In Germany, the nationwide competition includes children and adolescents up to the age of 21, for singing and organ up to the age of 27. It serves the musical location, the comparison with others and the promotion. The participants may not yet be in a musical vocational training (full course) or professional practice. The participants play pieces of music from different eras. The length of the lecture depends on the age group and the requirements in the individual categories and ranges from 10 to 20 minutes. The competition is divided into three phases: First, it is held at regional level, in around 140 regions in Germany and at around 30 German schools in other European countries. Bearer of a “1st Prizes at regional level ”are“ passed on ”to the respective national competition (a German school in Northern, Western and Southern Europe also holds its own national competition) and winner of a“ 1. State level ”at the appropriate minimum age for the federal competition. The solo and ensemble categories change every three years. The “classical” orchestral instruments formed the foundation of “Jugend musiziert” from the very beginning. In 1970 the piano was added, later drums, plucked instruments and vocal categories. In 2009 the solo category "Bass (Pop)" was introduced, followed by "Guitar (Pop)" and "Vocals (Pop)". The most recent expansion in 2015 was the solo category "Special Instrument", with a chopping board and baglamas. It will be offered as an ensemble category for the first time in 2016. In 2015, “Jugend musiziert” had more than 20,000 participants nationwide. Around 7,500 of them were forwarded to the state competitions; almost 2,400 first state prize winners took part in the federal competition. The nationwide competition, which was held for the first time in 1964, is sponsored by the German Music Council. Leading associations are: Federal Association of Music Lessons, Federal Association of German Orchestra Associations, German Tonkünstlerverband (DTKV), Jeunesses Musicales Deutschland (JMD), Association of German Music Schools (VdM). Jugend musiziert is funded by the Federal Ministry for Family, Seniors, Women and Youth, the local umbrella organizations, the municipalities and as the main sponsor of the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe. 