Local Programs & Events
The CVMTA team leads a number of community music programs, providing the opportunity for students to participate in a variety of events including: local recitals, financial aid, Festival of the Arts, and Focus on Youth.
Programs
Festival of the Arts
The Creston Festival of the Arts operates under the auspices of the Creston Valley Music Teachers’ Association. Our goal is to encourage and promote musical education and advance public understanding and appreciation of the performing arts as a beneficial aspect of community life.
Focus on Youth
This is a non-competitive festival featuring visual arts and performing arts by students of the Creston Valley.
Financial Aid
Apply through the CVMTA for music university scholarships, music camp bursaries, and more!
Festival of the Arts
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Competitions are produced under the general management of the Festival of the Arts committee. Any questions not dealt with in these rules shall be submitted, in writing, to the committee. The decision of the committee is final.
Violation of General Rules may result in disciplinary action. All matters of disciplinary action will be taken under advisement by the Festival Committee under Robert's Rules of Order, Article 60. The Festival Committee reserves the right to cancel a discipline if it does not meet the minimum of 30 entries.
The committee is comprised of dedicated volunteers from the community. They do not need to have musical skills; we depend on different areas of expertise and appreciate all the volunteers who make the festival successful. Any interested persons may contact the Festival Chair and offer to serve on the committee.
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The Creston Festival of the Arts’ 2024 Adjudicator is Linda Kundert.
Linda Kundert holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance (Magna Cum Laude) from the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles and a Master of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Calgary (U of C). She also has an Associate Teacher’s Diploma in Piano from the Mount Royal University Conservatory (AMRC) and an ARCT Piano Teacher’s Diploma from The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM).
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Festival of the Arts 2024 is finished. Please check back here next year for our 2025 Festival!
Please read through the syllabi first, and find the category that best suits your entry/entries. For the Solo Performance entries, use the Solo Registration form. For all Ensemble Performance (2 or more performers) entries, use the Ensemble Registration form.For each solo, or ensemble, selection of music, please enter a separate form submission for class scheduling purposes.
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In order to protect adjudicators' privacy, verbal adjudications may not be recorded (audio or visual) under any circumstances.
Video recordings of adjudicators' remarks may not be uploaded to the internet, including social-media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube.
Further, written adjudications may not be photographed and uploaded to the internet.
Festival of the Arts: Gallery
Focus on Youth
This is a non-competitive festival featuring visual arts and performing arts by students of the Creston Valley. All concerts are held in the Kootenay River Secondary School Theatre.
School classes perform a variety of genres, local students give performances in piano, strings, vocal, guitar, and other instruments, as well as dance, gymnastics, drama, choral speech, and even juggling.
Guidelines
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There are 14 concerts (usually) in the week, Monday to Friday. Students are encouraged to present one number -- they may also enter another number if it is a different instrument or a different group. (e.g., a piano student may enter a piano solo and a piano duet).
The performance week is from May 6th-10th, 2024.
1. All competitions are for amateurs only. The term amateur shall mean "one whose principal livelihood is not derived from musical, theatre, or dance services". This condition does not apply to those bona fide students of the performing arts who teach for the purpose of applying the money so earned for furtherance of their education, and does not preclude occasional remuneration received for services rendered in the arts.
2. Age: All pre-school, elementary school, and high school students are eligible.
3. Each competitor may have only one entry in each division: Piano/Vocal/Dance/Speech Arts/Violin/Guitar/Band instrument or other performing art. However, any performer may be part of a group as well as one solo performance in the same division.
4. A performing group is eligible for one entry of no more than 10 minutes.
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The registration deadline will be April 5, 2023. There is no fee for registering.
Simply fill out the form here online, and all of its required fields.
This will help the committee determine how to schedule the concerts. If a field does not apply to you, simply fill in “n/a”. It is important for individual/group/dance performers to list their school class and teacher, to avoid performance or costuming conflicts within the same concert.
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School groups have their rehearsals in the week prior to the concerts.
The festival coordinator will book these rehearsal times in co-ordination with the schools. Other performers, individual and group, have a rehearsal day on Saturday before the concert week.
Private teachers, please book a stage rehearsal time with Monte Anderson.
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The performance week is from May 6th-10th, 2024.
Check back here frequently for revisions. As there are many considerations in developing a schedule and the order of performance, special requests cannot normally be granted, although the Coordinators will attempt to be as reasonable as possible. Only the Coordinator may alter the order of performance during Focus on Youth.
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Props / amps / other equipment: should arrive back stage 30 minutes before start time.
Soundtracks: please provide a thumb drive which can be left with the technician, to be loaded into the computer. The preferred format is MP3.
