Graduation |

Dr. Suzuki started a graduation system in Japan many years ago. The purpose of this Suzuki ‘level graduation’ is to continue to raise standards for students and teachers, to provide an incentive to polish and review literature, and to provide a means of recognition for students who have achieved certain goals. This is a different type of graduation than a ‘completed a book’ graduation. The recording process is transformative for the student and creates a unique opportunity for self-evaluation, raising their standards and quality of their musicianship.

In order to graduate from each specified level, a student must be working at the specified current level of study, and at his/her teacher’s recommendation, must submit an audio recording of the corresponding pieces on the graduation list for their specific instrument.

It is possible to graduate from more than one level at one time. Students who have not participated in graduation before, who are qualified to enter at an upper level, may send an audio recording of the appropriate level and all prior levels. The only time a student needs to record all the pieces in book 1 is for Level One. Graduation Levels Two and above require only one piece to be recorded for each level. The Twinkle level requires recording all the Twinkle Variations and the Theme. Students beginning with Level One do not have to record the Twinkle Variations and Theme twice.

Application Deadline: Wednesday, October 30, 2024
(late applications will be accepted until March 17)

Recording Deadline: Monday, March 17, 2025

Concert and Reception: Saturday, May 3, 2025

Time: 12:30pm – student rehearsal with teacher orchestra
2:00pm – break
2:30pm – concert, reception immediately following

Location: TBA

Fee: $75 per student

STXSA Event Chairman: Terri Matchett

Graduation Guidelines

Late application forms will be accepted, either for students who reach a graduation level after the application deadline but before the recording is due, or for those who decide to make a recording after the application deadline, however, late recordings will not be accepted after the recording submission deadline.
Each graduation recording will be evaluated by one teacher
Each student will receive a comment form from the evaluating teacher.
Every student will pass the graduation requirements if they have reached the required level of study, the appropriate pieces have been recorded, the student’s teacher has approved the recording, and the recording was submitted by the deadline.
All violin, viola and cello recordings must be recorded with accompaniment.
The piano accompaniment tracks on the Suzuki recordings will be allowed as an acceptable substitute for a live piano accompanist. A harmony part played by another melody instrument may also qualify as accompaniment.
If the piece was originally written for an unaccompanied solo instrument, the student may record that piece without accompaniment.
Students may fulfill graduation requirements for more than one level at one time. Additional fees are not required.
All students will perform, as a group, all the pieces required for their level at the graduation concert, when the concert is in-person.
All students will perform the required graduation piece(s) for their level(s) as a solo in addition to playing Twinkles, when the concert is online. Level One graduates will play a selected piece(s) from Book 1. Selection will be made by the Graduation Chairman with input from the student’s teacher.
Each student will be presented with a graduation certificate and a keepsake award of the occasion.
Students must participate in the rehearsal to perform in the concert, when the concert is in-person.
All music must be memorized.
Only audio recordings will be accepted. Recordings must be uploaded to a file sharing site (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.) or online video sharing site (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.). If an online video sharing site must be used (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.) the video must be recorded with the camera facing a blank wall or a piece of black fabric or paper, where the performer is not in view. The recording is to be an AUDIO recording only.
Tracks on the recording must be in the same order as the pieces in the Suzuki repertoire.

Recording Instructions

All violin, viola, cello, bass and flute recordings must be recorded with accompaniment. (The accompaniment tracks on the Suzuki recordings will be allowed as an acceptable substitute for a live accompanist.)
All music must be memorized.
All recordings must be approved by the student’s teacher before submitting to the STXSA Graduation Chairman.
Only audio recordings will be accepted.
The “voice memos” app on smart phones/ipads/tablets is a good way to make an audio recording that is easily shareable.
If a video recording method must be used, or if an online video sharing site must be used for the upload (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.) the video must be recorded with the camera facing a blank wall or with the lens covered with a piece of black fabric or paper, so the performer is not in view.
After your recording(s) have been approved by your teacher, upload your completed recording(s) to a file sharing site (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.) or an online video sharing site (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.).
Please list the tracks on your recording in the same order as the pieces in the Suzuki repertoire.
Email the link to your uploaded recording to the STXSA Graduation Chairman. You can contact them through your teacher or through the contact page on the STXSA website.

Violin Recording Requirements

Graduation Level	Current level of study	Recording requirement
Twinkle	Completed Book 1	All Twinkle Variations and the Theme
Level I	Completed Book 2	All pieces in Book 1
Level II	Completed Book 4	Bach Bourree (Book 3)
Level III	Completed Book 5	Vivaldi A Minor Concerto, 1st movement (Book 4)
Level IV	Completed Book 6	Vivaldi G Minor Concerto, 1st movement (Book 5)
Level V	Completed Book 7	Corelli La Folia (Book 6)
Level VI	Completed Book 8	Bach A Minor Concerto, all movements (Book 7)
Level VII	Completed Book 10	Mozart D Major Concerto, all movements (Book 9)
Level VIII	Beyond Book 10	Mozart-Kreisler Rondo and Paradies Sicilienne
Level IX	Beyond Book 10	Vitali Chaconne
Level X	Beyond Book 10	Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, 1st movement

