Suzuki Association of Northern California Graduation Process

Graduation Standards

• Follow the SANC guidelines below and review and apply the Suzuki Association of the Americas performance descriptors regarding appropriate skills before making the student graduation recording.  
• Please help your student polish the piece to a high level and submit a recording only if they are well prepared. 
• Violins, Please note metronome markings on the student eligibility guidelines.
• No stopping or splicing in the middle of the piece.
• The teacher may not offer verbal guidance, sing or play the melody line with the student during the performance.
• Accurate pitch, rhythm, bowing style and correct tempo are required.

Recording Procedure

• Record one Student/Level/Piece per disk or digital recording.
• CDs and DVDs should be approximately 6 inches in diameter.
• Indicate which equipment on which the CD or DVD can be heard or viewed on, for example, Mac or PC.
• Levels I-IV should be submitted by CD or DVD.  If CD and DVD equipment is not available they may be submitted digitally via YouTube link or attached to an email sent to graduation@suzukinorcal.org.  Levels V and above must be video format.  Audio only is not acceptable for levels V and above.
• When submitting digital recordings attached to an email message, the email message must contain all the information that would be on the Recording Insert: Student's name, age, Level of Graduation Piece, Graduation Piece, instrument, size of instrument, length of study, current piece, and teacher.
  
• Preface recordings with Hello, my name is ______ and I am ____ years old.  I am playing a size ____ violin/viola/guitar/cello.  My graduation piece is ______ and my current piece is ____.  My teacher is ______.  Thank you for listening.
• Record with live accompaniment or with an accompaniment CD.  Test for pitch and balance.  (The violin duet from Fun for Two Violins by Marianne Rygner may be used for the following violin pieces: Gavotte by Gossec, Concerto in A Minor 1st mvmt. by Vivaldi and Concerto in G Minor 1st mvmt. by Vivaldi.  Bach Bourree may be played as solo violin or viola at the teacher's discretion.  La Folia and above must be played with piano accompaniment.
• Due to the Covid-19 restrictions we are all experiencing this year, we are offering options:
  1. Record with live accompaniment
  2. Parent could accompany the student
  3. 6-foot distance could be accommodated for other accompanist to play with the student
  4. Record with the Suzuki accompaniment CD, equipment allowing
  5. Record without any accompaniment
• Students may submit multiples levels in one year.  A separate form entry, fee and recording is required for each level.  Please enter information carefully.
• The teacher must check each student graduation recording to ensure the recordings play correctly.
• Keep a master copy of each student recording.  
• All disks should be new.
• Prepare recordings in advance to avoid technical issues.  If a recording cannot be completed in time due to technical errors or illness, prepare the application after the due date to be submitted the next year.
  
  

Submitting Recordings

• Register all your students online using our easy, convenient registration page.   Levels I-V should be submitted by CD or DVD.  If CD and DVD equipment is not available they may be submitted digitally via YouTube link or attached to an email, sent to graduation@suzukinorcal.org.  Levels VI-X must be video format, DVD, youTube video or video and audio recording attached to email message.
  
• If you submit recordings by mail you still use the online registration page but follow these additional steps:
  CDs or DVDs should be color coded according to this chart.
  CDs and DVDs should included a recording insert filled out for each student.  
  Graduation recordings, CDs and DVDs must be submitted online or postmarked by December 1, 2019.  
  Mail recordings to:
  Nora Grafton
  751 Thomas Ln
  Walnut Creek, CA 94597

Forms, Fees and Refunds

All teachers must be members in order to submit graduation recordings for their students.   Fees for students of SMAC Teacher Members are $45 for Levels I-IV $45, and $50 for Levels V+.  Fees are payable online only via the registration page. For CDs and DVDs, fill out the online registration which includes fees and mail your CDs and DVDs with inserts and color coding.  For digital submissions fill out the online registration which provides a place for YouTube links.  For email attachments fill out the online registration and send a separate email for each recordings with student name and info to graduation@suzukinorcal.org.

No refunds will be issued unless:

• A recording is not passed by the SANC Graduation Committee
• The eligibility or guidelines are not met
• Recordings are received or postmarked late (minus $15 fee)
• Refunds are issued minus a $15 processing fee
• Students are encouraged to reapply the following year.

Evaluations

• Teachers are encouraged to volunteer to evaluate as many (other) recordings as they submit.
• Please review the recordings sent to you to evaluate before December 31st, 2021.
• If you receive a recording that does not meet eligibility please contact Nora Grafton, the Graduation Coordinator at graduation@suzukinorcal.org or 925-939-1117.  Do not contact the teacher of the student.  
• Bring your completed evaluations on the concert day.
• More details will by provided by the Graduation Committee

Student Eligibility Guidelines

In order to achieve the high level of polish desired for graduation, students record graduation pieces well after they are initially learned.  Each instrument has 10 graduation levels, listed below.  For violins, the "Must have Polished" pieces is a suggestion of where a student should be in the literature before submitting each graduation recording.  For example, a level I violin applicate should have Minuet by Boccherini polished when they submit a recording for Gavotte by Gossec.  Graduation levels and pieces are listed at the bottom of this page or can be accessed here.  Violins, please note metronome markings.

Teacher Participation

All Teachers who have submitted Student Graduation Recordings are asked to assist and support in the smooth running of the logistics of the Rehearsals and Performance during the day of Graduation.  To support the Graduating Students and in an effort to make this a truly special event, Teachers who submit Violin/ Viola/ Cello Student Graduation Recordings are asked to participate in the Teacher’s Orchestra to accompany the Students Graduating from the Concerto Levels.  Pick up your Student Recordings, Evaluation, Pins, and Certificates.  Please attend the Annual Meeting of the General Membership of SANC to be held following the Concert. Guests are welcome.

Waiver

During the Graduation events, you and your students may be included in candid photographs or videos.  By participating in Graduation, you are releasing and discharging SANC from all and any claims and demands ensuing from or in connection with the use of the photographs, including all and any claims for libel and invasion of privacy.   If the parents of your participating students do not grant permission for their children to be included in photos or videos, please inform Nora Grafton, the Graduation coordinator at graduation@suzukinorcal.org who will provide you with a form to have them sign.

You are required to read the following information very carefully and make sure that you understand it fully and agree to it before participating in this activity or program. When you submit the registration, you are agreeing to these waivers.

Required Waivers

Questions?