PERFORMANCE SITE
Performances take place in local schools, churches, colleges, or performance venues located near the amusement park. At each location, we will greet you upon arrival and provide assistance and directions for your group.
ARRIVAL TIME
You must arrive before your warm-up time to unload buses and move into the school building or facility for check-in at the contest desk.
PERFORMANCE TIME
“On Stage” time is limited to 20 minutes, including setup and dismissal for instrumental and vocal groups. Music selections should total less than 20 minutes. Judges will evaluate quality, not quantity. There is no contest or required selection list; you may make your selections. Medleys or “pop” selections for bands, choirs, or orchestras are acceptable and encouraged for one or more of your selections. Each ensemble, vocal, or instrument group will be adjudicated on TWO selections only!
EQUIPMENT
Instrumental groups should leave cases on the bus and carry instruments into the building, weather permitting. Please bring all of the electronic equipment your students are accustomed to rehearsing with, as our event sites provide only extension cords.
Warm-Up Room: We provide chairs and a piano.
On Stage: We provide chairs, stands, risers, an acoustic or electric piano (not guaranteed to be 88 key), a director podium, a bass drum, three timpani, and a xylophone. You must bring all other percussion, mallets, and sticks.
Vocal Groups: must provide their own boombox for performances if needed. We provide a keyboard for warm-up. Please be advised that it is not a standard keyboard. Plan on bringing your music via iPhone or MP3 player as well.
DRESS/UNIFORM
Students are expected to dress casually. Judges do not give extra credit for uniforms or formal dress, and students will not be able to change clothes in the building. Most groups perform in the casual clothes (jeans, shorts, etc.) they will be wearing to the park that day. Of course, Show Choirs may have uniform changes due to the nature of their program. The choice of wearing uniforms is up to each Director, but the majority of groups do not.
SCORES
Please furnish your musical scores when you arrive in the warm-up room. Jazz Bands and Show Choirs are exempt from providing scores. This year we are introducing taped critique. Two copies of the conductor scores are required for the judges. If published scores cannot be supplied, copies are acceptable and legal, provided they are destroyed after use.
Heartland will provide USBs for each group’s recorded adjudications.
EXTRA TICKETS
Extra tickets may be purchased on the day of the performance from the Festival Office – CASH ONLY.
SET-UP CREW
All directors must have a set-up crew assigned. It is best to have two or three adults to help our own stage crew. We do everything we can to stay on schedule so that everyone may get to the park as soon as possible. Please cooperate with us in this manner. All groups must turn in seating charts a week before the performance.
AWARDS CEREMONY
Frontier City Awards Ceremonies will be held beginning at 6:00 PM at the park. Please attend the ceremony. Groups that are unable to attend the ceremony will have the opportunity to have their award shipped to them at their own cost. We have many surprises and awards for groups and individuals. There will be more awards this year than ever before!
All Branson Awards will be distributed directly at the performance site as there is no awards ceremony.
AWARDS
No other festival of this kind presents as many awards to groups or individual students as Heartland Music Fest. In addition to each group receiving a rating trophy, awards will be given for the following: Best Overall, Distinguished Performance, Outstanding Achievement, and Sectional Brilliance.
SCHEDULE
Since you and your students look forward to spending the afternoon in the park, it is important that we remain on schedule during the morning performances. Please give careful attention to arriving on time, setting up without delay, and performing within the twenty-minute time limit. Groups arriving past their warm-up time will be rescheduled at the Stage Manager’s discretion. If we all strive to stay on schedule, the day will be pleasant and rewarding for everyone.
As a small private school, there aren’t many options for us to perform and receive feedback for our program. Over the years, I feel we have always been judged fairly and accurately. The judges notes have helped support my teaching and improve our band program. I am especially thankful for the recorded notes this year! Again, thanks for your work in putting your festival on every year. It is always a highlight for my band and a great way to get feedback and have fun—even on the rare occasions when we have been rained out!
Brian Frederick
Wesleyan Christian School