During times of duress and difficulty, people all across the world have always turned to music for calm and support.   Current times are no different. Music’s transformational power to convey emotion and reach out to others is felt everywhere. Though students are learning in a new way and teachers are learning new ways to teach, the feelings and impact of music-making remains the same. 

Musicians at all levels are communicating to the global community to touch those who are hungry to hear. Hospital staff singing to uplift patients or Italian citizens singing from their balconies to encourage their neighbors – we’ve all seen them.    Professional musicians such as Itzhak Perlman (one of my favorites- always with a story), Steve Martin (Banjo Balm), and YoYo Ma’s serenade for healthcare workers (google on classicfm.com)  are just a few of the many musicians who have mobilized in response to the pandemic.  The Pacific Symphony provides a Quarantine Clip on their website with new postings each day. The San Francisco Symphony offers Concert Highlights on their website (sfsymphony.org)   Choirs are using Zoom to join in digital concerts.

Although we are not together this season, resources are available on our website or Facebook page for you to provide to students. The countless online opportunities to see and appreciate musicians who wish to offer their gifts connects us and gives us hope.

Thank you for your many kind emails and good wishes for our staff and the business. Please know that we are here to answer any questions you may have. We are already accepting registrations for spring 2021. Our very best wishes to you, your students, and your community as we move forward to a day when we can enjoy music together again.

Updated December 28, 2021

All destinations and suppliers have their own rules related to COVID-19. For example, you may be required to quarantine upon arrival in some locations. Some locations may require masks or social distancing, or they may require you to provide proof of vaccination or negative testing. While Forum Educational Travel will try to assist you in understanding these requirements, you are responsible for understanding these requirements and must not rely on any representations made by Forum Educational Travel. Should you be denied entry to any destination or attraction, Forum Educational Travel will not be responsible for any such denial, or any cost associated therewith.

All medical costs associated with a COVID-19 infection during the trip are the responsibility of each individual traveler.

Updated August 15, 2020

It’s mid-August. Ordinarily, we would be circulating our annual brochure, generating our pricing, and looking forward to speaking with you who are anxiously planning festivals and trips. But these are unusual times, as we all know.

We understand that music educators are working through their own teaching schedules and, in many cases, distance learning conditions. We’ve shared some ideas and arts opportunities on our social media platforms in hopes of being helpful to students and educators. A survey will be emailed next week so we may plan some best next steps for 2021 festivals. When you receive that survey, we would be grateful if you would take a few minutes to let us know what is going on in your program.

Above all, we want you to know that we are still here – strong, steady, and ready to start planning with you when the COVID-19 situation allows. We are monitoring community and school closures as well as the CDC guidelines, to help us define how we will safely and effectively move forward with our festivals.

Refunds from the 2020 season were processed as promptly as possible. If any questions still remain about 2020 refunds, please contact us at office@forummusicfestivals.com.

As a company that supports school music programs, there is no question that this health crisis has impacted Forum as well as our many business partners. But be assured that when students are ready to travel and perform, we will be ready to welcome them with open arms and with our longstanding commitment to music education.

For now, we encourage you to keep safe and healthy.

o Observe instructions released by local health officials.

o Practice social distancing and wear a mask when in public.

o Minimize any chance of contracting respiratory infections.

o Do not touch your face without washing your hands.

o Avoid contact with persons who are already ill.

o Limit touching public surfaces, where possible.

o Wash your hands frequently with soap and water.

o Carry hand sanitizer (60-95% alcohol) for conditions where hand
washing isn’t possible.

Take care and we will see you soon!

Your Friends at Forum Music Festivals and Forum Educational Travel

Updated July 10, 2020

Our registration for the 2021 Festival Season is NOW OPEN. Although we know there is still much uncertainty for the future, we hope to have a great festival season and get to see many of the faces we missed in 2020. We will be introducing new safety and sanitation policies and will share them once available. We are closely monitoring this ever-changing situation and making our decisions with the health and well-being of our clients at the forefront. Our partners are also hard at work to develop new protocols and ensure the safety of their guests, and we will be sure to share any and all information for trips you may be planning. In the meantime, stay tuned and we’ll see you soon!

Updated April 22, 2020

As we’ve said goodbye to our 2020 festival season (with barely a chance to say hello), we want to give you an update on what we’re doing and where we go from here.

Like many of you, we are monitoring the status of the Coronavirus and the guidelines from the State of California.  If you were planning on participating with us during the 2020 festival season, we are providing the following details.

1.  All 2020 festivals are now cancelled.  Although we were hoping to re-schedule groups, it just isn’t possible during this spring season.  Above all, the health of our participants and our staff is what matters most.
2. We have suspended our usual cancellation deadlines due to the pandemic.
3. School refunds are nearly complete. We’d like to extend a shout out to our many valued partners (hotels, restaurant, bus companies, etc.) for assisting us to refund so many of our client’s funds.
4. We continue to advocate for our groups with our corporate suppliers to expedite the remainder of funds paid on behalf of schools.  Wherever possible, we are offering partial refunds now so needed monies can be returned to the hands of students and their families.   Once the remainder of the refund comes back to us, we will refund the balance to the school.
5. If you wish to have your 2020 funds carried over for a festival in 2021, please notify us.  We are accepting registrations now for the 2021 festival season – visit Festival Registrations.
6. We are working remotely. The best way to reach us is by email –  office@forummusicfestivals.com.  You may leave a message at our office phone, but it may take longer to retrieve and answer those messages.
7. Hotels, theme parks, charter bus companies, and restaurants are also under lockdown orders.  This may delay refunds and correspondence as they are facing the same situation as many of us.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate through this difficult time.    We are here to answer any questions you may have.  Most importantly, we encourage you and your school community to adhere to local guidelines for best practices to stay safe and healthy. 

Updated April 1, 2020

In light of the new recommendations from the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (read letter here), Forum has made the difficult choice to cancel the rest of our festival season.  We are as heartbroken as our many clients at this unfortunate situation but the health and safety of all our directors, students, families, and staff are at the forefront of our minds.

We are working remotely from home at this time.  Please contact us at office@forummusicfestivals.com for options for funds paid in toward your 2020 festival participation. 

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your sincere and kind emails during this difficult time.  We consider you all as close as family and will miss seeing you and hearing your students this year.

We excitedly look forward to our 2021 festival season!  Registrations are NOW OPEN so lock in your preferred date today.  Contact us for a no-obligation overnight quote for the lowest rates and best availability. We are hopeful that all public health concerns will be resolved long before our season will commence.

Take care, be well, continue making music and we will see you all in 2021!

