Pennsylvania Music Educators Association

2016-2017 District 8 Orchestra Policies & Procedures Revised January 2016 (Mansfield University) www.pmeadistrict8.net

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PMEA DISTRICT 8 District Orchestra Policies & Procedures I. Eligibility and Participation Policies

A. The membership of the District Orchestra will be determined by auditions referred to as the acceptance auditions. B. Acceptance Auditions will normally be scheduled on the Sunday preceding Thanksgiving. The directors’ meeting will usually be scheduled to begin at 1:00pm. C. Students in grades 9 through 12 may audition on string instruments for the orchestra. If the student’s school has an orchestra, the student must be a member of it. D. The wind and percussion sections for the orchestra will be chosen from those who auditioned for District Band. E. The student’s director must be a current member of PMEA and participate in the work of the acceptance auditions and the festival. Proof of membership will be required at the registration for acceptance auditions in November and at the festival. The director has four areas of responsibility: 1. He/she must serve on an assigned committee at the acceptance auditions and at the chair placement auditions at the festival. 2. He/she should be available as the representative of his school and his student’s parents in the event of a medical emergency or disciplinary problem. 3. He/she should represent his students and school at the festival business meeting. 4. Each director shall bring a non-auditioning student to acceptance auditions to assist with auditions. F. The district president and the festival host may jointly approve a qualified substitute director when unique circumstances occur. Request for substitute approval must be made prior to the auditions and must be prompted by extreme circumstances, not personal convenience or preference. G. The individual school remains responsible for its participating students for the duration of the acceptance auditions or festival. Should it be necessary to send a student home, the home school district must be responsible. 1. Each director should bring a completed medical form to acceptance auditions for each student. This form is to be submitted at registration. One blank form will be included with the registration form sent by the acceptance audition chairman and/or is available online at pmea.net or the district website.

II. Acceptance Auditions 2

A. Audition Chairperson - The District president will appoint an acceptance audition chairperson whose responsibilities will include: 1. Sending registration and auditions lists (see Appendix A), medical forms (posted on district/state websites), and ‘‘Supervision of Students’’ (see Appendix B) to all participating schools for acceptance auditions. 2. Receiving and recording the above forms and payments from the individual schools. 3. Securing a volunteer from the membership to serve as tally room chairperson and providing this person with the registration information, etc., as received from the participating schools. 4. Assigning directors to audition committees at acceptance auditions. 5. Presenting an in-service regarding audition mechanics, and insuring that all adjudicators attend this portion of the directors’ meeting. Student teachers may not adjudicate auditions, but may observe a single room. 6. Registering directors at acceptance auditions, recording substitutions and drops, etc., at the directors registration table. 7. Forwarding registration fees to the District 8 Secretary/Treasurer. 8. the responsibilities as outlined in ‘‘Audition Materials’’ (see ‘‘H’’ below). B. Preaudition Special Circumstances 1. District 8, Region IV, and Central Region Orchestra allow trumpet and cornet parts to be played on either instrument. 2. Students may audition on only one orchestral instrument; however, the same student may also audition on a band instrument for District Band. (Please see item ‘‘II P 5’’ regarding students who audition for string and wind/percussion instruments.)

C. Advance Registration Forms

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1. The Audition Chairman will electronically distribute the Google Doc Registration Form one month prior to the the Acceptance Audition Date. 2. Submission of names for Acceptance Auditions via the online Google Doc must be completed by the Wednesday prior to the Acceptance Audition Date. 3. The registration fee shall be $5.00 per student and must be paid by check payable to PMEA District 8. This must accompany the registration forms. Registration fees are non-refundable. No cash will be accepted. All checks will be immediately deposited. 4. Students’ names and grades must be indicated on the online registration form. 5. Individual students may not be added to the auditions after the registration deadline. Exceptions may be made by the District president and Audition Chairperson in the event of extremely unusual circumstances. Students whose names are submitted after the deadline and accepted due to unusual circumstances will be added to the bottom of the audition order. 6. Name changes within the same section will be allowed on the day of the audition. D. Audition Solo Listing 1. The district will maintain a listing of four published solos for each string instrument which will be used on a rotating basis for the acceptance auditions from year to year. 2. At each year’s acceptance audition, a survey will be completed by each member in attendance rating the solos used for that year. 3. At each year’s district festival, a solo review committee will review the effectiveness and availability of the solos to be used for the following year, and will suggest additional titles to the membership at the business meeting when appropriate. 4. The following criteria will be used in choosing appropriate solos: a) Solos should contain technical and musical demands to challenge potential first chair players. b) Solos should be accessible to less experienced players (not consistently high and fast.) c) Solos used over the four year rotation should include

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music of different periods and styles. 5. The listing of solos will be available on the PMEA District 8 Website. (www.pmeadistrict8.net) E. Registration at Acceptance Auditions 1. The name, school, and audition number for each student should be verified by his director at the registration table run by the audition chairperson. 2. All changes to the auditions lists (substitutions and drops) are to be made by the student’s director at the registration table run by the acceptance audition chairperson. No drops or substitutions will be done by students at the student registration tables. Any additional fees must be paid by check payable to PMEA DISTRICT 8.

F. Auditions - General Procedures 1. Students will be chosen for membership and placed in a section as the result of their scores in the acceptance auditions. 2. Once at the festival, the student will again be auditioned for specific seating within his/her assigned section. 3. Each student will receive a copy of his/her scores and any judges’ comments. 4. Each student will be rated solely on the basis of his/her performance. 5. The only music that will be heard will be taken from the assigned scales, the solo, and the sight-reading. Cued passages, cadenzas, and ossia parts are not to be heard. 6. Students may not have audio devices, cell phones, or other electronic devices with them during any part of the audition process. Violation of this policy may result in disqualification from the audition and/or festival. 7. It is strongly suggested that directors provide all of this information to their students in advance of the auditions. It is to the advantage of the student to know what will be expected during the audition. G. Emergency Audition Procedure 1. Ordinarily, students are required to participate in acceptance auditions in order to gain a seat in the District

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Orchestra. 2. In the event that an exceptionally fine player misses the auditions because of a serious illness or death in the family, the orchestra director may request permission to submit a recorded audition of scales and the entire solo. 3. This request must be made to the officer in charge at the time of the directors’ meeting, and must be approved jointly by the district president and the festival host. 4. No position in the orchestra can be held in reserve. The decision to approve a recorded audition will be based on whether or not the orchestra can absorb an additional player, should the tape indicate superior musicianship. 5. If the request is approved, the recording should be in the hands of the president or an audition committee member designated by the president within ten days of the acceptance auditions. H. Audition Materials 1. The audition chairman or festival host will work with the audition manager technician and/or the district president to obtain an adequate supply of the official rating rubrics and scantron forms in advance of the audition date. Scantrons are used to run all student scores. No grade or score may be altered once the individual scantron sheets have been turned over to the tally committee. 2. The audition chairman will arrange adequate audition rooms. Each room should be equipped with a chair, a fully adjustable music stand, and the sight-reading excerpt inside a folder on the music stand. 3. The music to be heard as part of the audition will be written on the official PMEA District 8 Acceptance Audition Solo Sheet (Appendix I) and also marked on a sample copy of the music for the student to view and be placed on the music stand. 4. The president will select the set of sight-reading exercises to be used. Immediately following the auditions, the guides will collect all copies and return them to the chairman who, after checking them carefully, will return them to the president. 5. The chairman will provide a registration roster to the tally room chair. a) Each student will be randomly assigned an audition

