If you haven't read the Sound Central Music Report for the 2013 Festival. Check it out:
http://soundcentralfestival.com/274579/news/scf-reports

It is a very thorough report. Detailing the events. Most of the performers. The statistics. People from out of town. News agencies that covered it. These people are trying really hard and they deserve a spot in our hearts where we keep "what's happening" in Music.  

Scales

To me, It's not about how well a beginner plays at first. It's about their developing understanding about how music is put together. If you understand what a scale is and why it is set up the way it is it makes music easy and logical. If a person is given understanding of scales the root 4,5,7,9 makes perfect sense quickly. A student could have an epiphany of understanding in weeks instead of years. Of course, we all still have to practice for years to get any good at it but we will know exactly why we are doing it. Of course, just robotically playing scales won't do much good without the understanding. It is that core understanding and phrasing that I consider most important. I felt held back for years just playing music that was put in front of me without really understanding the how and why of the relationship between the notes. The day I really learned scales on the piano it was simple and it will never be complicated again.