MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA
VACMS is open to adult instrumentalists who are keen to play chamber music and who meet the criteria below.
Please contact us if you do not quite meet the criteria, but feel that VACMS may nevertheless be a good fit for you. Becoming an effective chamber musician is dependent on many things which are not easily quantifiable, including the ability to learn and improve skills.
Please contact us if you do not quite meet the criteria, but feel that VACMS may nevertheless be a good fit for you. Becoming an effective chamber musician is dependent on many things which are not easily quantifiable, including the ability to learn and improve skills.
1. INSTRUMENTS
We accept applications from string, woodwind and piano players.
Other instruments - Certain instruments (e.g. brass, percussion, some wind) that cannot be accommodated in a VACMS membership may be useful additions from time to time for special groupings at Play-ins. Please contact us with your expression of interest.
Other instruments - Certain instruments (e.g. brass, percussion, some wind) that cannot be accommodated in a VACMS membership may be useful additions from time to time for special groupings at Play-ins. Please contact us with your expression of interest.
2. PLAYER STANDARDS
a. Ability to Play in a Group
Group playing requires listening and adapting to others with patience and good will. At Play-ins it is common for groups to sometimes stop because players have mucked up or got lost, but the expectation is that players may make mistakes and omit difficult passages yet often be able to "play on".
b. Required Playing Levels
To be accepted for membership and participate comfortably in our Play-ins, players need to meet the following playing levels:
c. Ability to Sight Read
Groupings are emailed out typically one week before a Play-in, but even if members of a group choose what to play beforehand there is limited time for practice, and other players may elect to just turn up and choose on the day. Additionally, groups, and consequently music, are subject to late changes (e.g. due to illness).
Group playing requires listening and adapting to others with patience and good will. At Play-ins it is common for groups to sometimes stop because players have mucked up or got lost, but the expectation is that players may make mistakes and omit difficult passages yet often be able to "play on".
b. Required Playing Levels
To be accepted for membership and participate comfortably in our Play-ins, players need to meet the following playing levels:
- String Players - have already achieved at least Gr 6 AMEB equivalent standard, and have good sight reading skills.
- Woodwind Players - have already achieved at least Gr 7 AMEB equivalent standard, and have good sight reading skills.
- Pianists - have achieved a higher level than Strings and Wind and are competent to play mainstream chamber works, have very able sight reading skills, and are able to lead an ensemble from the standard repertoire for mixed chamber music groups (a suggested example is Mozart K 548 Piano Trio). Pianists typically have some standard repertoire pre-prepared that they can use for some Play-in groups. Experience in accompanying or playing with others is highly desirable. Interested pianists are encouraged to contact us for a chat before applying.
c. Ability to Sight Read
Groupings are emailed out typically one week before a Play-in, but even if members of a group choose what to play beforehand there is limited time for practice, and other players may elect to just turn up and choose on the day. Additionally, groups, and consequently music, are subject to late changes (e.g. due to illness).
3. OTHER CRITERIA
Applicants need to be aware of the following :
a. Assured Places at Play-ins
We may occasionally be unable to accommodate a player at every Play-in or Play-in session for which they register, because we are just not able to suitably group them with the available registrants. This would be a rare occurrence, and string players are unlikely to be affected. However, pianists and woodwind players might like to consider Pay-As-You-Play membership, rather than Annual All-Inclusive-Fee membership, if this small possibility is a concern.
b. Groupings at Play-ins
VACMS does its best to group people appropriately at Play-ins according to the available attendees. Requests for
particular groupings or works are heeded, but can only sometimes be met.
c. Membership Acceptance
There could be instances where we feel unable to confer membership, even if the applicant meets the membership criteria, e.g. if we had more pianists than we could give fair turn to at Play-ins, or if the applicant played an instrument that could not be grouped with our current members' instruments.
a. Assured Places at Play-ins
We may occasionally be unable to accommodate a player at every Play-in or Play-in session for which they register, because we are just not able to suitably group them with the available registrants. This would be a rare occurrence, and string players are unlikely to be affected. However, pianists and woodwind players might like to consider Pay-As-You-Play membership, rather than Annual All-Inclusive-Fee membership, if this small possibility is a concern.
b. Groupings at Play-ins
VACMS does its best to group people appropriately at Play-ins according to the available attendees. Requests for
particular groupings or works are heeded, but can only sometimes be met.
c. Membership Acceptance
There could be instances where we feel unable to confer membership, even if the applicant meets the membership criteria, e.g. if we had more pianists than we could give fair turn to at Play-ins, or if the applicant played an instrument that could not be grouped with our current members' instruments.