Selection Meeting

            1.         The selection meeting will be on the second Sunday of November.

            2.         Directors not attending the meeting must have the application, medical

form, and preference list to the host by the date established by the host and the coordinator.

            3.         Parts will be assigned as necessary at the discretion of those directors in

attendance at the selection meeting.

            4.         Any student who has performed in the previous WRSO orchestra will

automatically be returned to the District 4 & 6 orchestra, if his director so chooses.  This applies to all instruments.

            5.         The host director may have three courtesy appointments to the orchestra in

addition to the listed instrumentation.

            6.         The selection of Wind and Percussion players to the District 4 and 6

Orchestra shall be made only from the schools which have a Òscheduled/curricularÓ FULL ORCHESTRA that functions    during the school day.  The guidelines for representation is approximately one wind player for every three string players accepted into the District Orchestra.

            7.         Applications from string players will be accepted from any school in

District 4 & 6.  The director must be at auditions and fulfill all obligations as they would at any other PMEA festival. 

            8.         A pool of alternate orchestra members will be selected in each section at

the November selection meeting.  Any replacement of canceled students will be from this pool of alternates.  The vacancies will be filled in the order that was determined at the selectionÕs meeting.  The HOST director will fill the vacancy and then notify the coordinator.

            9.         NOTE:  Non orchestra schools MUST agree to host within two years

(from the first year) of a student attending District 4 & 6 Orchestra.  If the school does not host, future students from that school will not be accepted into the District orchestra until that school does host.

            10.       The deadline for the payment of fees is two weeks prior to the festival.

Substitution will be permitted up to one week before the festival.

            11.       The harp selection will be based on the state harp audition results as

published by the PMEA.

Procedures for Directors

            1.         The directors will convene for a meeting no later than 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday at the host school, where the audition materials will be distributed and committee assignments will be announced.

2.         Audition committees will then report directly to their respective audition

rooms.  Each audition committee will consist of at least one music director who must be PMEA member.

3.         The auditions will begin no later than 7:00 pm.

4.         Rehearsal may be held concurrently with auditions if so desired.

5.         All directors must be present for auditions.

6.         All students must audition.

7.         Excerpts from a maximum of two compositions should be used.

8.         Music used should give the students a chance to demonstrate technique and tone.

9.         It is recommended that passages containing long periods of rest be avoided.

10.       Important solo passages should be used, if applicable.

11.       Winds will audition on a common excerpt.

12.       ALL auditions, except percussion, are to be ÒblindÓ with a student serving as Sergeant-at-Arms. 

At the beginning of the auditions, all student musicians will report to the assigned audition room from the auditorium.  At that time, the audition room chairperson will tell the students the audition selections and have them mark the beginning, mid-point, and end of each selection.  Give all music to the Sgt.-At-Arms, then return to the holding area.

13.       Remind the students to not play or make excessive noise outside the audition rooms.  At the conclusion of each student's audition, they should

            return to the auditorium.  Students who have completed auditions may NOT socialize with those waiting to audition in the holding area.

14.       Directors are to allow students to warm-up, use their own music, and sit or

stand as they so desire.  The warm-up may not be any portion of the audition material.

15.       Each committee member shall evaluate every student on the forms provided.  Only whole numbers are to be used.  Each director is to total his or her score sheet, but not rank students.

16.       At the conclusion of the auditions, the room chairperson should return all forms and folders to the tabulation room.

17.       All ties are broken in the tabulation room through the total score in each category.

18.       Individuals should sign their full name on the score sheet.

19.       The audition results will be announced at the Thursday morning seating of the orchestra.

20.       When the orchestra is seated on Thursday, only the first half of the string sections will be seated.  The winds and percussion will be seated in their entirety.  At this time the reaudition violin students will be identified.

21.       The WRSO audition results will be official and announced on Friday at noon.  The folders will be available to the directors on Friday afternoon.

22.       Score sheets will not be taken from the directorÕs room.  Each director will

 receive a report listing the category totals for each of his/her students.

23.       No smoking in the audition rooms.

24.       To determine the REGIONAL representation for VIOLIN II, the first five (5)five chairs will be automatically admitted into WRSO.

25.       The remaining three (3) region violin II positions will be determined by a

RE-AUDITION of the next three (3) violin I students (not accepting one of the 8 violin I region positions).....and.....the next three (3) chairs from the violin II

section immediately following the five (5) automatic violin II positions.

26.       This will result in a RE-AUDITION of six (6) students for the three (3) WRSO violin II positions.  If a cancellation for WRSO occurs, the next student in line (on that part) will be asked to attend, whether or not that student is one of the remaining three students from the reaudition process.   

