New Mexico Music Educators Association
SOUTHWEST DISTRICT
Festival Manual & Festival Chairman’s Guide

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President

President of the SW district is a two-year term and nominees will be voted on by the SW membership. The president will preside over all district meetings, represent the SW district by attending NMMEA executive board meetings, disseminate information to the SW district, and will assist the Executive Secretary.

Vice President

Vice president is a two-year term and nominees will be voted on by the SW district membership. The vice president will attend all SW district meetings and assist the president. In the event that the president is unable to attend a district meeting, the vice president will preside. In the event that the president is unable to fulfill the two-year term, the vice president will become president and take over those responsibilities. At that time a new vice president may be appointed.

Secretary

The secretary will attend all SW district meetings and record minutes at those meetings. Minutes will be typed and given to the executive secretary and president for approval. Minutes should be read at the beginning of each SW district meeting.

Executive Secretary

The executive secretary is responsible for the following:

1. Contact, book and mail contracts to the adjudicators once the site chairperson has given them the name. It is the responsibility of the executive secretary to make sure that the adjudicator returns the contract. The executive secretary will collect fees for district festivals, provide medals and certificates for district Solo and Ensemble Festivals,
2. All financial concerns should be addressed to the executive secretary. All entries must be paid for and are not refundable due to cancellation.
3. The executive secretary must make arrangements to have pianos moved to the festival sight from other schools.
4. The executive secretary must make arrangements to have pianos tuned.
5. File all necessary building use forms for Large Group Festivals.

Financial Responsibilities of the District

The district will pay each adjudicator an honorarium of $200.00 a day, travel pay mileage at $0.35 a mile, housing and meals for each festival. Honoraria and travel pay are paid in one check as soon as the adjudicator has completed his/her duties. Housing bills are paid directly by the district unless this becomes impossible. The district may choose to reimburse the adjudicator. The executive secretary will be responsible for paying bills in a timely manner. Noon lunch expenses will be paid directly to the restaurant or to the festival chairperson, whichever is most convenient.

Financial Responsibilities of the Adjudicators

Each adjudicator will be responsible for any other expenses incurred which are not directly related to the festival. Adjudicators are to present all bills, receipts, to the festival chairperson and/or the executive secretary.

 Entry and Eligibility

1. Directors must be active members of The New Mexico Music Educators Association in order to vote or hold office.
2. Any schools wishing to perform at a SWNMMEA Sponsored Festival in which the Director is not a member of NMMEA must pay the non-member fee for each Festival.
3. In order for a student to be able to participate in a SWNMMEA Sponsored Festival the Director must follow eligibility rules and guidelines set by their School District.  A hard copy of the entry form with the principals signature verifying eligibility must be submitted to festival chair.

Registration for Solo and Ensemble, Large Group Festivals

Each director is responsible for registering his/her student and now have the option of submitting entries online. (http://www.nmmea.com) then follow links to the SW district). Information concerning deadlines and festival chairpersons can be found on the web as well as registration forms. Each festival can be registered over the web by filling out the appropriate form and emailing it to the executive secretary and Festival Chairperson. Directors must adhere to the posted deadline. Entries must be postmarked or transmitted by the given deadline. All registration dates are 4 weeks prior to the festival.  Late entries will be accepted with a double fee penalty for only one week after actual deadline.  Registration for Festivals will not be accepted after the penalty deadline. Please communicate any special scheduling needs to the festival chairperson at the time of registration. Once the festival chairperson receives the registration information he/she may schedule the festival and send schedules to each participating director as well as the executive secretary. Final schedules should be sent to each entering school at least 14 days before the scheduled event.

Adjudicators

A list of adjudicators for each festival will be generated in each section meeting at the spring meeting. Adjudicators from Elementary/Middle Schools, High Schools, and Collegiate/Retired organizations will be used in order to have a well rounded panel of judges.  Names on the list need to be ranked by preference. It is advisable to generate a list containing at least twice the number of names than is needed to accommodate judges who are not able to adjudicate.

