Due to limited lodging options in central Vermont, only those students whose school is located more than 1 hour away from Spaulding High School will have accommodations at a hotel provided by the festival. Schools within an hour of Spaulding High School will need to commute to/from the festival each day. 

Wednesday night lodging will ONLY be provided for students who are in the jazz ensemble or modern band ensemble (the two groups that begin rehearsals on Wednesday). 

Audition Registration Opens:  Sunday, October 15, 2023

Audition Registration Deadline:  Friday, November 17, 2023 by 11:59pm

Postmark Deadline for Audition Fee Payment:  Friday, December 1, 2023

Audition Date/Location:  Saturday, January 13, 2024 at Champlain Valley Union High School (January 20th snow date if needed)

** Audition repertoire and other information can be found on the Audition Details page of this site

Festival Participation Confirmation Deadline: Friday, March 1, 2024 by 11:59pm  

Postmark Deadline for Participation Fee Payment:  Friday, March 15, 2024

Senior Scholarship Application Deadline: Friday, April 19, 2024

Festival Location:  Spaulding High School in Barre, Vt.

Festival Dates:  Wednesday, May 8 through Saturday, May 11, 2024

Note: There will be no parade this year.

• All State Music Festival auditions provide an opportunity for Vermont high school musicians to perform for feedback

• Auditions are scored and the top performers may be invited to participate in a festival ensemble

• Festival ensembles:  concert band; orchestra; jazz ensemble; chorus; contemporary a cappella ensemble; modern band ensmble

• Costs involved: school participation fee; audition fee; festival participation fee

• Educators who wish to register students for All State must have an active membership with NAfME (the National Association for Music Education)

• Schools within an hour (roughly) of the festival site will be expected to transport students to/from the festival daily; schools farther from the festival site will have their students housed in a nearby hotel with arrangements made by the festival

• Some audition repertoire changes were made (reflected on the Audition Details page).

• A new Contemporary A Cappella Vocal Ensemble has been added. See the Audition Details page for more information.

• A new Modern Band Ensemble has been added. See the Audition Details page for more information.

• Vocal scholarship auditions will now include two subcategories: classical and contemporary. Classical vocal scholarship auditions may include one legit musical theater selection. Contemporary vocal scholarship auditions may include any form of musical theater and/or commercial music. 

• The scholarship audition fee was increased from $15 to $20.

• During the jazz ensemble selection process, the baritone saxophone position may be filled by a student who auditions on alto or tenor saxophone if that student scores more than 20 points higher than the top baritone sax audition.

• Vocal sight-singing changes: student can use any rhythmic system they choose for rhythmic sight-singing, and rhythm will be eliminated from melodic sight-singing.

• The composition scholarship adjudication process is undergoing revision (still working out details).

• With the exception of composition and classical piano scholarship auditions, in order to receive a scholarship, the student must also audition for one of the festival ensembles (concert band, orchestra, chorus, jazz ensemble). If this requirement is not met, the student will be adjudicated for feedback but will not be considered for scholarship or scholarship performance honors.

• Changes have been made to the vocal and jazz rubrics.

• There will be choral re-hearings for the 2024 festival.