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Overview |General Regulations | Performance Regulations | Festival Literature
Fundamentals Clinic [Gr. 1] | Sight-reading Clinic | Festival Ratings | Pre–Gr. 1 Festival
Fees | Schedule [Updated 16 March 2010]
May 17 – 28, 2010
Red Deer College
Red Deer, Alberta
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Festival Overview
The ABA Festival of Bands offers an opportunity for both band director and student to gain a valuable educational experience. The unique format offers an ideal setting for participants to hear other performing groups, receive positive confirmation of excellence in perfomance and reinforcement of their efforts through evaluation. Each participating band receives two recorded adjudications, a clinic session, a sight-reading or fundamentals clinic and a certificate of participation
NOTE: Pre-Grade 1 Bands performing on Monday, May 17, 2010 will receive one recorded adjudication, an on-stage clinic session, woodwind, brass, and percussion clinic sessions, and a certificate of participation.
General Regulations
- Participation in the festival by Alberta bands requires the band director or ensemble be a member of the Alberta Band Association. No exceptions will be granted.
- Exceptions and clarifications to class level should be addressed to the festival coordinator or the ABA office.
- Each band program may enter more than one band, provided that the membership of each is different.
- Directors are not permitted to approach the adjudication table for the duration of the festival.
- Bands are required to participate in all three facets of
the festival, which include:
- Onstage performance (60%)
- Performance clinic (20%), and
- Sight-reading or fundamentals clinic (20%)
- Bands participating on Monday, May 17, 2010 are encouraged to participate in both the on-stage and woodwind, brass, and percussion clinic sessions.
- Directors must accompany their band(s) to all three sessions. All bands must participate in all festival adjudications. Failure to do so will result in "Comments only."
- A senior community band will be defined as a band with an aggregate playing experience of 3 years or more.
- The quality and contrasts of the music chosen will be taken into consideration in determining the final marks.
- The band director (or rep.) must register with a designated member of the technical crew upon arrival.
- Warm-up rooms will be made available one-half hour prior to performance time.
- The festival will provide timpani (4), bass drum, orchestra bells, xylophone, vibraphone, chimes, gong, acoustic piano, bass amp, chairs, stands and podium.
- Each band is to provide its own snare drum, cymbals, beaters, mallets and sticks, and auxiliary percussion.
- Bands interfering with a performance by practicing, noise-making, etc., are subject to disqualification.
- Festival coordinators are not responsible for accommodation. An accommodation list is available from the Red Deer Chamber of Commerce.
Performance Regulations
- Each band is encouraged to play an unadjudicated warm-up.
- Total stage time for a Week 1 band must not exceed 30 minutes.
- Total stage time for a Week 2 band must not exceed 40 minutes.
- Each participating band must provide the adjudicators with THREE original conductors' scores for each own choice selection being performed. These must be supplied prior to the performance. Please ensure that all measures are numbered.
- Bands participating on Monday, May 17 must provide the adjudicator with ONE original conductor's score for each selection being performed.
- Conductors' scores for all syllabus selections will be supplied by the Alberta Band Association.
PLEASE NOTE: It is against copyright laws to photocopy music.
- The Sight Reading/Fundamentals portion of the Festival will not be open to public viewing, but open to the band's entourage at the discretion of the band director.
- All bands are encouraged to attend the performances of other participants.
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Festival Literature
All bands will prepare THREE selections at their playing level, (i.e. 1 - 6), in one of five categories:
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (school grades 1 – 6)
JUNIOR SCHOOL (school grades 7 – 9)
SENIOR SCHOOL (school grades 10 – 12)
JUNIOR COMMUNITY (less than 3 years playing experience)
SENIOR COMMUNITY (3 years playing experience or higher)
A band may enter only one class. One selection MUST BE performed from each of the following categories:
- Selection from the Festival syllabus [2010] listing.
- Contrasting selection (no “pops”)
- March
Grade One level bands will be given the choice to do either a fundamentals clinic OR a
sight-reading clinic.
Please inform the clinician of your choice upon your
arrival at the clinic.
Bands participating on Monday, May 17, 2010 are encouraged, but not limited, to perform TWO CONTRASTING SELECTIONS.
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Fundamentals Clinic
(Grade 1)
The Alberta Band Association recognizes that playing, listening, reading, creating and valuing are important considerations in the school music curriculum.
The clinic will proceed as follows:
- The band performs one prepared chorale, chosen and conducted by the teacher. The performance of the chorale will be adjudicated using the same evaluation criteria as the main stage performance.