Updated March 27, 2020

Our team at Forum is working diligently to process refunds and address this fluid situation on a case-by-case basis.  At this point, we have not cancelled all of our May festivals.  We are waiting for further direction from the CDC and state of California.  If you are registered for a May festival, please contact us at office@forummusicfestivals.com to give us an update on whether your district will be in session or will allow travel in May or June.

Please note that registrations for 2021 open on April 1 and we anxiously look forward to welcoming each and every one of you back to Forum in the new year!  Reserve your spot today and request your custom overnight proposal now for the best availability.

Updated March 20, 2020

Due to the shelter in place orders from the California government, we are no longer actively in the office.  Our staff is monitoring email and phone calls.  Refunds will be processed once we can get back into the office. Please be patient as we work through this together.

Updated March 17, 2020

Forum Music Festivals would like to express a sincere and heartfelt thank you to all of our clients and partners who have been so patient and understanding during this unprecedented and uncertain time.

We are currently holding to see if late May or early June festivals may be possible.  Based on current CDC guidelines, we do not feel comfortable planning any events until this situation calms down.  If you are interested in pursuing a later festival date, we ask that you reach out to us in early to mid-April to see what options may be available at that time.  We appreciate your understanding as we wait for a clearer picture of what is to come.

Please note we have had to reduce our office hours due to the governor’s recent suggestions, so our team is working remotely and communicating as best we can to get refunds and changes processed.  We also must wait for our partner organizations (theme parks, hotels, restaurants, etc.) to process refunds before we can move forward.  We are doing everything we can to get these out in a timely manner while also considering the health and safety of our staff.  Thank you in advance for your patience!

Take care and be well!

Updated March 13, 2020

As you may know, the COVID-19 coronavirus has forced the closures and cancellations of many venues and activities throughout the country. In accordance with the recommendations made by the state of California, we have decided to cancel our festivals through the end of March.  We are saddened to make this move but believe it is in the best interest of our music teachers and students.  We are also assessing our April dates and cancelling those as necessary.  If you have an existing registration with us, we will inform you directly if this impacts your trip.

You have several options including:

1. Reschedule at a later date – possibly May or June
2. Request a refund
3. Request the theme park tickets and we will refund the festival portion
4. Roll-over all fees for a 2021 festival date.  Registrations will commence on April 1.

Because of these extraordinary circumstances, we are processing many refunds on a case-by-case basis.  We thank you for your patience in getting this information out to you.  We have a high volume of calls at this time, so please email office@forummusicfestivals.com with any questions you may have.

We look forward to working with all of you and your talented students later this year and beyond in 2021 and appreciate your understanding during these difficult times.

Originally posted March 3, 2020

At Forum Music Festivals, our goal is to provide an experience that is not only educational and fun, but also an experience that keeps students well-being at the forefront. 

At this time, there are no restrictions on travel anywhere in the United States.  In addition, there’s no indication that travel plans within the United States should be altered for any public health reason.  The CDC and other health organizations have advised that the current health risk to the general public is considered low.  In addition, young people appear to be less susceptible to the Coronavirus.

Specific healthy habits always benefits student travelers – wash hands frequently, cough into your elbow and sneeze into a tissue, and consult your health care provider before traveling when sick.  We also encourage group leaders to check official world and national health resources for the most accurate information.  These include the Centers for Disease Control  and the U.S. Travel Association. Educating ourselves with guidance from legitimate health organizations will allow us to make the best decisions for our student travelers. 

Although this is a developing situation, we currently do not foresee a change in our cancellation policy. 

If you’ve been with us for a while, you probably understand our scheduling process.  However, if you are a “newbie” to Forum, you may need an explanation of how our scheduling works.

Some of our competitors “sell” performance spots.  This works for early registrants if they absolutely must have a location and a time spot for their ensembles.   But the drawbacks to this method are tough to get around. 

1. If you are unable to register early, you must take what you can get. 
2. If you want an audience to see your performance and to allow your students the chance to see other ensembles, the schedule may not be set up for optimal audience participation. 
3. If you have to pick & choose times, your jazz band may perform at 8 AM and your concert band can’t perform until noon, just based on the spots that have already been filled. 

At Forum, we have a different method that’s seems to be working, now 25 years in.  We solicit director input regarding the group’s ETA, departure times, possible bus parameters that influence arrival time, plus a wish list for an ideal performance schedule.  We organize the schedule to group similar ensembles together, to allow for enough warm-up time between ensembles who share the same director or have cross-over students.  And we try our best to get your ensembles grouped on the schedule comfortably without a huge amount of wait time.   

Help US Help YOU with 11 Important Scheduling Tips:

1.  If your bus company has timing constraints, notify us when you schedule your bus.
2. If students perform in multiple ensembles, mention this before the schedule is released.
3. If you WANT to perform back-to-back, (maybe with an associate to handle warm-ups), let us know.  No guarantees, but we’ll do our best.
4. If you must provide off-duty time to your bus driver, share that essential information so we can schedule your exit time accordingly.
5. If you can perform super early, that helps us help you.  Not everyone can perform at 10 AM – what a cacophony that would be!
6. Do you want your ensemble to have an audience?  Let us know! No guarantees again but scheduling close to an awards ceremony will more likely ensure an audience.
7. Your students deserve a great awards ceremony.  If your schedule doesn’t permit attending the awards ceremony, let us know before the schedule is released.  We may adjust the schedule so students will benefit by the entire experience.
8. If you have arranged your own activity, tell us about your plans so we can comfortably allow time for you to get there.
9. Flexibility is key!  Remember, traffic and road closures influence the schedule. Communicating with us can result in a positive outcome to the festival performance, even if traffic congestion woes misplace the best laid plans.
10. Dropping groups after the schedule release is a faux pas of festival decorum.  When you register your ensembles, a spot in the line-up is being held just for you.  If you cancel an ensemble late in the game, you have likely eliminated the possibility of another school being able to perform.
11. Time your performance.  Playing past the scheduled time causes the festival to run late, affects the timing of other schools, and irritates the judges who are trying to stick to the timeline.

Are you spotting a common thread here?  Notify us – mention this – let us know – share information – and clue us in.  We enjoy chatting with our clients, so give us a call or shoot us an email.   If you have info that will affect your arrival, we’d love to know.  And, we want you and your ensembles to feel good about your performance so if scheduling is going to affect that, let’s talk. 

Not all of us are uber planners.  Some of us need to catch our breath before launching into another big program.  Those folks start planning trips after the holiday concerts are done, January classes are set, and reality sets in that a music trip hasn’t been booked quite yet.  Never fear!  There’s still time!

