HANDBOOK

 

 

AUDITION AND CONCERT DATES FOR HONOR GROUPS (See procedures, p.2)

 

District Band (HS)

     Tuesday (or Monday) before the concert

     Concert second Saturday in November

 

District Choir (HS)

     Third Saturday in September (9/10)

     Fourth Saturday in September (11/12)

     Concert first Saturday in November

 

District Fifth and Sixth Grade Honor Choir (outside Springfield)

     Teachers select student members, with numbers based on school population.

     Concert is the first Saturday in February

 

District Jazz Band (HS)

     Same night as District Band auditions.

     Concert is the third Saturday in November

 

District Middle School/Junior High Honor Choir (outside Springfield)

       Teachers select student members, with numbers based on school population.

       Concert is the second Saturday in February

 

DEFINITION OF DISTRICTS

        SCMMEA is District #9 of the eleven Missouri Music Educators Association.

         districts   The acronym means South Central Missouri Music Educators

         Association.  The district honor groups are sponsored by this organization, IAJE,

          and, MCDA. MSHSAA has 22+ music contest sites where they hold district   

          evaluative festivals or contest.  Within our MMEA District #9, we have 4   

          MSHSAA district sites.  MSHSAA is Missouri State High School Activities            

          Association.

 

DISTRICT CONTEST SITES AND COORDINATORS

            High School (MSHSAA)

                    Lebanon/Bolivar – Keith Ruether

                     Republic – Kathy Phillips

                      Springfield – Dr. Bev Rohlf

                     West Plains – Kelly Dame and David Hall

               Junior High

                      Marshfield – Kevin Crowley (Instrumental)

                       Lebanon – Rachel Westfall

                       Springfield – Dr. Bev Rohlf (instrumental, Vocal, and Orchestra)

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FEES FOR CLINICIANS AND ACCOMPANISTS

                High School Honor Band and Choir clinicians - $500

                 High School Concert Band clinician - $500

                 7th and 8th Grade Honor Bands’ clinicians - $250

                 Jazz Band clinician - $500

                  Middle School/Junior High Honor Choir - $500

                  Fifth and Sixth Grade Honor Choir - $500

                  All accompanists - $150

 

AUDITION PROCEDURES

 

District Honor Band (HS)

     Audition fees are $7 per instrument auditioned.  If one student auditions on more than one instrument they must pay for each.  Audition registration must be done ahead of time.  Check out the District’s website for the Pre-registration form.  Audition location rotates on a two-year basis from Mountain Grove to a Springfield-area school.  Audition days are usually on the Monday or Tuesday before the clinic/concert.  Audition material is cut down from the All-State Band materials.  This is usually done before September.  You can get a list of All-State Band material at anytime for no cost from Pepper.  Audition judges are band directors within our district.

      When you register your students on line you may nominate a student who is a senior, planning to attend college and major in music education for the SCMMEA Band Director’s Scholarship.  The scholarship is awarded the evening of the concert.

         At the morning meeting of directors on the day of District Honor Band, a band director is chosen to receive the John East “Spirit of Orpheus” Award which is given that evening at the concert.

       The SCMMEA District Band instrumentation is based upon the All-State instrumentation, taking in consideration the ability of the student.  For example, if 3 bassoons audition, but 2 of them are not “Honor Band worthy,” the judge may, at his/her discretion, only accept one.

         There are 2 SCMMEA District Bands-the top band is to be known as the “Honor Band” and the second band is to be known as the “Concert Band.”  Each band performs at the Honor Band Concert.  Only the Honor Band students and the top two chairs of each section in the Concert Band qualify to audition for the All-State Band.  It is the responsibility of the Band Vice-President to submit the list of qualifiers to the All-State Band Coordinator immediately after district auditions.

 

District Honor Choir (9/10)

          Auditions for 9/10 Grade District Honor Choir are held on the third Saturday in November, customarily at Drury University.  The concert is the first Saturday in November, usually at Evangel University.  By August 1, your school should receive a postcard reminding that audition materials are on the web site. (www.scmmea.com)

and announcing audition time request deadline, which is usually a week before the audition date.  Send or email requests to Vocal Vice-President (e.g.  5 sop, 4 alto, 7 tenor,

and 3 bass, all in the morning).  You will receive your confirmed times prior to audition date. 