27.       An excerpt will be selected by coordinator, inserted into ALL violin folders, and used for the violin reauditions.

28.       All violin players will be responsible for this excerpt even though only six (6) students will eventually use it at the reauditions.  This reaudition will occur on THURSDAY MORNING following the same format as Wednesday evening.

29.       The brass and woodwind students will also receive an audition excerpt

taken from major symphonic compositions.  Each student will be auditioned on this excerpt in addition to the selections from the performance folder.  The Western Region State Orchestra representatives will be chosen, and parts assigned based on the studentÕs total score achieved.  This is regardless of the part played in the District 4 and 6 Orchestra.

30.       The percussion folders must contain ALL PARTS, including tympani parts.  Every percussionist auditions on Òtotal percussion.Ó  The percussion audition committee will make all percussion part assignments on Wednesday night.  Auditions based on the Òtotal percussionÓ concept are for advancement to the WRSO.

31.       All flute folders must contain piccolo parts.  Students must prepare and

audition on both the flute and piccolo parts.  The piccolo player(s) will be determined at the auditions.

32.       30% of the total Flute audition score will be based on the Piccolo audition score.  The judges will make recommendations as to which student(s) will play the piccolo.  The objective is to have more than one student performing on the piccolo.

32.       The chairman is to write the audition selections with beginning-mid-ending points listed on the form in your folder.  Give it your Sergeant at Arms, who is to place it on the music stand.

33.       A festival review meeting will be scheduled on Saturday at 10:00 a.m.

Procedures for Students

1.         Students will report to the auditorium at the specified time to receive all the information regarding audition procedures.

2.         At the beginning of the auditions, guides will take all student musicians to the assigned audition room from the auditorium.  At that time, the audition room chairperson will tell the students the audition selections and have them mark the beginning, mid-point, and end of each selection.

3.         After the folders have been given to the audition committee, anyone caught practicing from photocopies will be expelled from the festival. 

            4.         Students should turn in ALL music (including copies) to the audition

committee, and return to the holding area.

            5.         Students will receive a try-out number prior to entering the audition room.

6.         All students must complete audition sign-up sheets and all pertinent festival forms provided by the guides.

            7.         Students will audition in a predetermined random order.

8.         After the folders are placed at the audition room, the students are to use their own folder for their audition.

9.         Audition passages and performance order are identified by the committee Chairperson and reviewed by the Sergeant-At-Arms.

            10.       Students may warm-up in the audition room.  The warm-up may not be

any portion of the audition material.

            11.       Students may stand or sit.

            12.       Students may communicate only to the Sergeant At Arms.

13.       Make certain you understand the beginning-mid-ending points for each audition selection.

            14.       Students may opt to replay a passage a second time.  Only ONE restart

will be permitted.  Once a student has reached the midpoint of a passage, the restart will occur at the midpoint.  Remember only ONE restart per audition.

15.       The PMEA Executive Board has voided the 24 hour rule.  Students must declare their intent to attend the All State Orchestra at the Wednesday evening auditions.  (05-01-02)

16.       Students will not be permitted to practice while auditions are in progress.

            17.       Students will leave their folder in the audition room.

18.       At the conclusion of each student's audition, they should

            return to the auditorium.  Students who have completed auditions may NOT socialize with those waiting to audition in the holding area.

Program Committee

            1.         A committee of James Robinson, Malinda Forry, and Kelly Detwiler will

select a program in conjunction with the District Orchestra Festival Host.  This will be done at the festival preceding the year in which the festival is hosted.  The committee will also recommend a guest conductor.

            2.         The program committee will submit the program selections to the host

director.  The host director will then present the list to the guest conductor.  The guest conductor may suggest alternative selections of a comparable level of difficulty to the host.  The host MUST contact the program committee, who will review the suggestions and approve the final program by May 31 of the current year.  Then the host director will notify all directors by June 30, listing the program for the festival.

            3.         The program must be approved by the program committee no later than

May 31.  The host will mail the final program to all directors and the

coordinator by June 30.  No music will be sent from the library, or new

music ordered until the approval is received from the program committee.

            4.         Hosts are to provide directors with a list of the names of the audition

excerpts for the wind players.  The title of the excerpt should be added to the program selections list in the studentsÕ folders.  Also, the compositions using the piccolo should be listed on the program selections list. 