Give us a call – our experience and ideas will help you arrange an outstanding trip that includes all the essentials – learning, fun, and performance!  After all, we’ve been developing terrific resources for 25 years.  A great festival trip to your choice destination is just a phone call away.

Our team at Forum will answer your questions and guide you towards a festival trip that meets both your budget and interests.  How about five tips to get you started?

1.  Be flexible.  If you didn’t start planning earlier, give us a range of dates that will work in your schedule.  Popular festivals fill up quickly.  If you are planning an overnight trip, hotels and attractions also fill up quickly.  Have an open mind and let’s get started!
2. Explore alternate activities.  So, your group didn’t make the cut-off for a popular theme park workshop?  Let us help you find an alternate educational experience that fits the bill.  Maybe be a clinic or performance that you hadn’t considered before or an afternoon at the Philharmonic or theatre would appeal to your students.
3. Don’t delay decision making.  When time is not on your side, be prepared to make quick decisions so you don’t lose out. Making speedy decisions may not be in your comfort zone but collecting everyone’s opinions at this date may impede the possibility of doing the activity that you really wanted to include.
4. Fundraisers and finances are the facts of life.  If you haven’t collected funds for the trip, it doesn’t mean the trip is off.  At Forum, we have suggestions that allow you to enjoy a trip on a budget.  Early fundraising is beneficial, but options are available that make it possible for your students to travel.
5. Don’t shortchange your itinerary if it jeopardizes safety and security.  We never recommend loading a charter bus in the evening to drive through the night.   Night driving challenges include driver physical and mental fatigue.  Most accidents happen during the hours of 2:00-4:00 AM.    Instead, consider staying the night and driving home the next morning.  Safety is the most important element of the trip. 

You might be getting a late start, but you can still your students with a fantastic and rewarding trip this year.  We’re only a phone call away and invite you to pick up the phone. 

1-888-76-FORUM

www.forummusicfestivals.com

PS – Looking for a destination outside of California or our festival season?  We can help with that, too.  Let’s chat about student tour ideas that will spark your students’ enthusiasm.  Email or call – info@forumtravel.org / 1-888-763-6786.

At this beautiful season, we can’t help but think of all the gifts that music education provides to students and teachers.   As we celebrate our 25^th year, we’re honored to be part of those gifts.

The gift of music is magical.  The hope and joy imparted to both performer and listener cannot be taken lightly.

The gift of travel changes our perspective and our story.  Experiencing the world outside our own understanding sheds new light on other cultures and experiences. 

The gift of learning drives us to find the answers.  Music teachers are often recalled as mentors and inspiration as we seek success.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership.  We extend our warmest wishes for a holiday season filled with all the many gifts that you impart to others:  Happiness, warmth, and wonder.

Your Friends at Forum Music Festivals and Forum Educational Travel.

Recently, this article regarding Mister Rogers’ impact on music education appeared in the NAfME e-newsletter.  Given its timeliness with the release of the recent movie as well as his enduring legacy that touches parents, teachers, and all of us, we are honored to reprint the article here.

This article was originally posted on Cued In, the J. W. Pepper blog.

The link for the original article is here.

It’s said the first thing Fred Rogers did when he returned home from emergency surgery for stomach cancer was go straight to his piano. His wife Joanne has shared with friends how much her husband loved playing that piano. His grandmother bought the nine-foot Steinway concert grand for Fred when he was only a teenager. He used that piano for the rest of his life, including when he composed songs for Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and when he played some of his favorite pieces, like Misty.

“Joanne has described standing in the next room until Fred finished when he was playing with such reverie,” Faulkner University professor Art Williams said.

Williams has extensively studied how Mister Rogers has affected music education. Like many others, Williams grew up watching the program. When Williams was in high school, he wrote letters to both Fred Rogers and the program’s jazz pianist, Johnny Costa. Both of them wrote him back with words of encouragement. Costa inspired Williams to study music education.

“Looking back, I realized to what extent the music on Mister Rogers influenced my love of jazz and my desire to study music,” Williams said.

That effect was so strong for Williams and many others because of the ways both music and child psychology concepts were treasured on the program.

The Musical Foundation of Mister Rogers

Much of the show’s philosophy stemmed from Rogers’ experiences with his grandfather, Fred Brooks McFeely. As the Los Angeles Times noted, Rogers told book writer Jeanne Marie Laskas that his grandfather once said to him, “You know, you made this day a really special day just by being yourself. There’s only one person in the world like you, and I happen to like you just the way you are.”

That idea stuck when Rogers later attended Rollins College to major in music composition. When Rogers began his television program, he worked hand in hand with renowned child psychologist Dr. Margaret McFarland to ensure he could create songs that would reach young viewers. Rogers wrote over 200 songs for his TV neighborhood, concentrating primarily on the lyrics and the melody.

Costa and his jazz trio provided the flourish. Costa was a master pianist who was highly regarded for his ability to improvise. He altered his piano playing every time a song was played, including the opening and closing numbers. He also improvised when Rogers was talking, setting the stage for Rogers to powerfully convey his messages.

From the first sounds of the program to the last, Costa was determined not to dumb down any of the music. The opening piano notes in Won’t You Be My Neighbor that started each episode were inspired by the fourth movement of Beethoven’s Sonata in C Major, Opus 2, No. 3.

“Johnny was working on the Beethoven sonata and thought it would make a nice intro if he just put his thumb down while playing to create four-part harmony instead of three,” Williams said.

Rogers composed Won’t You Be My Neighbor in 1963 after the show began in Canada. It was kept when the program transferred to the United States. The original closing number for Mister Rogers though was a composition called Tomorrow (listen to it here on YouTube). Rogers wrote It’s Such a Good Feeling in 1969, which was later adopted as the traditional closing.

These pieces helped create the musical foundation of the show.

“Fred said music was the heartbeat of it all. The program has a musical grid. He even composed the script in sonata form,” Williams said.

He explains that the exposition of the “sonata” was when Rogers brought an object that would set forth the idea of the day. The development would include travels as the viewer saw how the idea unfolded. The recapitulation was when Rogers revisited and interpreted what had been done that day.

Underlying it all was the show’s patient pace. Composer Tom Trenney, who also credits Mister Rogers with inspiring his life’s work, says the program’s use of routine and reflective moments can be duplicated in the music classroom and beyond.

“We often do the same thing again and again to create some calm,” Trenney said. “There’s a joy in resting and gently creating quiet space. A moment of silence in choir rehearsal can make the music much more intentional.”