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number after the registration deadline. I. Preliminary Meetings 1. Student Meeting: The Host or Chairman will arrange for a district officer or member not assigned to an audition committee to meet with the students to review the ‘‘Sequence for the Student During Acceptance Auditions’’ (See Appendices D and E). Students should also be given instructions for emergency instrument repairs and/or medical attention. 2. Directors’ Meeting a) The chairman or district officer will announce committee appointments. b) The chairman or district officer will indicate any irregularities or limitations in the music to be considered for audition material by the audition committee. c) Each committee will determine which scales and passages are to be heard. Where sections are divided into more than one audition room (clarinets and flutes), the committees must work together to insure that identical material is heard. Each committee should be sure that a minimum of 60 seconds, but not to exceed 90 seconds, of solo is heard. J. Sequence for viola, cello, and string bass students at acceptance auditions. (Please see District 8 Band Bylaws for sequence for wind and percussion students.) 1. Each student will register his name, school, and grade. He will be given his assigned audition number at this time. 2. At the appropriate time, a student meeting will be convened for a briefing on the audition procedures for the students. 3. All students will be assigned to a warm-up room to await their turn as determined by their assigned audition number. Students must plan to remain in that room until the guide comes to take them to the audition room. 4. A student guide will escort each student from the warm-up room to the audition room. The auditioning student must take all belongings out of the warm-up room, as he will not be allowed to return after his audition. No communication of any kind is permitted between any students who have been auditioned and those waiting to be auditioned on the same part. 5. Emergency instrument repairs may be made at anytime. After entering the audition room, students whose instruments need

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repair should notify the student guide. THE STUDENT MUST TELL THE GUIDE OF A PROBLEM BEFORE COMPLETING THE AUDITION AND LEAVING THE ROOM. The guide will inform the audition committee chairperson of the problem, who will instruct the guide on how to proceed. If the instrument cannot quickly be repaired by a member of the committee, the guide will escort the student to the location for repairs. The student will be allowed to audition within the audition period after the repair has been made. 6. On arrival to the audition room, the student guide should instruct the auditioning student to sign-in next to their name. Upon entering the room, the student will have a short warm-up period not to exceed thirty seconds. The guide will announce the student’s audition number. 7. The guide will instruct the student to read the Acceptance Audition Solo Sheet, which includes the audition order and sample copy of the music. The student will choose to sit or stand, and the guide will assist in adjusting the music stand accordingly. Music to be included as part of the audition will also be written on the official PMEA District 8 Acceptance Audition Solo Sheet (Appendix I) and also marked on a sample copy of the music for the student to view and be placed on the music stand. 8. When the student indicates that he/she is ready, he/she will play the selected scales. The guide will leave the room after the scale portion of the audition is completed. The student will complete the audition without further instruction. The chairman of the committee will speak only if necessary. 9. The order of the acceptance audition will be: chromatic scale, two major scales, a minimum of ninety seconds of solo or solo excerpts, and sight-reading. 10. Students may not have audio devices, cell phones, or other electronic devices with them during any part of the audition process. Violation of this policy may result in disqualification from the audition and/or festival. 11. The student will have the privilege of a second playing of any portion of the audition (except for the sight-reading) immediately after having played the portion. The student need not verbally announce the replay. Scales may be replayed in their entirety. For a replay of a solo excerpt, the replay is limited to either the first half or the second half of each passage. Once a student has reached the midpoint of a passage, restart will occur at the midpoint. If a student chooses to replay a passage, THE SECOND OF THE TWO PERFORMANCES WILL BE USED FOR ADJUDICATION. 12. The rhythm of the scales and number of required octaves

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shall be as indicated in Appendix C at a minimum tempo of quarter note = 120 mm. 13. At the conclusion of the audition, the sight-reading folder will be closed, and the student will be directed back to the auditorium. 14. Once the student exits the audition room, the audition is considered officially complete. Students may not re-enter the audition room to complete ANY portion of the audition, except in the case of emergency instrument repair.

K. Sequence for violin students at acceptance auditions (Appendix E). 1. The acceptance auditions for violin students will be held in two rooms, with two separate judging committees. Items 1-3 and 5 of Section J, ‘‘Sequence for the student at acceptance auditions’’ (above), will apply to these students. The solo portion of the audition will be held in one room, and the scale/sight reading portion held in another room. The orchestra chairperson and/or judges will decide the order of rooms. 2. A student guide will escort each student from the warm-up room to the first audition room. The auditioning student must take all belongings out of the warm-up room, as he will not be permitted to return after the audition. No communication of any kind is permitted between any students who have been auditioned and those waiting to be auditioned on the same part. 3. On arrival in the first room, the student guide should instruct the auditioning student to sign-in next to their name. Upon entering the room, the student will have a short warm-up period not to exceed thirty seconds. The guide will announce the student’s audition number. 4. In the solo room, the guide will instruct the student to read the Acceptance Audition Solo Sheet, which includes the audition order and sample copy of the music. The student will choose to sit or stand, and the guide will assist in adjusting the music stand accordingly. Music to be included as part of the audition will also be written on the official PMEA District 8 Acceptance Audition Solo Sheet (Appendix I) and also marked on a sample copy of the music for the student to view and be placed on the music stand.

5. In either room, the student will have the privilege of a second playing of any portion of the audition (except for the sight-reading) immediately after having played the

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portion. The student need not verbally announce the replay. Scales may be replayed in their entirety. For a replay of a solo excerpt, the replay is limited to either the first half or the second half of each passage. Once a student has reached the midpoint of a passage, the restart will occur at the midpoint.If a student chooses to replay a passage, THE SECOND OF THE TWO PERFORMANCES WILL BE USED FOR ADJUDICATION. 6. When the student indicates that he/she is ready, the guide will leave the room. The student will complete this portion of the audition without further instruction. The chairman of the committee will speak only if necessary. The student should exit the room after performing the last solo excerpt. 7. Following completion of the audition in the first room, the guide will escort the student to the second room and collect the student score cards to take to the next room. Students should not see their scores. 8. On arrival in the second room, the student guide should provide the student score cards to the judges. During this time, the student will have another short warm-up period not to exceed thirty seconds. 9. In the scale/sight reading room, the guide will inform the student which scales are to be played, and in what order. He/she will also show the student where the sight reading folder is located. The student may choose to sit or stand, and the guide will assist in adjusting the music stand accordingly. The selected scales will also be written on a blackboard in audition order, or written on a sheet of paper and placed by the music stand. 10. The guide will remain in the room until the student has finished the scales portion of the audition, then leave the room. 11. Once the student exits the audition room, the audition is considered officially complete. Students may not re-enter the audition room to complete ANY portion of the audition, except in the case of emergency instrument repair. 12. The judging panel in each room will use the same set of scantron cards for each student. Score cards will follow each student throughout the process. Students are not allowed to see their scores between rooms. 13. Students may not have audio devices, cell phones, or other electronic devices with them during any part of the audition process. Violation of this policy may result in disqualification from the audition and/or festival.

