May 23, 2006 Meeting Summary

Held May 23, 2006

1. To approve the recommendations from the District Music Managers meeting as follows:

a.    To create a survey for each school to complete as to why entries are cancelled at the district music festival. This survey will be included in each schools music packet.

b.    To change current MSHSAA By-Law 443 to allow recordings of large group performances by outside recording agencies with MSHSAA coordinating the necessary set-up and arrangements for each district.

2. Recommend that performances shall be a minimum of three minutes. A penalty of “one rating lower” shall be imposed for solo or small ensemble entries that perform less than three minutes.

3. Recommend to continue to study re-districting for music in order to improve the quality of the music festivals.

4. Recommend adding statement to Section 6-B-1-d; “Managers shall hire adjudicators from outside the district music festival boundaries. Exceptions due to emergency situations must be approved by the MSHSAA.”

5. Recommend to review and potentially raise adjudicator pay for district and state music festivals.

6. Recommend to suspend the memorization rule for all wind, brass, percussion and string solo entries for two years with the Music Advisory Committee to review again in the spring of 2008.

7. Recommend to grant an exception to Section 7-B-1 for string duets only, that if no score of the work is available and the music publisher will not grant permission to create a score, then individual parts may be provided to an adjudicator.

8. Recommend to increase the number of schools assigned to Thursday State Music Festival for the 2006-2007 school year and expand to a full day on Thursday.

9. Recommend to accept the changes in the sight reading procedures as presented with separate categories for vocal and instrumental to be reflected in the MSHSAA Music Manual.

10. Recommend to clarify directions provided in the MSHSAA Music Manual to sight reading adjudicators, festival managers and music directors regarding the procedures to be followed during vocal and instrumental sight reading and to also publish this information in the MSHSAA Journal and web site.

11. Recommend to schedule music rules meetings to begin in September rather than October for the 2007-08 school year.

12. Recommend that a policy be included in the MSHSAA Music Manual stating that music scores downloaded from the internet must also contain written documentation indicating that all copyright laws have been satisfied for use at the MSHSAA district and or state music festivals.

13. Recommend to add an exemption to the MSHSAA Music Manual for small and large choral ensembles for second and subsequent accompaniment instruments as optional as long as piano accompaniment is used even if the piece does not list accompaniment other than piano as optional.

14. Recommend that Section 7-B-1 of the MSHSAA Music Manual be edited to clarify that if a piano score has all the performance parts, dynamics and articulations/bowings included in the score it is an acceptable score to present to the adjudicator for instrumental solos only.

Section 7-F-2-c would now read:

“Instrumental Groups

…The director, prior to the sight reading performance, during the instructional preparation period may count, chant, and sing aloud rhythms, it is recommended the director use an established counting system (1 e and ah or 1 tee tay tah). The director may also provide verbal instructions as to tempo and tempo changes in addition to non-verbal gestures. Performers, prior to the actual sight reading performance, during the instructional preparation period may chant and count (not sing) aloud with director instructions; instrumentalists are encouraged to finger the instrument but cannot make any sounds through the instruments.

Once the instructional preparation time period has expired the ensemble may re-establish pitch center by playing “one” tuning note and “one” tuning chord. No scales or arpeggios are permitted . The entire process is not to exceed 30 seconds). During the sight reading performance the conductor may not provide any verbal instructions. If the ensemble must stop during the sight reading performance the conductor with the approval of the adjudicator may provide verbal instructions to establish a regrouping measure only, (ie. rehearsal letter or number). Violation of this rule shall result in the overall rating being lowered by one rating level. A regrouping will not be considered a violation but will be a consideration in the overall rating.

Violation of any of these rules shall result in the overall rating being lowered by one rating level.”

Section 7-F-2-d would now read:

“Vocal Groups

…The director during the instructional preparation period, prior to the first and second sight reading performance, may count or chant, but not sing, aloud rhythms, it is recommended the director use an established counting system (1 e and ah or I tee tay tah). The director may use Kodaly hand signals or numbers in the preparation time and the group is encouraged to use solfege or numbers. The director may also provide verbal instructions as to tempo and tempo changes as well as non-verbal gestures.

Once the instructional preparation time period to the first and second reading has expired the ensemble may re-establish pitch center . It is permissible to establish the tonality by hearing on the piano and singing the tonic scale and hearing the I, IV, V7 chords (the entire process is not to exceed 30 seconds). The singing shall follow immediately. During the first and second sight reading performance the conductor may not provide any verbal instructions NOTE : It is the directors choice to use either syllables, numbers or words (lyrics) during the first reading of the music. The words (lyrics) shall be required for the second reading with judging to occur for both readings.

Violations of any of the above regulation shall result in the overall rating for the group being lowered one rating level.”

All items approved