Ways the Show Influenced Music Education

Beyond the overall structure of the program, Mister Rogers had specific ways it promoted music education and child development. Williams defined six ways in his dissertation:

• Original Compositions – The songs on the program demonstrated how powerful it is to combine lyrics with melody in ways that help an audience address common aspects of life. For children, that included everything from welcoming a baby brother or sister to dealing with fears about going down the bathtub drain. The program also frequently discussed how to handle emotions.
• Music Underscore – Williams says that with the help of Costa, the music became “a character of its own.” The improvised jazz played throughout the program was unlike anything children would have heard on other shows at the time.
• Operas Composed – Thirteen children’s operas were produced for the show. Rogers’ former classmate John Reardon was an opera singer who performed in the works. The program showed the process of creating the opera throughout the week so children could see the collaboration involved in the production.
• Musical Guests – The program frequently featured musicians, both professional and amateur. Guests were regularly asked if they enjoyed playing as a child and how they played if they had strong emotions, including sadness or anger. Famous guests included cellist Yo-Yo Ma, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, singer Tony Bennett, violinist Hilary Hahn and pianist André Watts. Grammy award-winning artist Esperanza Spalding has said seeing Yo-Yo Ma on an episode inspired her to learn how to play the bass.
• Music Lessons – Rogers frequently had segments designed to teach children about music. He showed how instruments were made, shared a staff with notes, and went to the music shop on the set for lessons. Williams says Rogers followed the Quaker idea that “attitudes are caught, not taught.” With that mind, he enjoyed featuring professionals who not only loved what they did but also worked hard to achieve their goals.
• Musical Messages – Music was always presented in a positive light on the program. Rogers would ask the children if music made them feel like singing or dancing and what instruments they may like to play. The set also included posters on the walls and other visible things that encouraged music lessons and positive attitudes towards music. It was the best form of subliminal advertising.

The combined effect was that children continually were exposed to noteworthy details about music. As Williams said, “It was probably the largest music appreciation classroom there’s ever been.”

The Big Message for Educators

Trenney focused on these big-picture ideas during a presentation on Mister Rogers at the National Conference of the American Choral Directors Association. As a composer and conductor, Trenney has taken to heart Rogers’ practice of regularly sharing thoughts about how we should treat our neighbors with openness and inclusion. Trenney keeps that in mind when picking text for his compositions and repertoire for his choirs to sing.

“We should use the holy ground of choir to sing about love, hope, light and faith. If we don’t do it in treasured times when we choose the words on people’s lips, who are we looking to do that?” Trenney said.

Trenney also appreciated Rogers’ gentle nature in a world and time when men were often expected to be tough. Trenney says it’s notable that Rogers always stayed true to who he was.

“Think about how much the world changed in the 30 years from 1968 until the early 2000s. And you know he had the same curtains and the same sweaters the whole time,” Trenney said. “It wasn’t about being novel and trendy. It was about having a message that said to somebody, ‘I love you just the way you are. There’s no one else like you. There never has been, and there never will be.’”

You can learn more about Fred Rogers at the Fred Rogers Center in Latrobe, Pennsylvania and at Fred Rogers Productions.

View works by Fred Rogers here.

Gaining support for organizing the perfect trip can be frustrating and time-consuming.  You need a strategy for creating a base of support from parents, students, and administration.  We’re here to share some great guidelines for promoting your trip.

Enlist the help of another teacher! 

If you and another teacher at your school or in your district share a vision for what a music trip will look like, consider joining together.  You automatically have doubled your base of support when you create a travel team partner.  And you can collaborate on idea exchanges with a fellow travel buddy.

Share your enthusiasm each day in class.

Talking up the trip is just the beginning.  Consider bringing in instructional elements that engage your students and are relevant to the trip.  For example, if you are performing a march at festival, tie in a visit to the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles who offers a workshop on The Music of War.  Check out the San Francisco Symphony’s website for a First Timer’s Guide and use that as a springboard to teach your students about what they are going to experience.

Share your enthusiasm at a parent meeting.

Get your parents behind the trip by hosting an information meeting as soon as possible.  Be prepared to cover the benefits of student travel, any safety concerns that may come up, and filling in parents with a detailed itinerary.  Be ready to answer parent’s questions about the trip, the finances, and the goal.

Social media is your friend. 

Be creative about ways to broadcast excitement for the trip.  Launch a Facebook page about the trip, the area, a packing list, what to bring, what will be performed.  Consider adding Instagram or Twitter to your toolbox.  Encourage students to post details about the trip – their hopes, their connections, their top ten list of what they want to experience.

Budget accordingly.

Offer fundraising opportunities.  Be realistic about activities and meals – make it affordable so more students will be able to attend.  Put together some options with your boosters or grant money for scholarships towards students in need of a little extra help.

Rely on Specialists.

At Forum, we’ve been organizing music trips for 25 years.  If you need a helping hand, consider consulting our professional music travel experts who can carve out a fantastic trip for your students and stay within your budget.  Because we’ve been at this for so long, we have networking associations and longstanding relationships with hotels, attractions, and bus companies to make your music trip planning a breeze.   If offering your students a chance to travel is on your wish list, we’d love to talk to you.  Keep these tips in mind and let’s work together to make a successful trip an awesome experience for you and your students!

Consider using a tour operator. 

Your expertise is teaching.  A travel planner’s expertise is to know the nuts and bolts of millions of elements that make a trip run smoothly.  Many directors or booster clubs think they can do it themselves on the cheap.  A travel planner earns bulk discounts with hotels, restaurants, and attractions by regular business.  Our connections save you money.  Collaborating with a tour operator also provides you with a sounding board about ideas, problems, and questions as they come up.

Set your goal for the trip.

Solidifying your focus makes many decisions easier for you.   Communicating that goal will help generate excitement to your students which is at the core of keeping attrition down, fundraising up, and the momentum going straight ahead.  This doesn’t mean that you can’t mix in fun along with the learning but having a clear mind about your plan makes the trip much simpler.

Establish rules early and often. 

Having students and families sign a “behavior contract” notifies everyone about what is expected during the trip.  Choosing great chaperones is another way to keep behavior on track.  Prepare your travelers by establishing your policy on cell phones, boys & girls at the hotel, and theatre etiquette.

Put on a happy face!

Your high spirits during the trip will boost your students through fatigue, homesickness, and other factors that contribute to lethargy.  As you and your travel planner are planning the trip, be mindful of keeping your students engaged, but not allowing too much or too little on the itinerary.

Flexibility is key.

Things happen.  Prepare your students for schedule changes, back-up plans, and a few tiresome travel companions here and then.  What a great lesson you are offering your students outside of their music studies!  Flexibility is a great life asset and traveling together is an awesome way to practice it.

