less. One cut is allowed. Solos that take longer will be considered, but only secondarily to applicants that follow this guideline.The final deadline for all materials is December 15, 2021, at 11:59 PM.
Final Competition
- Finalists will be notified by December 31, 2021, and will be expected to commit to participate in the competition Finals upon notification. The Finals will be held the evening of January 17, 2022, at Wilmington Congregational Church in Wilmington, MA. Alternates may be assigned and invited as appropriate.
- Applicants should play exactly what they submitted for the preliminary round.
- An accompanist can be provided for a fee, but rehearsal is not facilitated nor guaranteed.
- Some percussion is available on-site for the Final round.
- The winner will receive a cash prize of $1500 and the opportunity to perform in concert with the New England Brass Band (exact dates TBA).
Judging
- Preliminaries: Judging of the audition recordings will be done by professional conductors, brass musicians, and educators; judging will be based entirely on the performances submitted in the preliminary recordings. Although presentation is not the primary consideration for selection, special care should be taken to ‘look the part’ however possible, as NEBB is selecting for a ‘whole package.’ This includes performance etiquette, wearing appropriate attire, etc. Recording quality and access to high quality recording equipment is not necessary, and every effort will be made to allow for equity in the evaluation process. That said, it is at times difficult to discern quality of playing from a low-quality recording, so it is suggested that recordings be of the best quality possible.
- Finals: Judging of the live performances in the final competition on the evening of January 17, 2022, will be done by three or more professional musicians chosen from within the New England Brass Band, or from brass band alumni. Judging will be based upon the same criteria as the preliminary competition.
Please contact the Competition Chair with questions:
Andrew Harms
andrewbharms (at) andrewbharms (dot) com
