Teaching Moment for Middle School Teacher

Objective: Students will learn the purpose and value of keeping a personal record of the solo pieces they perform throughout middle and high school. They will begin documenting their solo repertoire as a way to track their musical growth, understand their progress, and build habits that support future success in auditions, festivals, and music programs.

📚 Student Assignment:
Assignment: My First Repertoire List

Instructions: Every musician has a story to tell, and your solos help tell that story! This assignment will help you start your very own solo repertoire list—a record of the pieces you’ve learned and performed. You'll also think about what each piece taught you and how you’ve grown as a musician. And before you even start the action steps in the assignment read the article “Telling Your Musical Story: Building a Strong Solo Repertoire” found on Accoladi.com.

• Part 1: Build Your List
  Create a list of the solo pieces you’ve worked on or performed since 6th grade (or your first year in band/orchestra/choir). For each one, write:
  • Title of the solo
  • Composer or arranger (if known)
  • Grade level when you performed it
  • Where or when you performed it (e.g., Solo & Ensemble, concert, class)
  • One thing you remember about learning or performing it
  You can use paper, a Google Doc, or your music notebook—whichever helps you stay organized!
• Part 2: Reflect on Your Growth
  Answer these three questions in your music journal or on a separate sheet:
  • Which solo was the most fun to play, and why?
  • What was the hardest part of learning a solo?
  • What advice would you give yourself if you could go back and do your very first solo again?
• Part 3: Start a Solo Folder
  Bring a manila folder or create a digital folder titled “My Repertoire.” Place a clean copy of your solo music inside and label it with your name, the title, and the year performed. This will help you keep track of your music for future performances and auditions.

Reminder: Music you perform now could be part of a college audition list one day—so keep your copies and keep your list!

Teaching Moment for High School Teacher

Objective: Students will understand the importance of a comprehensive solo repertoire list as a tool for college auditions and musical self-reflection. They will learn to document, evaluate, and organize their repertoire with honesty and intention, ensuring they are prepared to perform any piece listed. This assignment promotes both technical readiness and personal insight into their musical growth over time.

Assignment: My Repertoire, My Story

Instructions:

Your solo repertoire list is more than just a record of pieces you’ve performed—it's a musical résumé and a reflection of who you are as an artist. This assignment will help you organize your list, evaluate its content, and prepare for the types of requests you may face in a college audition setting. Before you even start the action steps in the assignment read the article “Telling Your Musical Story: Building a Strong Solo Repertoire” found on Accoladi.com.

• Part 1: Build Your Solo Repertoire List
  Create a document that includes:
  • Title of each solo work
  • Composer/arranger
  • Year performed
  • Event (Solo & Ensemble, recital, jury, etc.)
  • Grade level of the piece (if known)
  • Be honest: Only include pieces you fully prepared and performed.
• Part 2: Self-Assessment Questions
  Answer the following in 3–5 thoughtful sentences each:
  • Which piece on your list challenged you the most, and how did you grow from it?
  • Which piece best represents your current strengths as a musician?
  • Are there any pieces you haven’t touched in over a year? Would you feel confident performing them again if asked?
  • What does your list say about your musical journey? What kind of story does it tell?
• Part 3: Performance Readiness Check
  Select one older solo from your list (preferably from 8th–10th grade). With your current skill level:
  • Locate the sheet music
  • Practice and prepare to perform at least one full movement or section
  • Be ready to perform this piece (in class or in a video submission) within two weeks

Goal: Demonstrate that your repertoire list is a living document, not a memory archive.

Your Child’s First Solo Repertoire List: A Story in the Making

Dear Parents,

I’ll be honest—some of the most exciting musical moments in our program don’t happen on stage. They happen quietly, in the practice rooms and classrooms, when a student master’s a solo for the first time. That moment—that breakthrough—is where their musical story truly begins.

That’s why I’d like to introduce you to a concept that may sound very “high school” or “college,” but really starts right here in middle school: the solo repertoire list.

This is simply a record of the solos your child has learned and performed. It may be just one or two pieces now, but over the next several years, that list will grow into a powerful snapshot of their progress, skill, and commitment. And believe it or not, when your child is a senior preparing for a college audition, that very first solo from 7th or 8th grade might be part of the conversation.

A recent article on Accoladi.com called “Telling Your Musical Story: Building a Strong Solo Repertoire” explains how important this list becomes in a student’s future auditions — and how early preparation makes all the difference. I encourage you to give it a quick read. It’s a simple, clear look at how keeping track of your child’s solos now can support them later in ways we can’t yet fully see.

One important tip from the article I want to emphasize: make sure to purchase four copies of each solo — one for your child, one for the accompanist, and two for adjudicators. And yes, don’t ever lose them! Store them in a safe place. Many solos go out of print and finding them again senior year can be nearly impossible.

We’ll be helping your child start their list here at school, but you can support it from home too — by encouraging them to save their music, write down performance dates, and reflect on what each piece has taught them. Every solo is a new chapter in their story. Let’s help them keep the pages organized.

With Gratitude for All You Do,

___________________________________________
Director’s Name and Position

___________________________________________
School Name

Telling Your Musical Story: Why the Solo Repertoire List Matters

Dear Parents,

I want to share a quick story that every music parent should hear — because what happened to one of my former students could happen to any college-bound musician.

Lily was in her senior year, auditioning for her dream music program. She had her best solo polished and ready. But midway through performing it, a judge looked up and said, “Can you play Menuet and Dance of the Blessed Spirits? I see it’s listed from 8th grade.”

Lily hadn’t touched that piece in four years. Thankfully, she had packed the music. She took a deep breath, remembered what that solo had once taught her, and gave it her best. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a genuine performance — and it impressed the panel more than she expected.

That moment reminded me: a student’s solo repertoire list isn’t just paperwork. It’s a living history of what they’ve learned and who they’re becoming as musicians. And yes — judges really do pull pieces from years ago to see if the student still owns the music, not just the memory of playing it.

That’s why I encourage you to read “Telling Your Musical Story: Building a Strong Solo Repertoire” on Accoladi.com. It explains why we stress honest lists, consistent practice, and keeping old solos performance-ready. With your support at home, we can make sure your child is prepared — not just for college, but for the moments that reveal their true musicianship.

Musically Yours,

___________________________________________
Director’s Name and Position

___________________________________________
School Name