District+10

**FESTIVAL PURPOSE SURVEY - DISTRICT 10** In order to collect the information relative to our festivals as discussed at the January District Presidents meeting, I posed five questions to the membership of District 10. The questions are in boldface, with director responses to each question below. As one would expect, opinions varied widely. To see a brief "Recap of Results," scroll down to the end of this document.

**1) What do you see as the purpose of the District level festivals? What kinds of things should it accomplish? What should it NOT do? Why?**


 * //__Director S__//** //: I feel that the purpose of the District level festivals is to give the best students from our respective school programs a chance to work together with each other and a really wonderful and knowledgeable guest conductor. The fest should be all about making beautiful music through the learning process that needs to take place. The festival should be a time for the students to learn about others in our part of the state that play the same instrument as them, learning to do skills at a higher level of ability and setting new goals for themselves. It should NOT be ALL about socializing (although some is needed, of course) or about competition (but again, some is needed).//


 * //__Director T__//** //: I see the district festival as a chance for students from many schools to come together and participate in making music, which truly is the universal language. I believe the skills students gain from just learning the various audition requirements helps each of them grow as a musician. For those who are fortunate enough to be selected for the ensemble, it is a great chance for them to be challenged. As we all know, most of our ensembles cannot pull off the music performed at the district level. This a great place for students to grow and be challenged by guest conductors and peers from different schools. On a personal note, I made many friends at these festivals that I still talk to and perform with today, and I also went to college with.//

//I do not think the district festival should be everything and if students do not go on to the next level, I do not believe this should be considered a failure. I know band directors do not say it is a failure, but I know students do. I understand that there will always be students who think like this, but if there is something we can do to make it a positive experience, even if they do not continue to regions, we should do it. I am sure all students are learning and enjoying themselves at the festivals.//

//a. first and foremost, to promote excellence in choral singing// //b. to provide choral students with an opportunity to compare themselves and their progress to other students in Pennsylvania// //c. to provide choral students with the opportunity to sing under esteemed, talented choral conductors// //d. to allow the choral director and students to be exposed to quality choral music that they may or may not be familiar with// //e. to provide choral directors with an opportunity to come together to discuss various aspects of the choral art// //f. to provide an opportunity for choral directors to promote their programs through the success of participating students//
 * //__Director B__//** //: The purpose of the district level festivals allows a wide berth of students to participate in large ensembles which they may not have the opportunity to perform in at their own school with musicians of a similar caliber. These district level students may not have these opportunities in their own schools due to varying levels of musicianship in the [home] district, time constraints, small number of participants, lack of performance ensembles ie. orchestra. The festivals should be a time of camaraderie where the students of a like mindset get together to play new and varied styles of music which they may not have an opportunity to otherwise. That being said it should not be dominated by two or three schools while other schools cannot get members into the ensemble. I am primarily talking about the chorus and orchestra aspect. The band has representation from every school that auditions. The same standard should be applied for the chorus. If that means that certain schools cannot send 40 members, but 30 the so be it. Although I am all about competition, I also realize that some of these students may be in a situation that is beyond their control, such as being able to afford private instruction. The school teacher may work with the student, but we all know that the individualized instruction time that one gets with private instructors gives many kids an advantage. It becomes a matter of the "haves vs. the have nots." This is not necessarily message that I believe PMEA espouses.//
 * //__Director C__//** //://


 * //__Director L__//** //: The purpose of the district level festivals is to build students' skills. We do that through the audition process that involves scales, sightreading, and solo repertoire. We build students' knowledge of core band repertoire through the music they perform in the band. It should encompass as many students as possible, because in some counties there is no county level festival so this is the only chance the students have to be part of an honor ensemble.//

//In addition, being a visitor in another person’s home places the student in a set of very unique circumstances. Meeting people for the first time and functioning in an unfamiliar environment gives students an experience that is not available under almost any other circumstance. Many are away from home for the first time at a District festival, and are close enough to home to be able to make it through the experience. This experience makes the separation at college much more bearable. In many circumstances, the student and their director have an opportunity to talk for several hours on the way to the festival, creating a friendship and bond that would have otherwise not been possible.// //District festivals should NOT be treated as expendable. They are too often taken for granted. Quality takes time, and our festival performances need time during the week for the rapport between guest conductor and ensemble to solidify. They should not be strictly thought of as a musical opportunity, but as a chance for growth on many different personal levels.//
 * //__Director H__//** //: The purpose of District festivals is to give the most motivated and capable students a chance to make music with outstanding educators in the field. Its other purpose is to give teachers a chance to watch this interaction and bring things back to our own programs. The performance, in my opinion, is an off-shoot of this educational process, in that completing music to performance level is a different experience than merely singing or playing through it. Watching an entire concert season take place over the course of three days is always a fascinating and rewarding experience when everything comes together as planned, and sometimes even more so when it does not.//
 * //__Director X__//** //: District level festivals have many purposes. First, they give high school students a chance to study classical literature of good substance and quality in preparing for the audition to gain entrance to the festival. Not all students would have received this in any way, shape or form from their high school experience. Secondly, they provide an opportunity for student musicians to play with other accomplished musicians at a level of difficulty that exceeds their high school band experience, under the direction of a professional musician and educator other than their home director. Festival participants also have the opportunity to see firsthand what another high school music area consists of, speak with musicians from other schools about their home programs, and make friends with others who share their interests in music.//


 * //__Director E__//** //: I believe that each of the district level festivals offers unique and diverse opportunities for our music students. The elementary and intermediate level fests are about “exposing” kids to music at a slightly higher level than they would experience at their home schools (larger ensembles, more talented participants, more and varied musical selections) and to a different director. Teachers at these levels have the responsibility to set up some sort of selection process to exemplify the importance of these events and explain the honor of being selected to such an ensemble. The students attending should be encouraged to share their experiences with their peers. Teachers may also choose to incorporate something from those festivals in their ensemble rehearsals and or concert.//

//The HS ensembles are a different beast, which can be used as a great tool for students who are self-motivated to better themselves as players and overall musicians. There is a level of maturity required for students who choose to enter this “competition.” Students need to be aware that there are certain requirements they need to meet in order to attain success and should also be prepared for the ever-present possibility of not being selected. There is usually a direct correlation between hard work and success in this competition (and in life). Like the festivals at the lower grade levels, the students are exposed to a slightly higher level than they would experience at their home schools (larger ensembles, more talented participants, more and varied musical selections) and to a different director. However, the delivery at this festival is geared more toward a serious musical approach, as if these students planned on going into a musical or performing career. This level gives more students an opportunity to be part of a high level ensemble, before narrowing down this number into the Regional and State level events.//

//Some may argue that this set-up at the HS level deters students who lack ability, but I disagree. The festival is set up in a way that encourages hard work and practice in order to attain success. Today’s educational system encourages too many accommodations for students instead of pushing them to work harder to achieve goals. I feel our system as it stands does not make it easy for students to be successful, but encourages hard work, which in turn is rewarded with a sense of accomplishing something, whether or not a student is actually accepted into the festival.//


 * //__Director R__//** //: [There are] Many. Provide collegiate level experience for high school kids. District Band is also better than many college bands and is a rare and significant educational opportunity. They motivate hundreds of kids to practice scales and serious repertoire - kids who would anyway because they are serious musicians, and kids who wouldn't otherwise (perhaps those kids are the ones who benefit the most, even if they don't make it to the festival). They provide exposure to large ensemble repertoire that most secondary schools are not capable of preparing, at least not an entire program of it, so it provides the participants the challenge to reach a higher level of musical accomplishment, along with the opportunity to experience a guest conductor's insights and musical expertise. Also provides insight into music's role in our lives as part of developing interpersonal relationships with people; students work with others they have never met before and work together to accomplish a common goal.//


 * //__Director M__//**//: The district Festival should definitely be a step above the normal high school band, chorus, or orchestra performance level. The literature should be a balance of standard quality band literature and new material. It should not be only a showcase for literature which has little audience appeal, but is the latest rage among college band directors. We forget all too quickly that our parents are our supporters and they want to enjoy the fruits of their children’s labor.//


 * //__Director Z__//** //: The opportunity to perform in an upper level musical ensemble with students of the same caliber. Performance of more difficult/challenging music, working with guest conductor, interaction with other students, create excitement that is brought back to home school and shared. It should NOT be a repetitive occurrence of music and/or conductors that are just working the rounds. The experiences should be unique because of musical reasons.//

**2) What do you see as the purpose of the Region level festivals? What kinds of things should it accomplish? What should it NOT do? Why?**
 * //__Director S__//** //: I feel that the Region festivals are simply an extension of the District fests. IF they were eliminated, it would not be the end of the world. But, I do feel that these fests give the students that are at a mid-level playing ability the chance to do an appropriate fest, with a great conductor, and "stretch themselves" into a new level of playing. If there is any place for change in PMEA though, I feel that it is here at this level. These fests could be eliminated and the students would go from District fest right to All-State fest. The participation guidelines/rates (how many of each instrument part each District in PA gets to send to All-State) would need to be seriously revamped, and done fairly.//


 * //__Director T__//** //: To me, the region level festivals are the best of the best from the districts who come together to form this ensemble. Again, it is a great way for students to meet and make music with others from a larger geographical area. Again, the music performed at this level is usually harder for the students who attend these festivals. It is great for them to be able to perform with an ensemble of students that are about or on the same level as they are musically. Without festivals such as these, I am not sure some of my students would push themselves as much as they do. Again, I believe if the students do not make it to the next level. It should not be considered a failure, but a great educational experience.//


 * //__Director B__//** //: The Region Festivals are an obvious continuation of the process and a good stepping stone towards All-State. Students at this level are the best that each district has to offer. At this festival the music should be even more advanced thus requiring each student to spend even more time preparing it. It should serve as a barometer as to which students are truly qualified for the All-State festival. Sometimes you have students in the district level who have a wonderful district level audition, but do not do as well at the region level. The more chances we get to hear the kids auditioning the better the ensembles will be, as long as director and student are doing their jobs.//
 * //__Director C__//** //: I see the Region Festival simply as an extension of the District [level]  Festival.//


 * //__Director L__//** //: The purpose of the region festival is to become more selective. It should include the best performers, whether they plan to be music majors or not. Even those who won't major in music will continue playing their instruments and make positive contributions to many musical groups, and so we are providing training for them as well. The music should be mainly grade 5 or higher- things that a typical high school band would never be able to approach.//


 * //__Director H__//** //: The purpose of Region is a bit more puzzling. My understanding is that it was developed at a time when the State festival wasn’t an every-year occurrence for every ensemble, and the Region festival was devised to give a State experience at every level. The fact that we select the top half of District to sing in another festival is, in my opinion, a strange ritual, and perhaps not worth the resources we put into it. I feel that of my students who do make District, too many go on to Region. Similarly, in auditions for Region, I am often disappointed that a student with an intonation score of a 6/10 will be going on to another level.//
 * //__Director X__//** //: My answers above would all apply here as well. The opportunity for advancement musically is much greater here, but all of the “non-musical” benefits apply to these festivals as well. I believe a student who participates at this level festival truly tackles music they would never have had the opportunity to perform any other way. Since not many students make it to All-State, this level is vital for those who excel beyond the district level.//
 * //__Director E__//** //: Region festivals are another performance opportunity for students who are above average musicians, but not necessarily all-state level performers. These festivals are the next logical step in a process that encourages self-motivation and hard work in our students, along with being very important to the selection process for all-state ensembles. This festival helps to narrow the pool of candidates for the highest honors PMEA has to offer. Imagine if we had to select an all-state ensemble without district or region level events, or if all-state were selected simply on director recommendation. This system helps to ensure that only the most highly qualified musicians become members of the elite performing ensembles.//


