Contest General Info
AWARDS
1. All district medals must be purchased by the District Chairperson and their distribution shall be determined by the District.
2. The State Association shall make available Festival Participation medals and plaques at each State Festival site. These medals have been prepaid as a part of the contest entry fees.
3. An individual purchase of medals for replacement purposes only may be made from the Vice President’s office at a cost of $2.00 per medal.
4. All State sites shall conduct their Festivals in a uniform manner and present only the awards designated by the Association.
CONTEST/FESTIVAL FEES
1. District Organization and Solo and Ensemble fees shall be determined by the individual District and shall be paid to the District Chairperson or other properly constituted District officer.
2. State Festival fees shall be sent directly to the Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Association and shall be paid immediately after the District Contest. The entry fee for State Festivals shall be $6.00 per student, to include medals and awards.
3. No refunds of any contest fees shall be made unless an error of over-payment is made or an inadequate number of rooms is found to host entries.
4. A standard gate fee of $2.00 shall be collected at all State Festival venues.
ELIGIBILITY
1. Members of participating organizations, soloists and ensembles, including home schooled students, must be bona fide students of the organization they represent and shall be certified as such by their principal or superintendent. However, directors shall have sole responsibility to accept, reject or cancel entries into Solo and Ensemble Contest: All students must be a member of band, orchestra, chorus, swing/show choir or jazz band in their member school, if such organizations exist, in order to participate.
2. All reference to 9th graders shall refer to those 9th grade students attending an Elementary/Junior High or Middle School configuration.
3. Band, Orchestra, and Choral students living in communities where district supported school instrumental and/or choral programs do not exist will be allowed to perform as members of neighboring school district music programs in all sanctioned contests.
4. Students who graduate in mid-year prior to the State Festival may participate in the Association Festival.
5. To become eligible for the State Festival, all bands, orchestras, jazz bands, swing/show choirs, and choruses must receive a First Division rating at the District Contest. A State Festival information packet will be presented to the directors of organizations receiving a Division I rating at the District Contest.
6. A member school may enter more than one band, orchestra, jazz band, swing/show choir or chorus in the contest in compliance with Association rules. Each organization will be considered as a separate entry and subject to all rules and provisions governing such an entry.
7. A student may participate in a total of five Organization events, but is limited to two Concert Bands, two Orchestras, two Jazz Bands, two Choirs and two Swing/Show Choirs.
8. An organization may elect to perform "For Comment Only" at a District Contest, in which case Eligibility items 6 and 7 above do not apply.back to top
ENTRIES
District Chairpersons shall provide entry information and procedures to all participating members. District chairpersons shall not accept entries completed improperly or on incorrect forms.
SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS
No adjudicator shall hold the behavior of a Special Needs student against the performance of the entire ensemble/organization. In order for this consideration to be given, a written note of sufficient explanation shall be submitted the day of Contest/Festival and attached to the copies of music for the adjudicators, using the form provided on the IGSMA website under Contests/Festivals.
STUDENT DISCIPLINE – CONTEST/FESTIVAL CENTERS
Student behavior at IGSMA events is the responsibility of the participating directors. It is required that all participating students are supervised at all times by directors and chaperones.
1. Any damage to property must be paid for either by the student/s committing the damage or by the school that the particular student/s represents. Students committing property damage or offering behavior problems will be reported to the host chairperson who will report the student’s name to the music director and to the President of the Association in writing. The particular student/s will be excluded from any future activities of the Illinois Grade School Music Association, Northern Division, for the remainder of the school year. The Executive Board will review the student/s eligibility for future participation in Association activity at the next Executive Board Meeting.
2. In the case of disciplinary problems from a particular school, that school may be excluded from Association affairs for one school year.
VIOLATIONS FOR DISTRICT CONTESTS
For any violation of the rules and regulations, the adjudicator and/or designated Contest official shall lower the rating of an individual or group by one step. Violations of the contest rules of this Association, other than those listed, shall be presented to the President, whose duty it shall be to present the same to the members of the Executive Board for action.