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L. Judging Procedures 1. Applicants will be rated on the basis of adjudication of all judges assigned to that committee. Rankings of all students will be determined by the total of the judges’ scores. 2. All categories on the rating form (Appendix F & G) must be used and each score sheet should reflect the judge’s individual opinion - not a consensus. 3. Judges will not add any figures except those for total scale scores. 4. Judges are strongly encouraged to include constructive comments that they feel will be helpful to the student. 5. All sheets should include the judge’s signature. 6. The guide will periodically take the students’ score sheets to the tally committee so they can begin their work as early as possible. 7. At the conclusion of the auditions, sight-reading materials and any extra judging materials should be returned to the tally room.

M. The Tally Committee 1. Audition results will be tabulated and finalized by the tally committee. 2. Tally will be done by Audition Manager System . 3. In the event that tally by computer is impossible, the audition chair will establish a full tally committee consisting of the audition chair and/or the hosts(s), a member of the district executive committee, and other directors as needed. 4. Tally committee members will have the responsibility for decisions within the bylaws regarding the selection or placement of students. a) For selection into the District Orchestra Festival, a string student must score 50 points or above. This policy may be superseded by the guaranteed representative policy (Page 14, Section P, Number 7). 5. The tally room will be Off Limits to all except tally committee members. 6. The scores will be posted in a location away from the tally room. These scores are to be available ONLY TO DIRECTORS. Students are NOT to be permitted in this area. These posted

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scores are unofficial. N. Computation of Scores and Ranking 1. The tally committee will tabulate all audition scores as they are brought from the audition rooms. 2. For each student, scores will be scanned via Scantron Scoring sheets that will be made available to each jduge. 3. When scores for all students within a section (i.e., violin) have been entered and verified, instrument ranking will be determined by using each student’s total score and audition number. 4. In the event of a tie: a) Both students will be ranked with the same number ranking with the word ‘‘tie’’ added. The following number will be skipped. For example, if two students are tied for 4th place, there will be no 5th place and the next student would be ranked 6th. b) For the purposes of part assignment, the tie will be broken by coin toss. For example, the two students tied for 4th place will be assigned 4th and 5th place by the coin toss. c) Ties for the last available slot in a section will normally be resolved by accepting both players. 5. The ScanTron score cards will be retained by the District president and filed for one year. 6. The summary sheet print out that is automatically generated by the Audition Manager system will be made available to students. Any score sheets not picked up by directors following the audition, should be mailed by the Host of the District Orchestra Festival. O. Group Size and Instrumentation 1. The festival host will establish the instrumentation to be used, usually after consultation with the guest conductor. (NOTE: program selection should include substantial playing by wind and percussion sections.) 2. The size of the orchestra will be determined by the host, guest conductor, and district officers and should be announced when the festival budget is due & posted on the district website.’’

3. String instrumentation should include a range as follows: VIOLIN I: 12-14 VIOLIN II: 12-16 VIOLA: 9-12 CELLO: 8-10 BASS: 6-8

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4. Wind and percussion instrumentation will be based on the needs of the music and the following numbers due to the mechanics of the wind acceptance auditions: FLUTE OBOE* CLARINET BASSOON HORN TRUMPET TROMBONE** TUBA PERCUSSION

3 2 + English horn if needed 2 2 4 (Rotate Parts) 3 3 + Bass Trombone if needed*** 1 4

* 1-Oboe I and 2-Oboe II; one Oboe may be assigned to English Horn ** 3 Trombones and 1 Bass Trombone OR 4 Trombones _______________________________________________

***If there is no Bass Trombone part for a concert selection, the Bass Trombonist will double the Trombone III part. 5. Bass Trombone: Those students who would specifically like to play Bass Trombone at District Orchestra should bring both their tenor and bass trombone to the festival. (added from District Band 2014) P. Assignment of Parts 1. The assignment of part for violins as a result of the acceptance audition ranking will be done according to the formulas that follow. These formulas reflect a policy which strives to insure that highly rated players will be on all parts. Part Assignment Acceptance Audition Ranking Violin I Violin II

1,2,3,4,5 6,7,8

The remaining violinists needed to complete the section will be divided so that the upper half of this number is assigned to Violin I, and the lower half to Violin II. 2. Wind parts will be issued so that each wind folder contains all the parts for each composition.

3. Each percussion folder will contain all the percussion parts for the festival, including snare/battery, timpani, and mallet parts. 4. Each flute folder will contain piccolo parts. 5. If a student successfully auditions for a wind or percussion

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seat at District Orchestra (through the band acceptance auditions) and also successfully auditions for a string seat at District Orchestra (through the orchestra acceptance auditions), he/she will be assigned the string seat. The next highest ranking wind/percussion student will be assigned the wind/percussion seat in District Orchestra. 6. If an alternate is needed, the next student in the ranking will be notified. 7. All schools with string instructional programs and/or orchestras that participate in the acceptance auditions are guaranteed representation in the district orchestra by at least one string student. If a school which participates in acceptance auditions has no student qualify, the tally committee/host director will decide which student from that school will be the most beneficial to the ensemble, add that player, and so notify the host director. 8. String players from schools without string instructional programs are eligible to audition, but will be seated only on the merits of their audition ranking. These schools are not guaranteed representation. 9. The host of the festival has the host’s privilege of adding to the regular instrumentation of the orchestra any of his/her students who auditioned but did not qualify. These appointments shall be limited to: a) No more than one appointee per string section. b) No more than one wind and one percussion student. c) No more than five students total. 10. This limitation does not include any student who may have qualified on his own through auditions. (NOTE TO HOST: The charging of registration fees for the host’s own students may remain optional with the host. However, the host must account for all students when computing the participation fees to be paid to the state and district treasurers.) 11. In the event that the desired program includes works that require an augmented, non-auditioned instrumentation, the host may augment the orchestra with competent players, with the approval of the District president. This includes a pianist, an electric guitarist, or any other instrument that does not participate in the district acceptancen auditions. Hosts are to select their ‘‘auditioned instrumentation’’ to accommodate any repertoire which may require additional instrumentalists (ex. additional woodwinds, brass or percussion), or be conscious of their instrumentation limitations when programming the festival. 12. In the event that added instrumentation is needed for one or more works, and these instruments are those that are included in the district acceptance audition process but are not in the standard instrumentation of the orchestra (ex.

