Director's Packet

Rules and Procedures

1. Signs will be posted for buses and equipment trucks to follow to enter the campus for unloading and parking.

2. Upon arrival at Biloxi High School in Biloxi, Mississippi, a student representative will meet your bus and direct you to the designated areas for your students and equipment. Students should remain on the bus until the hosts give instructions. After unloading, buses and equipment trucks will be directed to their designated parking area. If your students travel in private vehicles, please instruct them to meet you at a designated time in front of the Performing Arts Center.

3. Registration will be held in the Career Technology Center. While directors are completing registration, students should remain on the bus. Prior to getting off the buses, all students, band members and bus drivers must have their hand stamped to allow for admission into the invitational. This stamp is good for the day of competition only. A participant is considered to be a singer/dancer, band member, crew member, director(s), or choreographer. You will be given 3 arm bands to give to each of your 3 chaperones. Directors will receive a badge that should be worn at all times while on campus. Admission for others guests is:

• $15.00 Friday Night

• $20.00 Saturday All Day (includes finals)

• $25.00 Friday and Saturday Combo

BGCC will offer a Venmo/CashApp option at the ticket counter ONLY!  Not at concessions!  Concessions will be cash only!

4. Each group will be provided with a homeroom as well as hosts to help answer any questions. Your host will escort you from your homeroom,  the warm-up room, and stage area. Hosts will also escort solo competition participants to the solo competition room. 

5. No students should enter the dressing room without an adult or host with them. Monitors will be in the rooms and hallways at all times for your convenience.

6. No food or drinks are allowed in the dressing rooms or in the Performing Arts Center. Please do not spray hairspray in the home rooms.  Please use the hallway or bathrooms to spray hair.  Directors are urged to check your dressing area for any damage or missing items. DAMAGE OR DEFACING OF PROPERTY WILL BE DEALT WITH ACCORDINGLY. IF DAMAGE IS FOUND, THE DAMAGE WILL BE ASSESSED AND BILLED TO THE ATTENTION OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE RESPONSIBLE PARTY’S/PARTIES’ SCHOOL. DIRECTORS, PLEASE CHECK YOUR HOMEROOMS BEFORE YOU LEAVE. A “Lost and Found” will be located in the Directors’ Hospitality Room. 

7. All singers/dancers must be enrolled students at the performing show choir’s school. Also students cannot be a participant in both the middle school and high school show choirs. Sequencing is not allowed for show choirs using a show choir band. Pyrotechnics are prohibited. There will be no special lighting used for any group. Performers may not leave the stage and enter the audience at any time during the performance.

8. There are to be no vocals of any kind on the track when using taped accompaniment. This violation will result in automatic disqualification!

9. Show choirs must compete in the appropriate category.  A group can opt up a division, if they so choose.

10. An equipment holding area will be provided and will be under adult supervision at all times.

11. Groups will receive both written and taped comments from each judge through Carmen Scoring.  Preliminary competitions will be scored and averaged for preliminary winners. The top 5 scores of the day will then compete in Finals for Grand Champion. We will be using the Condorcet method for scoring this year. If there is any sort of tie, the Borda method will be used to break the tie, and if a tie still ensues, we will use raw scores.  A consensus ranking system and score sheets will be used in finals. Consensus ranking ensures that each judge carries the same weight, thus providing a true consensus. No taped commentaries will be used for finals. Rankings and caption awards will be pulled from the Finals score sheet.  Judges for the contest are:  Allen Chapman, Anne Chapman, Ly Wilder, Brennan Wilder and Josiah Telschow.

12. CA Video Productions will be recording this year. Families can purchase a Digital Download (not a DVD) of their school's group. Once you purchase the Digital Download, you can download the file to any computer (not cell phone). Please no videotaping and NO flash photography during the performances.

13. Trophies will be awarded in the following manner:

• There will be no participation trophies this year.