            Audition pieces are rotated on yearly basis.  Students will audition with CD in a m a “music-minus-one” format.  They will also be asked to sing a scale – Soprano –G, Alto-Db, Tenor-F, and Bass-B.  They may sing on numbers, syllables, or any neutral vowel  They will also be asked to sing three tonal memory exercises.  The exercises are written in progressively difficult series, appropriate for their voice range.  The student will be  given two tries for each exercise, is needed.                                                                     2

     Choir members’ names will be posted on the web after that weekend.  Adjudication sheets will be available for pick up the following week at 11/12 auditions.  Audition fees are $10 per student.  Audition CD’s are available for $9.   Each school will get practice CD’s for the program selected each year.

 

District Honor Choir (11/12)

        All District Honor Choir for grades 11 and 12 is sponsored by Missouri Choral Directors Association.  The audition fee for District is $10.  If a student is selected for District and ranks in the top 25 of their respective section (SATB), they are eligible to audition for All-State Choir.  The audition fee for All-State is $8.  Each school will get practice CD’s for the program selected each year.

          To audition for District Choir, students must prepare a 1-2 minute portion of a contest-quality solo.  The auditions are blind (meaning that the judges do not see the student) and the music does not have to be memorized.  Students may provide a copy for the judges (there are three) but this is not required.  Most schools do not provide a copy for the judges.  Students may perform any portion of their solo.

            After singing the solo, the student reports to a sight-reading room where they are asked to identify two key signatures, and sight-read two short passages of music.  This part of the audition is also “blind.”  The student is given a short time to look over the sight-reading, a scale and chord progression are played to establish tonality, then the starting pitch is given.  Students can earn 2 points for every measure of the sight-reading-1 point for correct pitches and 1 point for correct rhythm.  A student could sing the same note through the exercise, mastering the rhythm and earn ½ of the points.

            Posting of the District Choir roster is done by numbers assigned at registration.  If a student’s number has a star next to it, they are in the top 25 and eligible to audition for All-State.  The All-State audition happens the same day as the District Audition.  For All-State, the scores earned previously on the solo, key signature identification and sight-reading are carried over.  Added to this score will be the student’s performance of an audition song which all students learn.  This song is sung with CD and has all parts on the CD except for the part the student will sing ”.Exultate Justi” by Viadona or “My Spirit Sang All Day” by Finzi in alternating years.

              The top six State auditioners in each section (with the 7th being the alternate) are selected for All-State Choir.  They are required to attend two rehearsals before going to the All-State event, which takes place in conjunction with the MMEA Convention held at

Tan-Tar-A.  There is a fee (currently $100) which covers the cost of the hotel room and a T-shirt.  Students perform in their school performance attire.  Students are housed alphabetically according to voice part and district.  Students are responsible for their own meals.

  

        

       

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

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District Jazz Honor Band (HS)

            Jazz auditions are held the same night as District Band auditions and are charged the same fees.  District audition material is taken from the All-State Jazz Audition Material.  Check the website for cut-down list and exact audition instructions for both District and State auditions.  The students auditioning for District Jazz are required to perform along with the play-along accompaniment track.  Improvisation and sight reading are also included in the audition.

 

District Middle School/Junior High Honor Band (outside Springfield)

               Students are nominated by draft from the recommendation of their teachers.  Teachers rank their students in order of playing ability from 1-10.  Representation of each school, for both 7th and 8th grade is based on the amount of students enrolled in that school’s band class.  Schools are listed numerically by number of students enrolled in each band.  The school that has the least number of students receives their first choice section.  The first choice for each of the following schools is placed within their respective section.  After each first choice is placed within a section, the process starts over with those schools that receive a second choice.  This process continues until each section is full and the band has a balanced instrumentation.  Consideration is given if a section is full, and a school has their next ranked person as one for that section, then the selection process goes to the next ranked person playing an instrument for a section that is not full.  Entry fee is $7 per student.  Concert is the 3rd Saturday in November.

 

District fifth and Sixth Grade Honor Choir

             Students are selected by their teachers.  Try to bring a balanced group.  Number of students each school may bring is based on elementary (5th and 6th grade level combined) school population.  Fee is $7 per student.

