2024 Live Syllabus - Popular Voice - Solo

All selections in this category must be covers from commercial artists and/or an original composition.

General Rules
a) One original score of the music or purchased digital sheet music with attached receipt, showing title and price, must be presented to the adjudicator on the day of the competition for each selection. If a competitor cannot purchase the original music, then they should submit printed lyrics and show a receipt for purchase of the songs from either Apple Music, Spotify or Amazon.
b) All selections must be sung from memory.
c) No announcement of name or selection is required prior to your performance.
d) All competitors must be an amateur which shall be defined as a music student, performer, or any person who does not earn significant income from performance or teaching in the discipline in which they are participating or, is a member of a professional union. (Please click here for the full definition of Amateur vs Professional: omfa.ca/glossary).
e) All criteria listed in the OMFA General Rules (omfa.ca/live-festival/rules-and-regulations) must be strictly adhered to.

Song Selections
a) One of the selections must have been performed at the Local Festival, received a minimum mark of 85 and the recommendation of the local Adjudicator. The second selection is the competitor's choice but must follow the rules of this category.
b) Competitors must perform two (2) contrasting selections in any of the following genres: pop, pop/ folk, R & B, soul, rock, alternative, indie, jazz or country. 
c) Selections from Conservatory Canada Contemporary Idioms Voice lists and the RCM List C (Levels 1-6) and RCM List D (Levels 7-10) are eligible excluding musical theatre, operetta and contemporary selections that are not covers.
d) Competitors must choose selections that are age appropriate with lyrics that are suitable for all audiences.
e) Selections must be musically contrasting. The Adjudicator will take the choice of repertoire into consideration.

Accompaniment
a) Accepted accompaniment can include live accompaniment by piano, guitar, ukulele, or backtracks without background vocals. No self-accompaniment is allowed – please see Popular Voice Self-Accompanied category. Suggested resource - tracks can be purchased from www.karaoke-version.com where customization of tracks is possible (key change, removal of background vocals etc.).
b) If you require a collaborative pianist (accompanist), the people on this list (click here: omfa.ca/collaborative-pianists-accompanists, have indicated that they are willing to play live. It is the competitor's responsibility to contact the collaborative pianist directly and negotiate a fee for their service.
c) A sound system will be provided with a microphone at the venue. Competitors have the option to bring their own microphone which should use a standard XLR cable.
d) If competitors have chosen to use backtracks for their accompaniment (in Popular Voice only), the backtracks, formatted as an mp3 only, must be submitted when registering by their local festival's deadline.

NOT permitted
• Selections from Musical Theatre (both staged and non-staged), cabaret, revues, operetta and stand-alone songs in musical theatre style.
• Rap and Hip Hop
• Songs listed in the RCM or CC classical syllabi (Lists A and B from Levels 1-6; Lists A, B, C from Levels 7-10)
• animated films, and selections that qualify for Songs from the Screen and More.

Popular Voice - Solo

PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

The maximum performance times are listed below:

Elementary Level: (Ages 11-12): Ten (10) minutes

Junior Level: (Ages 13-14): Ten (10) minutes

Intermediate Level: (Ages 15-16): Fifteen (15) minutes

Senior Level: (Ages 17-18): Fifteen (15) minutes

Advanced Level: (Ages 19-28): Fifteen (15) minutes

Adult Level: (Ages 29 and Above): Fifteen (15) minutes

There is no minimum performance time.

Accurate performance times must be included on the entry form. Do not guess timings.