Directors Guide

Directors, please use this guide to assist you in registering your students, and going through the motions of the music festival season.

Review the Handbook for audition limits and other important information.

September-October

  • Reach out to your students and encourage them to audition for 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 they are 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 the music for them. No students may 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 insure 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 login, read over 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 on 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 up until the registration deadline. The registration portal usually opens early November.
  • Be sure to check back to see if any audition pieces have changed, or some clarification has been indicated. Please also verify that your students are auditioning on the correct piece.

The Week Before Auditions

  • Prior to going to auditions, please download the Principal’s Form from the registration portal. Verify that it is correct and be sure to have your building principal sign it.
  • Obtain form of payment for the full amount of your school’s auditions fees. We accept check, purchase order, or credit card via Paypal.
  • Download, fill out, and have your principal sign the Late Registration Form for your school if you have late registrants who are not included on the Principal Form.
  • Verify that all students have original copies of the required music.

On the Audition Day

  • Bring the Principal Form and payment to auditions. If you have any changes or are adding a student, there will be a $20 fee added to those students 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 check, Purchase Order or Credit/Debit Card via PayPal.
  • When you arrive, visit the registration table to checkin, 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 instrument to 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 checkout. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THIS HAPPENS. It makes it difficult if we are missing a score and you have already left.

After Auditions

  • Shortly after auditions are complete, results will be published in the Registration Portal. Visit the same page you used to register your students to see if they have been accepted or not.
  • From here, you can download their score sheets so that students may review them.
  • In the registration portal, please check off all students that were accepted and indicate that they will be attending.

The Week Before Festival Weekend

  • Obtain form of payment for the full amount of your school’s festival participation fees.
  • Remind students about tickets, lunch both days, times you will be departing from and returning to your school, and concert dress.

Festival Weekend

  • Visit the Senior or Junior Festival Information page to review all of the details of the festival. Download and distribute Host Letter to your students and attending chaperone(s).
  • Prior to 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 off that they are attending.
  • Once you arrive at the festival, proceed to the registration table to checkin and pay your festival fees. We will also collect your cell phone number in case we need to contact you while at the festival. Students will be guided to their rehearsal spaces as soon as you arrive.
  • After you are registered, visit the directors lounge for some coffee, then go enjoy the festival. Network with colleagues, watch rehearsals, and enjoy the day with fellow music teachers.
  • On day 2 of the festival, students should proceed immediately to their rehearsal area.
  • Be sure you coordinate with your students how they will be getting home after the concert (parents, other family, bus transportation back to school, etc)