Festival Site and Festival Chairperson

Site selection and festival chairperson will be determined at the district spring meeting for each festival held the following year. The director at the host site is asked to advise the chairperson on parking, door usage and any other information that is exclusive to the building.

Festival Site

The director at the festival site needs to work with the festival chairperson in providing basic percussion instrument needs. The festival chairperson must arrange for additional equipment needs to be borrowed from other schools.

Payment and Fees for Festivals

Payments for Festivals will be either by Purchase Order or check.  A hard copy of the Purchase Order must be received by both the Executive Secretary and Festival Chairperson on or before the registration deadline for that particular Festival.  Purchase Orders may be either faxed or mailed to the Executive Secretary and the Festival Chair.  Checks must be received by the Executive Secretary no later than 14 days prior to the Festival.  If proper payment procedure is not followed, students or groups will not be registered for Festival.  Solo and Ensemble fees are as follows. 

Solo & Ensemble Festival Chairperson

The festival chairperson is responsible for the following:

1. Give Executive Secretary adjudicators names from a list generated at the spring meeting. Executive Secretary will contact adjudicators, the executive secretary will send a contract to them.
2. Executive Secretary will communicate all necessary information to the adjudicators including schedule and location.  Festival Chairperson will finalize any other information with adjudicators.
3. Arrange for adequate chairs and stands in each performance area. Arrangements will need to be made to have pianos moved from other schools if the sight does not have an adequate number.
4. Assign room monitors to each room.
5. Provide a warm-up area.
6. Provide festival headquarters. It is helpful to have booster parents to help with paperwork in headquarters. Please do not rely on student help to organize and record scores.
7. Provide a courtesy room for directors, chaperones, accompanists, bus drivers, and guests. (Coffee, soft drinks, snacks) Often festival headquarters can serve this dual purpose.
8. Provide pencils and refreshments throughout the day for the judges. Please discuss expenses with the executive secretary prior to spending money.
9. Work with festival site director to insure that basic percussion instruments are provided.
10. Schedule the festival and mail schedules to schools 14 days prior to the event.
11. Oversee the running of the festival. The chairman needs to plan on attending the entire festival.
12. Meet with all adjudicators at least 30 minutes before the festival to go over procedures, goals, awards, rules and regulations.
13. File all necessary building use forms.

The same judge must adjudicate all like solos and ensembles. Each judge should have a separate room with one table and chair and a piano tuned for this event. Please make sure that the piano is in good working order. The appropriate number of stands and chairs should be ready in each ensemble performance area. Performance rooms must be monitored at all times to insure that no performance is interrupted or disturbed and to keep track of the festivals progress.

All solos composed with an accompaniment must be performed with such or the performance will be for comments only. A computer generated or taped accompaniment may be used if need be.

 If a student is performing a solo that is longer than the allotted time slot (7 min – HS Band and Orchestra & 5 minutes for MS Band and Orchestra and all Vocal) an additional time slot needs to be paid for and scheduled. It is the responsibility of the director to communicate this need to the festival chair.

Number of Adjudicators – Solo and Ensemble

Number of adjudicators is actually determined by the number of entries. Following is a guideline to work by. It is better to hire an additional adjudicator rather than have an adjudicator work more than 7 hours (8:00 am – 4:00 pm).

Orchestra
1 - upper string and ensemble
1 - lower string and ensemble

Vocal
1 – 1^st soprano
1 – 2^nd soprano
1 – Alto
1 – Tenor and like ensemble
1 – Baritone/Bass and mixed ensemble
1 – Cambiata judge (MS only)

Band
1 – Flute
1 – Clarinet
1 – Saxophone and Mixed Woodwinds
1 – Double Reed and Woodwind Ensemble
1 – High Brass
1 – Low Brass and ensemble
1 – Percussion and ensemble

Honors Requirements-Solo and Ensemble Festival

District policy states:

