Solo and Ensemble General Information

Solo= one person

Ensemble= any group of musicians playing together

What is it?

Solo and Ensemble is an event where a student performs a selected piece for an adjudicator.  The judge assesses the performance, provides written comments and if time permits, works with the performer briefly. Each performer receives a rating based on performance expectations for their selected music.  Your performance will be assessed on tone, note and rhythmic accuracy, intonation, articulation, and musical expression.

Commitment and Transportation

When committing to participate in an event like this, be aware that your specific performance time will not be known until one week before the event.  Since the event is taking place at BDHS, there will be no buses.  Parents will bring their students to the high school in time for the student performances (one hour ahead is recommended). 

Help Wanted!

We will need some help from parents at this event - ranging from donating food/ beverages for the judge’s lunch, to hanging signs the day before, to donating your time to be a door monitor. Closer to the event, we will send out a Signup Genius. Thanks in advance for any help you can give!

Fees and payment

All participants need to pay an entry fee in order to participate in the festival.  The entry fees cover the cost of running the festival and help support the expenses incurred by the Wisconsin School Music Association who runs the event. The fees are not refundable once we have sent them to the state office.  Your child’s total cost for entering the music events for solo/ensemble festival can be calculated on the attached sheet.  

Why should I do it?

• It's really fun, in a scary kind of way! :)

• Preparing for a specific event gives you something to work towards.

• Performing in front of a judge is nerve-wracking for most kids, but it is also wonderfully rewarding to know that you have worked for months to pull off a good performance

• You will grow musically from working on the solo, and from hearing the comments afterwards from the judge