 * //__Director R__//** //: [To] Go beyond [the] level of musical excellence and depth at districts. Greater geographical reach, good for meeting others from a wider variety of places as well as offering some familiarity with various parts of the state. Ditto to above regarding ensemble repertoire, the level of the band, the guest conductors. I believe the Region festivals MUST remain. We all know that often the Region Band, for various reasons, is a better band than All-State, and the level of musicianship demonstrated by Region V in particular has continued to be nothing short of spectacular despite all of the hindrances put on music programs by "powers-that-be" at the state and local levels. Students having an opportunity to perform in a band of this caliber may help them make a decision as to their future. Certainly many outstanding student musicians over the years have been inspired by their experiences in PMEA ensembles to continue their studies and continue playing music as a career, as well as choosing a college university based on experiences with a guest conductor. (For example, one outstanding student I had about ten years ago was inspired by Dr. Valerie Martin, chose to attend Susquehanna, and has been positively influencing the lives of young people as a result for five or six years as a music teacher.) Of the young people who benefit from these opportunities, many go on to benefit our society by continuing to contribute to the arts, either through education or performance, and both as vocations and avocations.//


 * //__Director M__//**//: Regional festivals were to be a stepping stone to the state festivals but now have become only another interruption to the academic day for these students. I am not convinced we send our best to the regional level, especially on the band level. More times than not our district 10 program was stronger than the regional band. It cannot be just another festival which generates revenue. It should be a step upward and we must examine how we combine districts to get the best students involved or maybe just eliminate this festival and go to states via districts.//


 * //__Director Z__//** //: When State Band/chorus/orchestra was once every 3 years Region festivals provided that final top notch ensemble experience. Now, Region festivals have no purpose other than to take 3 weekends away from home school/county activities, take away viable hosts for district/county festivals, repeat music and conductors from other festivals, financial drain on students/home schools, and more housing issues.//

**3) To which students should our festivals be geared - only the best? Why or why not?**


 * //__Director S__//** //: Yes! Otherwise, then it would not be as much of a privilege to be in the group! Also, the level of the music played at each fest would have to be lowered (which would be a negative!).//


 * //__Director T__//** //: I think the target students for these festivals should be the students who can successfully put in the work together with talent and musicianship to get to each level. I am not sure that saying all the students should be targeted would be the best idea, because as we all know, if they sit last chair in our ensembles, or they cannot sing on pitch all of the time, they are not going to fare well at auditions for these ensembles. I think if they can handle it, they should be targeted. With that said, they to not have to be the future Wynton Marsalis or the next Philip Smith on their instrument or Renee Fleming with their voice to audition. I think each director should use his or her discretion. However, in order to get more students to audition, I think a simple flyer to be printed from the PMEA website before district auditions or with various PMEA events will go a long way.//


 * //__Director B__//** //: This is a difficult question. Since we have the district level event set up as an audition it lends itself to promoting those students who do achieve. What does that leave for the students who may not have been quite up to par for the district level audition, or for those kids who love to play just for the sake of making music? I believe that is the true purpose of the county bands. I do not necessarily feel that we need to fill our county bands with kids who have auditioned for districts, rather let's get kids in who we know have a love for music, this way we are servicing all levels of our student populace and allowing them to participate in the same larger types of ensembles that I mentioned in answer #1.//
 * //__Director C__//** //: If the PMEA festivals are not geared to the best, they will lose their credibility. My students are excited about competing because they know how  tough it is to make it to Districts and then go on to other levels. I have  to turn students away because so many want to audition. On the other hand,  I have difficulty getting students to participate in County Chorus because  it is NOT by audition and they are aware that the level is not the same.//


 * //__Director L__//** //: Region should be geared toward the best. District should be geared towards more students, to give them the taste of what the honor festival experience is like.//


