State Festival Groups
Rules and Responsibilities
For All Parties Involved in KMEA State Festival Groups

To help clarify qualifications and responsibilities for all parties concerned with each year's KMEA Festival Groups, the following rules and regulations were adopted by the KMEA Board of Directors, September 5, 1986 and revised by the Board of Directors, August 24, 2002, June, 2005 and August 4, 2007.

The KMEA President appoints festival chairpersons, and the KMEA Board can approve or disapprove the appointments.

The Festival Chairpersons have the authority to:

1. Organize the festival groups that will perform at the annual KMEA In-Service Workshop, which will include securing the services of clinicians each year.
2. Organize the audition selection committee to select the participants in festival groups.
3. Determine the number of students who will be eligible to participate in the festival groups each year; (recommended guideline should be approximately a 100 piece band, 100 piece orchestra, 250 voice choir, and jazz determined by arrangement.)
4. Work coordinately with festival group clinicians to select music for the KMEA In-Service Workshop.
5. Supply the needed information to secure all equipment pertaining to the performances of any given year, for example, stands, percussion equipment, etc.
6. Organize an audition committee for the purpose of final seating at the KMEA In-Service Workshop.
7. Host and supervise festival group rehearsals and performances at the KMEA In-Service Workshop.

Each school will be responsible for the supervision, conduct, and behavior of its students during the entire KMEA In-Service Workshop.

KMEA responsibilities
All instrumental woodwind, brass, strings and percussion students who participate in the instrumental festival groups at the District Mini-Conventions are eligible to audition for any KMEA instrumental festival group. The student will participate in all rehearsals and the concert for the KMEA In-Service Workshop.

KMEA District Responsibilities

Each district:

1. will determine its own policy on auditions for district level performances;
2. will supply an eligibility list to the chairperson for choir, band, orchestra, and jazz band immediately;
3. will host and supervise district festival group rehearsals and the performances at the District Mini-Conventions. Each School will be responsible for the supervision, conduct, and behavior of its students during the Mini-Conventions and during the entire KMEA In-Service Workshop.
4. will not allow students to audition, participate, or be selected to both the choir and instrumental groups; and,
5. will be responsible for providing to the teachers in the district, information (rules, regulations, and guidelines) concerning district and KMEA festival groups.

School Responsibilities

Each School:

1. will be a member of the KSHSAA and be in good standing with the organization;
2. will be eligible to enter students as determined in the rules and guidelines established by each KMEA District;
3. will not allow students to audition for both KMEA festival choir and KMEA festival instrumental groups. All instrumental woodwind, brass, and percussion students who participated in the instrumental festival groups at the District Mini-Conventions are eligible to audition for any KMEA Instrumental festival group; and,
4. will be responsible for the supervision, conduct, and behavior of its students during the entire KMEA In-Service Workshop.
5. All students auditioning for a State-Wide KMEA instrumental ensemble must have their director present at the auditions with them, allowing the director be available to assist with the audition process, if needed. A $100 fine will be assessed to the home school if the director fails to attend.

Student Responsibilities

Each Student:

1. will be in good standing according to the rules and guidelines for participation established by the KSHSAA and the resident school;
2. must be a sophomore, junior, or senior in high school to be a member of a high school festival ensemble;
3. must be a 7th, 8th or 9th grader to be a member of the Middle Level Festival Choir;
4. vocalist must be enrolled in a choral performance area, if one exists in the school, at the time of auditions; and the student must be enrolled in a choral performance area, if one exists in the school, at the time of the KMEA In-Service Workshop;
5. instrumentalist must be enrolled in an instrumental performance area, if one exists in the school, at the time of auditions; and the student must be enrolled in an instrumental performance area, if one exist in the school, at the time of the KMEA In-Service Workshop;
6. will audition for the festival groups according to the rules and guidelines established by the KMEA Board; and,
7. will participate in all rehearsals and the concert for the District Mini-Convention.

Membership limitations and privileges

1. to participate in an high school State-Wide Festival Ensemble, the student must be a sophomore, junior, or senior in high school.
2. must be a 7th, 8th or 9th grader to be a member of the Middle Level Festival Choir;
3. Freshmen are not eligible to audition for or to participate in high school State-Wide Festival Ensembles.
4. a vocalist selected as a participant in the State-Wide Festival Choir cannot audition for or be a member of a State-Wide instrumental ensemble
5. an instrumentalist selected as a participant in the State-Wide Festival orchestra, jazz ensemble or concert bands cannot be a member of a State-Wide vocal ensemble
6. band students from 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A schools may only audition for the 1234A State-Wide Band
7. band students from 5A and 6A schools may only audition for the 56A State-Wide Band
8. instrumentalist from all six KSHSAA classifications may be members of the State-Wide Jazz Ensemble and the State-Wide Orchestra
9. virtual school students must meet KSHSAA eligibility guidelines for participation in a KMEA State-Wide Festival Ensemble. This includes attendance requirements at a KSHSAA approved school
10. home schooled students must meet KSHSAA eligibility guidelines for participation in a KMEA State-Wide Festival Ensemble. This includes attendance requirements at a KSHSAA approved school.

Any instrumentalist who meets all of their KMEA District's eligibility and participation requirements may audition for any instrumental State-Wide Festival Ensemble, with the exception of limitations for 1234A and the 56A bands as stated above.

***Exception: Any student involved in individual school performances for the KMEA In-Service Workshop will be excused from rehearsal one hour prior to the school performance and return to the rehearsal thirty minutes following the completion of the school performance.

***Exception: Any exception or any absence due to an emergency conflict that will affect the rehearsals or performance of the festival groups at the KMEA In-Service Workshop must be approved by the KMEA Festival Chairperson.

***Exception: Any absence due to an emergency conflict that will affect the rehearsals or performance at the District Mini-Convention must be approved by the District Chairperson and District President. (Note: SAT and ACT Tests are not regarded as emergency conflicts; however, a student may be excused for the SAT English Competency Test upon prior notification of the District Chairperson and the District President).

***Exception: The KMEA Board authorizes the release of varsity basketball players from the state festival rehearsals to participate in their 1A Regional basketball tournament. This policy will be in effect for both boys and girls. Players' participation must be verified by their school's Administrator and they must be listed on the official KSHSAA roster form for the tournament. The school's Administrator will send a copy of the official KSHSAA tournament roster form to the Festival Ensemble Manager.

While no restriction on absence time has been indicated, the student MUST be all KMEA rehearsals as much as absolutely possible. "KMEA recognizes the importance of the students to their community and school events but will not tolerate apparent abuse of this policy. The appearance of abuse may lead to reconsideration of this policy on the part of KMEA. KMEA WILL take precedence on Saturday and release for 1A regional basketball WILL NOT be considered."

Prior to the first KMEA Festival Ensembles rehearsal, the Festival Ensemble Manager will provide the State Festival Chairpersons a list of students to be excused.

State festival ensembles are a shared responsibility. Their success depends on students, teachers and districts all working together.