These are photos of some of our first awards ceremonies in 2010. Since our founding, we have had hundreds of students participate in adjudications with our judges. Students have won hundreds of Certificates, Medals, and Plaques from our judges. We believe in giving every private teacher the resources and the ability to retain high quality programs, judges, and awards for thier students, without having to pay thousands of dollars to expensive organizations that don't give value in kind for the prices they charge. Many times, these organizations don't pay their judges enough money to cover their basic travel expenses, much less a competitive rate for their time. I.C.M.E. was created to allow teachers to give the money to the judges directly, instead of to support a huge management structure.

 

Certificates:

The first level of award is a Certificate. The basic I.C.M.E. Certificate requires playing 1 or 2 pieces (or singing 1 or 2 songs). The student may also play 1 or 2 duets, as the primary songs for the program, or in addition to the program. The duet, if added to the solo program, consist of a second certificate, and since it takes more judging time, the teacher may choose to charge an additional fee. Certificates may be earned in all levels of the instrument, and the level is determined by the level of the method book the student is currently studying in, and in which the pieces or songs are published.

 

Additional Certificates:

Composition Certificate - Must compose and notate a song at the level of the certificate

Improvization Certificate - Must improvise and play at the level of the certificate, according to the guidelines of the program

 

Medals:

Students are allowed to play a medal program when they have attained Level 3 in any method. To attain a medal, the student must play 4 songs, one from each time period, plus scales and cadences in the key of the songs. There are medals for the following levels: L3A, L3B, L4, & L5

 

Additional Medals:

Star-Wars Medal - Must play 4 star wars songs, at least level 3 or higher

Movie Music Medal - Must play 4 movie music scores, at least level 3 or higher

Composer Medals - Must play 4 pieces by a single composer, at least level 3 or higher

 

Scale Medals:

There are 4 medals specifically for scales:

1. The "Pentascale Medal". Students must play all 12 Major and Minor Pentascales for the Judge, and include a I, V7, I cadence with each one.

2. "Basic Scale Medal". Students must play all 12 Major and Minor One Octave Scales, with 2 hands, for the judge, and include a I, IV, I, V7, I cadence with each one.

3. "Intermediate Scale Medal". Students must play all 12 Major and Minor Two Octave Scales, with 2 hands, for the judge, and include I, IV, I, V, V7, I cadences in 3 positions with each one.

4. "Scale Master Medal". Students must play all 12 Major and Minor Four Octave Scales, 1/8 notes, M=60 bpm with 2 hands, for the judge, and include I, IV, I, V, V7, I cadences in 3 positions, and 2 handed arpeggios with each one.

 

Absolute Perfect Pitch Certificate and Medal:

 

Students may be tested at each adjudication for Absolute Perfect Pitch. Because learning absolute perfect pitch is a process, students may be tested for as few as two notes, to as many as 12 notes, in groups of 10 or 20, as a part of the certficate program. Should the student want to earn a Perfect Pitch Medal, they must identify 38/40 notes correctly, for name and octave of pitch. Please contact us for more information if you are interested in having a student be tested for this skill.

 

Plaques:

 

The Plaque Award is the highest award that I.C.M.E. offers. It is a high gloss, black piano finish, with a beautiful engraved silver colored plate that states the name of the award, the student's name, the judge's signature, the teacher's signature, and the I.C.M.E. logo. The plaque award requirements are set to require a student to put in at least 1 year's time to earn the award, and teachers may submit plaque names and requirements to I.C.M.E. for consideration as a certified plaque award.

 

Piano Plaque Awards currently offered include (All pieces level 5 or higher):

 

Bach Invention Plaque - must play 3 2-part, and 2 3-part inventionsBach Plaque - must play 1 of each musical form of music to total 600 measures of music

Beethoven Plaque - Must play 2 sonatinas, and one complete sonata with at least 3 movements

Chopin Prelude Plaque - Must play 4 full chopin preludes

Chopin Plaque - Must play 1 of each musical form of composition by Chopin to total 600 measures of music

Mozart Plaque - must play 1 of each musical form of composition by Mozart to total 600 measures of music

Many more Composer Plaques available, based on the themes above

 

Multi-Genre Plaque: One song from baroque, classical, romantic, jazz, rock, spiritual, country, showtune, folk, world music, ragtime, stride, etc., to total 10 songs or 600 measures of written music total.

 

Vocal Plaque Awards currently offered include:

 

Multi-Genre Contemporary Plaque: One song from each of 10 decades, which may include: 1900's, 1910's, 1920's, 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, 1960's, 1970's, 1980's, 1990's, 2000's, 2010's...

 

Multi-Genre Plaque: One song from each of ten genres to include, but not limited to: opera, barbershop, jazz, showtunes, rock, country, folk, world music, spiritual, etc.

 

Drum Plaque Awards currently offered include:

 

Multi-Genre Contemporary Plaque: One song from each of 10 decades which may include: 1900's, 1910's, 1920's, 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, 1960's, 1970's, 1980's, 1990's, 2000's, 2010's...

 

Multi-Genre/Style Plaque: One song from each of ten styles to include, but not limited to: rock, jazz, latin, ska, world beat, country, folk, etc. Must play a total of 10 pieces, thoroughly demonstrating 10 styles of playing.

 

Guitar Plaque Awards currently offered include:

 

Multi-Genre Contemporary Plaque: One song from each of 10 decades which may include: 1900's, 1910's, 1920's, 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, 1960's, 1970's, 1980's, 1990's, 2000's, 2010's...

 

Multi-Genre/Style Plaque: One song from each of ten styles to include, but not limited to: rock, jazz, latin, ska, world beat, country, folk, etc. Must play a total of 10 pieces, thoroughly demonstrating 10 styles of playing. Must also play scales, chords, and inversions to go with each piece of music.

 

We are currently in the process of adding Cello and Ukelele to our list of instruments, and should have adjudication forms and awards available by the Fall of 2016.