Information for our festival will be available soon. If you have any questions, please call at 806-298-4904, e-mail at mknight@abernathyisd.com, or submit the form below
festival Information
The Abernathy Band Festival is designed to be a positive musical experience for your young band students.The dates for this festival are April 23 - 25, 2020. It will be divided into two separate contests—Concert & Sight Reading and Solo & Ensemble.
Please include a request for performance time when you send in your entry.We will do the best we can to accommodate your needs.We can start listening to bands on Thursday and Friday at 9:00 A.M.We can start listening to solos and ensembles any time.Please let me know if you are bringing solos and ensembles so I can plan for judges. Saturday will begin as early as needed in order to accommodate our attendees.We will do our best to work with you any way possible.
Each band will have a 25-minute warm-up time in the Band Hall.The band will then be moved to the stage.Bands will be classified according to size of school and age of group.The divisions will include Class 1 (5th Grade Beginning), Class 2 (6th Grade Beginning), Class 3 (2nd year group), or Class 4 (3rd year group / 2nd & 3rd year group).We will adjust these classes as we near the contest date to fit the groups that have entered.We will name an Outstanding Band in each class.An Outstanding Sight Reading Band will be selected in each class as well.All bands will have something to take home!
The Concert and Sight-Reading portion of our contest will take place in the Abernathy Auditorium.The auditorium has a nice, big stage, and it is well air-conditioned.You may play either two (2) or three (3) contest selections.These do not have to come from the UIL list!All music will be judged the same whether it is a “pop tune” or a more traditional contest piece.We will need two (2) copies of your performance scores for our judges. (These do not need to be originals.)Each band will receive ratings, comments, and an audio-reproduction of its performance.Sight-Reading will be immediately following the concert performance in the same location.The director will be allowed to choose the sight reading selection.We encourage everyone to sight-read with each group.This WILL BE a positive learning experience.
There will be two concert judges and one sight reading judge.In the case of a split rating on our concert panel, the sight-reading judge will act as the tie-breaker.
The Solo & Ensemble portion of the contest will take place in the Abernathy Band Hall which is attached to the auditorium.Solos and/or ensembles can be played for any of the judges on the hall.A monitor will assist the members of the solo/ensemble with filling out the information on the critique sheet.Students may play a line from the book, part of the concert music, or a solo/ensemble from the actual UIL list.Students do not have to be accompanied, but we will have a keyboard available in one of the rooms to accommodate those playing piano solos or with an accompaniment.We will listen to instrumental solos/ensembles, piano solos/duets, or twirling solo/ensembles.(If you bring a twirling solo/ensemble, please let me know so I can make sure we have a twirling judge available.)Students will be allowed to play in as many solo/ensemble groups as desired and allowed by directors.Solos and/or ensembles can be played either before or after the assigned concert time.A warm up area for solo’s and ensembles will depend on the day.Please be flexible with this.The judge WILL need a copy of each solo or ensemble.All students earning a 1st division on a solo / ensemble will receive a medal.
A concession stand will be available for your students’ convenience in our PRACTICE Gym.If you want your students to be able to charge food items, please let us know when you arrive.We will send a menu in late April.Please help us keep all of the food items and drinks in the PRACTICE gym.There is plenty of room.We can also have sack lunches ready if you need to get away quickly to your next destination.
If you will e-mail us, I will be able to update you about our festival and schedule.
The cost of our festival is $300.00 for each band.The solo/ensemble cost is $7.00 for each solo/ensemble member.
We encourage you to enter soon.We will assign time slots by the postmark on your entry (or date on your e-mail).If you have any questions, please contact Matt Knight, Trisha Burrell or Anna Jo Knight. A list of contact numbers are listed below.If there is no answer, please leave a message or contact us via e-mail.Our preferred method of contact is e-mail.
Festival dates are April 23 - 25, so mark your calendar, and we hope you include us in your spring festival plans!!!
Matt KnightTrisha BurrellAnna Jo Knight
Director of BandsAssociate Director of BandsAsst. BAnd/Elem
Abernathy High SchoolAbernathy ISDAbernathy Schools