The American String Teachers Association (ASTA) is an organization whose mission is to provide professional development, career building and support, and a community of peers for all teachers of stringed instruments. The organization promotes advocacy for string programs and string teachers through many brochures and publications available on their website at www.astaweb.com. 

As members of ASTA’s corporate The String Industry Council, Forum Festivals proudly supports and serves the needs of string educators and students.  As music programs are launched throughout the country, we thought it would be helpful to share a reprint of one of their most popular brochures promoting recruitment and advocacy.

Why Strings?

Participation in a school and/or studio string instrument program enhances a child’s quality of life. It provides creative, emotional, and social opportunities and unifies communities.

• Research on brain development has shown string players brains are larger, have more neural pathways, and process information faster.

• All children are capable of learning to play a stringed instrument, regardless of “talent,” “giftedness,” or musical background. String classes have been successfully taught to diverse populations and in diverse settings.

• Unlike most other musical instruments, stringed instruments come in a variety of sizes so that children as young as three years old can begin instruction.

• Orchestral music, which is considered one of Western culture’s greatest treasures, cannot be performed without stringed instruments.

• Contemporary music increasingly relies on strings. Some of the popular musical genres that feature stringed instruments include jazz, country, pop, and various folk styles. Other world cultures also use stringed instruments in their music making.

• Lifelong opportunities to perform on a stringed instrument abound. According to the American Symphony Orchestra League, opportunities exist for adult musicians in more than 1,600 orchestras in the United States. Professionals in all fields have played stringed instruments for lifelong fulfillment, including Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Albert Einstein.

• Playing a stringed instrument enhances the enjoyment of music, and leads to a lifelong appreciation of music. An estimated 25 million people currently attend concerts each year in the United States.

• Colleges and universities may need string players for their orchestras and may offer scholarships to qualified students regardless of their intended academic major.

• Opportunities also abound for undergraduate string education and performance majors. Today, more than 8,000 string teaching positions exist in public schools alone, and performers have opportunities to teach in studios, community music schools, and in orchestra community outreach programs.

Communities benefit from area schools that offer a full complement of fine arts courses, including stringed instrument study. Businesses often appraise the cultural climate of a region when making decisions about where to locate.

In every school, there are students who are inherently attracted to the sound of stringed instruments. Without a string and orchestra program to provide access to string education, students are denied the possibility of realizing their potential.

For information about the American String Teachers Association, please visit our website: www.astastrings.org

1. Is the festival scheduled in an appropriate venue?

Choosing a festival with a great performance venue really makes a big difference to your students.  Many times, we’ve heard from discouraged directors who scheduled another festival where a school cafeteria, a multi-purpose room, or a gymnasium was considered a suitable venue.  At Forum, that’s just not our style!  Forum venues include college theatres, local auditoriums, or civic theatres that support good acoustics and a high level of professionalism.  A good sound system and professional set-up encourages your students to perform their best.

2. What large equipment will be provided?

Don’t assume that you will or won’t have to bring large percussion equipment to the festival.  The festival should provide a percussion list that will be made available to your students onstage.  Knowledge is power and it’s good to know what will be available to you.

3. Is it non-competitive or a competition?

It’s fun to be the winner of a competition, but perhaps your students aren’t ready for that quite yet.  After 25 years, I’ve realized that many top groups steer clear of the ranking at competitive festivals in lieu of an encouragement-style, educational festival.  Competitions certainly have their place, but student musicians deserve support and constructive feedback as well as an opportunity to hear and appreciate other student ensembles without worrying about their position on the leaderboard. We want students to leave feeling good about their performance and their experience with Forum.

4. How can I make sure this is a learning experience?

• Question the festival organizer about the festival format so you can talk to your students about theatre etiquette and how to be generous audience members and participants.
• Request a blank adjudication form to review with your students.  Consider having them bring the form to quietly “adjudicate” other performances to discuss back in the classroom.
• Delve deeper into the literature chosen by you as well as other groups.  Cultural, historical, as well as musical threads are interwoven in music and this is your opportunity to develop your students’ knowledge about each of these elements.
• Where and when does the awards ceremony take place?  Plan to attend to support the other festival performances and to see how everything comes out. Your students deserve the chance to be a part of this important event.
• Will the judges write and record comments that can be used back in the classroom as a teaching tool?  At Forum, we also provide a clear recording without comments so your students can hear and comment on their own performance.

5. How will my students feel when they leave the festival?

If you are training your students to play to the best of their abilities and you are not communicating a level of disappointment regarding the results, your students should leave the festival with a positive feeling about moving forward with their music studies.  Evaluation is a good thing, if it is handled in a constructive, encouraging, and positive way.  Choose music that your students can play.  The biggest complaint from adjudicators is with directors who select music that is too challenging for students to perform.  Direct the ensemble in front of you. By giving your students a chance to feel successful, they will focus on sharing their music with their peers and feeling satisfied that the hours of preparation were worthwhile.   

Developing a jazz band at your school can be fun and inspiring.  A jazz band can serve as a mighty tool for recruiting. It helps students with sight reading.  It teaches leadership, self-confidence, and reinforces creative expression.  If your background does not specifically include jazz performance, you can still start a jazz program for your students.

Prepare yourself:

1.  Observe colleagues with strong jazz programs.  Attending their rehearsals and concerts, both at the high school and college level, will help you build your skills.
2. Listen to Big Band recordings – current and classic.  Don’t forget about the excellent music from local or regional bands.
3. Attend workshops and conferences that include help for beginning jazz band instructors.
4. Research materials appropriate for teaching and encouraging improvisation – the whole point of jazz!
5. Don’t be afraid to ask.  Many jazz educators can advise you or present a “Jazz Band 101” presentation to your group.

Other considerations before you get started: 

1.  What equipment will we need?
   • Small trap set – local instrument store can advise.
   • Electric bass and amp.  Stand up bass will need appropriate strings and a pickup.
   • Piano
   • Mutes:  Harmon, Bucket, and Cup Mutes for trombone and trumpet sections
   • A couple of beginning method books to teach style and rhythmic articulation
2.  Should you select members by audition or all-inclusive?
3. When will jazz band meet? If outside school hours,how will rehearsals be set up?
4. Jazz band is an added commitment.  Inform parents & students early about concert dates and rehearsals.  Expect more from your jazz students – they must come to class prepared and responsible to the group.
5. Encourage students to double on secondary instruments.  Adjudicators love to see flexibility and creativity, but don’t sacrifice intonation and proficiency.
6. Recruit from outside your band program.  Don’t overlook a guitarist, a vocalist, or a pianist not already in your concert band.  There are some jewels out there waiting to be discovered.

