Associate Carillonneur Exam

I. Introduction

The Associate Carillonneur Exam evaluates a candidate's skills at an intermediate level utilizing carillon repertoire of moderate difficulty. It is designed for GCNA Associate Members who would like recognition from the GCNA and professional feedback.

Candidates submit recordings of music performed on their own instruments, which may be of any size, including a two-octave instrument. Unlike the Carillonneur Exam, this process is not anonymous and candidates are not required to perform an examination recital at Congress. In addition to the performance requirement, there are two written components: carillon history and concert program design.

There is no application deadline—applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Individuals who pass this exam may be eligible for a grant of up to $750 to support their further carillon education.

II. Requirements

A. Audio recordings

Submit audio recordings of 2 pieces from the lists of required pieces below, plus other pieces of comparable or greater difficulty, for a total of 10–15 minutes of music. Do not submit compositions, arrangements, transcriptions, or improvisations that you have created.

Note: Under special circumstances, you (or your teacher on your behalf) may obtain special permission in writing from the committee chair to substitute required pieces with pieces of comparable or greater difficulty. It is advisable to contact the committee chair far in advance, before recordings are made.

Required pieces

All of these pieces can be purchased from the GCNA Music Store and are linked below for individual purchase. Most are also found in the 2-octave music book The Belmont Carillon Book, Volume II and the lesson book Playing the Carillon: An Introductory Method. (Pedal Aria is only found in the lesson book.) If you play the editions from these books, the handling, pedaling, and tempo marks added by the editors need not be followed.

Choose 2 from the following:
Piece	Range
Coronation March, by Clifford Ball (Belmont II, page 40)	2
Prelude, from Belmont Suite, by John Knox (Belmont II, page 44)	2
Final Flourish, from Belmont Suite, by John Knox (Belmont II, page 48)	2
Festival Prelude, by Gladys Elinor Watkins (Belmont II, page 50)	2
Muss i denn, a Swabian folk song, arr. Percival Price (Belmont II, page 54)	2
Stillness, a Russian folk melody, arr. Percival Price (Belmont II, page 62)	2
Marche en Rondeau, by Marc-Antoine Charpentier (Belmont II, page 77)	2
Rondo, K. 13, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Belmont II, page 86)	2
Giga, by François Couperin (De Gruytters No. 96)	2.5
Waltz (for Tim), from Three Short Pieces, by John Gouwens	3
Pedal Aria, by John Gouwens	3{Eb}
Andromeda, by Yvette Janine Jackson	3(Eb)
Andante, by Joseph-Hector Fiocco (De Gruytters No. 49)	3(Eb)
Allegro (De Gruytters No. 184)	3+d
Chantey, from Three Short Pieces, by Jean W. Miller	3.5
Aeolian Mode, from Seven Modal Pieces, by John Courter	3.5
Toccata for 42 Bells, by Robert Moore	3.5
Preludio V, by Matthias Vanden Gheyn	3.5
Sarabande, by Ronald Barnes	3.5{Eb}
Pastel in Bronze, by Albert Gerken	3.5+a
Prelude, by Donna Gleason	4
Sonorities, from Suite No. 1, by John Courter	4(Eb)

Recording tips

Place the microphone(s) in an area where there is good balance for the bell sounds. To avoid keyboard noise, do not place the microphone(s) in the playing room. For additional information, see Helpful information on recording for the carillon.

Before submitting your recording, listen to each piece carefully with the music in front of you. Ask yourself:

Will the judges be able to hear the details of my performance on this recording?
Is my playing musical?
Does the piece actually sound the way I intend it to sound?
Are marks on the music reflected in the recorded performance?
Are the rhythms, dynamics, and tempi accurate?
Where might my performance be rated according to this carillon performance standards reference rubric?

Depending on your answers, you may decide to record some pieces again.

B. Videotape recording (optional)

You are strongly encouraged to submit a video recording of you performing one of the required pieces. The video recording will not be separately graded. It will be used to provide helpful feedback in relation to performance techniques, posture and positioning at the console. Submitting a video recording will help judges provide better and more useful feedback. Head, body, hands, and feet should all be clearly shown at some point in the video. A video recording made on a smartphone is acceptable. The microphone for the video recording may be in the playing room rather than in the bell chamber.