• 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and possibly 4th place award for each division (depending upon number of entrants in the division) in preliminary competition

• Outstanding Vocals, Visuals, and Show Design – for Middle School

• Best Solo in a show – Middle School and High School

• Lighthouse Award 

• Grand Champion solo award – for both Middle and High School

• Finals awards:

  • 4th Runner-up

  • 3rd Runner-up

  • 2nd Runner-up

  • 1st Runner-up

  • Grand Champion

  • Outstanding Vocal Performance

  • Outstanding Visual Performance

  • Outstanding Show Design

14. Equipment: There will be 4 sections of 4 X 8 platforms. The heights are 8”, 16” and 24”. Groups may add to but cannot take away from this configuration. A 4th riser level will be added upon request. A grand piano and a drum set will be provided upon request. You must provide all other equipment.  There is one dock bay to load and unload equipment.  Each group will be assigned a space to hold as much of their backdrops/extra risers as possible.  We will have additional space to store equipment that will not fit into that space.  The roll up door on the dock is a standard full size door.  There is no ramp, equipment from trailers will have to be manually lifted through the dock bay. 

15. Students will enter and exit from stage right to perform. Equipment must enter and exit through the roll up door at center stage. This roll up door is 14 feet high.  The main curtain will close between each group.

Stage Dimensions are 50’ X 40’.  

16. Sound Equipment: The stage will have hanging mics.  There will also be 5 wireless mics across the front with 4 additional wireless solo mics on short stands.  If you need a 5th solo mic, let us know!  Please instruct soloists to use the mics on the short stand not the 5 main across the front row, as this affects your vocal sound. There will be 4 monitors in front for the choir and 2 in the back for the band.  There will be a cd player available. However, sound technicians will not be responsible for poor quality recordings. If you are using tracks, please send them to the competition directors ahead of time in order to perform an audio check. One adult who knows your show is allowed at the sound booth to cue any solos.

17. Music:   Please make sure you stay within the timeframe so we may stay on schedule. Time begins when the first student, crew, etc. enters the stage and crosses the line. Time will be stopped in between each phase.  Time stops when the last student, crew, etc. leaves the stage and crosses the line. There will be a deduction of 2 points per judge every 30 seconds if a group exceeds the time limit. (30:01 will result in a 2 point deduction per judge, 30:31 will result in a 4-point deduction per judge.)  Those groups bringing extra levels/sets of risers will not receive any extra time. 

18. Soloists: We are not limiting the number of soloists from each group. We encourage all students interested to participate. The solo competition will take place in the Lecture Hall which is in the same hallway as the cafeteria. Soloists must provide their own accompaniment.  A piano, cd player, and a speaker will be available for use. The cost for each soloist is $25.  This must be paid prior to adjudication. 

19. Concessions: Meals and snacks will be provided in several designated locations on the Biloxi High School campus. Food will be served in the cafeteria.  There will be allotted times for a lunch and supper break on Saturday. PLEASE DO NOT BRING ANY OUTSIDE FOOD. This competition is a fundraiser for our program!
    
    

Please contact us with any questions or concerns prior to coming to Biloxi or if we may be of assistance in any way to make this a wonderful experience for you, your show choir, and our guests.

DAMAGE WAIVER AND LIABILITY RELEASE

I release Biloxi High School, Biloxi Junior High School, and any of its representatives including staff, students, and volunteers, from and against any and all liabilities, claims, demands and causes of action of any kind on account of any loss, damage, illness or injury to person or property in any way arising out of or relating to my organization’s participation in the Biloxi Gulf Coast Classic. 

Biloxi asks that all equipment, property, and the facilities of Biloxi High School not be disturbed in any way. Damage to any of the facilities or equipment will be billed to the administration of the responsible party/parties. Directors are urged to advise all participants of the consequences of damage.

Please advise your organization that eating or drinking is only allowed in designated areas and is specifically prohibited in dressing rooms and in the Performing Arts Center. Also, our campus is tobacco-free so smoking or use of other tobacco products is prohibited.

I have read the damage waiver and understand that my group(s) will be held responsible for any damage incurred during the Biloxi Gulf Coast Classic. 

Director’s Signature_____________________________________________________________

School________________________________________________________________________

Date_________________________________________________________________________