This page was last updated on Thursday, January 24, 2008 4:48 PM .
There are several outstanding educational opportunities available for students and band directors through the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association (VBODA), a branch of the Virginia Music Educators Association (VMEA). District events include: All District Auditions; All District Honors Clinic; District Concert Festival, and Solo and Ensemble Festival. State events include: Marching Festival, All Virginia Auditions, All Virginia Band and Orchestra and the State VMEA Convention and In-service.
VMEA has divided the state into 16 districts. Southwest Virginia is District VII and consists of the cities of Bristol, Galax, and Norton and the counties of Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Giles, Grayson, Lee, Pulaski, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe.
Many aspects of district level events are set by the state and are not controllable by the individual district. This District VII Handbook provides information about the policies and procedures that are decided at the district level. While casual references may be made to state rules, this is not meant to replace or supersede the state administrative handbook. Much information about local and state band events is available on the Internet at www.vboda.org (state) and www.vboda7.org (Dist. VII). In many situations, these sites are the only source for important news and the latest information. Directors who host a district event must refer to the State Event Manual for additional information on running a successful event.
All music teachers are strongly encouraged to become members of MENC (Music Educators National Conference). Dues cover a 12 month period and rates are set annually. Band directors must belong to MENC or pay the non-member fee to participate in any district or state band event. This includes all students of that director. The non-member fee is charged for each and every event. Since the non-member fee is equal to the annual dues (currently $97), it is logical to become a member. Membership includes subscriptions to VMEA Notes, Music Educators Journal and Teaching Music. More information is available at: http://www.menc.org/information/members/memform.html
All band directors who are members of MENC are automatically members of the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association. The state handbook and graded music lists are provided to all schools that have paid the “manual fee,” which is currently $50 per 3 year cycle. Payment of the manual fee is required in order to participate in Concert Festival or Solo and Ensemble Festival. To see the list of schools that have paid the current fee or obtain an order form for the handbook and graded music lists, go to: http://www.vboda.org/ManualFees/manualfee.html
District VII auditions are the 2nd Saturday in December. The snow date is the first or 2nd Saturday in January. If bad weather necessitates a schedule change or postponement, becomes an issue, the District Chairman and/or host will contact one county representative. Each county representative will contact the other county directors and media. Registration opens at 8:30 A.M. and closes at noon for Junior and 3:00 for Senior High. There will be a meeting for all band directors at 8:30 a.m. Please see our audition webpage for additional information.
Audition registration forms are available on the District website for students to complete prior to the audition date. Both the student and the director are required to sign the form. Upon arrival at the audition site, students will pay the $10 registration fee at the "payment booth" and proceed to the stage to complete their registration. On The and present their to register and receive their audition number. On the audition day Students will present the completed registration form when they pay the fees on audition day. Students will pay at the audition sight and register in random order. Band directors are to complete the director’s registration material and return it with a copy of their current MENC card.
1. Students may audition on one instrument only except for percussion. Any student disobeying this rule will have their results on all tryout sheets voided and will be disqualified. Ninth grade students may audition for both junior and senior bands and if they make both bands, they will be placed in the senior group. Students may participate in only one district band.
2. Should a student be selected for the junior district band and is an alternate for the senior band, that student will be removed from the senior high list seven days prior to the senior event.
3. District VII does not hold separate auditions for piccolo, Eb soprano clarinet, or bass trombone. We may take one additional student to audition for All Virginia auditions from the flute, Bb clarinet, and tenor trombone sections. Starting with the first chair player, each flute, Bb clarinet, and trombone player will be asked if they want to audition on piccolo, Eb clarinet or bass trombone respectively. If they decline, the question will pass to the next in line until someone accepts. Students so designated must audition on piccolo, Eb soprano, or bass trombone.
4. All Judges will be behind a screen. Students are not permitted to talk. If needed, the student must communicate to the judges through the room monitor. If a student talks, the judges should write disqualified for talking on the score sheets.
1. All Directors should bring a tuner and metronome.
2. Prior to starting the auditions, the judges should examine the sight reading examples and assure that each example is clearly marked with starting and stopping points as well as metronome markings for each sight reading example.
3. Judges will be provided script to follow.
4. Refer to state manual for Senior Audition Requirements.
5. Students have been instructed not to talk in the audition room. There should be uniformity among all judges. You are instructed to disqualify any student who talks in the room. Your guide should communicate to you any questions or comments the student might have.
6. Students that miss their audition space will be dealt with at the discretion of the audition chairman. (Any student who has registered, but is not present to audition by the time registration was closed and the judges have heard all students known to be waiting to audition will forfeit their opportunity to audition.)
