District 1 Festival Policies
District 1 Festival Policies
Revised by the PMEA District 1 Executive Board, August 2008
I. Directors who fail to send a photocopy of their current MENC/PMEA membership card with the student and director applications forfeit the right to have their students considered for the festival!
II. Directors are reminded that they are only guaranteed one student participant in District festivals (as long as they are currently a PMEA member in good standing, follow the festival regulations, and submit their applications and registration fees within the host's deadlines). No guarantee can be made to the number or ranking of students accepted or parts that are selected. Directors are encouraged to submit many student applications and a variety of instrumental/vocal types.
III.The sponsoring director is required to accompany students attending PMEA [elementary and] middle school fest/ival events. In the case of an emergency or other exceptional circumstance, the sponsoring director will contact the District C/I Chair for permission to send a substitute. This substitute must be a PMEA member.
IV. Students must participate in the COMPLETE festival program—all meetings, musical rehearsals, performances, auditions, social activities, meals, etc.—commencing with registration and concluding with the final concert, only allowing for the following exceptions: 1) illness (must have a doctor’s excuse), 2) death-in-the-family, 3) pre-approved “once-in-a-lifetime” events for a maximum of four hours, or 4) participants in the Bands of America, Grand National Championship Festival in Indianapolis. The student’s parent or director must in person notify the host the moment the student leaves any activity of the festival. Any absence must be excused in advance by the PMEA District President. Students must perform all musical compositions selected for the concert. State and local PMEA policy dictates that, in order for a student to be excused from any part of the festival due to illness, the absence “must be verified in writing by a physician within five days of the festival.”
V. Students are not permitted to drive to or from a PMEA SHS Honors, District, Region, All-State or JHS festival.
VI. Students are advised that absolutely NO SMOKING or ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES will be permitted during the festival. Possession of any contraband substance, smoking in the building or on school grounds, tardiness or unexcused absence from any activity of the music festival, displays of disrespect, uncooperative attitude, NOT knowing the music, or any other behavior which may be detrimental to the success of the festival or safety of the students, staff or PMEA members, will be cause for immediate dismissal at any time. Students who are sent home for any disciplinary infraction of a PMEA policy or host school rule will become ineligible to participate in future PMEA festival for the remainder of the school year.
VII. SENIOR HIGH FESTIVALS: All students will audition for festival seating and/or future festival participation. Failure to audition by any student will result in immediate expulsion from the festival!
VIII. ALL SENIOR HIGH FESTIVALS, JHS BAND and JHS ORCHESTRA: All directors must be available to serve as judges and/or accompanists for student auditions at all SHS festivals, Honors and JHS Orchestra. Attendance to the Director's Meeting is required. If director (or a qualified substitute who is a current PMEA member) is absent from auditions at a SHS District event, his/her students will be seated in the chairs which they earned, but they will be ineligible for the subsequent regional festival. In emergency situations, the District President may excuse a director from participating in auditions. Students selected to participate in JHS Orchestra and JHS Band East must be accompanied by their instrumental director/instructor who is a current PMEA member.
IX. Students who apply for any PMEA festival must provide their own personal medical insurance (e.g. Blue Cross, school plan, or other carrier) and instrument (loss or accidental damage) insurance.
X. It is illegal to record (audio or video) PMEA-sponsored concerts!
XI. Wind, brass and percussion players will be selected for District SHS Orchestra on the basis of Honors Band auditions. Additional applications for SHS Orchestra will be considered.
XII. A student must participate in his/her own school organization in order to be eligible to participate in District, Honors, Regional, State, All-Eastern and National events (band for band, chorus for chorus, orchestra for orchestra). The only exception shall be if his/her high school lacks said organization.
Revised by the PMEA District 1 Executive Board, August 2008
I. Directors who fail to send a photocopy of their current MENC/PMEA membership card with the student and director applications forfeit the right to have their students considered for the festival!
II. Directors are reminded that they are only guaranteed one student participant in District festivals (as long as they are currently a PMEA member in good standing, follow the festival regulations, and submit their applications and registration fees within the host's deadlines). No guarantee can be made to the number or ranking of students accepted or parts that are selected. Directors are encouraged to submit many student applications and a variety of instrumental/vocal types.
III.The sponsoring director is required to accompany students attending PMEA [elementary and] middle school fest/ival events. In the case of an emergency or other exceptional circumstance, the sponsoring director will contact the District C/I Chair for permission to send a substitute. This substitute must be a PMEA member.
IV. Students must participate in the COMPLETE festival program—all meetings, musical rehearsals, performances, auditions, social activities, meals, etc.—commencing with registration and concluding with the final concert, only allowing for the following exceptions: 1) illness (must have a doctor’s excuse), 2) death-in-the-family, 3) pre-approved “once-in-a-lifetime” events for a maximum of four hours, or 4) participants in the Bands of America, Grand National Championship Festival in Indianapolis. The student’s parent or director must in person notify the host the moment the student leaves any activity of the festival. Any absence must be excused in advance by the PMEA District President. Students must perform all musical compositions selected for the concert. State and local PMEA policy dictates that, in order for a student to be excused from any part of the festival due to illness, the absence “must be verified in writing by a physician within five days of the festival.”
V. Students are not permitted to drive to or from a PMEA SHS Honors, District, Region, All-State or JHS festival.
VI. Students are advised that absolutely NO SMOKING or ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES will be permitted during the festival. Possession of any contraband substance, smoking in the building or on school grounds, tardiness or unexcused absence from any activity of the music festival, displays of disrespect, uncooperative attitude, NOT knowing the music, or any other behavior which may be detrimental to the success of the festival or safety of the students, staff or PMEA members, will be cause for immediate dismissal at any time. Students who are sent home for any disciplinary infraction of a PMEA policy or host school rule will become ineligible to participate in future PMEA festival for the remainder of the school year.
VII. SENIOR HIGH FESTIVALS: All students will audition for festival seating and/or future festival participation. Failure to audition by any student will result in immediate expulsion from the festival!
VIII. ALL SENIOR HIGH FESTIVALS, JHS BAND and JHS ORCHESTRA: All directors must be available to serve as judges and/or accompanists for student auditions at all SHS festivals, Honors and JHS Orchestra. Attendance to the Director's Meeting is required. If director (or a qualified substitute who is a current PMEA member) is absent from auditions at a SHS District event, his/her students will be seated in the chairs which they earned, but they will be ineligible for the subsequent regional festival. In emergency situations, the District President may excuse a director from participating in auditions. Students selected to participate in JHS Orchestra and JHS Band East must be accompanied by their instrumental director/instructor who is a current PMEA member.
IX. Students who apply for any PMEA festival must provide their own personal medical insurance (e.g. Blue Cross, school plan, or other carrier) and instrument (loss or accidental damage) insurance.
X. It is illegal to record (audio or video) PMEA-sponsored concerts!
XI. Wind, brass and percussion players will be selected for District SHS Orchestra on the basis of Honors Band auditions. Additional applications for SHS Orchestra will be considered.
XII. A student must participate in his/her own school organization in order to be eligible to participate in District, Honors, Regional, State, All-Eastern and National events (band for band, chorus for chorus, orchestra for orchestra). The only exception shall be if his/her high school lacks said organization.