From the Wisconsin School Music Association Website:
Through the Solo & Ensemble experience, students learn the discipline of rehearsal, are challenged to advance their musical skills, perform in front of an audience and adjudicator, and receive feedback on their performance. Wisconsin School Music Association (or WSMA) is the overseer of all Solo & Ensemble Festivals in the state of Wisconsin.
I believe Solo & Ensemble Festivals are a wonderful way for students to learn additional solo, duet, and trio works for their instruments and give themselves an additional opportunity to perform during the year. Students can truly tailor this experience to what they want it to be, and any of the following are great reasons to participate in Solo & Ensemble Festival:
I want to challenge myself to play a piece beyond the difficulty that I experience in band class.
While I do not want to prepare a difficult piece of music, I do want the experience of performing a solo, duet, or trio and receive feedback to help me grow as a musician.
I want to work on and perform a piece of music with some of my band friends and do something new!
Of course, there are many reasons to participate in Solo & Ensemble Festival, but these are just a few of the most common reasons students have told me in the past.
Improve students’ music performance
Increase students’ understanding of music literature and music concepts
Motivate students to continue their study of music
Establish standards of excellence in music performance
Provide opportunities for students to understand the relationship of music experiences to other life experiences
District festivals are held at local schools and scheduled by the district festival manager. Adjudicators are selected by WSMA.
For Classical Band Students in grades 6-8
2025 Solo & Ensemble Festival Date: Saturday, March 1st, 2025. Students only need to be at the Festival for approximately one hour of the day.
2025 Solo & Ensemble Festival Location: Appleton East High School (parents are responsible for transporting their student to and from the event)
Music Selection – Students and Mrs. Brown choose a musical selection from the WSMA Festival Music List to study. The list is divided into three difficulty levels, or classes.
Class C – This is the class in which most middle school students will participate
Class B – Generally for high school students and occasionally advanced 8th graders
Class A – Advanced high school students
*Mrs. Brown will choose the appropriate level for each student.
Rehearsal – Students learn about and rehearse their chosen selection.
Registration – Solo & Ensemble registration is completed online by Mrs. Brown.
At Festival –
The student reports to the performance room at the assigned time.
The student introduces him/herself and music selection, then performs.
The adjudicator will provide a written and verbal critique of the performance and award a rating based on defined criteria. (Rating 1 = highest, rating 5 = lowest)
* Please note * There is a fee to participate in Solo & Ensemble festivals of $13 per event . This covers registration and the medal you will earn (gold for a 1st place rating, silver for a 2nd place rating, and bronze for a 3rd place rating). Payment can be done via a check made out to Classical School (please write "Band S & E Registration" in the memo). Payment is due by Wednesday, January 22, 2025.
If your student would like to participate in Solo & Ensemble Festival and are unable to pay the participation fee, please let Mrs. Brown know. NO STUDENT WILL BE TURNED AWAY DUE TO FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS.