Directors Guide

Directors, please use this guide to assist you in registering your students and managing the music festival season.

Review the Handbook for audition limits and other important information.

September-October

  • Contact your students and encourage them to audition for the Senior or Junior Festival. Senior Festival is open to students in grades 9-12; Junior Festival is open to students in grades 7-9. Grade 9 students may audition for both unless accepted into the senior festival.
  • Visit the Audition Requirements for Senior and Junior Festival. Give your students the information they need to order the music, or your department may order it for them. Students may not use photocopied music for auditions.

October – November

  • Registering your students:
    Visit https://festival.avesi.com/festival/mmea_southeastern_district/factotum/ . Type in your school code as the “user” and the assigned password in “UPPERCASE” letters.  To ensure security, keep this password in a safe place. If you do not have this information, please email John Collins at jpcollins909@gmail.com.
  • Once you log in, read the landing page for important information. Then, visit the “Update Contact Information” page to add or remove any directors in your department. Remember that each staff member sending students to districts must have an active NAFME Membership.
  • To register students, click the “Festivals” link and select either Senior Festival or Junior Festival. Follow the prompts to add students who will be auditioning. You may make changes or add/remove students until the registration deadline. The registration portal usually opens in early November.
  • Be sure to check back to see if any audition pieces have changed or if some clarification has been indicated. Please also verify that your students are auditioning for the correct piece.

The Week Before Auditions

  • Prior to attending auditions, please download the Principal’s Form from the registration portal. Verify that it is correct, and have your building principal sign it.
  • Please obtain a form of payment for the full amount of your school’s audition fees. We accept checks, purchase orders, and credit cards via Paypal.
  • If you have late registrants who are not included on the principal form, download, fill out, and have your principal sign the Late Registration Form for your school.
  • Verify that all students have original copies of the required music.

On the Audition Day

  • Bring the Principal Form and payment to the auditions. If you have any changes or are adding a student, a $20 fee will be added to their registrations (for a total of $35). This must be paid in order for the student to audition. If you have students who do not show up, you are still required to pay for that registration. We accept checks, purchase orders, and credit/debit Cards via PayPal.
  • When you arrive, visit the registration table to check in and pay your registration fee. Once that is complete, you will receive your student audition tickets. Distribute these to your students, and they should immediately head to appropriate warm-up areas. Schools will be called by instruments in their audition rooms.
  • Directors may stay in the warm-up area or in the cafeteria. They are not allowed in the audition area. Have your students report back to the cafeteria when they are done auditioning.
  • Once all of your students are done, return to the registration table to check out. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THIS HAPPENS. It makes it difficult if we are missing a score and you have already left.

After Auditions

  • Results will be published in the Registration Portal shortly after auditions are complete. Visit the same page you used to register your students to see if they have been accepted.
  • You can download their score sheets from here so students can review them.
  • Please check off all accepted students in the registration portal and indicate that they will be attending.

The Week Before Festival Weekend

  • Obtain a form of payment for the full amount of your school’s festival participation fees.
  • Remind students about tickets, lunch on both days, times you will depart from and return to your school, and concert dress.
  • We will send you a Google Form containing your contact/chaperone information for both days for you to complete.

Festival Weekend

  • Visit the Senior or Junior Festival Information page to review all of the festival’s details. Download and distribute the Host Letter to your students and attending chaperone(s).
  • Before heading to the festival, please visit the registration portal to download the Festival Principals form. If you see students missing from this form, go back in and check that they are attending.
  • Once you arrive at the festival, proceed to the registration table to check in and pay your festival fees. We will also collect your cell phone number if we need to contact you at the festival. Students will be guided to their rehearsal spaces as soon as they arrive.
  • After registering, visit the director’s lounge for coffee, then enjoy the festival. Network with colleagues, watch rehearsals and enjoy the day with fellow music teachers. You can obtain professional development points (PDPs) to attend and reflect on the rehearsals.
  • On day 2 of the festival, students should proceed immediately to their rehearsal area.
  • Be sure you coordinate with your students how they will get home after the concert (parents, other families, bus transportation back to school, etc.)