Photo By: South Dakota Public Broadcasting

Several years ago, the NFHS was proud to launch "Intro to Music Adjudication" on the NFHS Learning Center. It was a free course that helped adjudicators learn the basics and guidelines of their craft as well as support and develop their current skills. Four years later, the NFHS went back to the drawing board and recruited a team of music administrators, teachers and directors from around the country to update and improve the course.

"The revision of this course brought about much needed improvement to the overall content and quality. We have a final product in "Music Adjudication" that we (the NFHS) believe should be used by every music adjudicator in the country," said Dr. James Weaver, Director of Performing Arts and Sports.

In September 2019, before the Performing Arts Conference, the course was finalized and published. Sections include: the role of the adjudicator, introduction to the "Triple C Method," comments and scoring, different roles you may serve and putting it all together.

A new portion of the course deals with the above-mentioned "Triple C Method". The Triple C's are: compliment, constructive criticism and course for correction. The recommendation for adjudicators is to offer all three of those elements in order to be effective, and the work of an adjudicator can inspire and educate both, music educators and student performers.

This course offers tips and suggestions to music adjudicators that even veteran adjudicators will find helpful. Ultimately, the content of the course puts students and their needs first. It also has student performances to practice adjudicating, testimonial videos and other resources.

"I think this course can be used in a multitude of different ways. What's great about the course is that you are actually logging in and asked to participate. There is a group that performs and the score is up on the screen (you can see the music) and you are asked to print off your state's adjudication sheets and do it. It's really interactive," stated Mike Plunkett, Fine Arts Director at the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association, during his podcast interview, which can be found here. "It really does, in my opinion, give someone the ability to go in there and get some good ideas. And if you have never judged before, it's a great way to put yourself in the judges position."

To take the Music Adjudication course on NFHS Learn, please click here: https://www.nfhslearn.com/courses/61186/music-adjudication

To hear the rest of Mike Plunkett's interview about Music Adjudication, please listen to our podcast "The Stage": Google Podcasts / Spotify / Apple Podcasts / Buzzsprout

To learn more about the NFHS Music Credential and Performing Arts courses on NFHS Learn, check this page out: https://www.nfhslearn.com/home/performing_arts