The festival has never been bigger, McKamie said. The University invited 41 students to play Saturday, but only seven will compete for the scholarship. The piano faculty critiques each tape and invites the students who are advanced enough to perform well. All the senior contestants must be accepted to the University already, McKamie said. A majority of how the students play depends on how they were taught, McKamie said.
Teachers help their students to become accustomed to playing in public in different ways.
That's what a judge and a professional musician know how to evaluate. Stuart said the competition is a great experience for everyone. It's just a good experience to have. The contest was created in the early 1980s to attract outstanding pianists to the University, Mc-Kamie said. It is important to have skilled pianists in a music department because they are involved with the whole music program and serve as accompanists for ensembles, singers and instrumentalists, he said.