‘Tis the season for preparing students for Music Literacy Program tests, hosted in different formats by different chapters around the state. Here in the Kitsap County Chapter we put on an annual Music Carnival in April, where MLP tests are cleverly disguised within a creamy, chocolatey frosting of carnival games, balloons, award ribbons and fun!
This is a reminder that MLP tests in Rhythm, Ear Training, Technique, Sight Reading and Written Theory are available for Vocal and Instrumental students as follows:
Written Theory: Levels 1-8 for Violin (Treble clef instruments/voices), Cello-Bass (Bass clef instruments/voices), and Viola (Viola instruments). At Levels 9 and 10, all students take the same (keyboard) tests.
Technique: Levels 1-10 for Violin, Viola, Cello, and Bass. The technique test forms are the same each year. They are available for download from the WSMTA MLP web page so you can prep your students with the actual lists of scales for each level. Scale lists can be modified to suit other instruments in the same clefs.
Sight Reading: Levels 1-10 for Violin (Treble clef) and Viola; Levels 1-6 for Cello and Bass (Bass clef).
Ear Training is a special case! Since the Ear Training tests are “one-size-fits-all” recorded tracks, we have modified the test papers to specify which questions students of melodic instruments should be graded on at each level. Students are welcome to provide answers to all questions, but their percentage score can be based on just the relevant questions for their typical learning progressions.
Rhythm is the same for all instruments! Some V&I students may be ready for higher-level tests in the early stages, since the Rhythm tests don’t include eighth notes until Level 4. On the other end of the progression, V&I students may bow out by Level 7 or 8 at which polyrhythms are required.
The MLP Program Guide: Vocal and Instrumental, linked from the WSMTA MLP web page, contains complete descriptions of the knowledge to be tested at each level. Refer to it early and often!
Happy Holidays!
–Jane Melin, NCTM, WSMTA Vocal and Instrumental Chair