Junior Contemporary Music Festival

Synopsis: The Junior Contemporary Music Festival (JCMF) provides beginning through intermediate-level students an opportunity to perform 20th and 21st‐century repertoire in a public recital before a qualified judge. Students gain valuable experience by playing in a formal, non-competitive setting which  prepares them for the  Advanced Contemporary Music Festival in later years. Our guest judge for 2025 is an outstanding pianist and branch favorite, Joanna Ezrin.

• Levels: Preparatory through and including Level Five.
• Deadline to apply, pay fees, and score uploads: 11:59 PM, Saturday, October 4, 2025
• Fee: $15.00 per performer.
• Date and Time: Saturday, October 18, 2025, 10 am-7 pm. Exact times may vary.
• Location: Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 1 Avenida de los Arboles, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

Repertoire Requirements:
1. Music allowed: Music of 20th and 21st-century composers, Preparatory through level Five, which displays compositional techniques such as pointillism, modes and contrived scales, polyrhythm and polytonality, jazzy idioms, etc.  Solo repertoire by pedagogic composers such as Gerou, Mier, Faber, Vandall are allowed. Teachers may find it helpful to consult the CM syllabus for selections.  Jazz and popular music is saved for Koolfest and other appropriate programs.
2. Time limit: Three minutes. One or two pieces by the same or by different composers is allowed if within the time limit. Students may be stopped if they go over the time limit.
3. Memorization: Pianists may not use music during the performance. Other disciplines may use music as is customary to their discipline.

Dress and Decorum: It is requested that students show respect for their judges, audience, fellow performers and the festival by following the Music Teachers’ Association of California MTAC Conejo Valley dress code and decorum stated as follows:
Boys:
Slacks with a belt and a tucked-in button-up shirt with a collar. Jackets and ties are encouraged. Wear dress shoes (preferred) or black sneakers with black socks.
Girls:
Dress or a skirt with a blouse, or dress slacks with a blouse. The dress or skirt must be knee-length or longer. Wear dress shoes (preferred) or black sneakers.
Not Allowed:
Do not wear shorts, T-shirts, blue jeans, sports uniforms, tight clothing, flip-flops, Crocs, or sneakers (exception: you may wear black sneakers).