 * //__Director H__//** //: As I said in question #1., I believe that the District festivals are, and should be, geared toward the most motivated and capable students (meaning not just the best-formed larynxes or embouchures s in my program, but also the best musicians). However, I feel that not enough of my best students get a chance to participate in District and in my 15 years of teaching we have not placed a student in States (vocal or instrumental). I can’t help but think that if I were teaching in a less-populated part of the state that these numbers would be different. In other words, I don’t think our festivals are currently geared toward the best, but place too much emphasis on a geographic cross-section of the state. I do believe in having additional quality singing/playing experience for our very good, but not best, students, though I don’t believe that District is the right place for this. In County, we have a system that is too much like the District model for my tastes, which means that County, District, and Region are serving almost entirely the same demographic.//
 * //__Director X__//** //: In keeping with the current system, the District level festival should be geared to the above average high school musician. The Region festival should be geared to a student performing at a more advanced level than most high school musicians. Where else would a gifted high school musician have the opportunity to play with other students at their level? The guest conductors should also be selected with this thought in mind as well. Some conductors would function better at a county level than a district level, etc.//
 * //__Director E__//** //: Our festivals are not geared to the best students, but are geared toward students who want to work hard to achieve their goals. It is not easy to get into a PMEA festival at the HS level, and work involved may deter some students, but we must ask ourselves, “Are those the students we really want in the festival anyway?”//

**//__Director R__://** //Yes, the best [students] in each of the districts. Other opportunities exist (county bands, community bands) in many parts of the state. PMEA festivals should be true "honors" bands. This ensures the necessary preparation of an audition which, as mentioned above, is one of the important educational benefits of the experience.//


 * //__Director M__//**//: It is my opinion that our job as music educators in our respective schools [is] that we should give as many students as possible an opportunity to be involved in music on all levels. To that end I believe the best possible should be chosen for the district festivals. The audition literature should be geared to the accelerated high school student, but not just the highest level student. We should be able to listen to students perform an attainable solo, musically not just who gets most of the notes. Then we are truly addressing the art form.//


 * //__Director Z__//** //: Best students - yes. An audition must be mandatory. County festivals can provide an experience for those not wishing to audition but rather recommended.//

**4) With respect to the purposes you’ve identified for each level, what would you want to see changed? Why?**
 * //__Director S__//** //: The Region Fest could be eliminated as mentioned above. Also, I think the state should consider adding a String Orchestra group to All-State Fest. This would allow more string students to attend All-States. Not many string players get to go as compared to choir and band. Instead of adding a new group to expand opportunities for string players, the state has recently added groups that only benefit the band and choir students.//


 * //__Director T__//** //: I would like to see more student involvement. I know it is hard to turn students away, but having two district bands seems to make sense to get more students involved. It is hard to only accept a small percentage of students who audition and not give them an educational experience outside of their own school.//


 * //__Director B__//** //: I believe that the system that we (the eastern part of the state) [have] really works. The selection process that is utilized by the western half of the state may work well for a county band, but I believe that districts is an honor which should be earned, not just handed to the student. Hard work, dedication and musicianship are all values which we want to have happening with all of our programs. I don't know that just allowing a student in to a festival of that magnitude based on recommendation is fair to every student who may want to be in, but couldn't get in because their director couldn't swing it that year. So I guess the change I want to see is a unilateral district audition process.//
 * //__Director C__//** //: I like things as they are. I went through the same system when I was in high school many years ago and it definitely made an impact on my life.//

**//__Director L__//**//: It is a good policy to only allow 10-12 graders to participate in region. It gives the older kids a 'leg up' to be part of something like this before they graduate. It also accounts for their maturity (hopefully) in that they will take more initiative to make up missed school work, to conduct themselves appropriately in host families, etc. I know we allow 7th and 8th grade to participate in district because then we have more schools involved and we can send more kids to region, but I question this practice. Is a 7th grader mature enough to stay in a host family and miss that much school? 7th and 8th graders will have plenty of opportunities in high school to be part of an honor ensemble, and we are taking these spots away from high schoolers that likewise could benefit from the experience.//