District 4-6 Orchestra Instrumentation

            Violin 1            24                                            French Horn 1              2

            Violin 2            24                                            French Horn 2              2

            Viola                21                                            French Horn 3              2

            Cello                18                                            French Horn 4              2

            Bass                 12                                            Trumpet 1                    2

            Flute 1              3                                              Trumpet 2                    2

            Flute 2              3                                              Trumpet 3                    2

            Oboe 1                        2                                              Trombone 1                 2

            Oboe 2                        2                                              Trombone 2                 2

            Clarinet 1         3                                              Trombone 3                 2

            Clarinet 2         3                                              Tuba                            2

            Bassoon 1        2                                              Percussion                    5

            Bassoon 2        2                                              Harp                            1

Total = 148

Western Region State Orchestra Personnel

(from the District 4-6 Orchestra)

Each District Festival will contribute the following instrumentation to our Regional State Orchestra:

Violin 1:            8                      Oboe 2:            1                      French Horn 1: 1

Violin 2:            8                      Clarinet 1:         1                      French Horn 2: 1

Viola:               7                      Clarinet 2:         1                      French Horn 3: 1

Cello:               6                      Bassoon 1:       1                      French Horn 4: 1

Bass:                4                      Bassoon 2:       1                      Trombone 1:                 1

Flute 1: 1                      Trumpet 1:        1                      Trombone 2:                 1

Flute 2: 1                      Trumpet 2:        1                      Bass Trombone:           1

Oboe 1:            1                      Trumpet 3:        1                      Percussion:                   1

Conference Call Parts:  1 Percussion, 2 Tubas  (By the District Presidents and the

WRSO Coordinator).  Other exceptional instruments will be assigned to each district as the music dictates.

Pennsylvania Music Educators Association

Winsome W. Garland

District 4 & 6 Orchestra Coordinator

Office: 814-266-6081

FAX:  814-269-9506

winorcha@hotmail.com

Orchestra Coordinator

Job Description

A.        District Orchestra policies and information will be distributed to each district

president by the Coordinator.  Yearly updates will be included following the District Orchestra business meeting.

      1.   Act as a clearing house for all information relating to the District 3, 4, & 6 Orchestra.

      2.   Provide two sets of mailing labels for the use of the host director.

     3.    Be present at the festival and assist with any administrative duties during the

auditions and District Orchestra business meeting.

4.    Distribute the selection of the common audition excerpt for the wind auditions to the host director.

5.    Distribute the violin reaudition excerpt and the string performance excerpts (for non orchestra schools) to the host director.          

     6.    Issue a standardized audition form for each judge to use.  Operate the computer aided audition tabulation.

7.    Distribute a copy of the judges computer composite score sheet to each District Presidents, and one copy of the student category report to each director.

     8.    Send the WRSO host the student information cards for those attending the WRSO orchestra.

9.    Make sure the audition procedures outlined in the District Orchestra Policies are followed.

10.    Assign the audition numbers to each student, and set-up the audition assignments for the directors.

11.    Participate in the conference call during the District Orchestra Festival, as they relate to WRSO festival.

GUIDELINES FOR STUDENT DISMISSAL

District 4 and 6 Orchestra

PMEA Policy

July 2001

VII.  Student Conduct and Dismissals

            A.  Students participating in the festival will be expected to comply with behavior codes of their home school and the host school.

            B.  Any home school director may remove his or her student from the                                        festival for disciplinary reasons.  Should a director chose this action                                    it should be made clear to the student that it is the directors decision                                     and not that of PMEA or the festival host.

            C.  If it is necessary to remove the student from the festival:

                        1.  A conference will be held with the student, host director, home                                                         school director and a PMEA officer in attendance. At this                                                          meeting, the student will have  opportunity to refute charges                                      brought against him or her.

                        2.  At the conclusion of the meeting, the decision of dismissal will be                                          made jointly by the host and home directors and the PMEA                                      officer.

            D.  If dismissal is chosen, the PMEA officer will notify the home school                                      principal, and, if possible, the studentÕs parents.

E.  A students Disciplined at a Festival shall be subject to punishment deemed

appropriate by the PMEA official including, but not limited to: exclusion from the concert, dismissal from the festival, ineligibility to participate in future festivals, withholding of medals, and letter of reprimand/concern to parents, school administrator, and PMEA sponsoring member director.

STUDENT GUIDELINES

Both students and directors are responsible for these guidelines.

Please make your students aware of these guidelines, and the following basic rules while they are attending the District 4 & 6 Orchestra.

- No student will be permitted to drive a vehicle to or from the festival.

- Any unauthorized changes in host family assignments will result in the immediate

dismissal of the offender from the festival.

- The use of tobacco, alcohol, illegal drugs, or the possession of them will be grounds for

immediate dismissal.

- Students must eat all meals at the host school.  No director will be permitted to take his

students ÒoutÓ when the meals are scheduled.  This is poor judgment, and causes much resentment among other students.

- Vandalism of any kind will not be tolerated.  The student, parents, and director will be

responsible for the expenses to repair or replace the damaged item.  The offender will be dismissed from the festival.