Performers: should arrive in costume, 15 minutes before start time. If you need to change backstage, please arrive 30 minutes ahead of time.
Reserved seats: in the front rows are for solo/group performers and their teachers.
Please go backstage: one number before you perform. Do not walk to the back during a performance, wait for applause.
Bows: be sure to walk to the designated spot to take your bow; piano players should walk to the end of the piano bench, turn to the audience and bow, before sitting on the bench.
Check your: microphone height, piano bench height, etc., to make sure things are comfortable for you. If there is a problem, ask the stage crew to help you make the adjustments.
Important Dates & Information for Teachers
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Registration deadline for performing arts entries is Friday, April 5, 2024.
Be sure to get your registration in on time. If your MC notes are complete be sure to send them to Laura From by April 26th, 2024.
For scheduling purposes it is best to include on your registration if you will need a lot of set up. Also, please include any dates that your class will not be able to perform or days your class will not be able to rehearse during rehearsal week.
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Photography - Please take a photo of your class rehearsing and send it to Laura From. *
*Please note: These photos may be used on our Focus on Youth Gallery page on this website for sharing and marketing purposes.
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Rehearsal week for schools will be: April 29th - May 4th, 2024. It is important to be ready for the rehearsal and use your stage time to your best advantage. Your school will get the scheduled rehearsal day soon after the registration date closes. Your school will plan the times for each class to rehearse during that scheduled day, at the time which is most convenient to you.
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Please send your school’s rehearsal schedule no later than April 26th, 2024.
Once your rehearsal day is determined, send your school’s rehearsal schedule to the Auditorium Technician, Jason, and to the seating coordinators, Cheryl Rendek, or Linda Farynowski.
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Performance week: May 6th - May 10th, 2024.
Art Show
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When?
The Art Show week will be from May 6th-9th, Monday-Wednesday: 9am-4pm, and Thursday: 9am-3pm.
Where?
The Creston Room at the Creston and District Community Complex.
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Please bring all of your entered art to the venue. Set up will be from: 12:00-4:00pm on Sunday, May 5th, 2024 at the Creston Chamber of Commerce.
Classroom teachers are expected to set up their class’s art displays.
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The Art Show coordinator is Brenda Brucker, please reach out to her if you have questions regarding the Art Show.
Please note that: painter’s tape is the only thing we can use on the walls.
Banners are effective and easy to hang.
Make sure that any heavy artwork on banners is stapled on so it doesn't fall off.
Brenda Brucker will have dowelling and string available to hang the banners.
Banners should not be longer than 9 feet.
Tables will also be provided, try to make a creative display.
The Quilters curtains will be hung and artwork can be pinned to those. Brenda Brucker will have pins and clips.
The Arts Council will provide grids for individual pieces of art.
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This year’s Art Show Gala will be on: May 8th, 2024, at 7:00pm, doors open at 6:30pm.
The Creston Valley Arts Council is hosting a Wearable Art Fashion show!
Teachers, artists, students and families are encouraged to put together an outfit.
Admission is by donation.
List of Event Contacts
Focus on Youth Gallery
School Class Registration
This form is for all elementary and/or high school classes to register their Focus on Youth performances for 2024.
Private Student Registration
This form is for all students of private teachers to register their Focus on Youth performances for 2024.
Financial Aid
**Please note:
The Financial Aid application forms are coming soon!**
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Monte Anderson Music Scholarship is established to honour the lifetime of musical contributions made by Monte Anderson throughout his professional career as piano teacher, band teacher, choir director, organist, entertainer, accompanist, and music retailer.
This recognizes his generous contributions to the musical life of Creston and his on-going inspiration to the music students and teachers of the Creston Valley.
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The Anita Stushnoff Bursary fund was created in honour of an amazing teacher who blessed the Creston Valley with her love of music, and her dream of sharing it with everyone. She taught Music for Young Children classes, private piano lessons, and supported the Blossom Valley Singers, and the Key of She, for many, many years.
Sadly Anita Stushnoff passed away recently, but it is the CVMTA’s goal to have her honoured and remembered through this fund.
Bursaries of up to $300 are available for students to attend summer music camps, music workshops, and other educational opportunities not available in the Creston Valley.
Applicants must have had at least one year of study with a music teacher of the CVMTA. Application for the summer music camp must be made in writing by May 1. Application for other events may be made at any time of year.
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Bursaries of up to $400 are available from Blossom Valley Singers for local students to attend music camps.
First consideration will be given to high school students applying.
Application must be made in writing by April 15.
To learn more about what’s current with the CVMTA, please view our calendar or visit the Upcoming Events page.
Upcoming Events