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saxophones, low clarinets, etc.), the host is obligated to select these additional musicians, in rank order, from the district acceptance audition results. These students are still required to participate in the chair auditions, but nave no guarantee of region placement. Q. Festival Host Responsibilities (See more details at Appendix L) 1. Festival hosts will choose the concert repertoire in consultation with the guest conductor and the Orchestra festival Coordinator/CI, that does not exceed 50-60 minutes worth of music. It is appropriate for the program to include one string only piece, not to exceed 5 minutes. Teachers are reminded that the students in the wind and percussion section are required to prepare all the parts for each composition selected. 2. The festival host, in consultation with the guest conductor, will provide bowings and essential fingerings in all string parts. 3. The PMEA District 8 Music Library Listing will be available on the District 8 web site. Host and guest directors are encouraged to use this resource when selecting the festival’s program. 4. All music purchased through student fees should be collected and sent to the PMEA District 8 Band/Orchestra Library following the festival. 5. Festival hosts will send a director’s packet to each director. This packet is to be sent as soon as possible but NOT LATER THAN DECEMBER 1st. The director’s packet will include: a) a list of all qualifying students and their part assignments. b) Acceptance Audition Summary Sheets that were not picked up following auditions. c) a festival registration fee invoice. d) all forms which are to be completed and returned by the directors, and the postmark due date for the forms. 6. Festival hosts will contact any director whose forms have not been received 3 days after the postmark, and also the District president. 7. Festival hosts will send all of the music to each student’s director as soon as possible. This music MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE DIRECTORS NOT LATER THAN 30 DAYS IN ADVANCE OF THE FESTIVAL AUDITIONS. 8. If there is an inadequate amount of substantial percussion music, parts from the four year rotation of supplemental percussion parts will be included in the folder to be

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prepared in conjunction with the festival music. This will be coordinated by the District president and the Festival Host. 9. Festival Host should include, in each students folder, a list of music to be performed and special instructions. Upon notification of missing music by individual directors, festival hosts will provide such parts not later than 30 days prior to festival auditions. NOTE: Any music not received by all students 30 days in advance of festival auditions will not be used for these auditions.

R. Directors’ Responsibilities (upon receipt of director’s packet and music folders) 1. It is the director’s responsibility to verify that all of the music is included in each folder. 2. In the event of missing parts, the director should contact the host director immediately. 3. If any music has not been received by any student 30 days prior to the festival auditions, the director must notify the host director and District president. This music will not be used for the auditions. 4. It is the director’s responsibility to return all forms required by the host director postmarked not later than the indicated deadline. Failure to do so will result in DISQUALIFICATION OF THE STUDENT for whom the form(s) have not been returned. If unusual circumstances prevent the timely return of the forms, the director must contact the District president and host director to request an exception be made. If an exception is made, the forms must be submitted not later than at the registration for the festival. 5. It is the responsibility of each director to contact the host immediately if a student is unable to attend the festival for any reason. This will allow the host director to contact the next available alternate, and provide that student with a folder as soon as possible. (NOTE: ALL alternates will be required to audition)

III. DISTRICT FESTIVAL AUDITIONS A. Attendance Requirements 1. A student must participate in the complete festival program including registration, auditions, rehearsals, and the final concert. 2. Any exceptions to attendance policies must be cleared with

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the festival host according to PMEA State regulations. Students should not participate in a festival if, for any reason (including religious activities), they plan to miss any part of the activity. 3. The student’s band or orchestra director must be a current member of PMEA and participate in the work of the festival. Proof of membership will be required at the time of registration for the festival. B. General Procedures - Festival Auditions 1. Students will be chosen for membership and assigned to a section as a result of their scores in the acceptance auditions. 2. At the district festival, the student will be auditioned for specific seating within his section. 3. Festival auditions will take place the first evening or morning of the festival, depending on the schedule. In the event of severe weather, the host director and district president will discuss whether a delay of the auditions is necessary. In this case, all auditions will be held the following day. Every effort will be made to hold auditions as soon as all students in a section are present. Per PMEA state board policy (effective 2015-16),’’in the event that a festival is canceled, auditions using the music prepared for that festival must take place within one week of the original festival date.’’ 4. An exception to the above audition may also be granted according to the following procedure: a) The director/school shall make the request to the host director who will in turn contact the District president. b) The host director and district president, after discussion with the members present, shall rule on the validity of the request. If the exception is granted, all auditions for the involved section(s) will be held on the following day, as soon as all students in the effected section are present. If the exception is not granted, the requesting student will be permitted to participate in the festival but will not be considered for Region placement. 5. All students will be auditioned, even if there is not a competitor on the part. 6. Students will be rated solely on the basis of their performance. 7. Only the music from the concert program may be used for the festival seating audition, not to include the Star Spangled Banner. Note: The exception to this may involve the

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supplemental percussion parts that were provided to each student due to a lack of substantial parts in the music for the festival (See Section II,Q,8). 8. Cued passages, cadenzas, and ossia parts are not to be heard. 9. Students may not have audio devices, cell phones, or other electronic devices with them during any part of the audition process. Violation of this policy may result in disqualification from the audition and/or festival. 10. It is strongly suggested that directors see to it that this information is available to their students in advance. It is to the advantage of the student to know what is expected of him/her. 11. In situations involving extremely bad weather conditions, our district will follow the PMEA Inclement Weather Procedure as mapped out in the current PMEA State Board policy handbook. In extreme situations, a majority vote of those directors present may allow late arrivals the opportunity to audition. However, those students who arrive late must audition by the original day 2 (i.e., Thursday) at noon. If the late arrivals have not arrived by this time, they will be placed at the end of the ranking for their section.