7. If the judges for a particular section feel that the quality of those auditioning is not adequate for the level of music that will be performed, they may recommend to an audition committee composed of the district chairman, the audition chairman, and head judge that a lesser number of that instrument be placed in the band. The final decisions will be left to the audition committee.
8. The head judge for each room will keep a log of each judge’s score for each individual audition. The judges are to discuss each audition and come to an agreement on the total score. The log should be used as a guide to compare the auditions throughout the day. At the end of the auditions, the judges will compare their log to the final scores that are printed.
There will be two bands (a Symphonic Band and a Concert Band). Instrumentation will be the same as the All State Concert Band instrumentation. (See Section VIII #7 VBODA Administrative Handbook) Instrumentation for the Junior High Band will follow the Senior High Bands' instrumentation. Instrumentation for the two bands may be divided to balance instrumentation at the discretion of the audition committee.
Junior Band will be a two day event with the dates to be the weekend prior to the Senior District Weekend. Selection of District clinicians will be left to the discretion of the District Chairman and secured by a selected committee or person. Deadlines for all paper work will be set by the host. The Junior event Host may have the option of housing students or not housing students. Directors are encouraged to house their students in motels. Directors should notify the host as soon as possible of students that will be unable to attend the event. So alternates may be called. Alternates will not be contacted after a time to be specified by the chairman and/or the host. Discipline problems will be dealt with by one of the following: The host, chairman, the guest clinician, or the students' band directors. Students may be moved to the end of the section or sent home immediately if there is the need. The Chairman will designate a time and date for a District VII Directors Meeting at both the junior event and the senior event. The Practice schedule and performance times will be set up by the host and approved by the District Chairman. Host Schools should see the District Chairman for an event manual.
• If a school had students who auditioned for All-District yet none were selected, that director may select one student who auditioned to be the representative for that school. This student will participate as a member of the appropriate concert band at the end of the section. It will be that director’s responsibilty to notify the host when this situation arises.
• Motion: Start Junior and Senior District Concerts at 6:00PM unless inclement weather poses a threat. 2/4/00
• Motion: Dispense with the contracting of a photographer for pictures for Jr. and Sr. All District. 2/4/00
• Motion: To have concert time for Jr. All District Band no later than 5:00PM. 2/25/02
• Motion: Jr. District Band Clinic would be made up the 2nd weekend of February. 3/28/03
• Motion: To implement a snow schedule starting 3 hours late with district events during inclement weather. 1/30/04
• Motion: Sr. District Clinic would be made up on the 3rd weekend of February as long as it does not conflict with All State Auditions. 3/28/03
District Concert Festival will be the third weekend in March. The Concert Festival sights will be booked a minimum of two years in advance. Adjudicators will be selected by the District Chairman and secured by a selected committee or person. Participating directors and the host should review all rules and regulations as posted in the VBODA Handbook. (Section IV). Bands in our District may elect to prepare three graded pieces as is an option in the state handbook or may choose to play two graded pieces and sight read as is the other option. Bands must perform a warm up march as specified in the state handbook. This march will be adjudicated. Other instructions will be mailed by the host. Host Schools should see the District Chairman for an event manual.
Solo and Ensemble will be hosted in the spring by a selected school within each of the following areas:
AREA I Buchanan, Lee, Wise, Scott, Dickenson, Tazewell, and Norton.
AREA II Washington, Bristol, Smyth, and Russell
AREA III Wythe, Bland, Carroll, Giles, Galax, Pulaski and Grayson.
Each area should host an event. The host school may select an appropriate date. Solo and Ensemble information should be mailed to all schools in the district. See the State Handbook for more information. The District Chairperson should provide Event Manual should be secured by each host.
Many District VII dates are set by the state. Dates where local discretion is allowed must still be submitted to the state. The following dates are the typical district and state band events.
State Marching Festival – last 2 weekends of October
State Convention – Thursday through Saturday the week before Thanksgiving
All District Auditions – 2nd Saturday in December
Snow date for auditions – 1st (or 2nd) Saturday in January
*Junior All District Band – 1 week before Sr. District (unless combined with Senior)
*Senior All District Band – 1st weekend in Feb. (could be weekend of Jan. 31 and Feb. 1)
Snow date for Junior – 2nd weekend in February
Snow date for Senior – 3rd weekend in February
All Virginia Auditions – last Saturday of February
Concert Festival – any weekend in March that does not conflict with District Choral Fest.
All Virginia Band – early April, but not the week before or after Easter
Solo & Ensemble Festival – usually 3 sites in April or May (see section on S & E)
* Plans are underway to again hold a single, combined Junior / Senior All District Clinic in January 2008 at the Holiday Inn, Exit 7.