The Soloist’s Guide
All You Need To Know About Performing With Student Pianists At St. Olaf
Produced by
ACCOMP

To St. Olaf soloists:

The following pages contain important information that all soloists should know when collaborating with student pianists at St. Olaf. All of the items have been approved by the on-campus group, ACCOMP (Accompanist Coalition Covering Olaf’s Music Program), and are the results of lessons learned through the experience of many students. We hope that this book will enhance the musical experiences at St. Olaf for both pianists and soloists. If you have any questions or comments about this book, please contact the ACCOMP group via email at accompcouncil@stolaf.edu.

Best of luck in your performances!

TABLE OF CONTENTS
-Important Dates to Remember
-Finding a Pianist
-Payment
-Extra Payment for Extra Work
-Contracts
-Organization – Knowing the Limits
-Preparation
-Communication
-Where to Practice
-Et cetera

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
The following are deadlines for soloists to find a pianist and give music to be performed to him/her:

Juries

  • Fall Semester - November 1
  • Spring Semester - April 1

Half/Full Recitals

  • Fall and Interim Semesters - May 31
  • Spring Semester - October 15
    (These are the same dates required by St. Olaf staff pianists)

Tour Soloists Auditions – May 31

Other Performances

  • Thursday Recitals – 30 days before the performance
  • Continuance and Entrance Recitals – 30 days before the performance
  • NATS Competition – 30 days before the performance

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FINDING A PIANIST
There are three types of collaborative pianists available: student pianists, staff pianists, and professional pianists. All are committed to making your performance the best possible.

Student Pianists
Here are some ways to find student pianists:

  • Consult the collaborative pianist list in CHM 101
  • Write your name and repertoire on the ACCOMP bulletin board across from the Music Library. (Please be aware that it is possible that you may not receive a response)
  • Talk to music students and ask for suggestions
  • Talk to student pianists. They will often know if your piece has already been played by another person and can help you to get in touch with him/her.
  • Ask your music professor to recommend a student pianist to you.

Staff Pianists
The music department staff pianists, Lori Ronning Folland and John Jensen, also play for many official recitals. Their main priority is to accompany juried recitals (including third and fourth year BM Performance and Church Music Majors, fourth year BM Music Education Majors as well as departmental distinction candidates). Students performing a junior or senior recital and wishing to perform with a staff pianist must make a request by October 15 for second semester recitals, or by May 31 for first semester and January recitals. All such requests are to be made through email directly to Lori Ronning Folland or John Jensen. Their email addresses are ronningl@stolaf.edu and jensenj@stolaf.edu. All requests should include the following information:

Student Name
Class Year
Phone Extension #
Email Address
Performance Date (approximately if date is not set)
Indication if this recital fulfills a degree requirement. If so, which one?
Repertoire to be performed (title and composer)

Staff pianists may also be available to accompany other performances including senior soloists' auditions, continuance and entrance recitals, required student recitals for music majors, level 3 juries, tour soloists' recital, and other performances at the request of applied instructors. Please note that an email request is required in every case.

Professional pianists
Requests for the use of a professional pianist must first be approved by the department chair. Ask your performance studies teacher to assist you with this process. A list of approved professional pianists is available in the Music Office. You will normally be responsible for paying professional pianists yourself; however, students presenting performances required by the Department of Music may be eligible for financial assistance on a first come, first served basis.

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PAYMENT
Student pianists will receive $10 from the Music Department for each hour of contact time with a soloist, subject to the following limits:

  • 9 hour ($90) for a full recital
  • 6 hours ($60) for a half recital
  • 2 hours ($20) for each jury/student recital with 2 contact hours
  • 1 hour ($10) for each jury/student recital with 1 contact hour

Following the performance, your pianist will bring a payment form for your teacher to sign, thereby authorizing payment. Please note that your teacher has the right to refuse to sign this form if s/he feels that the pianist was not adequately prepared for the performance.
Any fee exceeding the above rate is the sole responsibility of the soloist.

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EXTRA PAYMENT FOR EXTRA WORK
Extra time invested in off-campus performance, non-music department performances, and full and half recitals sometimes merits additional payment. These extra payments will be the responsibility of the soloist. Pianists will try to use their best judgment when deciding on a fee. They will determine additional fees through the following criteria:

  • Difficulty of music
  • Amount of music
  • Length/distance of performance (i.e., an all-day excursion to NATS warrants more than an evening performance in Northfield)
  • Seriousness of performance (audition vs. karaoke)
  • Practice commitment (time to learn)
  • They will also factor in whether the repertoire they are learning is something which they will play only once in their life, or whether it will be a piece which they can play frequently.