12. In the event an eligible student cannot come to the festival, the registration fee will be refunded if a qualified substitute can be obtained to take the place of the first student. If a substitute cannot be obtained, the host will endeavor to refund as much of the fee as possible. C. Audition Materials 1. The audition chairman or festival host will work with the audition manager technician and/or the district president to obtain an adequate supply of the official rating rubrics and scantron forms in advance of the audition date. Scantrons are used to run all student scores. No grade or score may be altered once the individual scantron sheets have been turned over to the tally committee. 2. The festival host will arrange for adequate audition rooms and warm-up/holding rooms. Each audition room should be equipped with a chair and a fully adjustable music stand. 3. The music to be heard as part of the audition will be written on a sheet placed by the music stand. 4. The audition chairman will provide at least one set of music for each audition committee. The folders will also contain

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a copy of Appendix H, ‘‘Sequence for the Student During Festival Auditions’’ D. Preliminary Meetings 1. Student Meeting - The Orchestra Festival Coordinator/CI will be responsible for reviewing the audition procedure prior to the start of auditions. a) Students will be registered and receive their assigned auditions numbers. b) Students should also be given instructions for emergency instrument repairs. c) Students will be escorted to their warm-up rooms to await audition instructions and auditions. 2. Directors’ Meeting a) The orchetra festival coordinator, host, or district officer will announce committee appointments. b) The chairman or district officer will indicate any irregularities or limitations in the music to be considered for audition material by the audition committees. c) Each committee will determine which passages are to be heard, insuring that a minimum of 60 seconds, but not to exceed 90 seconds, of total of excerpts is heard from at least two different pieces. All wind committees must hear at least one passage that is not from a first part. (NOTE: The excerpts to be used may be chosen by the guest conductor immediately prior to the festival. The host director will announce the passages.) The percussion committee should review the special procedures for percussion auditions. d) The chair/host will provide each committee with at least one set of the music, along with a copy of Appendix J. Student folders are not to be used by the audition committee. e) The chair will present a brief review of all procedures to be used. f) Provisions will be made for emergency repairs during auditions. g) Directors will be reminded that no talking, derogatory comments, or disturbing actions/movements can be allowed while there is a student in the audition room.

E. Sequence for the Student at Festival Auditions 1. All students will be assigned to a warm-up room to await their turn as determined by their assigned audition number. Students must plan to remain in that room until the guide comes to take them to the audition room 2. Once in the warm-up room, each committee chair will instruct all students to mark in their music what is to be played and in what order. The chair will then review review Appendix H,

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‘‘Sequence for the Student During Festival Auditions’’, with the students and guides for his room, and answer any questions. All folders/music will be collected from the students at this time. 3. A student guide will escort each student from the warm-up room to the audition room. The auditioning student must take all belongings out of the warm-up room, as he/she will not be allowed to return after his/her audition. No communication of any kind is permitted between any students who have been auditioned and those waiting to be auditioned on the same part. 4. The student guide will announce the student’s assigned audition number upon entering the room. 5. The student will find his/her music folder. The guide will assist the student in adjusting the music stand, chair, etc. 6. The guide will remind the student on what is to be played and in what order. This will also be posted on a blackboard or on a sheet of paper on or near the music stand. 7. The student will then be permitted a brief warm-up, not to exceed thirty seconds. 8. At the conclusion of the warm-up, the guide will announce, ‘‘The student is ready to begin.’’ The guide will then leave the room, close the door, and wait outside the door to assist the student should any problems occur. The guide will act as an intermediary between the student and the judges. The desire is to keep voice recognition to a minimum. 9. Students will begin the audition in the order specified. Students will have the privilege of playing any portion of the audition immediately after the first playing. They need not verbally announce the replay. Timpani cannot be retuned for replays. Each replay is limited to either the first half or the second half of each passage. Once they have reached the midpoint of a passage, the restart will occur at the midpoint. If they opt for the replay, the second playing will be adjudicated. 10. Students may not have audio devices, cell phones, or other electronic devices with them during any part of the audition process. Violation of this policy may result in disqualification from the audition and/or festival. 11. Emergency instrument repairs may be made at any time. After entering the audition room, students whose instruments need repair should notify the student guide. THE STUDENT MUST

20

TELL THE GUIDE OF A PROBLEM BEFORE COMPLETING THE AUDITION AND LEAVING THE ROOM. The guide will inform the audition committee chairperson of the problem, who will instruct the guide on how to proceed. If the instrument cannot quickly be repaired by a member of the committee, the guide will escort the student to the location for repairs. The student will be allowed to audition within the audition period after the repair has been made. 12. Following the audition, the student will return to the auditorium. At no time should the student return to the warm-up room. F. Judging Procedures 1. Applicants will be rated on the basis of adjudication of all judges assigned to that instrument. Rankings of all students will be determined by the total of the judges’ scores. 2. All categories on the rating form (Appendix F and G) must be used except for scales and sight reading, which are not heard. The percussion auditions, which are a ‘‘total percussion’’ format, use the rating form shown in Appendix G. Each score sheet should reflect the judge’s individual opinion, not a consensus. 3. Judges are not to total any scores. 4. Judges are strongly encouraged to include constructive comments that they feel will be helpful to the student. 5. The guide will periodically take the student score sheets to the tally committee so that they can begin their work as early as possible. The composite sheets maintained for the judges’ use during auditions will be collected by the guides after the auditions are completed. 6. Following the auditions, all judging materials, including unused scoring sheets, should be returned to the tally room.

G. The Tally Committee 1. Audition results will be tabulated and finalized by the tally committee. 2. Tally will be done with the Audition Manager Computer system. 3. In the event that tally by computer is impossible, the audition chair will establish a full tally committee consisting of the audition chair and/or the host(s), a member of the district executive committee, and other directors as needed.

21

4. Tally committee members will have the responsibility for decisions within the bylaws regarding the selection or placement of students 5. The tally room will be Off Limits to all except tally committee members. 6. The scores will be posted in a location away from the tally room. These scores are to be available ONLY TO DIRECTORS. Students are NOT to be permitted in this area. These posted scores are unofficial.

H. Computation of Scores and Ranking 1. The tally committee will tabulate all audition scores as they are brought from the audition rooms. 2. For each student, scores will be entered by category from each individual score sheet. These scores will be verified, then added to those from the student’s other score sheet(s) to arrive at a total score. 3. When scores for all students within a section (i.e., Violin I) have been entered and verified, section seating will be determined by using each student’s total score and audition number. 4. The president or his representative will be informed of any ties that have occurred within a section or part. 5. The district president will retain the ScanTron forms which will be filed for one year. 6. Audition Manager summary sheets will be distributed to students by their director, when possible. I. Ties 1. In the event of a tie, the two tied students will be ranked equally until the tie is broken. The next chair will temporarily be skipped in the order. (i.e., if two students tie for 4th chair, there will temporarily be no 5th chair. The next student in the sequence will be ranked 6th chair.) 2. Any ties which involve region festival selection will be resolved by having the players audition again for a different committee. A consensus of this tie-breaking committee is all that is required to break the tie. (NOTE: Care must be taken to resolve ties far enough down in the section to allow for 9th grade string players who are ineligible for Region Orchestra, and for students who have declined region placement.) 3. After the tie is broken by the committee, the students will

22

be assigned their chairs according to #1 directly above. (i.e., the students tied for 4th chair will then be assigned 4th and 5th chair.) J. Festival Audition Results 1. Results, as tabulated by the Audition Manager system will be posted upon the conclusion of the auditions. 2. Students who have declined participation on the student contracts may be ineligible for Region Orchestra. The district representative should contact these students’ directors (or if this is not possible, the student directly) to determine if they wish to change their minds. 3. Any student who declines to participate in Region Orchestra, and has discussed this decision with his director or, in the absence of the orchestra director, the District Board representative, will not be allowed to participate once a replacement has been notified. 4. District 8 Region Orchestra representation will be official when folders are distributed. K.String Assignment - If the guest conductor feels the section leader is not able to demonstrate appropriate leval of section leadership the guest conductor should consult with the festival host, the student’s director, string CI and district president to change principal string players. L.

