In 2014, a long-time dream finally became a reality.  I had dreamed of a piano competition for students of all ages that promoted excellence in sacred music while give out a prize (Cash!!) that truly appealed to students.  I am excited to tell you that on Saturday, October 8th, the Fine Arts Academy at FBC will host our 3rd Sacred Music Competition.

Our goal is very simple.  We want to promote excellence in sacred music.  Many organizations do a fantastic job of promoting excellence in non-sacred music.  We want to do something different.  We want to focus on music that is explicitly sacred.  Our competition is also very simple.  Students will play one piece of sacred music.  Winners will be chosen by a panel of three judges.  These winners will receive a cash prize.  You can read the full description about our competition and register on our webpage.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How much does it cost to enter this competition?  – Nothing, Zero, Nada, Zilch – It is completely FREE!
2. Can I play anything I want?  There are two stipulations.  It must be sacred and it must be published.  In other words, it cannot be a sacred arrangement that you have made up on your own.  There needs to be published music that the judges can follow while you play.
3. What does “memorization is strongly suggested” mean?  Well, it means that we strongly suggest that you memorize your music 🙂  But, it also means that memorization is not required.  We do not want memorization to be a barrier that prevents you from participating.  However, most of us will admit that we play the piano much better when our music is memorized.
4. Who can compete in this competition?  Anyone who is 18 years old or younger on October 8th is eligible to compete.  We will be dividing all of the students up into three divisions:  Elementary (ages 9 and under), Junior (10-14), & Senior (15-18).  There are cash prizes available for each division.
5. How much can I win?  We have a total of $700 available in cash prizes!  You can see a breakdown of cash prizes by division on our competition website.
6. Do I have to play the piano?  We would love to encourage sacred music on all instruments.  However, we have chosen to focus our competition on piano music.
7. Do I have to attend Faith Baptist Church in order to compete?  No.  The competition is open to anyone 18 years old or younger.  In fact, we welcome students who may want to travel from Japan just for this competition 🙂

Will You Join Us for This Unique Event?

• Register today – If you are 18 or under, register today!  Choose a sacred arrangement.  It can be one you already know or one that is completely brand new.  Get it ready.  Work on it with your teacher.  Then come on Saturday, October 8th, and play it to the best of your ability.
• Spread the Word – Will you help us by spreading the word about this competition?  Share it on facebook.  Forward this email to your friends and family.  Talk about it.
• Be a Sponsor – Consider making a financial contribution to FBC to make this competition possible.  Think of the impact we can have on our community through a simple piano competition and a few hundred dollars.

I hope that you will get excited about our upcoming Sacred Music Competition.  Last year’s competition was a huge success.  Twenty three students competed.  Nine prizes totaling $700 were awarded.  If you have any questions at all about our competition, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Stephen