Junior High

The District II (Northeast) Junior High School Music Festival is a one-day event, traditionally held on the Friday after Town Meeting Day. The festival, which began in 1976, is sponsored by the Newport Rotary Club and hosted at the facilities of North Country Union High School in Newport, VT.

The festival is open to 7th and 8th grade musicians who are members of their school music programs, or who are home-schooled students whose qualifications are supported by a district music teacher. The primary purposes of this festival are to provide an enriching musical challenge for our talented students; and to provide a quality large-ensemble experience for deserving and capable student musicians from both large- and small-enrollment schools.

This is a non-auditioned festival; participants are selected based on the recommendation of their teachers. For participation in the chorus, teachers may recommend a certain number of students up to a quota based on school size. For participation in one of the two equal-ability bands, teachers may recommend up to one- third the number of students in their school program; those names are then subject to final selection based on their reported skill level and the balanced instrumentation needs of the groups.

Ensemble conductors are chosen by a nomination and vote of the district music teachers, and may be from inside or outside the district. Conductors' program selections (generally, 3-part for chorus, or grade 2.5-3 for band) are subject to approval by the festival director. Conductors are asked to select at least one piece from the existing District Festival Library, or alternately, to provide their own copies of parts for festival use, in order to keep music expenses under control.