Article XV. All State Festival and Auditions
Section 1.
a. The purpose of the All-State Festival is to distinguish the most outstanding band students in the State of Alabama and to give them the opportunity for a musical experience of the highest caliber.
b. It is the duty of the President and the Board of Directors to obtain guest conductors who are recognized as successful leaders in the field of music.
c. The All-State Band Festival will include five bands: High School Red Band, High School White Band, High School Blue Band, Middle School Red Band, and Middle School White Band. For the High School All-State Bands, those students with the highest scores will be assigned to the Red Band; those with the next highest scores will be assigned to the White Band; those with the next highest scores will be assigned to the Blue Band. For the Middle School All-State Bands, students will not be assigned to a band until after the state level All-State auditions. After the state level All-State auditions, the first chair player in each section will be placed in the Middle School Red Band, the second chair player in each section will be placed in the Middle School White Band, and the remainder of the players will be placed in the Middle School All-State Bands in chair order in an alternating fashion (ex: third chair player goes to Middle School Red Band, fourth chair player goes to Middle School White Band, etc.). Students in the eighth grade and below will be eligible to audition for either the Middle School or High School All-State Bands, but no student may audition for both. Third year provision – Any ninth grade student enrolled in a band program in which band begins in grade 7 will be eligible to try out for the Middle School All-State Bands. All other ninth graders must try out for the High School All-State Bands. The Alabama All-State Jazz Bands will include four bands: Gold Band, Silver Band, Bronze Band and Middle School Band. Those students with the highest scores will be assigned to the Gold Band; those students with the next highest scores will be assigned to the Silver Band; those students with the next highest scores will be assigned to the Bronze Band. Students in the eighth grade or below will be assigned to the Middle School Band. The third year provision applies here also. The Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Middle School Bands will rehearse and present their concert at the Alabama Music Educators Association In-Service Conference each year.
d. The All-State Festival will be scheduled during the month of April, the time and place to be determined by the Board of Directors.
e. Fees will be observed as per the Fee Schedule found in the Alabama Bandmasters Association board Policies. There will be no refunds of individual All-State fees.
f. Awards
1) The Association will award a silver medal with appropriate ribbon to the student making the highest score in each section of the band (First Chair- First Bb Clarinet, Cornet, etc.)
2) The Association will award a bronze participation medal, with appropriate ribbon, to the other students in each band.
g. Eligibility
1) Only students who are members of their high school, junior high school, or middle school bands are eligible to participate in the Band Division in the All-State Festival and Auditions.
2) Students who are being home schooled under guidelines established by the State Department of Education may participate in the band division in the All-State Festival and Auditions as long as they meet the following prerequisite: Membership in an instrumental ensemble that meets on a regular basis to rehearse and perform traditional band literature, whose conductor meets all membership requirements of the Alabama Bandmasters Association.
3) Students auditioning for All State Jazz Band and All State Band will be held to the same eligibility requirements
Section 2.
a. The purpose of the District Auditions is to judge and select students to participate in the All-State Bands. Each district shall be responsible for its individual quotas. District Auditions will be held during the month of January. The results, including the names, grade, school, instrument, and band assignment for students who are assigned, will be emailed to the President and Executive Secretary within 7 calendar days. Each District Chairman will be responsible for time, place and management of the District Auditions. Each District Chairman may appoint a Middle School All-State Chairman to be responsible for these duties as they apply to the Middle School All-State Band.
b. Directors will judge students within their own district . The district Chairman will have the discretion to enlist other qualified judges as needed. Where possible, directors should be assigned in teams and their scores averaged. This would relieve the problem of directors having to listen to their own students. This would also keep a player from playing for a judge who has not heard all of the other players of a given instrument. All-State Audition activities are subject to the approval of district members. Students will not be allowed to audition if their director is not present to help judge auditions. Exceptions may be granted by the District Chairman. A student will be allowed to tryout on only one instrument except for the Flute/Piccolo and Bflat/Eflat soprano clarinet combination. A student auditioning for the High School Bands must correctly play a minimum of seven (7) major scales with their related arpeggios, and a student auditioning for the Middle School Band must correctly play five (5) major scales with their related arpeggios to advance to the Prepared Studies and Sight Reading portions of the All-State Band audition. No student will be selected for the All-State Band without having performed the entire audition. A score of “NA” is to be given in the event a student fails to attempt any or all of the prepared studies or the sight reading portion of the audition.
c. Students will be judged by number only, with no reference to student’s name or school name. Judges, with the exception of percussion judges, will be placed behind a screen or barrier in order that the only contact between judge and student is the number assigned to the student prior to the performance. A master list of student names, school names, and assigned numbers will be kept in a central office by the District Chairman, Vice-Chairman and host director. Student helpers will be provided to deliver and pick up tryout sheets between the central office and the judges.
d. Auditions for the Alabama All-State Jazz Bands will be a recorded audition. Fill out the appropriate form, (See ABA forms) and submit it along with appropriate fees (See the Fee Schedule in Alabama Bandmasters Association Board Policy) and recorded audition (Only the student’s name and instrument should be included on the label, NOT THE SCHOOL NAME.) to the Jazz Education Chairman by the deadline.
e. Fees for the District Auditions will be as per the Fee Schedule found in the Fee Schedule in Alabama Bandmasters Association Board Policy. The total amount will be sent to the Executive Secretary. An additional amount may be added to the fee (see Article IX) to be retained by the District.