1. All honor soloists and ensembles must have a rating of "I" to be considered for honors. Lower ratings cannot be considered for honors.
2. If there is a any form of a "I" in any category, the adjudicator is responsible for choosing an honor soloist or ensemble.
3. Vocal, wind or percussion duets are not to be considered for honors. String duets are exempt from this rule.
4. Memory requirements will vary for each medium.
5. Mid-school students may not participate in high school solo and ensemble festivals and my not participate in mid and high school large group festivals unless they are in a recognized AEP or gifted program and enrolled in a high school setting. 9^th grade students who are enrolled in a Junior High will participate in the high school solo and ensemble festival.
6. Out of district entries may not be considered for honors.

Honor Categories

Strings

Memorization is not required for string solos.

Honor Solo: Strings-mid-school and high school honors soloist: violin, viola, cello, bass

Honor Ensembles: Strings-mid-school and high school: duet, standard trio, mixed trio, standard quartet, mixed quartet, standard quintet, mixed quintet, small ensemble (6-19), large ensemble (20 or more).

Instructors may not play with their groups but may conduct large ensembles of 7 or more.

Wind, Brass, Percussion

Memorization is not required for w/b/p solos

Honor Solo: All standard or recognized band instruments including all sizes of

flutes, clarinets, saxophones, trombones and double reeds. Percussion will include snare drum, timpani, melodic percussion, and multiple percussion performed by one player. Other percussion instruments could be considered at the discretion of the adjudicator in consultation with the festival chairperson.

Honor Ensembles: Flute ensemble (6 or less), flute choir (7 or more), like clarinet ensemble, mixed clarinet ensemble, clarinet choir, double reed ensemble, saxophone ensembles (American Standard, French Standard), woodwind quintet (standard, no substitutions), mixed woodwind ensemble small (6 or less), large (7 or more), trumpet ensemble, horn ensemble, trombone ensemble, baritone ensemble, mixed brass ensemble, tuba ensemble (may include baritones but not trombone), percussion ensemble small (3-6), large (7 or more), melodic ensemble.

Vocal

All vocal solos and ensembles will be memorized.

Honor Solo: Honors for mid-school solos are for first time singers or inexperienced level, and others, regardless of grade. Divisions within the two categories are: beginning soprano, soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, cambiata or unchanged male voice, tenor, baritone-bass. High school should award the same.

Honor Ensembles: All small ensembles are considered 4 or less, large, 5 or more. Divisions are: men’s small, men’s large, women’s small, women’s large, small mixed, large mixed.

Doubling of parts: No more than three on a part.

At least one half of the members of a like ensemble must change in order to perform more than once at the solo and ensemble festival and each ensemble may perform only one composition.

Large Group Festival Chairperson

The festival chairperson is responsible for the following:

