D12 Colleagues:
I hope everyone is surviving the Fall and things are going well for you! Please check in and let us know how things are going on our D12 Facebook Group (private only to members): https://www.facebook.com/groups/pmea12
We have some very important information to share with you regarding our 2021 PMEA Fests and Festivals. Read below and mark down the important dates!
Steve Selfridge
PMEA District 12 President
Garnet Valley High School
Elementary & Middle School Fests
It is time for fest hosts to start planning to host their fests, but after surveying hosts and participants in D12, we have decided to put our fests “on hold” at this time. School districts are reluctant to give permission to allow students from other schools in their buildings and administrators are reluctant to allow students to go out of their own building on a field trip. We are also very concerned about 5/6 fests since most of those students are not vaccinated. If things loosen up and there is still time to plan and execute a fest in March or April, we will do our best to help make it happen. We welcome your comments and concerns. (Fest Coordinator Kathleen Boyer -fests@pmea12.org)
High School Festivals
Our 2022 High School Festivals remain on schedule as planned. Any plans are subject to change as needed due to the current COVID situation in our state, local counties, and/or host school districts. We will communicate any changes if and when they happen. For now, we are cautiously optimistic that we will be able to hold the festivals. Note that this year we have made the adjustment that all high school festivals will be held as single-day events. Note our audition and festival dates below. Audition information can be found on our page here.
All-State Update
There are several important changes to the All-State Festival for this year.
- All-State Auditions will be held via Submittable and will be conducted as “At-Large” auditions. (See the PMEA State website here) In order to be eligible for All-State auditions, a student must be accepted into the Region VI ensemble AND participate in the Region festival. If a student is accepted and then doesn’t participate in their Region VI ensemble, they cannot audition for All-States. District 12 (along with District 11) will be holding re-auditions earlier than normal so participants will know if they are a Region VI ensemble member before the All-State Submittable Window opens. All dates listed below.
- All-State rehearsals will be staggered by ensemble and require only two nights lodging. As schools may be hesitant to allow students to room with students from different school districts, schools/directors will be responsible to make housing arrangements for the 2022 All-State festival for their students. A large block of rooms will be set aside for the individual arrangements that will be made.
- As a result, the state board has decided to move up audition dates (will happen at the end of each D12 event) to allow participating directors more time to make housing arrangements and relay needs to their school districts if necessary.
Important Festival Dates
All auditions will be held through video submission using the Submittable platform. Audition materials and complete information are available on our 2021 Auditions Page. The submittable link will be posted on the 2021 Auditions page on Nov 3. Directors do not need to pre-register students – Students will register themselves and pay the registration fee using the Submittable link. Sight-reading and scale selections will be posted Nov. 2. (Please note that we have corrected errors in the excerpts as reported by PMEA members up through mid-September. At this point, we will not make any further corrections and students should play the ink on the page). All-state audition materials can be found here (sign-in required).
11/3/2021
D12 Audition window OPENS on Submittable at 12:00AM
11/9/2021
D12 Audition window CLOSES on Submittable at 11:59PM
11/12/2021
Directors of participating students review and score submissions
11/17/2021
Deadline for participating directors to complete assigned scoring
11/20/2021
10:00am Rustin High School – MANDATORY in-person meeting for directors of students who have auditioned. Results will be released and folders/paperwork will be distributed. Breakfast available starting at 9am.
1/3/2022
DISTRICT RE-AUDITIONS – Band/Chorus/Orchestra – window OPENS on Submittable at 12:00AM
1/6/2022
DISTRICT RE-AUDITIONS – Band/Chorus/Orchestra – window CLOSES on Submittable at 11:59PM
1/14/2022
District 12 Orchestra @ Penncrest HS. Ben Weaver, host; Ovidiu Marinescu, Guest Conductor, Concert at 7:30pm
1/16/2022
All-State Orchestra Submittable Window Opens
1/28/2022
District 12 Band @Marple Newtown High School – Mark Stanford (Springfield HS), host; Dr. Jenny Neff, Guest Conductor, Concert 7:30pm
1/30/2022
All-State Band Submittable Window Opens
2/4/2022
District 12 Chorus @Unionville High School – Hannah Knauss (Interboro HS), host; Arreon A. Harley-Emerson, Guest Conductor, Concert at 7:30pm
2/13/2022
All-State Chorus Submittable Window Opens
2/25/2022
Region 6 Orchestra @ Lower Merion HS, Jessica Villante, host
3/11/2022
Region 6 Band @ Rustin HS, Mike Shoremount, host; Tim Holtan, Guest Conductor
3/25/2022
Region 6 Chorus @ Methacton HS, Liz Francisco, host