Back to CTU 2008 Competition Announcement
Last Updated: 22 Sep 2008
Table of Contents
What must I do to register for the competition?
A. a) Review the list of Kritis, b) Record your demo entry and c) Register for the competition after registration opens in May 2008, upload your demo entry while registering for the competition.
Is there a fee for the Competition?
A. There is no fee for participating in the Competition.
How do I determine the Level at which my child should perform?
A. This is a decision to be made by the teacher of the child in question.
Is CTU expecting a studio recording quality for the demo entry?
A. Plain audio recording would be acceptable. CTU strongly encourages the contestants to ensure that the recording can be heard clearly by the judges without any background noise.
Is this competition only for people from MidWest or can people all over USA take part?
A. Chicago Tyagaraja Utsavam welcomes children from all over the world to participate in this competition. This includes children who are briefly visiting North America from other parts of the world.
Is it possible for a contestant to pick a song from a higher level and perform at a lower level?
Can a contestant select a song from Level 3 and perform at Level 1 or Level 2?
A. No. The contestant has to participate in the Level corresponding to the song selected.
Can the demo entries be in .wav format?
A. No. As mentioned in the CTU Competition Guidelines, the demo entries must be submitted in the mp3 format. This is in the interest of timely processing of the demo entries by following a finite set of well-defined steps for each entry.
Can we register our child in two categories — Level One Vocal and Level One Veena?
A. No. A contestant can participate in only one level/category combination. This means the contestant has to decide whether she wants to sing or play the Veena. Once she has decided this, she has to pick the song from the appropriate level. Thus, she can either sing in Level One or play Veena in Level One. Also, she cannot sing or play in any other level.
Would it be possible to extend the deadline by a few more days?
A. Chicago Tyagaraja Utsavam has to work with the availability and schedule of the judges for the demo entries and subsequently ensure that we announce the contestants selected for the Live Competition on schedule. Therefore, we are not in a position to extend the deadline.
In Level 2 and Level 3, can we change the Kritis or Talams we select (other than the Demo Entry) after submitting them?
A. Yes. You may change the Kritis or Talams for all Levels any number of times through the CTU 2008 Competition Registration Deadline. You may not change the Kritis or Talams after the CTU 2008 Competition Registration Deadline.
Will contestants receive an acknowledgement of their demo entry submission? How can contestants ensure that their demo entries have been received?
A. Contestants will not be receiving an acknowledgement of their demo entry submission. Chicago Tyagaraja Utsavam will be monitoring the submissions and contacting registered contestants who have not submitted their corresponding demo entries. Contestants interested in receiving an acknowledgement of their demo entry submission are requested to send an e-mail to info {AT} tyagaraja-chicago {DOT} org.
Is the deadline for submitting the demo entry the same as the deadline for the registration itself?
A. Yes. Both the registration and the demo entry should be submitted by the CTU 2008 Competition Registration Deadline.
When will the results be announced?
A. The results will be announced during the prize distribution ceremony held after the concert following the music competition held at the same venue on the day of the competition.
Is there public transportation available for getting to the competition venue from the airport? Should we rent a car?
A. There is no convenient public transportation available to get to the competition venue from the airport. Renting a car would be the recommended option.
Do you have information about the hotels in the area?
A. Please click here for details on the nearby hotels.
How strictly will time limits be enforced? Will participants be disqualified if they do not finish a krithi or swaram by the end of the time allowed?
A. Time limits will be enforced in the least intrusive manner. The judges have the option to request the contestant to stop even before the stipulated number of minutes has been consumed. Please note that the completion of the performance within the stipulated time is not a criterion. The extent to which the musical aspects are highlighted during the performance is more important.
A. Yes. CTU can share the comments in writing — if any — provided by the judges. If you are interested in this feedback on the performance of a contestant, please send an e-mail to request@tyagaraja-chicago.org between 22 Sep 2008 and 26 Sep 2008 with the following information: First Name, Last Name, Kriti(s), Ragam, Thalam, Level, Category and Instrument (if applicable). CTU will communicate the feedback — if available — for the specific entry only by e-mail on or before 30th Nov 2008. Please note that CTU can provide the available feedback only to e-mails received between 22 Sep and 26 Sep 2008 from the e-mail address registered on the Web for the Competition to request@tyagaraja-chicago.org with all the details requested for entries that can be unambiguously matched.