THE VALUE OF CERTIFICATION

• Strengthens your skills and confidence in sight reading, hymn playing, and transposition.

• Adds additional credentials to your resume to bolster your qualifications.

• Sets an example and encourages other colleagues to maintain, renew, and refresh their skills.

• Benefits choirs and congregations through your renewed enthusiasm, new techniques and repertoire, and increased confidence at the organ.

• Provides AGO chapters with more certified members to be part of the National Board of Examiners, to grade exams, and to encourage others.

• Offers merit even for those with advanced music degrees for all of the above reasons.

THE FIVE CERTIFICATION LEVELS

SERVICE PLAYING CERTIFICATE: The service playing certificate signifies proficiency at the organ. The content of the exam is entirely practical, follows the order of a Sunday worship service, and has six basic parts.

COLLEAGUE: For organists who have received the service playing certificate or already have service playing proficiency, colleague certification is the next logical step. The exam is entirely practical and covers seven basic requirements that fall into two categories: repertoire and keyboard skills.

CHOIR MASTER: Choir master certification attests to a candidate’s ability to lead a choir and establish effective procedures necessary for a successful choral program. The exam includes rehearsal and direction of a small choir, demonstration of keyboard skills, and a written exam covering ear tests, analysis, hymnody, liturgy, choral repertoire, and other related subjects.

ASSOCIATE: The associate exam is an advanced certificate and includes performance and keyboard skills such as sight-reading, transposition, continuo, hymn playing, and improvisation, as well as analysis, fugue, ear tests, aural perception, and composition.

FELLOWSHIP: The fellowship exam is the highest level of professional certification and includes performance and keyboard skills such as sight-reading, clef reading, piano adaptation, transposition, and improvisation, as well as counterpoint and fugue, an essay, ear tests, orchestration, and composition.

STUDY RESOURCES AND APPLYING

National’s website offers information about each certification category. Click here to view the page on professional certification. Select the certification category of interest to you for exam dates, fees, and application deadlines. Each category has a button to click for further information. There you’ll find a significant list of resources for exam preparation. Prepare and study at your own pace, either alone, with a teacher, or in a group. Cash prizes are available for high scoring candidates.

For answers to questions and information about local study groups and resources for preparation email Andrew Scanlon, FAGO, exam coordinator for the Boston chapter.

WAYS TO ASSIST WITH CERTIFICATION LOCALLY

Ways chapter members and friends can assist with certification activities:

• Volunteer to be an exam proctor (an easy job, especially for detail-oriented individuals). You do not need to be an organist to assume this task. Detailed directions will be provided.

• Offer your church as a host site for Guild exams. The ideal venue is one with a quiet space that houses a flexible three-manual organ in good working condition with a fairly standard console setup.

• Identify members in the Boston chapter and nearby chapters who hold ChM, AAGO, or FAGO certification who could assist in grading the live portion of upper-level exams.

• Challenge yourself by reviewing the current certification exam elements here and registering for whichever exam feels right for you.

Please email Andrew Scanlon, exam coordinator for the Boston chapter, to volunteer or to obtain additional information.

ANDREW SCANLON, FAGO
Chapter Exam Coordinator

Email