ECOCDA RULES AND ELIGIBILITY
Annual Date Selections
The AUDITION date is usually the first Monday in October.
There are three choirs that can be auditioned for:
6th, 7th, & 8th grade Treble Choir
7th, 8th, & 9th grade JH Mixed Choir
(7th and 8th grade students may only register and try out for EITHER Treble Choir or JH Mixed Choir, not both).
10th, 11th, & 12th grade HS Mixed Choir.
The FESTIVAL is usually held the first consecutive Monday and Tuesday in November.
Location of all Info and Registration
This ECOCDA web site has all the information and forms necessary to participate in the honor choirs. Email communication and Google Drive are tools often used as well, but please consult all info here first before emailing administrators.
Student Eligibility
Each student auditioning for an ECOCDA District Honor Choir must be recommended by his/her director, who must be a member of ECOCDA. Click HERE to fill out the required (combined) school membership and recording request form.
Each student wishing to audition for and perform in an ECOCDA District Honor Choir must be a member of his/her school choral program and be academically eligible to participate in this activity according to the rules of the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association. Academic eligibility pertains at the time of the audition as well as the Festival rehearsals and concert. If a student does not have a choral program at his/her school, that student may be entered by his/her school administrator, private teacher, or other music teacher within that school system provided that that administrator, private teacher, or other music teacher is a member of ECOCDA.
Registration
*** Deadlines will be strictly enforced ***
All entries must be submitted no later than two weeks prior to the audition date.
Any changes must be made by the Friday prior to auditions. Only the scheduling chairperson and the ECOCDA member are qualified to make any changes.
Late registrants and schedule changes will be charged an additional $10.00 fee per student (this policy will be enforced).
Fees and Payment Policies
PAYMENT POLICY: The payment policy for auditions is that you pay for those you enter/register (ie. if you sign up 10 students to audition, then you pay for 10 students whether they show up for the audition or not).
The following will be included on the invoice handed out at the director’s meeting on Tuesday morning of the festival:
Festival participation fee ($20 per student)
audition fees ($10 per student)
any post-deadline changes ($10 per addition/voice part change),
school membership fee ($15)
any audio file fees
PAYMENT DEADLINE:
Payment is due upon receipt of invoice.
Personal checks from directors, school checks, or Booster organizations checks will be accepted.
School purchase orders are acceptable but need to be taken care of in a timely manner.
No parent or student personal checks.
All accounts must be paid by July 1st of the following summer or a $100.00 late fee will be applied to the following year’s entry plus the amount already due for the previous year.
SCHOOLS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO AUDITION FOR ECOCDA ANY SUBSEQUENT YEARS UNTIL THIS AMOUNT HAS BEEN PAID.
Payment must be sent to the Treasurer:
SEND ALL PAYMENTS TO:
ECOCDA
ATTN: Sharon Perring, Treasurer
904 Tanglewood
Guthrie, OK 73044
If you are a new teacher to a school that has an outstanding balance from the previous year, please contact Bill Perring at 405-258-5906.
Rehearsal Recordings
Rehearsal tracks will be sent to you via Google Drive following the submission of your registration/order form.
Please DO NOT share these files with other schools or post them, unprotected, online. These tracks contain copyrighted material and must be treated as such.
Audition Day
Audition cuts will be made from the official recordings sent through Google Drive. The selected audition passages will be chosen by the ECOCDA Administration. (As in years past, the Treble Choir cuts will be sent out early in order for them to rehearse the cuts before the audition.)
Students must bring their own published copies of music to the audition. In order to comply with copyright laws, no unauthorized photocopies will be allowed at the audition.
ECOCDA member directors are expected to be available to work the entire audition and be available at all times during the festival.
Choir Selection Process
Composite scores are placed in rank order from the highest to the lowest score in like sections (ie., Soprano I, Alto I, etc.). Student names and school will remain anonymous during the selection process. At the audition students will be identified only by their number, which will be given upon registration at the audition site. Students must physically sign in at registration to receive their audition number.
Only after the choir has been selected will the names be matched with the audition number assigned during the registration.
As many prepared voices of quality as possible will be chosen in each section. There is no specific amount.
Each student will be judged whenever possible by a minimum of two judges.
Judging criteria and possible points are as follows:
Vocal Quality = 25
Notes = 20
Rhythm = 20
Dynamics = 10
Diction = 10
Intonation = 10
Phrasing = 5
Choir Member Conduct
REHEARSAL/CONCERT ATTENDANCE.
Chorus members are expected:
to be at all rehearsals and the concert
to be on time to all rehearsals and the concert.
If a chorus member is absent from any rehearsal, he/she will be removed from the chorus.
Retaining chorus membership after rehearsal absences for extenuating circumstances (e.g., illness or death in the family) needs to be approved by the executive committee.
REHEARSAL/CONCERT CONDUCT
Chorus members are expected:
to have a respectful attitude at all times
to be attentive to the conductor
to sit with the appropriate posture.
Talking is prohibited during rehearsals.
Food, gum, and drinks are not allowed in the rehearsal room or anywhere in the buildings. A resealable bottle of water only will be allowed during rehearsals.
GUM IS NOT ALLOWED IN THE BUILDING. In years past, we had to pay extra fees because the temple was found with gum on the curtains and floor after we left. This is not acceptable.
COPYRIGHT POLICY
It is forbidden for students to use photographed copies of the music at the performance.
Students, please bring a black folder for your music.
REHEARSAL/CONCERT ATTIRE:
Dress for the rehearsals is school clothes.
Dress for the concert is semi-formal/formal:
For the girls, dresses or skirts and blouses
For the boys, slacks and ties
School uniforms are appropriate. (The dressier the better!)
All students will be instructed to avoid any and all use of cologne or perfume during rehearsal and concert.