 * //__Director H__//** //: I don’t know what the solution is, but I think we need to deal with the geographical inequity problem first. It seems that we have an extra festival in there, but that more students from Region V should probably make States.//
 * //__Director X__//** //: Selection of guest conductors should be reviewed. There should be a better system of determining at what level a guest conductor would be better suited for than just a belief that someone would do a good job. I think the length of each festival and the hierarchy of festivals, works fine the way it is.//
 * //__Director E__//** //: The system as it stands is flawed due to the fact that the selection process from district to district varies. In order to be fair to all students in the state, one standard selection process should be established that should be followed in every district and every region within PMEA. It is my personal opinion that auditions should be the selection process of choice, with audition literature and concert repertoire being selected at a state level and utilized by every district and region. This would create the “fairest playing field” for all students auditioning.//


 * //__Director R__//** //: Districts that do not have auditions should attempt to implement a plan to include them. Due to geographical or population density issues, this may be difficult. However, some system should be developed to have specific audition requirements (possibly a very specific rubric would help if auditions cannot be centralized; or teacher supervised recording of auditions and then recordings sent to an audition committee). This would ensure the highest possible quality for the students participating [in] those districts and regions, and should "up the bar" for participants at the state level.//


 * //__Director M__//**//: We need to look closely at audition selections and the whole process, from the initial audition right thru [sic] to states. I realize we try to expedite the proceedings and be as objective as possible, but this is an art form thus there is a level of subjectivity that we must all accept. As directors we must be honest with our students and their parents prior to the processes. Instead of worrying about not seeing the student through a TV screen maybe we need to adopt a policy or statement of the purpose of the audition, how it will be run, and that not every child is of district caliber.//

**//__Director Z__//**//:// //With all the state ensembles now being recognized on a yearly basis, eliminate Region Festivals. Each District after auditions would send a predetermined number of students to the State Ensembles. This is done now with the region festivals. Representation could then be FAIR based on schools in each District. All the benefits(time, money, music...) outweigh anything that is done by both student and director at the Region festivals.//

**5) Is there a schedule that you think would work better than is currently the norm? Why?**


 * //__Director S__//** //: Probably not. With marching band season not really ending until early Dec. for some schools (i.e.: if a school's football team makes states), there really isn't much choice. I realize that PSSAs are causing a problem with March/April but that is not PMEA's fault. That is due to the PDE. There ARE make-up dates scheduled for the tests each year (the week AFTER the tests are scheduled to be completed), so there really should be no issue. Right now only Juniors are affected, although that may change later. I think PMEA should stand strong on this issue.//


 * //__Director T__//** //: I cannot think of a schedule that would work better. I like the system we have because it gives students an opportunity to participate in more than one ensemble until they have to decide for the all-state ensembles. It is great that they can only participate in one ensemble to give more students opportunities.//


 * //__Director B__//** //: I do like the schedule as it is now, however if a change were to be made I might suggest having the concerts on a Sunday. Rehearse Friday, Saturday with the concert on the Sunday. This would probably be much more acceptable to the student who worries about missing two days of a block schedule while also vying for class valedictorian. Administrators may like this better as well.//


 * //__Director C__//** //: I think the schedule is fine.//


 * //__Director L__//** //: The schedules that start with re-auditions on a Wed or Thurs night seem to work best. The purpose of the re-audition is to reward those students who are prepared in advance. I despise the schedules where the students rehearse all morning Thursday and then reaudition Thurs afternoon because the students who have not practiced in advance have had a chance all morning to sightread and cram. I was really impressed with the District Band festival schedule for this year and would suggest it as a future model, except with reauditions Thursday night. Directors could choose whether or not to miss a school day to attend the festival. Students would only miss 1 school day instead of 2. However, the other part of this is how prepared the conductor is for the festival, if the music he has chosen is an appropriate difficulty, and if he can really keep the ensemble on task and working hard.//