M.

Wind Part Assignments (post-seating) For the wind sections, the assignment of all parts will be made on a rotating basis. This will be done by the host director prior to the festival. Specific parts will be assigned to a chair based upon ranges, demand, solos, etc. These assignments can be adjusted by the guest conductor, by the audition committee, or based upon access to special instruments (i.e., piccolo trumpet, English horn, Bass Trombone, etc). Festival Percussion Auditions, Assignments, and Selection to Region Orchestra 1. Each percussion folder will contain all the percussion music. 2. Each percussionist will be auditioned on all parts, including snare/battery, timpani, and mallet parts 3. Immediately following the chair auditions, the percussion committee will wait for the placement results, then assign the parts based upon students’ scores and the demand of the parts.

N. Piccolo Assignments 1. Piccolo parts will be included in all the flute folders.

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2. Piccolo parts will not be heard in the chair placement audition. 3. Students who are interested in playing piccolo should prepare the parts prior to the festival. 4. Piccolo player(s) will be chosen from interested players by the guest conductor during rehearsals, or by a committee on as soon after auditions as possible.

5. Concert Attire a. Concert attire for women will be a solid black skirt or dress slacks with solid black or white blouse. Sleeveless tops, tops that show excessive skin, and mini-skirts are unacceptable. b. Concert attire for men will be black suits or black tuxedos with white shirt and black ties. c. Black shoes are required, and athletic footwear is unacceptable. d. Elegance on stage is expected.

6. Review of Procedures a. These bylaws will be reviewed annually at the District Orchestra Festival by a committee appointed by the presiding District Official. b. The By-Laws Review Committee will present any recommended changes to the membership at the business meeting at District Orchestra. Proposed changes will also be accepted from the floor. c. Following the adoption of said changes by the membership, the District president will arrange for a new set of bylaws, which reflect the changes, to be provided to each member. d. The new set of bylaws will show revision date and will be posted on the PMEA District 8 website, http://www.pmeadistrict8.net

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APPENDIX A Audition List - Orchestra Name of School _______________________________________________________________________________ Violin Student Name

Grade

___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________

Cello Student Name

Grade

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ 25

___________________ ___________________

_____________________ _____________________

Viola Student Name Grade

___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________

Bass

Student Name Grade

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________

TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS ______________x $5.00/Student Registration Fee: ______________ TOTAL ENCLOSED _________________________________ No cash will be accepted. All checks will be immediately deposited. Name of Adult (for student supervision) Name of Non-Auditioning Student Guide ___________________________________ ____________________________________

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APPENDIX B Supervision of Students at Acceptance Auditions 1. All directors should make their students aware of these guidelines, the behavior that is expected of them, and the consequences of their behavior. 2. Students should refrain from excessive noise in the auditorium so that necessary communication can take place. Running and horseplay will not be tolerated. Food and drink are not permitted in the auditorium, warm-up rooms, or audition rooms. 3. Students are encouraged to bring books, playing cards, or other sedentary games that can be played quietly to pass the time before and after auditions. 4. Students in warm-up/waiting rooms should not disturb items in the room, i.e., the teacher’s desk, displays, bulletin boards, storage cabinets, etc. 5. Students may not have audio devices, cell phones, or other electronic devices with them during any part of the audition process. Violation of this policy may result in disqualification from the audition and/or festival. 6. Each school is required to bring one adult to assist with the supervision of students. 7. Adult monitors should be instructed that their function is: a. to be present to observe the students’ behavior in their assigned area. b. to gently remind a student if there is any behavior that warrants correction. c. to notify the host and the presiding PMEA officer if there are any additional problems with the student.

APPENDIX C Scale Requirements - Strings District 8 requires memorized audition scales. All are to be performed at a minimum tempo of quarter note = 120. 27

Scale/rudiment requirements for wind and string instruments are the same as for district band acceptance auditions. Each student will be asked to play three of the required scales for his instrument. The first scale will be the chromatic scale, which will be performed in even eighth notes with separate bows, ascending and descending for the required number of octaves.

The remaining two scales will be selected by the judging panel from the following list. These scales will be performed ascending and descending for the required number of octaves, using the following rhythm pattern, using separate bows:

Instrument

Scales and Number of Octaves

Chromatic

Ab Eb Chromatic - # 8va

Bb

F

C

G

D

A

E

3

2

3

2

3

3

2

3

2

2

3

2

3

3

2

3

2

3

2

3

2

2

3

2

3

2

3

2

1

1

2

1

2

1

2

2

Violin G-3 Viola C-3 Cello C-3 String Bass G-2

APPENDIX D Sequence for Viola, Cello, and String Bass Students During Acceptance Auditions 1. A student guide will escort you from the warm-up room to the audition room. You must take all belongings out of the warm-up room, as you will not be allowed to return after your audition. No communication of any kind is permitted between any students who have been auditioned and those waiting to be auditioned on the same part.

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2. Students may not have audio devices, cell phones, or other electronic devices with them during any part of the audition process. Violation of this policy may result in disqualification from the audition and/or festival. 3. On arrival to the audition room, the student guide should instruct you to sign-in next to your name. Upon entering the room, you will have a short warm-up period not to exceed thirty seconds. The guide will announce your audition number. 4. You may choose to sit or stand, and the guide will assist in adjusting the music stand accordingly. 5. The guide will instruct you to read the Acceptance Audition Solo Sheet, which includes the audition order and sample copy of the music. The student will choose to sit or stand, and the guide will assist in adjusting the music stand accordingly. Music to be included as part of the audition will also be written on the official PMEA District 8 Acceptance Audition Solo Sheet (Appendix J) and also marked on a sample copy of the music for the student to view and be placed on the music stand. Inform the guide when you are ready to begin. He will tell the judges that you are ready. 6. Begin the audition by playing The guide will leave the room completed. You will complete The chairman of the committee

the selected scales, rudiments, or triads. after the scale portion of the audition is the audition without further instruction. will speak only if necessary.

