MMEA Western District
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MMEA Western District |
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Announcements & Special Events
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NEW FESTIVAL POLICIES:Three new Western District policies for the Senior and Junior Festivals have been approved:
1. Electronic devices - Electronic devices, such as cellular phones, have become ubiquitous in our society and interwoven into our daily operations. Although they can help us keep in contact with family and friends, their use in educational settings can become distracting and disrupt the learning process. Western District members have noticed the inappropriate use of electronic devices during Festival rehearsals. To address this concern, the MMEA-WD Executive Board and members in attendance approved the following policy at the April 2010 Executive Board meeting:
Use of personal electronic devices, including cell phones, during Festival rehearsals and performances is prohibited. Infraction of this policy will result in confiscation of the electronic device by the student's designated chaperone.
Students may use personal electronic devices during breaks and lunches. They are prohibited from using devices during rehearsals with Festival conductors and the concert itself. A clause stating this policy has been added to the Student Endorsement form that students, parents, MMEA/MENC music educators, and principals sign to indicate agreement with District policies. This policy has also been added to the District Handbook.
2. Quality of participation - Acceptance to a Festival ensemble is an honor and the culmination of practice and hard work. For many, the Festival experience is among the musical highlights of a student's K-12 education. Students should learn and rehearse in an environment that is conductive to quality music making. To achieve this end, participants must help create an environment of teamwork and collaboration based on mutual respect and appropriate behavior throughout the Festival process. Therefore, the MMEA-WD Executive Board and members in attendance approved the following policy at the April 2010 Executive Board meeting:
All participants are expected to exhibit appropriate, respectful, and cooperative behavior throughout the Festival.
A clause stating this policy has been added to the Student Endorsement form that students, parents, MMEA/MENC music educators, and principals sign to indicate agreement with District policies. This policy has also been added to the District Handbook. 3. Festival music return - The District has had a good return rate for Festival music with the last three Festival cycles. Some students, however, either forget their music (entire packets or single songs) at home or fail to participate in the Festival and fail to return music.
Our Festival repertoire belongs to the District Library. As such, materials must be returned in a timely fashion. If materials are not returned, a fee is assessed to replace the materials.
After discussing this issue at the April 2010 Executive Board meeting, the Executive Board and attending members generated the following proposal. This proposal was unanimously approved by the Executive Board and members in attendance at the May spring dinner meeting:
MMEA-WD Festival music must be returned to the MMEA-WD Librarian by June 30. Festival music that is not returned by this date will be considered lost and a lost music fee of $15.00 per student will be assessed. Lost music fees not paid to MMEA-WD by June 30 will be added to the school's total audition registration fee for the following year's Festival.
An example of the policy in practice:
The District Librarian notifies the Chairperson and Senior District Chorus manager that two Senior District Chorus students from one school did not return their music after the Festival performance. The Chairperson and/or manager then notifies the school music educator that the students music is missing. If the music is not returned to the District Librarian by June 30, or if the lost music fees of $30.00 ($15.00 x 2) are not paid to the District, $30.00 is then added to the school's total Senior District Audition registration fee.
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SENIOR DISTRICT HARP AUDITIONS: This year's Senior District Festival Orchestra program requires a pedal harp player. Therefore, the District will be having auditions for pedal harp at the Senior District Festival auditions on Saturday, November 13 (snow date is Saturday, November 20). The requirements are as follows:
Solo: Students will perform a solo of their choice as advanced as possible that best demonstrates their musicality and technique on the instrument. Scales: Students must prepare major scales up to three sharps and four flats and perform them as stated on the MMEA-WD scale audition web page (accessible through the homepage of the District website, www.mmeawd.org). Students must also prepare two or three octave (student's choice) major scale arpeggios up to three sharps and four flats. Students will not be asked to perform a chromatic scale.
Sight Reading: There will be a short sight reading excerpt at the audition.
Please follow audition registration instructions as stated on the Western District website (www.mmeawd.org). Also, please note that students must be sponsored by a member of MENC/MMEA. Audition registration questions may be directed to Deb Salli, Senior Auditions coordinator, at sunmuse59@comcast.net. Questions regarding the harp auditions may be directed to Denise Gendron, string coordinator, at dgendron@crocker.com.
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