Concert bands, orchestras and percussion ensembles may apply
Application deadline: June 16, 2008
2009 marks the premiere of the Middle School National Music Festival, part of the Music for All National Festival, presented by Yamaha.
The middle school ensemble festival will be Friday and Saturday, March 20-21, 2009, in Indianapolis.
In 2007 and 2008, Music for All invited several middle school concert bands to participate in the Music for All National Festival as honor bands.
We're proud to announce that starting in 2009 the Festival will feature a middle school stage for invited concert bands, percussion ensembles and orchestras, selected by recorded audition and application.
"The Music for All National Festival is unique in that no other music festival that can provide such a life-changing experience for students and directors alike through so many different rewarding music-education activities at one non-competitive event," says Mr. Richard Crain, coordinator of the National Concert Band Festival and on the Midwest Clinic board of directors.
"Having worked at the festival for all of its 17 years, I have been privileged to observe many excited bands and conductors leave their concerts with a special feeling of pride and accomplishment and a renewed desire to improve and excel."
Middle school ensembles attending the Music for All National Festival can expect an exhilarating and educationally rewarding experience! Students have the opportunity to participate in a master class with a noted professional performer on the instrument they play and also have the opportunity to listen to other middle school and high school bands, orchestras and percussion ensembles from all over the nation perform. Ensembles will be evaluated in a non-competitive environment, receive a post-concert clinic, a student social and dance, opening session and Gala Awards Banquet for the middle school participants. Directors who have participated in the Festival tell us how they have been inspired by the experience to take their bands to a new level of excellence.
"The inclusion of middle school ensembles into the Music for All weekend is a tremendous incentive, providing a new musical challenge without the pressure of trying to achieve a 'rating,'" says Mr. Ray Cramer, MFA Festival evaluator and Midwest Clinic board member.
"A performance at this national event would validate to students, parents and school administrators the importance of musical achievement through goal setting and the motivation to excellence."
Each ensemble performs as part of a four-band block, and each ensemble has assigned audience time, creating a positive environment for students as performers and listeners. Since the competition is completed when the bands are selected through a recorded audition for a panel of renowned music educators, the bands can concentrate on giving their best performance in a non-competitive atmosphere.
The Rising Starr Middle School Symphonic Band from Fayetteville, GA, under the direction of Steven Tyndall and the Bailey Middle School Concert Band from Austin, TX, under the direction of Bill Haehnel performed at the 2007 Festival.
"The weekend was fantastic," said Mr. Haehnel at the end of the Festival.
"The kids were so excited to be here. Music for All translates so well to middle school children.
They are so pumped about being a musician and about being a part of this kind of leadership."
Haehnel says his students from Bailey had a blast intermixing with the students from Rising Starr, talking about each other's band program and exchanging emails to keep in touch after the Festival.
"I think it's a wonderful vehicle," says Haehnel. "With the motivation Music for All provides, the venues we got to perform in, the great clinicians Music for All provides allowing my students to work with the very best in the business.
The Festival is done in such a professional manner it motivates these kids.
If we can include more middle schools it will serve as a great educational tool for programs across the country and will be something that people will clamor to come to."
"It's a positively electrifying experience and a motivating experience for the future.
I hate to keep using the word 'motivation' but my students are just so pumped about the future.
Music for All is actually helping my job a lot to get the kids excited and looking toward the future in high school music.
Especially for middle school students, it's so well organized, the quality of venues, the type of clinicians they get to work with, getting to make music for the sake of music, learning to be leaders through music."
"One of my main feeder middle schools (Bailey) was the first one to play here last year, says Bruce Dinkins, director of bands at James Bowie High School in Austin, Texas.
"From my experience of the students from that program who came to me as freshmen in my program, I can tell you there was a marked difference in musical maturity and professionalism.
They have sense of understanding why they were doing what they were doing.
Having sat through the opening session motivational workshop, that's just the beginning for a young kid who's in seventh or eighth grade.
They are so impressionable at that time in their lives.
I feel that by experiencing the Music for All National Festival the seeds of excellence are planted earlier.
I definitely encourage directors to have their middle school bands apply."
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