Suggested rates:

  • For the majority of jury performances, the Music Department will pay for two contact hours with the soloist. Extra rehearsals and lessons can be billed at a rate starting at $8 per hour. The soloist is responsible for remunerating the pianist for any extra contact time.
  • For off-campus events, a minimum rate of $40 plus expenses is suggested ($45 for NATS).
  • For a half recital, an additional charge of $30 is suggested.
  • For a full recital, an additional charge of $60 is suggested.
  • If music is not given 30 days prior to the performance, the pianist must determine additional pay. If the music is given the day before, the suggested supplemental fee is $30.

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CONTRACTS
Both the soloist and the pianist should sign a contract before embarking on one or more musical endeavors. Each person is then aware of and responsible for his/her role in the soloist-pianist relationship. It would also be wise to list additional charges by event or by piece onto the contract. The following sample contract is available online.
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ORGANIZATION – KNOWING THE LIMITS
When asking a pianist to play for you, you should always first present him/her with the music and allow him/her to inspect it. If a pianist feels that the piece is beyond his/her ability, s/he may:

  • Tell you immediately and choose not to play the piece.
  • Run through the piece in a practice room and then make a decision. S/he should inform you as soon as possible.
  • Ask his/her piano teacher or a member of the piano faculty about whether or not to take the piece.
  • It is NOT a pianist’s responsibility to find another pianist for you UNLESS s/he has already agreed to perform the piece. If s/he has agreed to a piece, and then discovers that s/he cannot perform it, s/he should be prepared to promptly find another pianist and arrange for you to contact him/her.

Please keep your pianist aware of your schedule. Set up practice times early because it will get hectic as the performance gets closer. When jury lists go up, get in contact with your pianist to decide which time will work best for both of you. To help keep organized, write down all rehearsal and performance dates.
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PREPARATION
It is your responsibility to be prepared for all rehearsals, lessons, studio classes and performances. You should make every effort to learn about the pieces you will be performing. Get to know the historical background of the piece, including familiarity with the composer’s style. For vocal selections, read the text and make sure you understand it. If you need a translation, check in the reference section of the library. Research the importance and meaning of the piece and think about what you would like to achieve and express in the performance. Taking time to know the pieces will help you interpret them more musically.
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COMMUNICATION
Communication between the soloist and the pianist is essential for this joint effort to work. Each person in this arrangement should take his/her responsibilities seriously.

The soloist’s responsibilities include:

  • Supplying the music to the pianist at least 30 days before the first performance date.
  • Supplying a translation to the pianist (for vocal selections in foreign languages)
  • Setting up practice times.
  • Informing the pianist of all jury and/or performance times.
  • Being at practice sessions on time and prepared.
  • Paying the pianist for extra work.
  • Informing the pianist about details of your interpretation in order to help the pianist portray it more clearly.
  • Letting the pianist know if there are any parts that s/he is not playing accurately.

The pianist's responsibilities include:

  • Promptly contacting the soloist to accept or reject the piece.
  • Setting up practice times.
  • Being at practice sessions on time and prepared.
  • Discussing interpretive ideas about the piece with the soloist.
  • Coaching the soloist through difficult sections in the repertoire.
  • Letting the soloist know if there are any parts that s/he is not performing accurately.

As a team, you should work on the following during rehearsal sessions:

  • Establish tempos, fluctuations in tempo, breath spots, style, and dynamics.
  • Listen to both parts to understand how they fit together. Be vigilant for mistakes or confusing areas in the piece. The earlier you catch errors, the easier it is to fix them.
  • Be proactive in asking questions such as, “Is there anything I should know about how you perform this piece?” and “Is there anything you would like to go back and work?”
  • Feel free to discuss any musical ideas that you have with the other performer, while listening carefully to anything s/he has to tell you.
  • Be open to trying new musical ideas, while staying true to the composer’s original intent.

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WHERE TO PRACTICE
Here is a list of places to practice:

  • Main level practice rooms (CHM)
  • Second level practice rooms(CHM)
  • Basement level practice rooms (CHM)
  • Keyboard lab (CHM 222)
  • Classrooms (i.e., CHM 224, 232)
  • Lower level practice rooms in Ytterboe
  • Residence hall practice rooms
  • Teacher’s studio (with permission)

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ET CETERA
Learning how to collaborate with a pianist can provide you with some of the most rewarding experiences of your life. Through performing with others, you will learn how to really LISTEN to the detailed expressive nuances of another person’s performance while still focusing your attention on your own part. If you ever feel you need help to deal with anything to do with accompanying, please turn to the Accompanist Coalition. You can contact us by email at accompcouncil@stolaf.edu. This organization was founded to assist in the soloist-pianist relationship and to give St. Olaf music students a resource for accompanying issues.