 

District Middle School/Junior High School (Outside Springfield)

               Students are selected by their teachers.  Try to bring a balanced group.  Number of students each school may bring is based on school population.  Fee is $7 per student.

 

Springfield Middle School Band, Choir and Elementary Honor Choir

                To be determined by Springfield teachers at the annual summer meeting.  Dates and times are subject to concert site availability.

 

ORGANIZATIONAL MEETINGS

 

General Meetings of SCMMEA

                  General meetings are held in the late summer usually with a lunch, and during MMEA Convention at Tan-Tar-A for a Saturday breakfast meeting.  Officer meetings may be called by President, as needed.

 

 

 

 

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ROTATIONS

 

Extra funds ($1000)

     Jr. High Choir 09-10

      Jazz Band 10-11

      Fifth and Sixth Grade Choir 11-12

      Jr High Band 12-13

      HS Choir 07-08 then 13-14

      HS Band 08-09 then 14-15

               Extra funds can be carried over to the next year if needed, and approved by           

       membership.

 

Location of District Band Auditions

        Alternate Mt. Grove/Springfield-Area locations, 2 year rotation on Tuesday (or Monday) before the 2nd Saturday in November.

 

Audition Pieces for High School Honor Choir 9/10

         My Heart is Offered Still to You – Lassus (2007)

         O Eyes of My Beloved – Lassus (2008)

         Farewell My Love –Hirt (2009)

         I’ll Say It Anyway-Certon (2010)

 

Audition Pieces for High School Honor Choir 11/12

          My Spirit Sang All Day-Finzi (odd numbered years)

          Exultate Justi – Viadona (even numbered years)

 

Presidency of SCMMEA

          Elementary/General

          Vocal

          Instrumental

 

RULE (MSHSAA)

          A director or teacher from the school district must be present during the entire

          Honor group procedure-audition, rehearsal, and performance.

 

 

A CHECK LIST FOR DISTRICT EVENT PREPARATION

 

  1. Confirm audition site for specific date and concert site.
  2.  Secure a conductor/clinician.
  3.  Revise audition documents that need to be on the web site concerning auditions and email those documents to Web Master (currently Kevin Crowley from Marshfield).  www.kevcrow@centurytel.net
  4. E Mail all directors in district that these documents are revised.
  5. Make specific plans for selecting students, by reservation, draft or teacher choice.
  6. If needed, arrange for judges.
  7.  Contact CMENC president or advisor (local college) to secure door monitors and runners for the audition day, if needed.  Keep in contact with this person to check on their progress.
  8.  Secure adults to help with registration if needed.  The Sec/Treas will be there, you should be there, and possibly two more to help that day.  They should plan to be there all day if you need help with tabulation.
  9.  If needed. Get mailing labels from Cathy Coonis, Sec/Treas.  www.cdcoonis@hotmail.com
  10.  Secure an accompanist or any other special person(s) needed for the concert.
  11.  Work with the conductor to select a program list in the spring before the concert.  Finalize this and clinician.
  12. Supply this list to music vendors.  Identify the list as South Central Honor group and by date and clinician.
  13.  Contact a recording company to record the concert.
  14.   Design and get programs printed.  Be sure to have names correctly spelled and typed.

 

MISCELLANEOUS STUFF

    

l.         If you have questions, contact a former VP for help.

2.        Decide on lunch for audition day and for the concert day.  Know ahead of time

where you will be going for lunch.

3.        Buy supplies such as poster board and paper for signs, coffee and  doughnuts

for directors.

4.        Secure any equipment needed for the audition (and concert).  Choir will need

boom boxes on which to play cd’s.  Bring extension cords.

5.        Set up rooms for the audition.  (and concert)

6.        Make sure everything is going smoothly

7.         If you do an audition, post group.

8.         At home, type personnel list by section in alphabetical order and email to Web

Master to post on web site.  Also, email all directors to check spelling.  This becomes your list for the program.

9.        Compile statistics of audition day – Number of schools participating, number

of schools represented, number per section, cut off score for each section, etc.  E mail to Web Master to post on web. 

                      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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