Music competition guidelines 2023
2023 National Music Competition Guidelines
GUIDELINES ARE TO BE READ IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOUND HERE:
ENTRY Form on this page below the guidelines.
Activity: Music for Dance – engaging thought, imagination and structure.
Who is eligible: All persons residing in Australia, individually or collaboratively regardless of age or ability.
Environment: All entries are uploaded online to allow maximum reach and accessibility for both local and regional participants.
Process: The entries uploaded are distributed to a “listening-panel” for suitability and guideline adherence, those pieces that are accepted are then dispersed throughout the dance community to real-life-battle-test in a working environment.
Available: (Preregister from late December – entries close October 1st) February through to end of September
Prizes: Are distributed within 4 weeks of competition conclusion. (to allow for entries to be used in a working environment)
*In some instances, ongoing – rollout of monthly “discretionary-prizes” throughout the competition may occur.
*Winning of a discretionary-prize does not exclude an entrant from any other prizes.
Entry fee: The nominal entry fee ($12-$25) is non-refundable (eg: an entrant that fails to meet the guideline criteria) *exemptions may apply per application request if relevant.
COMPOSITION AND CATEGORY GUIDELINES:
• May be instrumental or lyrics or songs
• All lyrics must be family-friendly / G rated
• All compositions must fit within the guidelines per category for
• time signature and sequence or phrasing.
| Category | Category Style | Time signature | Tempo | Intro | Sequence sets | Total piece length | Feel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Foxtrot | C 4/4 | 120 bpm | 4 bar | 3 x 32 | 100 bars | |
| 2 | Blues | C 4/4 | 112-120 bpm | 4 bar | 3 x 32 | 100 bars | |
| 3 | Waltz | 3/4 | 90 bpm | 4 bar | 3 x 32 | 100 bars | |
| 4 | Jive | C 4/4 | 140-160 bpm | 4 bar | 3 x 32 | 100 bars | |
| 5 | Waltz | 3/4 | 156 bpm | 4 bar | 4-5 x 32 | 132 or 164 bars | Old Time/Folk or *Vienesse *170bpm |
| 6 | Quickstep | C 4/4 | 190-196 bpm | 4 bar | 4-5 x 32 | 132 or 164 bars | |
| 6a | Swing | C 4/4 | 130-150 bpm | 4 bar | 4-5 x 32 | 132 or 164 bars | |
| 7 | Rumba | 2/2 or 4/4 | 105 - 112 bpm | 4 bar | 3 x 32 | 100 bars | syncopated (alla breve) cut time |
| 8 | Tango | 2/2 or 4/4 | 120 bpm | 4 bar | 3 x 32 | 100 bars | syncopated (alla breve) cut time |
| 9 | Lyrics only | Formulated to allow sequence creation - must be family friendly appropriate language | |||||
| 10 | Lyrics to music | Any of the categorie styles 1-8 listed taking the lyrics provided and creating a relevant music piece for the category |
Purpose: Securing a safe and supportive space for all persons to engage in music creation.
Why the time frame?: All musical pieces are tested in the live-dance-environment ensuring a unique opportunity to be heard. Allowing the listening community to become familiar and “make-friends” with new songs
This real-use information is then collated and in cases where consistent “enjoyable” returns are received for the same piece within the contest time-frame, rolling monthly “discretionary-prizes” may be distributed prior to the contest conclusion. (eg: instruments to schools, lessons to individuals and so on)
Background: The 4 Ballroom Dance Co-op is a non-profit co-op that facilitates the partnered dance community and encompasses a range of genres – with sequenced dance (having a slightly different meaning to sequenced music in the digital age) requiring a set or repeat pattern, thus a repeat pattern or phrasing in music with a specific start and end.
Music and Dance are quite literally the “perfect-partnership” going hand in hand, foot to foot or wheel to toe.
DOWNLOAD A COPY OF THE BRIEF HERE