C. History requirement

Demonstrate your basic knowledge about general history of the carillon (and optionally the history of your own instrument) in a written format. The effort expected is the equivalent of about 2–3 pages of double-spaced text, but you are encouraged to present the information in a format that will be practical and useful to you as a (future) ambassador for the carillon. Examples of presentation formats include:

A summary, outline or time line of general carillon history,
A brochure or a website for your own instrument, including a history of your own instrument and a general history of the carillon (or a supplement to an existing brochure or website that focuses on a particular event),
A script for a tour of your own instrument, including a history of your own instrument and a general history of the carillon, or
An FAQ: Answers to questions frequently asked by concert audience members about general carillon history and the history of your own instrument.

You (or your teacher on your behalf) are welcome to contact the committee chair to propose a different presentation format.

Original research is not expected. You may use information in the general carillon history section of Playing the Carillon: An Introductory Method (and you may contact the committee chair to obtain these pages).

D. Concert program design requirement

Submit 2 sample programs for recitals of between 30 minutes and 1 hour in length. The music chosen does not have to be music that you already know. The programs must include a short biography.

Programming tips

Instead of listing single pieces one after another, decide if several could be grouped together using headings such as "Three Folk Songs," "Two Hymns," "Three Dances," "Two Twentieth Century Pieces for Carillon," "Two Pieces by French Composers," etc. You are free to think of other groupings.
Variety in programming helps create interest. One way to provide variety is to avoid programming successive selections in the same key.
Similarly, when possible, program music with different rhythms, keys and tempi.
Plan the beginning and ending pieces of a program carefully. The first piece will set a certain mood—perhaps dramatic, perhaps meditative, etc.
Include composers' names and birth and death year dates (if known) and arrangers' names.
Pieces familiar to general audiences are effective in drawing your listeners into your performance.
Program notes are a good idea, but are not required for the purposes of the exam.

III. Application and judging process

A. Application

Before applying, you must first become a member of the GCNA, which costs US$40 annually (or US$25 for full-time students), and remain in good standing.

To initiate the exam, assemble all required materials of the application, which include:

A completed application form
Audio recordings totaling 10–15 minutes of music (a separate audio file/track for each piece)
A list of the pieces played in your recordings, with title and composer/arranger
An optional video recording of one of the required pieces
One photocopy or scanned copy of the sheet music for each piece that is not a required piece
The carillon history project materials
Two sample concert programs, including a short biography

Additionally, pay a US$20 application fee. The preferred method of payment is via PayPal. Enter your name in the box below and click the Pay Now button. Alternatively, you can pay the fee via check. Please use US dollars drawn on a US bank made payable to "The GCNA".

Finally, send your application materials to the Associate Carillonneur Exam Committee chair, Jim Fackenthal, at ace@gcna.org. You have a few ways to do this:

Upload all files to a cloud service, such as Dropbox or iCloud, and share a link to them in your email
Request a Dropbox folder link from the committee and submit the files via that link
(Not preferred) Burn the recordings onto a CD, print the other materials on paper, and send a package to the committee chair via mail.

Questions? Contact the committee at ace@gcna.org.

B. Judging

The Associate Carillonneur Exam Committee reviews all application materials, and all of its members form the jury: Jim Fackenthal (chair), Wesley Arai, Linda Dzuris, Laura Ellis, and Tin-Shi Tam.

In adjudication, the jurors use an internal reference rubric to evaluate candidates' performances, but it will not be used as a template for the final reported performance evaluation. Candidates will receive comments and suggestions, if needed, from the jury. To successfully complete the exam, candidates must pass all requirements including each audio recording that is submitted. The video recording (if one is submitted) will not be separately graded.

The jury may pass or fail a candidate, or they may invite the candidate to resubmit some parts of the exam materials. If the committee requests resubmission, candidates have 2 years from the time of their first evaluation report to do so. After 2 years, candidates must submit a new, complete application with a new fee. Prior committee evaluations of any previously submitted material will not necessarily be the same upon resubmission.

Upon passing the exam, candidates' membership status with the GCNA will be updated to the "Associate Carillonneur (AC)" level, they will receive a certificate suitable for framing, and the GCNA will make an announcement of their achievement. Successful candidates may also become eligible for a grant to support their emerging artistry.

For more information, contact the Associate Carillonneur Exam Committee chair, Jim Fackenthal, at ace@gcna.org.