Handbook

Print-Friendly View

Southeastern District MMEA Handbook
Revision as of September, 2019

General Rules

  1. Any substitutions, additions, or changes in student audition registrations made after the on line registration deadline, or on the day of auditions, will be subject to a $20 penalty fee per student in addition to the $15 student audition fee payable on the day of auditions.
    1. Schools must have paid all audition fees, registration fees, and late fees from the past year before they can register students for the current audition year.
    2. Audition fees and late fees are to be paid the day of the audition and are figured on the basis of students registered. No reductions or refunds are allowed for a student’s non-participation.
    3. Registration fees are to be paid the first day of the festival.  No reductions or refunds are allowed for a student’s non-participation.
  2. A Director, or a parent designated by the director, must be present to register all students from a school/town at the registration table. Any early/late auditions must be approved by the auditions coordinator and must be requested by the director.  Any on-site Registrations MUST provide the “on-site registration principal’s form” (available at http://semmea.org).  Students will not be allowed to register without this form.
  3. Applicants must attend all rehearsals to be eligible for the concert. Students accepted, but who do not participate in the festival, will not be allowed to participate the following year and, if it applies, they will lose their All State recommendation for the current year.
    1. Medical and personal tragedies will be considered by the Executive Board upon receipt of a letter from the school director.
  4. Choral auditions will be solos sung to a recording, which is available as an mp3 file that can be down loaded from the SE District Web Site, http://semmea.org Students will audition individually.
  5. All students must audition on the prescribed solo. Please refer to the lists posted on the district web site. Please check this site often as there could be corrections and/or adjustments made due to “out of prints”.
  6. Illegally copied music is not allowed in the audition rooms.
  7. No student may double register for auditions.

Exceptions:

  1. Percussionists may double register on another percussion instrument.
  2. Junior Jazz students may register for a different instrumental ensemble but, if they are selected for jazz ensemble, the other audition will not count towards acceptability.
  3. Senior Jazz students may audition for another ensemble on the audition day, but if accepted in both groups, the student may only participate in the Jazz Ensemble. The other ensemble acceptance would be used for All State recommendation only, if applicable.
  4. Separate audition fees are due for each audition.
  5. Composition students may also register for another group.

Registration Limitations

  1. Choral:
    1. Students should register for a voice part in their appropriate vocal range (updated 6/14/18).
    2. No more than 24 chorus students may be registered or audition from each school.
    3. There is a limit of 6 sopranos and 6 altos from each school.
    4. Students will audition individually using the mp3 available on the district web site.
    5. A school population, grades 9-12, is 2000 students and above, may have double choral audition limits.
  2. Winds/Percussion:
    1. Senior Auditions ONLY:
      1. No Limit per instrument  (directors are expected to send qualified students)
      2. No Limit per school.
    2. Junior Auditions ONLY:
      1. Limit of 5 per instrument who may be registered or audition from each school.
      2. No limit per school.
    3. Percussion students may double audition.
      1. All Senior percussionists must also prepare the Multi Percussion required selection in addition to their listed required audition selection.  (students should bring their own mallets. All other multi percussion instruments are provided).
      2. All Junior percussionists will be asked to show their ability to read and play a basic 4 measure piece on Bass Drum, Cymbals, Triangle and Tambourine in addition to their listed required audition selection.
  3. Strings:  
    1. There is No Limit for string instruments. (directors are expected to send qualified students)
  4. Jazz:  
    1. No more than 10 students may register or audition from each school.
    2. There is a limit of 3 per instrument.
    3. Students auditioning for Jazz Ensemble may double register for another instrumental audition but, agree that if they are accepted to the jazz ensemble the other audition will not count towards festival acceptability .
    4. Senior accepted Jazz students second audition would be for consideration for another All State recommendation.

Choral Part Testing

  1. Up to 40 singers (10 from each voice part) will be selected at random. Those students will be assigned to octets, and each octet will be asked to sing excerpts from every song on the District Chorus program before a panel of music teachers. 
  2. Each singer will be rated well-prepared, prepared, or not prepared. This will include text as well as music. 
  3. If a singer receives a not prepared rating, any other chorus members from that school will also be adjudicated. 
  4. If other singers from that school are not prepared, the school’s choral director will receive a letter stating that the level of preparation from that school was inadequate. Next year, all students sent by that school will be part tested. If found unprepared again, the school will forfeit the opportunity to have students audition for the District Chorus for the following year.