Examinations & Auditions

Ottley Music School is the Adelphi Center of the National Guild of Piano Teachers, where each year the students are examined or auditioned for membership into the Fraternity of Student Musicians.  The levels begin at Elementary A-F, then Intermediate A-F, and Prep (high school) A-D, High School Diploma, and four Collegiate Diplomas, and finally the Artist Diploma, standards correlating to those in an academic institution.  These auditions convene in the spring of each year, and students receive a comprehensive report card (with 44 items to be judged), a professional certificate of achievement, and a bronze, silver or gold pin depending on the number of works played.  For those playing 15-20 memorized pieces, students receive a large gold pin.
The cost of the audition depends on the level and amount of pieces being presented to the judge.  Students register for the audition at the Ottley Music School, and the funds and list of students are sent 3 months ahead of the audition time to the headquarters in Austin, Texas.  Those taking Diploma auditions must have their program submitted in the fall before the upcoming spring for approval of their program.  
At the end of each term, the students have an evaluation on their progress written by their teachers.
The Ottley Music School students from the tiny Little Mozarts (4-6 years old) at level Elementary A and upwards have successfully sat for the Guild Auditions from the 1970s, up through the high school diploma before going on to college or conservatory, many of them scoring very high from Exccellent Plus to the top Superior Plus with the judges. Some college bound students have tested out of some freshmen courses in college or conservatory as a result of their auditions and exams at OMS.
Student are also afforded the opportunity to enter into competitions such as the Maryland Music Teachers Association. Click here for their calendar of events.