Some points to sell your idea to students, parents, and administration:

1. How will jazz band benefit the instrumental program?  Students develop new concepts, better recognize musical nuance, learn new vocabulary, and prepare for leadership in other groups.
2. Stronger, more talented players can be featured one on a part.
3. Jazz is known as “The American Art Form.”  Learning about traditional jazz artists and its historical value shores up what students are already learning in history and literature classes.
4. Cooperation among members – an essential consideration.  Although jazz allows for solo and improvisation, it also requires balance and teamwork.  As Wynton Marsalis noted, “You must listen.  You must have a conversation.  The group must work together to achieve its goals.”

Okay – you did it!  You established a jazz band at your school.  Now what?

1. When ready, take your band on the road! An encouragement-style festival offers helpful written and recorded feedback from adjudicators.  At Forum, we record performances which can be played back in your classroom – a motivator for improved playing!
2. Look for opportunities to showcase the jazz band!  They can play at Open House, fast food openings, sporting events – lots of experience and lots of PR!
3. Introduce all kinds of jazz in your classroom – Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Herbie Hancock, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Marian McPartland, Dave Brubeck, Diana Krall, the list goes on and on!  All the greats and all the standards.
4. Join the ranks of your jazzy colleagues.  Join a jazz educator’s organization (i.e. California Alliance for Jazz), invite a colleague to rehearse your band.  Invite a jazz artist, or guest jazz band from the local college to visit your classroom.  Contact Forum if you would like a referral for a jazz band clinician!

Lots of things to consider, but at its core, you’ll decide whether developing a jazz program is something you want for your students.  Rewards are plentiful, but there’s no shortage of hard work.  Only you, given your background, your motivation, and your school’s make up, can determine this.  But once you get started, keep on swingin!

When taking a student group on any trip, you are faced with the prospect of feeding a lot of hungry teenagers.  Feeding the endlessly ravenous can be a pretty daunting task.  How about a short list of ideas to feed the crowd?

•  Meal vouchers – Offered at most theme parks, students can individually redeem vouchers for specific menu items or for dollar amounts as listed on the card.
• Pizza for all!  – Most pizza restaurants will deliver pizza, salad, soda, and paper goods to a location you determine.  Check with the hotel to see if outside food is allowed on the premises.  Or arrange delivery at a park or picnic area.  Pizza is economical, popular, and always well-received by the student crowd.  Always remember – encouraging students (and adults) to clean up after themselves will ensure another invitation!
• Buffets and Cafeterias.  Choices, choices, choices – always a great option for picky eaters.  Buffet restaurants usually offer student-friendly menus, quick service, and space for groups.  Buffet restaurants such as Golden Corral, Souplantation, Clifton’s Cafeteria, Hometown Buffet, and a myriad of local restaurants that serve buffet-style have low prices, lots of choices, and a student-friendly atmosphere.
• College campuses.  If you are performing at a college campus, check out the options in the college cafeteria.  They are designed to feed a young, hungry population on a low-income budget.  Boxed lunches or cafeteria-style eating is often conveniently available.
• Food Courts.  Many large shopping centers feature a central food court which can handle groups.  Most likely, students will need to bring their own money, but they can choose what they want, including familiar fast food restaurants that cater to the teenage crowd.
• Destination meal vouchers.  Some sightseeing destinations have great meal plans.  For example, at Pier 39’s program in San Francisco, vouchers at three different price points will buy a variety of items at many restaurants.  At Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, an all-day dining plan provides a wristband allowing students to select an entrée and side as often as every 90-minutes throughout the day at a budget-friendly price. 
• Finale Dinner or Welcome Dinner.  Here’s a chance to build in a nice restaurant meal for your group on either your first evening or the final evening of the trip.  We have many suggestions for these restaurant meals that include meal, beverage, dessert, gratuity and tax – all inclusive.  Cement the good vibes by kicking off the trip with a Welcome Dinner.  Or relieve some lasting memories and educational high points with a Finale Dinner on your last evening! 

We’d love to hear your ideas.  As you have traveled with your student groups, what best works for your students?  Feel free to exchange ideas for great meal options by emailing us at office@forummusicfestivals.com.  Bon Appetit!

1. It takes the pressure off remembering to register when school starts.
2. Your first choice date is locked in.
3. You can announce your plans to parents & boosters at Back-to-School night.
4. Potential students are attracted to sign up for band, orchestra, choir, etc.
5. More time for fundraising!
6. It allows more time for grant writing or to request funding from community groups.
7. You give enough notice for the festival to hire expert adjudicators who will address your group’s specific musical genre.
8. Early bird discounts may be available!
9. More time to musically prepare your ensemble for the event!
10. Because organized directors PLAN AHEAD!

1. Include your students in a big musical thank you to administration & staff for supporting the music program this year!
2. Include your students in a big musical thank you to their parents and boosters!
3. Tell your students to sign up for next year and give them a reason why they should!  (Music trip, friendship, choir/band/orchestra banquet)
4. Clean and repair!  Do yourself a favor (or the colleague who follows you) when school ends by cleaning your classroom and repairing your equipment!
5. Make time for some end-of-the-year fun in the classroom!  After the final concert when the days are winding down, consider having a fun day with Name That Tune, or Karaoke or Musical Charades.
6. Plan now for next year.  Don’t forget to register for your first choice festival date!  (www.forummusicfestivals.com)
7. Give yourself a pat on the back!  You made it through another school year.  Time to recharge and take care of yourself so you’ll be ready to start again with another roomful of fresh faces!

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week!  Never too late or too early to thank a teacher for his or her impact on your life! 

Melissa Salguero built an remarkable music program at P.S. 48 in New York City.  When she started, the program had absolutely no instruments, no funding, and the school hadn’t had a music program for over thirty years.   With grants, teaching awards, and an enthused teaching style, she welcomes any student who wishes to participate in the music program, regardless of financial hardship.  P.S.48 is located in the South Bronx, one of the country’s poorest congressional districts.  Not only has Ms. Salguero been recognized as a finalist for the Global Teacher Prize, she has also been awarded Lincoln Center Arts Teacher of the Year, and a 2018 Grammy Music Educator Awards, among many other accolades and honors. 

“Music education teaches us more than the “right” notes.  It teaches us to create, express, and it connects us all,” she exclaims.

At Forum Music Festivals, we have the good fortune each week during the spring to see hundreds of music teachers hard at work impacting the lives of their students. At festival, the students and teacher can see what their efforts have achieved.  From the NAfME website, we share a few thoughts written by music educators who posted about being a music educator.