- Disruptive behavior will be dealt with through the guidelines for dismissal.

- No student may leave the school without permission from the host director.

- All students must have a PMEA medical form on file, failure to bring one to the

registration will result in that student being refused admittance to the festival.

- Participants will wear black and white.

- No athletic footwear is permitted.

- Students should not apply to participate in PMEA festivals if for any reason, (including

religious activities), they plan to miss any part of the affair.  A student must participate in the complete festival program, commencing with registration and concluding with the final concert, except in the case of illness that must be verified in writing by a physician within 5 days of the festival.  Students must rehearse and perform ALL musical compositions selected for the concert.

amended 4/14/99

- No cell phones will be permitted ON STAGE.  If you have a cell phone, it MUST be

turned-off during rehearsals.  The penality for failing to obey this rule will rest with the decision of the PMEA officers, and could result in the removal of the offender from the festival.

These rules are primarily good common sense guidelines of respectful behavior.

Tabulation AssistantÕs Responsibilities

1.  After receiving the individual judgeÕs score sheets from the committee chairperson,

READ the individual     scores to the computer operator.  The computer operator will tell the assistant the total on the screen.  If they agree, the next judgeÕs score sheet will be entered.  If they do not agree, the mistake must be found at that time.    

2.  VERIFY that the CHAIR order is accurate on the COMPUTER printout.  Note:

Inaccuracies in the past have even cost students a place in the REGION - STATE ORCHESTRA!

3.  The REGION RANKING will be completed by the Coordinator and his assistants.

4.  Check the studentÕs Region - State selection on their audition form and that it

inaccurately marked on the Master Form.

Sergeant At Arms

A. Sergeant At Arms with the following duties will be assigned to each audition room.

1.  At the beginning of the auditions, all student musicians will report to the

assigned audition room from the auditorium.  At that time, the audition room chairperson will tell the students the audition selections and have them mark the beginning, mid-point, and end of each selection.  Following this, only the students being immediately auditioned will stay at the room.  The rest will return to the holding area.  The sergeant-at-arms will collect all the music from the students being auditioned, organize them in audition order, place the stickers on the folder and audition forms.  Check the audition forms for accuracy and give directions clearly and in a similar manner to all students.        

            2.  Then, the sergeant-at-arms will collect all the music from the students being

auditioned, organize them in audition order, place one of the labels on the folder.                       

            3.  Have the student initial by their name on the registration form.

            4.  Collect the audition form as each student enters the audition room and check

for completeness, particularly the section where the student indicates whether or not they will attend the next festival, and place the second label

in the top left hand corner of the form.

            5.  Verify that all information has been completed accurately, particularly the

section where the student indicates whether or not they will attend the next festival.

            6.  Place the audition label with that studentÕs name and audition number on the

top left hand corner of the state participation form.

7.  Usher the student into the room, announce the student number, show the                   student the written form that details the performance order, and the

beginning, mid-point and end of each audition passage.  Remind the student that no restarts will be allowed after the mid-point of any passage.

            8.  On completion of auditions, return the folders to the front of the auditorium.

B. Sergeant At Arms do NOT listen to or score auditions.

Committee Chairperson

Each committee will have a chairperson whose duties are to:

            1.  Insure that the process remains completely anonymous.

            2.  Affirm that the Judges complete their individual tally sheet including a total

score.

            3.  Deliver the forms in the room envelope to the tabulation room.

            4.  Monitor that the studentÕs warm-up is not be any portion of the audition

material.

            5.  Monitor the duties of the Sergeant-At-Arms to insure that they are followed.

            6.  Announce the audition selections to all students before the auditions begin and

                        collect all music from the students.

WESTERN REGION STATE ORCHESTRA

Personnel List

Violin 1                        24                                Trumpet 1                    3

Violin 2                        24                                Trumpet 2                    3

Viola                            21                                Trumpet 3                    3

Cello                            18                                French Horn 1              3

Bass                             12                                French Horn 2              3

                                                                        French Horn 3              3

Flute 1                          3                                  French Horn 4              3

Flute 2                          3                                  Trombone 1                 3

Oboe 1                                    3                                  Trombone 2                 3                     

Oboe 2                                    3                                  Trombone 3                 3

Clarinet 1                     3                                  Tuba                            2

Clarinet 2                     3                                  Percussion                    4

Bassoon 1                    3                     

Bassoon 2                    3

	During the conference call, other exceptional instruments will be assigned to each district as the music dictates. One harp will be selected based on the PMEA audition committee results, IF THE MUSIC DICTATES ITS INCLUSION.

 

Note:  of these instruments, the following will