Chair: Phyllis Carr
Purpose: Provide music students of all ages and abilities with the opportunity to perform in an adjudicated setting, without competing against other students, and to receive feedback based solely on their own performance in order to encourage further musical development and growth.
Date: February 17 and 24, 2024
Registration Deadline: TBD
Time: The festival will run throughout the morning and afternoon on both Saturdays. Students will be assigned a playing time on one of the Saturdays.
Please note: Every teacher who enters students will be scheduled to work at least one of the event days and is required to stay for the entirety of the festival day.
Location: Alvin Community College
Performance Repertoire: For each event that a student enters (i.e. solos, hymns, duets, etc.), the student will perform two pieces, a required and a choice piece. The required piece must be selected from the list for the appropriate level in the current Federation Festivals Bulletin. The choice piece should be in the same genre (i.e. solo, duet, American patriotic & folk songs, etc.) and of a similar level as the required piece and must adhere to all requirements listed in the bulletin under both the “General Rules” AND for that particular event.
Ratings & Awards: Students will receive a constructive critique from the judge as well as earn a rating and points that accumulate in the Federation Cup Award Plan for each event that they enter. For every “Superior” rating (including + or -) that a student receives, a certificate will be awarded. Additionally, all “Superior Plus” ratings will be recognized with a very prestigious purple ribbon. A superior rating also earns 5 points for the student in the Federation Cup Award Plan. Points accumulate from year to year in each event, and for every 15 points (15, 30, 45 points, etc.) that the student earns, he or she receives a cup (the “Gold Cup” for children and Silver Cup for adults) that increases in size with every 15 point increment.
What to expect: On the festival day, students should plan to arrive about 20 minutes prior to their scheduled time and enter the building about 10 minutes early with their music and critique sheet. They will check in at the registration desk and be escorted to the judging room by a monitor. When it is their turn, the student will enter the room unaccompanied, hand the judge their scores and critique sheet, and perform their pieces. After the student is finished playing and has gotten their music back from the judge, they are free to leave. Students will not receive their ratings immediately after they play. Teachers should plan to pick up their students’ scores at the end of the festival day.