– Achievement in Music –
About
The Achievement in Music Program, also known as AIM, is an exciting and motivating program for students, designed to develop strong performance and technical skills as well as a thorough understanding of musical theory. There are twelve levels in the program, with Level 1 divided into three parts, Levels 1A, 1B, and 1C. Each level has theory, performance, and technical requirements that follow a logical progression from early elementary through advanced.
West Suburban ISMTA Theory Exams Fall 2021
The WSMTA AIM Theory Exam is Saturday, November 13 for Levels 3-12 at Bethany Chapel in
Wheaton, 404 N President Street.
Attention new AIM teachers – Any teacher new to the AIM exam will have a mentor assigned
to them by September 1. Please contact Linda Krueger if this is your first time participating in
the exam with our chapter. Also contact Lynette Zelis to have your name added to the list of
participating teachers.
*New teachers must meet with their assigned mentor before entering students in the AIM
Exam. WHEATON COLLEGE has informed us that we will not be able to use the conservatory for the
Fall AIM Exams. This is the reason we are now using Bethany Chapel. This location has 3
large rooms in the lower level that we will use. One room for aural skills and the other for theory
exams and then one for the office. The aural and written exams will be conducted in person, so
that there is more consistency with grading. Last year the office location was too small for all the
paperwork.
**Only a medical condition will be accepted as an excuse to not do the tests in person.
Keyboard skills will still be given by the student’s teacher. The pages for this portion of the
exam will be emailed to the teachers the week before exams and can be completed during the
students’ lessons or at a special time set aside by the teacher. These results (student scores
only) need to be sent to lynettezelis@gmail.com no later than November 27th.
STUDENT ENROLLMENT FORM
All teachers must fill out a student enrollment form for each participating student. The link for the enrollment form is here: Student Enrollment Form
When selecting time preferences Please reserve the request of morning or afternoon for students with existing conflicts. Note specific requests other than morning or afternoon cannot be accommodated. Please double check all student information before submitting the form. Be sure to email Lynette Zelis with corrections rather than re-submitting the form.
JUDGE’S FORM – Each teacher must sign up by October 1. The link for the enrollment form is here: Judges Form
All teachers must work the required hours on the AIM Theory Exam Day as listed on the sign up form depending on the amount of students enrolled.
AIM JUDGES MEETING – There is an AIM judges meeting on Thursday, October 7 at 9:45 am. Anyone entering students AIM Theory Level 3 or above must attend the entire meeting. The AIM theory judges meeting is mandatory for teachers entering students in AIM exams. It is also mandatory for teachers to attend two meetings and programs before February 1, 2022. Making the AIM exam a positive experience for students is our top priority. It is important for judges to explain why points are taken off and also give supportive comments. Clear comments can also support the teachers in what they are conveying to their students.
STUDENT ENROLLMENT FEE – The $30 per student enrollment fee is due by October 7. Please submit one check for all students made payable to West Suburban Music Teachers Association. The check can be given to Lynette Zelis or mailed to her home.
SCHEDULING DETAILS – Teachers will be given the exact times for their students’ exams 2-3 weeks prior to the exam date. Once the times are set, changes cannot be made to the schedule. All students will complete their Aural Skills portion then move on to the Written tests.
MAKE-UP EXAMS – Any student with a conflict on exam day can do make-up with a participating teacher. Students who need a makeup exam will be required to pay a $20 makeup fee directly to the teacher who judges the makeup exam. The deadline for completing the make-up exam is November 27.
PACKET STUFFING DAY! Please consider helping out for our AIM exams by coming to our packet stuffing day on October 28th – 9:30AM at the home of Lynette Zelis – 203 E. Hawthorne Blvd, Wheaton.
Any questions regarding the AIM Theory Exam may be directed to Lynette Zelis (lynettezelis@gmail.com) or Carol Beilke (carolb9480@gmail.com).
AIM Mentoring Program
The contact for AIM Mentoring is Linda Krueger Lkruegerpno@comcast.net.
Contact
Theory contact people (coordinators) are Carol Bielke or Lynette Zelis.
Performance contact persons (coordinator) are Janna Williamson (jannawilliamson@gmail.com) and Debi Inch (debiinchpianostudio@sbcglobal.net)