//__Director E__// //: The current schedule works fine; however, there are three points to consider that may call for a change in future festivals://
 * //__Director H__//** //: Perhaps we should consider having the first festivals of the year in the Fall. I know it is difficult to organize these things in the first few months of school, but with April being almost entirely consumed by PSSAs it seems like we do too much in the Spring. Again, looking at what the Region festival is really accomplishing may also be a solution.//
 * //__Director X__//** //: I do like the Wednesday evening re-auditions, in that we as teachers do not have to miss a day of work at our home school. For those who don’t mind doing so, they can still attend on Thursday or Friday to observe. I enjoy observing other conductors at work, but there are certain times that I really cannot miss the following day without it causing an issue within my own program.//

//1) Teacher time out of school. Many districts have an issue with the amount of time teachers miss due to festivals. Having re-auditions in the evening is a great idea because it makes it possible for teachers to participate without missing classroom time.//

//2) Student time out of school. PSSA’s and standardized testing are causing school districts to cut back on the amount of time they are willing to let students out of the classroom. Most elementary and MS fests are 1 day festivals, so moving them to a Saturday instead of a Friday would allow students and teachers to participate without losing educational time. The HS level festivals currently require students to miss two days of school, Thursdays and Fridays. If Friday night concerts were done away with, it may be possible to do away with Thursday rehearsals, giving the students two full days of rehearsal before having a Saturday evening concert. It may also be possible to carry the festival over to a Sunday, giving extra rehearsal time without cutting into school time.//

//3) Housing concerns. Some school districts are looking for “clearances” of host families before allowing students to stay with unfamiliar people. If this becomes the norm, festivals may be forced to utilize hotels instead of host families. In order to cut costs, it may become necessary to make the festivals 2-day/1-night events. With shortened festivals, something to consider may be utilizing less repertoire for ensembles and combining some festivals. For example, what if district band and intermediate band fests (doing the same with the orchestras and choruses) were held the same weekend? The HS kids could come in on a Friday, rehearse all day, stay over night, and continue rehearsal Saturday. The MS kids could arrive Saturday, rehearse all day, and then the combined concert could be held in the evening. Each group will learn a little less music, but even though there is less time, the music can still be perfected. This will also give the MS kids the opportunity to see the HS ensembles. It could create a logistical nightmare and would need a lot of thinking, but it could also help solve some housing and classroom (time missed) problems.//


 * //__Director R__//** //: No. Wednesday night or Thursday starts are the best we can do. It allows Sunday if absolutely necessary for snow make ups, and to shorten the festival on an ongoing basis would reduce the value of the experience -- we would potentially start to do less or simpler repertoire to have the time to prepare it to the appropriate level, compromising the benefits on most levels described above. PSSA alarmists must come to understand that, in reality, PSSA prep for high school kids does not happen in high school -- it happens at home many years earlier when parents play music for their unborn and newborn babies, when mom or dad read bedtime stories, when kids play with magnetic letters and a board they'll stick to, when kids play with toys that encourage varied problem solving skills, etc. High School PSSA prep classes are too late, and any learning that takes place that actually sticks long enough to be applied to the test is going to be lost soon enough anyway, so it really is not benefitting the student, it just benefits whoever benefits from a temporary and artificially inflated school-wide average test score. It is, therefore, of no actual educational benefit to reduce the length of festivals just because school district administrators are looking for PSSA scapegoats. (It is also well known that the music students are already raising school-wide test scores, and punishing them by shortening festivals at the whimsy of the under-informed is downright criminal.)//
 * //__Director M__//** //: I really don’t have a solid answer to this one. The state testing is going to change again and schools are at the state’s mercy. To eliminate the eligibility for students by districts is totally inappropriate and unacceptable to me. One change that really should be considered is a more effective use of the time frame. Kids can only play so much, but if there were section-type rehearsals while other [sections] rested we may get stronger results. I am not convinced shorter festivals would work unless the program is shorter. To perform a Saturday late afternoon with a lot of Saturday early rehearsal is tough on kids and counterproductive. Students are proud of their accomplishments and want to perform at a high level.. Also in light of our district band festival and weather, we really should consider the in between week instead of forcing this issue as we did this time. I found it most unusual that Fleetwood could not have school as most districts but it was ok to transport the music students. Talk about a liability issue in today’s world. 20 years ago I would have stated this far differently but today… It kind of reminds me of the injustice that a special needs student must have certain room conditions for their learning environment, but the “normal” student can learn in any janitor closet or windowless environment.//
 * //__Director Z__//** //: The three day festival is fine as it is, the problem is that there are too many of them.//

