Performer's Certificate

Undergraduate students, master’s students, and Performer Diploma students are eligible for the Performer’s Certificate, which is awarded as a special recognition of musical understanding and technical proficiency demonstrated in recital.  Award of the Performer’s Certificate is a three-step process involving the hearing, the recital, and a special hearing by the All-Faculty Performer’s Certificate Committee.  Each of the three steps must take place during a fall or spring semester. Details are available in the undergraduate office.  The following procedures are to be observed.

1.  The student is initially nominated for the Performer’s Certificate at the recital hearing which must be attended by at least three faculty members.  Based on the number present, the necessary number of positive votes to be nominated for a Performer’s Certificate is shown in parentheses:  3(2), 4(3), 5(4), 6(4), 7(5), 8(6), 9(6), 10(7), 11(8), 12(8), 13(9), 14(10), 15(10), 16(11), 17(12), 18(12), 19(13), 20(14), 21(14).

2.  The required quorum for attendance at the recital is five faculty members.  The student, performance instructor, and department chair should consult to be sure that the recital is scheduled at a time when the required quorum can be met.  The chair of the student’s department has the responsibility to assemble the faculty committee in consultation with the performance instructor.  Based on the number present, the necessary number of positive votes to be nominated for a special hearing by the All-Faculty Performer’s Certificate Hearing is shown in parentheses:  5(4), 6(4), 7(5), 8(6), 9(6), 10(7), 11(8), 12(8), 13(9), 14(10), 15(10), 16(11), 17(12), 18(12), 19(13), 20(14), 21(14).

3.  If the recital quorum is met and the vote is positive, the student’s department chair should notify the undergraduate office as soon as possible of the number of faculty present and the results of their vote.  The chair should also instruct the student to go to the undergraduate office immediately to schedule the special hearing.

4.  The regular size of the All-Faculty Performer’s Certificate Committee is seven members; the required quorum at the special hearing is five members.  Based on the number present, the number of positive votes required to award the Performer’s Certificate is shown in parentheses:  5(4), 6(4), 7(5).  The special hearing is scheduled for half an hour.  The student selects the music for the first ten minutes, and the chairperson of the committee, in consultation with other committee members, chooses the repertoire for the remaining time.

5.  At the special hearing, the student must be prepared to perform the entire recital program (the same program as the recital); if other performers were involved in the recital, the same performers must be present at the special hearing. The student is most strongly advised not to schedule the recital within the last two weeks of the semester.  If the student is nominated at a recital taking place after the Sunday which precedes the second-to-last week of classes, the special hearing cannot take place during that semester.  If the special hearing is thus delayed to the following (spring or fall) semester, the requirement that the student be prepared to perform the same recital with the same performers still stands.