7. You will have the privilege of a second playing of any portion of the audition, except for the sight-reading, immediately after having played the portion. You need not verbally announce the replay. Scales may be replayed in their entirety. For a replay of a solo excerpt, the replay is limited to either the first half or the second half of each passage. Once a student has reached the midpoint of a passage, the restart will occur at the midpoint. If you choose to replay a scale or solo passage, THE SECOND OF THE TWO PERFORMANCES WILL BE USED FOR ADJUDICATION. 8. Emergency instrument repairs may be made at anytime. After entering the audition room, notify the student guide if your instrument stops working properly. YOU MUST TELL THE GUIDE OF A PROBLEM BEFORE COMPLETING THE AUDITION AND LEAVING THE ROOM. The guide will inform the audition committee chairperson of the problem, who will instruct the guide on how to proceed. If the instrument cannot quickly be repaired by a member of the committee, the guide will escort the student to the location for repairs. You will be allowed to audition within the audition period after the repair has been made. 9. At the conclusion of the audition, close the sight-reading folder and exit the room. The guide will give you directions back to the auditorium. 10. Once the student exits the audition room, the audition is considered officiallly complete. Students may not re-enter the audition room to

29

complete ANY portion of the audition, except in the case of emergency instrument repair.

APPENDIX E Sequence for Violin Students During Acceptance Auditions 1. Your audition will take place in two rooms. In one room, you will be asked to play excerpts from the solo. Judges in the other room will hear scales and sight reading. The district orchestra coordinator and/or judges will design the room/audition order. 2. A student guide will escort you from the warm-up room to the first audition room. You must take all belongings out of the warm-up room, as you will not be allowed to return after your audition. No communication of any

30

kind is permitted between any students who have been auditioned and those waiting to be auditioned on the same part. 3. Students may not have audio devices, cell phones, or other electronic devices with them during any part of the audition process. Violation of this policy may result in disqualification from the audition and/or festival. 4. On your arrival to the first audition room, the student guide should instruct you to sign-in next to your name. Upon entering the room, you will have a short warm-up period not to exceed thirty seconds. The guide will announce your audition number. 5. In the solo rom, the guide will instruct you to read the Acceptance Audition Solo Sheet, which includes the audition order and sample copy of the music. The student will choose to sit or stand, and the guide will assist in adjusting the music stand accordingly. Music to be included as part of the audition will also be written on the official PMEA District 8 Acceptance Audition Solo Sheet (Appendix J) and also marked on a sample copy of the music for you to view and be placed on the music stand. Inform the guide when you are ready to begin. He/she will tell the judges that you are ready. 6. You will have the privilege of a second playing of any excerpt immediately after the first playing. You need not verbally announce the replay. Scales may be replayed in their entirety. For a replay of a solo excerpt, the replay is limited to either the first half or the second half of each passage. Once a student has reached the midpoint of a passage, the restart will occur at the midpoint. If you choose to replay a passage, THE SECOND OF THE TWO PERFORMANCES WILL BE USED FOR ADJUDICATION. 7. When you are finished in the first audition room, exit the room. The guide will collect your scantron cards and escort you to the second audition room. You are not allowed to see your scores at this point. 8. On arrival in the second audition room, the student guide will present your scantron cards to the judges. During this time, you may warm-up for not more than thirty seconds.

APPENDIX E - continued 9. You may choose to sit or stand, and the guide will assist in adjusting the music stand accordingly. 10. In the scale/sight-reading room, the guide will instruct you on which scales are to be played, and in what order. He/she will also show you the location of the sight reading folder. The scales to be included as part of the audition will also be written on a blackboard or written on a sheet of paper and placed by the music stand.

31

12. Inform the guide that you are ready to begin. He/she will inform the judges that you are ready, and will remain in the room. 13. Begin the scale audition by playing the selected scales. You will have the privilege of a second playing of any scale immediately after the first playing. You need not verbally announce the replay. If you choose to replay a scale, THE SECOND OF THE TWO PERFORMANCES WILL BE USED FOR ADJUDICATION. The guide will leave the room after the scale portion of the audition is completed. You will complete the audition without further instruction. The chairman of the committee will speak only if necessary. 14. At the conclusion of the audition, close the sight-reading folder and exit the room. The guide will give you directions back to the auditorium. 15. Emergency instrument repairs may be made at anytime. After entering the audition room, notify the student guide if your instrument stops working properly. YOU MUST TELL THE GUIDE OF A PROBLEM BEFORE COMPLETING THE AUDITION AND LEAVING THE ROOM. The guide will inform the audition committee chairperson of the problem, who will instruct the guide on how to proceed. If the instrument cannot quickly be repaired by a member of the committee, the guide will escort the student to the location for repairs. You will be allowed to audition within the audition period after the repair has been made. 16. Once you exit the audition room, the audition is considered officiallly complete. You may not re-enter the audition room to complete ANY portion of the audition, except in the case of emergency instrument repair.

APPENDIX F - Score sheet for Winds & Strings

32

APPENDIX G - Scoring Sheets for Percussion

33

APPENDIX H

34

Sequence for the Student During Festival Auditions AUDITION CHAIR: Once in the warm-up room, each committee chair will instruct all students to mark in their music what is to be played and in what order. The chair will then review Appendix H, ‘‘Sequence for the Student During Festival Auditions’’, with the students and guides in the room, and answer any questions. All folders/music will be collected at this time. 1. A student guide will escort you from this room to the audition room. You must take all belongings with you to the audition room, as you will not be allowed to return after the audition. No communication of any kind is permitted between any students who have been auditioned and those waiting to be auditioned on the same part. Students may not have audio devices, cell phones, or other electronic devices with them during any part of the audition process. Violation of this policy may result in disqualification from the audition and/or festival. 2. The student guide will announce your assigned audition number upon entering the room. 3. Find your music folder. The guide will assist you in adjusting the music stand, chair, etc. You may choose to sit or stand. 4. The guide will remind you on what is to be played and in what order. This will also be posted on a blackboard or on a sheet of paper on or near the music stand. 5. You will then be permitted a brief warm-up, not to exceed thirty seconds. 6. At the conclusion of the warm-up, the guide will announce, ‘‘The student is ready to begin.’’ The guide will then leave the room, close the door, and wait outside the door to assist you should you have any questions or problems. The guide will act as an intermediary between you and the judges. The desire is to keep voice recognition to a minimum. 7. You will begin the audition in the order specified. You will have the privilege of playing any portion of the audition immediately after the first playing. You need not verbally announce the replay. Timpani cannot be retuned for replays. Each replay is limited to either the first half or the second half of each passage. Once you have reached the midpoint of a passage, the restart will occur at the midpoint. If you opt for the replay, the second playing will be adjudicated. 8. Percussionists are reminded that they are permitted a maximum of 60 seconds per excerpt for timpani tuning, and only for the first playing. 9. Emergency instrument repairs may be made at any time. After entering the audition room, students whose instruments need repair should notify the student guide. YOU MUST TELL THE GUIDE OF A PROBLEM BEFORE COMPLETING THE AUDITION AND LEAVING THE ROOM. The guide will inform the audition committee chairperson of the problem, who will instruct the guide on how to proceed. If the instrument cannot quickly be repaired by a member of the committee, the guide will escort you to the location for repairs. You will be allowed to audition within the audition period after the repair has been made. 10. Following the audition, leave your folder in the audition room, and return to the auditorium. At no time should you return to the warm-up room.

