Junior Festival is the National Federation of Music Clubs' annual
performance event for students of all levels of talent and advancement.
It is administered at the local level by each local club, under the auspices
of the State and National organizations.
Junior Festival is not a competition, but rather an opportunity for
the students to perform two memorized pieces of music for an adjudicator and
an audience. The student's performance is judged individually and is
not compared to the performance of other students.
By participating in Junior Festival each year students earn points towards
receiving a National Gold Cup, or trophy. Each successive Gold Cup is
a little bigger than the previous one. It takes a minimum of three
years to earn each Gold Cup.
Junior Festival performance covers all instrument families, both solo and
ensemble, as well as vocal performance. It also includes Hymn Playing,
Theory, Composition, and Improvisation. Rules set by National must be
adhered to. Registration fees are set by the local club, a portion of
which must be sent to the State organization.
In Nebraska, students who receive four or more consecutive Superior ratings
in one event may participate in the Nebraska Federation of Music Clubs
Junior Division State Honors Recital.
There is also a category for physically or mentally challenged students.
Exceptions to some of the National guidelines are made for these students.
Nebraska Federation of Music Clubs has three different festivals to choose
from:
Omaha Junior Festival
Bellevue Junior Festival
Waco Junior Festival
Purpose:
To provide a venue for students to perform and receive evaluation. It
is not a competition between students but an audition that encourages a high
standard of musical achievement.
General Rules:
The National Federation of Music Clubs establishes the rules and guidelines
for festivals. Site chairman implement these. See pages 1-6 of
the Festivals Bulletin available from your site chairman or National
Headquarters for a detailed listing of these rules.
Responsibilities of Teachers:
-
Pay state dues for the number of
participants. Submit a list of student names with the dues form.
(Students may change as long the number of dues paying students remains
the same.)
-
Select repertoire for every student
and supervise its preparation. See rules at the beginning of every
section in the Bulletin. (For example: in the piano solo
event, two pieces are played by memory – one required from the Bulletin
and one choice piece.)
-
Complete an application form for
every participant (these students are under the age of 19 – older
students may participate in Adult Festival) Copy these forms for your
records before you submit them (or keep on computer) as the information
about levels will be needed in subsequent years.
-
Submit application and festival entry
fee in a timely manner established by the director.
-
Be available to help at the site
during the audition day. Duties to be established by the director.
-
Make sure that only published copies
of music are brought to the event – NEVER photo copies.
Selection of Repertoire:
See the Bulletin for specifics in every event. Examples:
Some repertoire must be memorized and some does not. There are
specific instructions for selecting composers in some events. Piano duets
can use the same composer and same book. Read carefully and follow all
rules.
Note: Music theory participants do
not have to play in order to take the test.
Festival Cup Points:
Participants earn points according to their ratings. For example,
superior ratings receive 5 points. When a student has earned 15 points
and multiples of 15 points, they qualify for a gold cup from National
Federation. Records are kept at the local level and the program is
administered at the state level. See the Festivals Bulletin pages 7-10
for rules governing the Festival Cup Plan.
Your State Chairman
is always available to help you understand and interpret the rules, mentor
new teachers through the process, provide suggestions for choice repertoire
and make new information available to all site chairmen and teachers.
Please feel free to contact the state chairman for help at any time.
To enter students in Junior
Festival:
1. Contact the
appropriate chair person. Make sure you are available to work all day
at the festival audition site as a helper.
2. Decide on a name
for your students’ Junior Club, such as My Music Club.
3. Ask students to
participate who are able to memorize and perform two pieces from memory in
front of an audience. Explain the program to parents.
4.
Pick out repertoire for each student from the National Federation Bulletin.
You may order this bulletin JR2-1 for $6 plus handling fees online at
http://www.nfmc-music.org/Publications/publications.htm or from
NFMC Headquarters at 317.638.4003,
info@nfmc-music.org or from the local chair. One piece is
required to come from this bulletin. You will determine your student’s
level by your choice of repertoire. Better to go a little easier than
the student’s actual level for the first year. Students must progress
to a higher level each year if a Superior rating is achieved. Choose
a second piece from the standard repertoire that contrasts style at the same
level of difficulty. After Primary IV the choice piece must be from a
non-American composer. Start working on at least one of the pieces in
November.
NO PHOTOCOPIED MUSIC IS ALLOWED ON THE PREMISES OF JUNIOR FESTIVALS.
BE SURE ALL YOUR STUDENTS HAVE THEIR OWN MUSIC AND KNOW ABOUT THIS RULE.
YOU WILL BE FINANCIALLY PENALIZED IF ONE OF YOUR STUDENTS HAS PHOTOCOPIED
MUSIC AT FESTIVAL. THIS INCLUDES ENSEMBLES, HYMNS AND VOCAL
ACCOMPANIMENTS. THIS IS A NATIONAL FEDERATION RULE.
5. Send Junior Club Dues of $2.50 for each student to the treasurer by
January 1.
6. Start a personal file with a 3X5 card for each
student and event entered. An entrant may work simultaneously
toward a cup in more than one event in any year. You update the card
every year until student turns 19 years of age.
Students name – last name first
Teachers’ club name
Student, Joe
Club Music
Name of Event
Piano Solo
The year
Level
20
?? Primary 1
Rating
Points
Superior
5
Excellent
4
Very Good 3
Fair
2
7. You will receive a packet of info from the local chair including
two forms. Fill in your teacher info and signature. Then make
enough copies for all your student entries. Most teachers add a
little extra to the required fee to compensate them for their time. Fill in
each student’s info. Collect fees from students. Return to
local chair with one check from your studio by the deadline.
8. Take
all forms and required fees to your Festival Work Day where all the forms
are checked and processed. There you will fill out another note card
for all first year students. Students who have played before will not need
cards unless they are performing in a new event. This card will go to
the State Festival Cup Chair.
Your local Festival Chair will prepare a schedule for all students and
teacher volunteers. This schedule will be mailed to you about 2 weeks
before the Festival. It is up to each teacher to give the Festival
audition number and time to each student.
9. Prepare your students carefully observing all markings in the
written music. Students will perform from memory in front of an
audience. Practice with students what to do if there is a memory slip.
Do not expect to receive a Superior rating unless the piece is perfectly
performed. Not all judges judge the same even when they all have the
same guidelines to follow.
10. On the day of the festival audition, arrive early to perform your
assigned duties. Do not expect to read the judges comments on that
day. Judging sheets will be mailed to you after the grades are posted
and recorded. The ratings are posted at the festival by student number
so you can see the ratings that day.
11. Once you receive your judging sheets fill in your index cards and
JR4-2 forms with the ratings and points. Make a copy for your files.
Send the JR4-2 form to the State Festival Cup Chair. After your
student receives 15 points s/he is eligible to receive a gold cup.
NebraskaFMC pays for the gold cups.
12. With the judging sheets you will also receive a state and national
certificate for each entry. Some teachers make copies for their files
before presenting them to the students.
13. If you have a student who moves out of state, contact the
Nebraska Festival Cup Chair for a letter that will transfer their points to
the records of that state Federation.