**Recap of Results**

**1) What do you see as the purpose of the District level festivals? What kinds of things should it accomplish? What should it NOT do? Why?**

Some of the "recurring themes" here were the opportunity to make music on a higher level, to build skills, to have the opportunity to meet students from other schools/geographic areas, to work under talented guest conductors, and to meet new people through staying in host homes.


 * 2) What do you see as the purpose of the Region level festivals? What kinds of things should it accomplish? What should it NOT do? Why?**

While there was no clear consensus here, the most-often cited rationale in support of Region festivals was for students to be able to make music on the next highest level, they are an extension of the District level festivals, they are a "stepping stone" and a "barometer" for State ensembles and the like, and also to broaden the geographic area to which Region-level students could be exposed. One respondent pointed out that many students will not get to a State ensemble so the Region level festival provides that quality of music experience for those students who do not make it to All-State. Opponents of the Region level festivals point out that their existence is due mainly to the fact that All-State ensembles in the past had been on a three year rotation State band one year, chorus the next, and then orchestra the third year. Now that State level ensembles happen every year there is no need for Region level festivals.


 * 3) To which students should our festivals be geared - only the best? Why or why not?**

Like the responses to Question #2, there was no clear agreement except perhaps that students at the District level must be qualified through an audition process. Even though those students may not be "the best" the implication in most responses was that the students going to a District level festival should be "above average" school musicians. Some respondents went on to suggest that the Region level festivals should be geared to "the best" with those students having come from the top ranks of the District festivals. Some responses dovetailed with Question #4, below.


 * 4) With respect to the purposes you’ve identified for each level, what would you want to see changed? Why?**

There is a clear divide - some respondents believe that the "three tier system" (District-Region-State) is optimum while others believe the total elimination of Region level festivals would solve a number of problems. Supporters of the existing system believe it is logical and "if it's not broken why fix it?" Explicit and implied in many responses was that the Region level festival should be of a higher musical caliber than the District level festival, i.e. students should "be taken to the next level." Those who are opposed to Region level festivals cite student and teacher time out of school as a main concern. Still others feel there are geographical inequities that could possibly be resolved if students were to progress directly from District to State level ensembles.


 * 5) Is there a schedule that you think would work better than is currently the norm? Why?**

Here again there is a sharply defined divide. There are those who say the existing format (Thursday/Friday/Saturday) allows the optimum amount of time to attain musical results (something was deemed important in the answers to Question #1 and to those who support Region level festivals) with the qualification that re-auditions take place the evening before. While not mentioned here, directors with whom I've spoken on this topic also point out that inclement weather may already reduce the time for the guest conductor to prepare the program in a 3-day format - what would happen if weather issues were to cut into rehearsal time of a 2-day festival? At least one respondent pointed to this years District 10 Band festival and asked if a successful festival could be attained in two days, do we really need the third day?

Student and teacher time out of school was again cited here as a reason for a shorter festival format, however at least one respondent replied that standardized testing really "is not PMEA's problem." One respondent noted that a 2-day festival with a concert Saturday evening could be an inordinate amount of playing for students and cited endurance concerns. Still another respondent said 2-day festivals with a hotel stay instead of a host home stay would be the solution to school districts which are insisting on clearances for host families.