APPENDIX I

PMEA DISTRICT 8 BAND/ORCHESTRA ACCEPTANCE AUDITIONS 35

Instrument:______________________ Audition Order:

1. Chromatic Scale: ____________________ 2. Major Scale: ________________________ 3. Major Scale: ________________________ 4. Solo: Begin:_________________________ EXCERPT #1

Midpoint: ______________________ End: __________________________

Begin:_________________________ EXCERPT #2

Midpoint: ______________________ End: _________________________

Sight-reading *To be used for all wind and string auditions except for flute, clarinet, trumpet, and violin

Appendix I - continued

PMEA DISTRICT 8 BAND/ORCHESTRA ACCEPTANCE AUDITIONS 36

Instrument: ________________________ Audition Order: 1. Chromatic Scale: ____________________

2. Major Scale: ________________________ 3. Major Scale: ________________________ 4. Sight-reading *To be used for flute, clarinet, trumpet, and violin ONLY.

Appendix I - continued

PMEA DISTRICT 8 BAND/ORCHESTRA ACCEPTANCE AUDITIONS 37

Instrument: ________________________ Audition Order: 1. Solo: Begin:_________________________ EXCERPT #1

Midpoint: ______________________ End: __________________________

Begin:_________________________ EXCERPT #2

Midpoint: ______________________ End: _________________________

*To be used for flute, clarinet, trumpet, and violin ONLY.

Appendix J

PMEA DISTRICT 8 BAND/ORCHESTRA FESTIVAL AUDITIONS

38

Instrument: ________________________

Audition Order: Title #1: __________________________________ Begin:_________________________ Midpoint: ______________________

EXCERPT #1

End: __________________________

Title #2: __________________________________ Begin:_________________________ Midpoint: ______________________

EXCERPT #2

End: __________________________

APPENDIX K Central Region Orchestra Instrumentation Region Orchestra Instrumentation & District Allotment: Instrument

Total

Dist. 7 39

Dist. 8

Violin I Violin II Viola Cello String Bass Flute Oboe Clarinet Bassoon Horn Trumpet Trombone Tuba Percussion

4

16 16 12 12 8 4 4 4 4 8 4 4 2

2

12 12 8 8 6 2 2 2 2 4 2 2 1

2

4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2 4 2 2 1

Wind and percussion folders will receive a copy of all parts for auditions. Parts will be assigned after auditions. For District 8 only: The top five chairs from Violin I and the top three chairs from Violin II will be eligible for Region Orchestra. Violin I, Chair 5 will be assigned Violin II at Region Orchestra

*Central Region Orchestra was formed July 24, 2013 at the Summer PMEA State Board Meeting. This Appendix was updated to reflect the new instrumentation in 2015

Appendix L: PMEA District 8 Festival Host Checklist General Deadlines For All Festival Hosts (Please see pmea.net for the most up-to-date requirements prior to checking this list) Summer/Beginning of School Year 1.

Decide on the size of the chorus, band, or orchestra that you will be taking for your festival. Notify directors of the size of the orchestra & post this information on district website. This information should also be turned in with your festival budget in September.

40

2.

Obtain a list of all PMEA District, Region, and All-State Festival Programs for the past 3 years from your district president or state executive office. Send this list to your guest conductor. Every effort must be made to not duplicate music from previous festival programs.

3.

Guideline pages from the policies & procedures for District 8 repertoire should be sent to the guest conductor

4.

Music used from District 8, Central Region Orchestra (CRO), and All-State within the past three (3) years will not be used in the festival program.1

5.

Fill out and submit the necessary paperwork and facility request forms at your school to secure buildings, rooms, transportation, personal, and equipment needed for the festival.

6.

Begin working on hotel housing.

7.

Work with district president and/or region chair to determine an inclement weather procedure per 2015-16 PMEA State Board Policy Handbook.

8. ALL music, folders, and student/director information will be sent to schools through the US Postal Service or UPS (District 8 Executive Board Directive). In each students’ folder, the festival host will include a list of music to be performed and any special instructions. Upon notification of missing music by individual directors, festival hosts will provide such parts not later than 30 days prior to festival auditions. NOTE: Any music not received by all students 30 days in advance of festival auditions will not be used for these auditions. Sept. 1: Submit a copy of your proposed Festival Budget AND Student Registration Fee to the PMEA District 8 Executive Board Committee for approval at their Fall Board Meeting. Send proposal to your district president. Failure to do so will result in a $50.00 fine.

1

Sept. 1:

Region Festival Hosts: Approval of Region Festival Budgets and Registration Fees will be made by the district presidents or the region chair. Deadline is the same.

Sept. 15:

Festival Financial Responsibility Form is due to State Office-Pink Festival Host Pack

Sept. 15:

Insurance Form is due to State Office

Oct. 1:

Guest Conductor Agreement must be signed and completed by the Host Director and the Guest Conductor.

Southern Columbia, 2003

41

Oct. 1:

1. Obtain the Festival Program from your guest conductor.  Hosts must provide directors and students with a list of ALL parts/music that is included in the folders in addition to transposition instructions. 2. Contact your music supply company (i.e. Haines, Menchey, Sides, JW Pepper, etc.) Chorus: give the company the deadline date of your acceptance audition day in order for them to have the music in their store and ready to be mailed out that following Monday. Order scores for the District Chorus, Directors, and at least 30 extra. Band & Orchestra: order the necessary scores for the District Band/ District Orchestra students as well as the audition rooms. You will want to have the music to prepare the student folders immediately following acceptance auditions. HOSTS: Make sure all music is in print or you have received permission to copy from the publisher. Additional Mailings: Prior to your festival, please send out any necessary information on hotels, directions to the concert site/school, restaurants, in-service seminars, etc. to the directors. Include information for the students: schedules, clothing, rules of conduct, music notes from the guest conductor, etc.

One month before festival: Mechanical Rights Release Form is due. Send to your district president or region chair Two weeks before festival: Notify director colleagues of any extra duties during festival(i.e., running sectionals) Two weeks after festival: State Participation Fee Form and Check is due. $5.00 per student participant State fee and one copy of the festival program. Send to the State Executive Office. District 8 Participation Fee Form and Check is due. $2.00 per student participant district fee and one copy of the festival program. Send to the District Secretary @ Vina Miller 42

PO Box 112, Ulster, PA 18850 *Region Hosts: Each District in your festival receives the $2.00 per student fee for their student participants. Send to the District Secretaries. *Region Orchestra: The host District receives the $2.00 student participation fee for every student in the festival. One month after festival: 1. Financial Report Form is due. Send to the District president and Secretary. Vina Miller PO Box 112, Ulster, PA 18850 2. *Region hosts: Send copies to the State, each respective district president, & secretary 3. Return Blue Host Manual to District president.

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