Piano Students Shine at Achievement Event

Twelve piano students enrolled in the Jackson Symphony Orchestra’s Community Music School received very high scores at the Student Achievement Testing held March 13 at Michigan State University. The event was offered through the Michigan Music Teachers Association.

Students were required to perform three pieces from memory to demonstrate three different skills. Follow-up tests were given for sight reading/transposition, ear training, technique and theory — and the composite scores then tallied.

“Every single one of my students had a composite score between 90 and 100 percent,” said Community Music School piano instructor Carol Ivkovich said. “I was very happy with their performances.”

Two division winners, Karis Darland and Lindsay Rasmussen, were invited to perform March 18 in an honors recital in Okemos. Darland, a home-schooler, had perfect scores in technique, sight reading and ear training. Rasmussen, who attends Hanover-Horton Middle School, received perfect scores on technique, theory and ear training.

The following students also received perfect scores on individual tests:

For sight reading: Susan Hoffman, Queens Elementary School, Jennifer Hoffman, Jackson Catholic Middle School and Jovanka Koprivica, Jackson High.

For technique: Timothy Darland, Michael Lynne Foster and Matthew Pfeifer, all home-schooled.

For ear training: William Double, Jackson Catholic Middle School.

For performance: Stephen Foster, home-schooled.

Other participants scoring 90 percent or higher were: Issac Skinner, Addison Middle School, and Luke Dendy, home-schooled.