- Play three major scales chosen by the director, from concert Bb, Eb, Ab, F and C with the adjudicator conducting at M.M. = 92, quarter note. The director should indicate to the adjudicator which three scales the students will perform. One scale will be all tongued, one scale slur two - tongue two, one scale slurred. Percussionists should perform these scales on keyboard percussion instruments.
- Echo on instruments a five note melody. The melody will be a maximum of 2 bars, based on concert Bb, diatonic, under a perfect 5th and in either 4/4 or 3/4. This melody will be provided and administered by the adjudicator.
- Read and execute a rhythmic pattern, a maximum of 2 measures in length using a counting system identified by the teacher as the system most familiar to the students, (i.e. counting out loud and clapping). The pattern written in either 4/4, 3/4 or 2/4 will include combinations of half, quarter and eighth notes and quarter rests. Rhythmic patterns will be provided and administered by the adjudicator.
Directors are asked to choose and prepare only ONE chorale for evaluation. The chosen chorale should be taken from chorales you do regularly in class. Please bring a score for the adjudicator.
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Sight-Reading Clinic
The sight-reading portion of the festival will be adjudicated by a separate clinician. Each band will perform one selection from a list of "new music" one level below the class entered. After the director chooses a selection,
- Grade 1, 2 and 3 bands will be given five minutes to prepare while
- Grade 4 to 6 bands will be given eight minutes to prepare before performing the selection.
Preparation can include any techniques the director wishes except the actual playing of the instruments. The Sight-Reading Clinician will take into account such criteria as rhythmic accuracy, note accuracy, tempi, balance, preparation for the reading, the overall effect of the performance and the general musicianship of the group in this sight-reading environment. It is recommended that the director not verbally prompt the rehearsal letters or numbers during the actual sight-reading performance.
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Festival Ratings
SUPERIOR <------> POOR
Superior (I) A commendable performance for the event and the class of participants being adjudicated.
Excellent (II) A commendable performance showing a high standard of musical accomplishments but lacking in one or more of the characteristics of a superior rating.
Good (III) An average performance but lacking in several major characteristics of a superior rating.
Fair (IV) A below average performance showing much room for specific improvement in almost all respects.
Poor (V) A performance showing a lack of sufficient preparation, or other deficiencies, as indicated by the adjudicator's comments.
ON-STAGE PERFORMANCE WILL CONSTITUTE 60% OF FINAL RATING.
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Pre-Grade 1 Festival for 1st Year Beginning Bands
Monday, May 17, 2010
The Alberta Band Association is pleased to offer a festival experience for elementary or middle school beginning band students and their directors!
This one-day only event will give your beginners the opportunity to perform on Mainstage, receive an on-stage adjudication, participate in woodwind, brass, and percussion clinic sessions, listen to other beginning bands perform, and take advantage of group and individual photography options while on site.
Bands are encouraged, but not limited, to perform TWO CONTRASTING SELECTIONS (own choice). NO RATINGS will be given to bands who participate on this date!! In order to take full advantage of all this special event has to offer, bands should be prepared to spend an entire morning or afternoon at the festival.
The following is a sample schedule of events for the Pre-Grade I Festival:
Monday, May 17, 2010
Morning Performance Sample Schedule
| 8:30 AM | Arrival and warm-up |
| 9 AM | Performance on stage followed by on-stage adjudication/clinic session |
| 9:30 AM | Return instruments to storage area |
| 10 – 11 AM | Listen to bands on stage |
| 11 – 11:45 AM | Clinic sessions for woodwinds, brass and percussion |
| 11:45 AM | Departure |
Monday, May 17, 2010
Afternoon Performance Sample Schedule
| 12:15 – 1 PM | Clinic sessions for woodwinds, brass, and percussion |
| 1 PM | Warm-up |
| 1:30 PM | Performance on stage followed by on-stage adjudication/clinic session |
| 2 PM | Listen to bands on stage |
| 3:30 PM | Departure |
DOWNLOAD above information and sample schedule
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Festival & Fee Requirements
Download 2010 Registration form
No deadline for registration; first-come, first- served.
Registrations will be processed and scheduled as they are received.
PLEASE NOTE: No band will be scheduled until fees are received.
| Pre-Grade 1 only: | $250 |
| Festival Entry Fee: Week 1 |
Alberta Bands: $385 per band (to a maximum of $1000) |
| Festival Entry Fee: Week 2 |
Alberta Bands: $400 per band (to a maximum of $1000) |
| Out of Province Bands* | $450 per band *Although out of province bands do not require membership in Alberta Band Association, we do require membership with a provincial band association. |
Please make cheques payable to: Alberta Band Association
Refunds will not be issued for cancellations received after April 10, 2010.
Fees must be received prior to participation at the Festival.
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