Location Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran Church 101 N Peachtree Pkwy, Peachtree City, GA
An Introduction to Federation:
The National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) is another great nationally recognized association for music educators, and very similar in structure to MTNA. The Georgia Federation of Music Clubs (GFMC) is the State Chapter. At the local level, NFMC branches out into Senior and Junior Clubs. The Senior Club for our area is Peachtree City/Newnan. Each teacher who is a member of Peachtree City/Newnan creates a Junior Club for their studio in which their students would participate.
Although NFMC and MTNA are not affiliated, we believe in being good neighbors. Many of our teachers enjoy being members of both associations and participating in the annual Federation Festival, and with good reason!
Founded in 1898, NFMC is the world's largest music organization supporting American music and musicians. It is one of three music organizations chartered by the United States Congress and the only music organization with a standing membership to the United Nations.
The Federation Festival is a non-competitive event designed to promote the study of American music and composers alongside standard literature and world music. Students perform for a judge and receive evaluation on their performance of two memorized pieces: one by an American composer (selected from the Federation Bulletin) and a “choice” piece from standard repertoire.
As students participate from year to year, they accumulate points based on their performance ratings, earning cups (trophies) and awards along the way while also progressing to more advanced Class Levels. Additionally, 8-10 students are chosen every year as recipients of the Excellence in Artistry Award, which comes with a certificate and a check for $50. Students who receive this award are also invited to perform at the CFMTA Honors Recital. The Federation Festival has many different categories for students to participate in, which means they can work towards earning more than one cup at a time. This may include Music Theory, Piano Duet, Trios, Strings, Guitar, etc. For a complete list of events, please see the Federation Bulletin.
Teachers must be members of NFMC in order for their students to participate. The rules are set by NFMC and are administered by GFMC in accordance to the Federation Bulletin.
The Federation Bulletin is a book containing all pertinent information and rules of the Federation Festival. It also lists every event category available, which is then subdivided into class levels with a respective list of repertoire students and teachers may choose from. The Bulletin is published every four years, at which time much of the repertoire changes. All teachers must have their own copy.
This is another great opportunity for students. Please note that because points are cumulative from year to year, student records are transferable from teacher to teacher or state to state. A student's status is never lost and starting over is unnecessary. High School Seniors may also submit their yearly participation on college applications, which shows great consistency.
If you are interested in participating, please proceed to the Current Guidelines Page. You may also contact the Peachtree City/Newnan Festival Chair for more information and mentoring.