• Being a music teacher means I get to reach students who other teachers may have “written off.” Everyone is creative!

• Teaching means sharing the world of music with my students! 

• Being a music educator is more than teaching the music, it’s about teaching life, love, & being a “family” 

• Being a teacher means I get to teach students to love and appreciate music as much as I do! 

• I love teaching how to play with emotion.

• Being a music teacher means that I get to live life around creativity. It is so exciting to work with students as they find a place where they can truly think and create within the school.

So, hats off to all of you in music education! You are doing challenging, but important work!  We appreciate you and you deserve every cheer and smile you receive this week!

Your students are lining up to choose classes for next year. The time to recruit students for your music program continues.  How about sharing with your school community a list of famous people who participated in school music programs?  Maybe you’ll light an artistic fire in a celebrity of the future!

1. Blake Lively – The Gossip Girl showed off her singing and dancing skills in Show Choir at Tarzana High School.
2. Brad Pitt – Sang in his high school choir in Springfield, Missouri
3. Steven Spielberg – Clarinetist – You’ll hear him featured with a high school orchestra in the movie “Jaws.”
4. The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, wanted to play the flute, but was assigned the tuba in school.
5. Anne Hathaway performed with her award-winning high school choir at the All-Eastern U.S. High School Honors Chorus at Carnegie Hall.
6. President Barack Obama, known for being a notable public speaker was a member of his high school’s choir in 1977.
7. Who knew that Gwen Stefani was also a flutist at Loara High School?
8. Tina Fey was a member of her school choir and played the flute at Upper Darby High.
9. Race car driver Danica Patrick also sang in her high school choir and played flute in the band.
10. Barbra Streisand went to high school with Neil Diamond. Both sang in the school choir.
11. Samuel L. Jackson, French Horn and Trumpet, marched in his high school band and played in the orchestra.
12. Joe Montana – NFL Hall of Fame Quarterback had another lesser known talent off the football field – singing in his high school choir.
13. Fergie – Lead singer of The Black Eyed Peas, sang in choir at Mesa Robles Middle School and Wilson High School.
14. Halle Berry – Flute player at her high school in Ohio.
15. Ewan McGregor – Turns out Obi Wan Kenobi is a pretty good French Horn player having studied seriously in his native Scotland.
16. Jennifer Garner – A self-confessed band geek, Jennifer Garner serenaded Reese Witherspoon on Instagram for her birthday – full marching uniform and saxophone.
17. Pharrell Williams played the snare drum and keyboards and met his best friend in summer band camp.
18. Emily Blunt played the cello in high school and showed off her skills in her early movie role, “My Summer of Love.”
19. NBA Star, Vince Carter, and actress, Eva Longoria, both served their high school marching bands as drum major.

Can your students find any other famous folks who got their creative energy by performing in high school music programs? 

Over the past 24 years, we’ve hosted thousands of music groups at festivals.  But, guitar ensemble registrations have markedly risen over the last 10 years.  NAfME’s ongoing series, “50 States of Guitar Class,” features interviews with respected music educators across the country.   According to the series, some programs have developed because of the teacher’s own familiarity with the instrument; other programs have grown out of traditional genres – band, orchestra, and choir – with non-guitarist instructors who’ve been tasked with teaching guitar. To read the ongoing series (they are currently on #7 out of 50), visit NAfME’s site.

Here’s some highpoints from the articles plus our own observations as festival producers:

1. Guitar is hugely popular. The guitar uniquely speaks to teens and can be played in many different genres of music.  Its versatility appeals to students who love folk, jazz, classical, blues, Flamenco and rock. Its appeal is enduring.
2. “Guitar gave several struggling students something to look forward to on a daily basis.” So reported Vicki Boyle, Guitar Teacher in Bristol, Rhode Island.  Guitar students often have unique personalities.  With guitar instruction, you’ll likely see students thrive who wouldn’t necessarily fit into a regular band or choral set up.
3. Offering performances in many different venues builds a guitar program by exposing students to the community and other students. “…treating the guitar ensemble as any other ensemble such as band or chorus has helped grow the program. The guitar ensembles are revered throughout our towns and in our school” (Vicki Boyle)
4. A guitar is relatively inexpensive. Most students will be able to find access to a guitar.
5. Learn as much as you can from folks who know. Successful programs often have teachers who network with local colleges or state music associations.  Tap into the expertise of college guitar majors to offer “master classes” or to mentor exceptional young guitarists.  Chris Perez, a Director of Guitar Studies in Orlando, Florida encourages non-guitarist music educators to collaborate with colleagues. “Working with others and asking questions will help you be more solid in delivering quality guitar instruction and music teaching to your students. “

Forum Festivals hires college-level guitar educators as adjudicators.  The ensemble can demonstrate technique and get constructive feedback.  As you consider competitions or festivals, ask who will be adjudicating.  If your school’s band, orchestra, or choir is going on a music trip, consider welcoming your guitar ensemble to come along.

1. You are teaching a lifelong skill.  Some students may go on to successful careers, but all will develop an appreciation for the instrument and be able to perform for friends and family. “Sometimes we get so caught up in lessons, concerts, fundraisers, paperwork, etc., that it can be easy to forget the power music has to change lives,” reminds Steven Sabet of the Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy in Elizabeth, NJ.
2. It’s okay to learn technique and play songs, according to Vin Downes who teaches in New Jersey. Many at-risk students are interested in studying guitar, but meeting them where they are means teaching the fundamentals in order to play a few songs to get started. Its benefits include teamwork in an ensemble, but it is also an individual instrument.
3. Guitar instruction doesn’t take away from band, orchestra, or choir enrollment. Schools offering guitar usually show an overall increase in music studies.

As guitar instruction continues to thrive in schools across the country, we’re very pleased to welcome an increasing number of guitar ensembles to festival.  Networking with college-level guitar educators is just one of many positive elements of bringing guitar students to be seen and heard at festival.  Organizing a trip with your guitar students can also include college clinics, concerts and performances with guitar artists, exchange concerts, and more.   For more information about expanding your program to include an adjudicated festival, contact office@forummusicfestivals.com.  We’re here as a resource for your guitar students and program.  Guitar has a global appeal. At Forum, it’s rewarding to be connected with guitar educators who embrace this common community of musicians.

A young middle school jazz band instructor recently came to a festival armed with handwritten notes on school notepaper and thrust them at me on the way to the warm up room. His plea as he ran – “Please make the judges read this!”  Wading through the notes, I learned that Johnny so and so had dropped out last week because his family had moved, and Suzie so and so had to take on the baritone sax in his stead, and how the program was very new and the boundaries in their district had changed, and on the first piece, please overlook the 2^nd solo because the student’s regular instrument was in the repair shop, and on and on. You get the picture.

From my previous conversations with him, I knew that this director had been working very hard to build his program. He clearly cared about his students’ performance, but his nervousness was evident to me and, more importantly, to his students.  In his state of anxiety he had forgotten the judges’ music scores and had barely made the bus thereby shortening the warm-up, but he wanted to explain his way to a better performance.

In this case, the adjudicators wanted to hear the group and to judge them based on their performance – not on the handwritten excuses provided by the director. The notes were handed back to me without being read.

Experienced adjudicators are music professionals who typically want to help, not tear apart, the director and their students.  Sometimes they are seen as “bad guys” and worry many directors.  Although their efforts are often under appreciated, the constructive adjudicator provides a needed element if you want to improve the music your students are making: impartial feedback.

But, if you still really want to BUG the adjudicator at festival, several prominent adjudicators provide these surefire tips.

• Select music that is technically and musically above the students’ abilities.

Probably the most commonly cited error seen at festivals, it is usually tied directly to the director’s lack of experience.  Remove those blinders and accurately assess your group’s strengths and weaknesses. Then select the music accordingly. If unsure, ask an experienced colleague to evaluate your group’s level. An adjudicator must score based on the performance he or she hears. If that performance is one in which the performers struggle through the entire piece, the score will reflect the result. Remember – the adjudicator is not judging Mozart, or Beethoven, or Sousa – the adjudicator is judging your group’s interpretation and ability to perform the piece.

• Bore the adjudicator by performing all music at one dynamic level.

No question – it is challenging to teach young musicians to perform with dynamic or stylistic differences.  A young musician hangs on by the fingernails just trying to get the notes out, let alone keeping down the decibels. Whereas this problem consistently bugs the adjudicator, it’s also worthy to note that using dynamic contrast in your program will tend to impress the adjudicator.  Bring some tunes and artists in to the band or choir room to influence your students musically and to demonstrate what you are trying to get them to understand.  If you are unfamiliar with the music that most young teens are listening to, ask them to bring in a sample.  Upon hearing it, you may better understand why dynamics is a misunderstood concept to most beginning music students!

• Use photocopied music scores or provide no scores at all.

Here they come – dressed in beautiful costly concert dress or uniforms, playing expensive instruments, arriving in deluxe charter buses, but pleading that photocopied music scores for the judges are the best they could do.   Judges aren’t buying it and neither should you. If scores are not available because they are “out of print,” present a letter of authorization from the publisher along with the photocopies.

• Tune your group on stage.

Every festival organizer should provide ample time and space for groups to warm up.  By insisting on a prolonged tune up onstage, the director may as well announce the group’s weaknesses to the adjudicators prior to the actual performance itself.  The director who not only indulges in a lingering onstage tune-up, but also uses the opportunity to nitpick weak spots in sections or, worse yet, among individual student musicians tries the patience of judges and fellow participants.

• Perform your concert in the warm-up room.

This overtaxes the brass players who then tire in performance and the pitch suffers.  The warm-up period is just that – warming up for the performance at hand. You’ve already had your rehearsals – use this time to allow everyone to tune, give the students a few last minute reminders, encouragement, and you’re good to go!  Please don’t deny your students the excitement of the performance itself.

• Don’t time your music.

Adjudicators need a few minutes to give a good critique at the end of a performance. By ignoring the guidelines set down by the festival and overextending your performance, you are causing delays for other performers.  Adjudicators are under pressure to stay on time. Playing one more selection over the suggested time limit that you just know everyone wants to hear seldom changes the adjudicators’ opinion of the strengths and weaknesses, but is seen as a breach of festival etiquette and a lack of courtesy to others.

• Conduct your choir from the piano.

Directors that act as accompanist leave their traditional choir without a conductor.  You cannot help your choir and maintain control listening carefully to problems if you are behind a keyboard. What if your group cannot afford an accompanist?  Better to pre-record your accompaniment and use a playback tape during festival than to use the nodding head choral conducting style.   Another excellent alternative would be to assign the job of accompanist to a capable student or possibly select material to be performed a cappella.

• Sing along

Ask yourself – am I singing with my performers because they can’t remember the words?  Because I really like the tune?  Because I like to hear myself sing?  Be their conductor, not another member of the group.  You can’t hear what your sections need you to hear if you are humming or singing along.

Directors tend to look at a festival as a sort of personal report card. Be assured – festival adjudicators are not the “bad guys;” they’re just people like you who have worked their way through the ups and downs of music education and maybe learned something along the way. They choose to adjudicate because they believe that their input can help groups to improve. No one sets out to actually “bug” the adjudicator at a festival.  But ticking off a mental checklist of these no-nos ahead of time puts your group in the best possible light and allows the sheer talent and skill of your performers to shine through.

In our history, we’ve welcomed groups of all sizes and abilities.  Whereas some festivals require a minimum number of students, that’s something that we’ve never done.  Because our founders were themselves music educators (with big programs, by the way), they felt that the quality of the program was not necessarily determined by the quantity of students.  And the same could be said of the reverse – just because the program is big doesn’t mean that the quality of the music is top notch.

By requiring students to undertake their music studies with the same intensity that a big program requires, you are investing in their passion.  Student musicians in small programs simply cannot hide mistakes or sloppy practice habits, but they are often full of heart and the desire to improve or they would not be there.  And with the focus on educating the student and offering performance and learning opportunities, small programs sometimes become larger.  Nothing like success appeals to students to give music a try.

Don Gunderson, one of our most popular adjudicators and a legend in Southern California music education, says, “Conduct the band that is in front of you – not the one in your fantasy.” Each of your students deserves a teacher who believes that making music at the highest levels is the goal.  No, your program may not achieve the “wall of sound” that big programs have, but the success of the program may lie in selecting appropriate literature, motivating dedicated students, and the excellence of the result.

And at Forum Music Festivals, we want to help music programs of all sizes and abilities accomplish those goals by providing an opportunity to perform in good venues and to expand their musical education with constructive feedback from adjudicators who see the spark.  Success comes in all sizes.  We want to be part of that effort.

As we get ready to celebrate the holidays, we reflect on the privilege of hosting many of you at festivals over the past 24 years. We hope that you will enjoy the holidays and focus on friends and family. Our staff wishes you the very best in the coming year and  a season of health, happiness and peace.

Our offices will be closed from December 22 to January 2, however we will be answering emails and picking up phone messages.

Happy Holidays and here’s to a New Year filled with great music!