Viola Recording Requirements

Graduation Level	Current level of study	Recording requirement
Twinkle	Completed Book 1	All Twinkle Variations and the Theme
Level I	Completed Book 2	All pieces in Book 1
Level II	Completed Book 4	Bach Bourree (Book 3)
Level III	Completed Book 5	Telemann Concerto, 2nd movement (Book 4)
Level IV	Completed Book 6	Bach Suite I in G Major for Unaccompanied Viola, Prelude (Book 5)
Level V	Completed Book 7	Marais La Folia (Book 6)
Level VI	Completed Book 8	J. C. Bach/Casadesus Concerto in C Minor, all three movements (Books 6 & 7)
Level VII	Completed Book 9	Bruch Romance (Book 8)
Level VIII	Beyond Book 9	Schubert Sonata in A Minor, D 821, all movements (Book 9)
Level IX	Beyond Book 9	Bach Suite for Unaccompanied Viola, all movements (Choice of Suite No. II, III, IV, V, VI)
Level X	Beyond Book 9	Walton Viola Concerto, 1st movement

Cello Repertoire Requirements

Graduation Level	Current level of study	Recording requirement
Twinkle	Completed Book 1	All Twinkle Variations and the Theme
Level I	Completed Book 2	All pieces in Book 1
Level II	Completed Book 4	Beethoven Minuet in G (Book 3)
Level III	Completed Book 5	Breval Sonata in C, 1st movement (Book 4)
Level IV	Completed Book 6	Vivaldi E Minor Sonata Op. 14, 1^st & 2^nd movements (Book 5)
Level V	Completed Book 7	Saint-Saëns The Swan (Book 6)
Level VI	Completed Book 8	Eccles Sonata, 1^st & 2nd movements (Book 7)
Level VII	Completed Book 9	Sammartini Sonata, all movements (Book 8)
Level VIII	Completed Book 10	Haydn Concerto in C Major, 3rd movement (Book 9)
Level IX	Beyond Book 10	Boccherini Concerto in B-flat Major, all movements (Book 10)
Level X	Beyond Book 10	Choice of first movement of the Elgar Concerto or Saint-Saëns Concerto no. 1 in A Minor or Lalo Concerto in D Minor

Bass Repertoire Requirements

Bass recording requirements are currently being updated. Please contact the Graduation Chairman for additional information.

Guitar Repertoire Requirements

Graduation Level	Current level of study	Recording requirement
Twinkle	Completed Book 1	All Twinkle Variations and the Theme
Level I	Completed Book 2	All pieces in Book 1
Level II	Completed Book 3	Calatayud, Waltz (Book 2)
Level III	Completed Book 4	Ayala, Celeste y Blanco (Book 3)
Level IV	Completed Book 5	de Vidali arr. Longay, La Folia Variations (Book 4)
Level V	Completed Book 6	Giuliani, Allegro Vivace, Op. 111 (Book 5)
Level VI	Completed Book 7	Bach, Bouree BWV 996 (Book 6)
Level VII	Completed Book 8	Guimaraes, Sounds of Bells (Book 7)
Level VIII	Completed Book 9	Bach, Prelude from Suite in D Major BWV 1007 (Book 8)
Level IX	Beyond Book 9	Albeniz, Asturias (Leyenda) from Suite Española No. 1, Op. 47
Level X	Beyond Book 9	Contact Graduation Chairman

Flute Recording Requirements

Flute recording requirements are currently being updated. Please contact the Graduation Chairman for additional information.

Harp Repertoire Requirements

Harp recording requirements are currently being updated. Please contact the Graduation Chairman for additional information.

Piano Graduation Requirements

Graduation Level	Current level of study	Recording requirement
Twinkle	Completed Book 1	All Twinkle Variations and the Theme
Level I	Completed Book 2	All pieces in Book 1
Level II	Completed Book 3	Bach Minuet No. 2 (Book 2)
Level III	Completed Book 4	Clementi Sonatina Op. 36, No. 3, 1st movement (Book 3)
Level IV	Completed Book 5	Bach Minuets I and II and Gigue from Partita in B-Flat Major BWV 825 (Book 4)
Level V	Completed Book 6	Mozart Sonata KV 545, 1st movement (Book 6)
Level VI	Completed Book 7	Mozart Sonata KV 331, all movements (Book 7)
Level VII	Beyond Book 7	Bach Italian Concerto, all movements
Level VIII	Beyond Book 7	Contact graduation chairman
Level IX	Beyond Book 7	Contact graduation chairman
Level X	Beyond Book 7	Contact graduation chairman

Additional Instruments

Please contact the Graduation Chairman for Graduation Requirements for voice, organ, recorder, euphonium, French horn, trombone, trumpet, and tuba.

Watch past graduation concerts on the STXSA YouTube channel

Graduation

Graduation Application

Liability Release