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22nd Annual Solo & Ensemble Festival
Saturday, May 5, 2012
If you have any questions or comments about MICCA and the Solo and Ensemble Festival, please contact David Daquil at ddaquil@miccamusic.org. We look forward to seeing you at the Solo and Ensemble Festival! Best wishes for a successful spring!
General Information
The 22nd annual MICCA Solo & Ensemble Festival will be held at the Concord-Carlisle Regional High School in Concord, MA on Saturday May 5, 2012. Like the Concert Festival, this festival is in no way competitive between entrants. Each applicant will receive an award corresponding to the adjudicator's evaluation of the performance, consistent with the MICCA Medal Rating System.
Students will perform in an open recital atmosphere in a classroom. The adjudicator will offer a brief workshop immediately following the performance. MICCA strongly encourages each soloist to bring an accompanist if the solo calls for one. The festival is limited to strings, winds and percussion, and voice. (No solo pianos, guitars, etc.)
Students should apply through their school music teacher as a soloist and/or as a member of an ensemble. Each solo participant is allowed only one solo performance. There is no limit on the number of ensembles in which a student may be involved. Each different performance will require a separate application entry.
Soloists should copy the accompanist's part showing both the solo and accompaniment. Ensemble participants must bring with them at least one copy of the score. We encourage all ensembles to be limited to one person per part. Photocopied music for the adjudicator will be kept and destroyed following the clinic.
Fees: Solo: $25.00. Ensembles two to four members: $40.00. Ensembles five to eight members: $50.00.
Ensembles nine to twelve members: $60.00.
Large Ensembles with 13+ members: $10.00 per person. Applications must include a check or purchase order for the full amount. Fees are non-refundable.
Deadline for online registration is Friday, April 27, 2012. Prinicpal's form and signatures must be mailed to:
ATTN: David Daquil
145 Lincoln Street
Northborough, MA 01532
MICCA would like to encourage parents to chaperone the groups in order to free up the music director.
Each school must designate one adult who will take responsibility for their applicants while attending the festival.
Following the performance, the adjudicator's assessment scores and comments are tallied and an award for each participant is set aside at the registration desk. The awards are ready, on average, within half an hour after the performance. During this waiting period, participants are encouraged to listen to other sessions.
Selection of Music
The selection and grade level of solo and/or ensemble literature is left to the discretion of the performer and the educator. There need not be any correlation between the student's age and level of difficulty. The assessment will reflect only the adjudicator's opinion of the quality of each performance and not the level of difficulty of the music selected. Adjudicators may or may not comment on the choice of music but, if he or she does, it is merely to offer guidance in future selections.
There are lists of small ensemble and solo literature published for educators that offer suggestions of high quality music suitable for any age and/or level of proficiency. The NYSSMA Manual is one such publication, as is the Virginia Band and Orchestra Music Guide. The Jan./Feb.1994 issue of the BD Guide has an article that offers many suggestions for soloists and ensembles.
Clinics
Following each performance, the adjudicator will offer a brief clinic to the students(s). Roughly, clinic times will equal performance times with the total time spent with the evaluator not to exceed 20 minutes.
Medal/Certificate Ratings
Medals will be awarded as follows:
Gold-Superior
Silver-Excellent
Bronze-Good
Participation-Needs Improvement
Each member of a participating ensemble and every soloist will receive a pin corresponding to the designated award. Participants receiving the Participation rating will be awarded a Certificate of Participation rather than a pin.
Deadlines
Facilities compel MICCA to limit participation to the first 400 applicants on a first-come basis. Online registration deadline is Friday, April 27, 2012. Parents and students: please refer all questions to the school music teacher. Music teachers with questions not answered above may contact the festival coordinator David Daquil at ddaquil@miccamusic.org.
Honors Concert
During the festival the judges will be determining the finest gold medal winners of the day. These musicians will be eligible to perform at the Honors Concert on Saturday, May 12, 2012, at Follen Church Society in Lexington, MA. All honors concert winners will be notified after the festival and must make a commitment by Wednesday, May 9, 2012.