1. Give Executive Secretary adjudicators names from a list generated at the spring meeting. Executive Secretary will contact adjudicators, the executive secretary will send a contract to them.
2.  Executive Secretary will communicate all necessary information to the adjudicators including schedule and location.  Festival Chairperson will finalize any other information with adjudicators.
3. Provide a courtesy room for directors, chaperones, accompanists, bus drivers, and guests. (Coffee, soft drinks, snacks) Often festival headquarters can serve this dual purpose.
4. Provide pencils and refreshments throughout the day for the judges. Please discuss expenses with the executive secretary prior to spending money.
5. Work with festival site director to insure that basic percussion instruments are provided. (Bass Drum, Timpani, Xylophone, Bells, Chimes, and Marimba)
6. Schedule the festival and mail schedules to schools 14 days prior to the event.
7. Oversee the running of the festival. The chairman needs to plan on attending the entire festival.
8. Meet with all adjudicators at least 30 minutes before the festival to go over procedures, goals, awards, rules and regulations.
9. Placement of judges in the performance area is at the discretion of the festival chairperson. It is suggested that the judges be isolated from the audience and elevated for better observation of the performing groups.
10. Equipment for judges will be: a chair, table, plenty of pencils, a cassette recorder (tape recorders and tapes will be provided by the district)
11. Each medium (band, orchestra, choir) will require: one warm-up room, one performance room, and one sight-reading/clinic room. Homerooms (instrument storage) for each participating school should be provided if facilities will permit.
12. Large percussion equipment, well-tuned first line piano and/or risers, a conductor’s podium a stand should be provided in the sight reading/clinic and performance rooms. Warm up for choirs will require the same equipment.
13. An "experienced" announcer should be provided to announce groups and programs.
14. A program of performances should be provided.
15. A student "guide" should be assigned to each school as a welcoming committee and helper. An adequate number of student helpers are the responsibility of the festival chairperson.
16. Inform directors, when final schedule is sent, of eating establishments in the city or in the immediate vicinity.
17. Judging sheets should be picked up after each performance or sight-reading session. JUDGES ARE NOT ALLOWED TO HOLD JUDGING SHEETS.
18. Type all adjudication sheets. Do not send them in advance to the various directors. There should be one(1) adjudication sheet for each group and one(1) sight-reading form.
19. Chairperson is responsible to keep a master score sheet.  Scores must be sent to Band/Choir Vice-President immediately following the  festival.
20. No group should be allowed to warm up on stage.
21. Groups scheduled on school days should not be scheduled before 9:30 because of bussing concerns.

Large Group Festival Regulations (all performing groups)

A specific playing group is prohibited from playing or singing the same selection within a 3-year period.

Wind and percussion students who double in like groups should perform on a different instrument. String students may perform in a "chamber orchestra" as a separate entry and still play in the regular string orchestra. String students may not "move down" to seed a lower level ensemble, even if that ensemble is lacking in instrumentation.

All entries shall be classified as follows:

1. Primary or first groups in accordance with the schools athletic classification.
2. Second or less experienced groups in accordance with the schools athletic classification, but labeled as such. (i.e. AAA orchestra, 2^nd group)
3. Mid-High School
4.  New School or New Music Program. Schools may only enter this category for 3 years but may elect to go directly to the athletic category.
5. Junior High School. Must include 9^th grade
6. Middle School. Must not have 9^th grade
7.  Sight-reading classifications are as follows.  First groups will perform at their classification level. Second groups may perform at the same level or one level lower.
8. As per State Regulations, students who are not enrolled in a school program where a program is available may not participate in festivals or all-state tryouts. However, should no program exist in a school, private or public, a student should contact the nearest director dealing with the desired medium for sponsorship into the festivals. In the case of elementary students who wish to participate, and there is no program in their school, they should contact the middle school director in the school to which they will eventually be assigned. (Elementary school for purposes of this regulation is K-5)

Awards-Large Group Festival

1^st Division-District Plaque

2^nd Division-Framed Certificate (sight reading does not count in final rating)

Infraction of Rules

District rules and regulations regarding festivals will be in effect throughout the duration of the festival. Any infractions of the rules should be reported to the festival chairperson and the district president who, in turn, will discuss the infractions with the directors of that organization. If a reasonable resolution or compromise cannot be reached, the problem can be brought before the Board of Directors and the general membership.

Sight Reading Material for Large Group Festival

The festival chairperson should contact a music dealer about selecting sight-reading materials for the festival. Sight reading assistants should be provided in the sight-reading room throughout the day to distribute folders and collect them after each session. It is suggested that four (4) students be used in band sight-reading and two (2) in vocal and string sight-reading.  Band sight-reading music will be purchased every year from the UIL sight-reading Materials.  Band sight-reading music will be sold to a Band Director from the District at cost.  If more than one Director would like to purchase the music, there will a drawing for the sight-reading music.

Recording for Large Group Festival

Adjudication cassette recordings will be provided to each performing organization, which completes the large group festival experience. Performance compact disc will be provided for each performance and contracting recording equipment/ recording personnel is the responsibility of the festival chairperson.

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