TFMC All State Festival
An Event the Size of Texas!

GENERAL FESTIVAL REQUIREMENTS & GUIDELINES

 

General rules as set forth in the most recent edition of the Federation Festivals Bulletin are in effect for this event. Exceptions listed below are adapted for and specific to the TFMC All State Festival event.

 

ELIGIBILITY:

 

Festival participation is open to any Junior NFMC Member who has earned a Superior Rating in an NFMC/TFMC District/Local Festival during the current festival year and who meets the following criteria:

• Is a legal resident of Texas.

• Is 18 years of age or under on the qualifying district festival date

• Has not graduated from high school prior to the qualifying district festival date

• Only teachers are allowed to register eligible students.

• Teachers entering students must be a current Senior Member of NFMC/TFMC.

• Teachers may only enter students whom they personally teach.

• At this time, ADULTS who perform in the district/local level festivals ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO ENTER THE STATE FESTIVAL.

 

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EVENTS: All events listed in the NFMC Federation Festivals Bulletin are available for participants at TFMC State Festival with the exception of Dance and Musicianship - Improvisation.  NEW EVENT–THEORY TESTS!  This year, the events offered at TFMC’s All State Festival will include theory tests! Refer to the website for more information: https://www.tfmcallstatefestival.org.

 

PERFORMANCE PIECE:  Only Required Pieces from the NFMC Festival Bulletin can be performed.  All selections registered at the All State Festival must be the SAME Required Pieces performed at the current local/district NFMC festival for which a Superior rating was awarded.

 

ZOOM OR VIDEO PERFORMANCES?: Solo and ensemble performances will be judged from online video submissions. Sight Play/Sing will be adjudicated using online Zoom meetings. The new Theory Event will occur using Zoom meetings with breakout rooms. Participants in the All State Festival Competition remain eligible to receive awards, certificates bearing written feedback from our experienced judges, plaques for All State Winners, and monetary awards where applicable.

 

VIRTUAL STUDY: Students taking virtual or online lessons are required to have performed at the 2023 TFMC District level festival in person or in a district-sponsored virtual event. They must submit a performance video if they choose to participate in the All State Festival event with the exceptions of Theory or of Sight Play/Sing (online Zoom meetings).

 

SCJM: Specially Capable Junior Musicians (SCJM) requiring special aid or consideration are encouraged to enter as NON-COMPETE entries. Upon registration for TFMC All State Festival, advise the event chairman (email, text or phone) about the details of each student’s special designation. The SCJM designation will NOT appear on the rating sheet or other documentation.

 

ENSEMBLE PARTNER SUBSTITUTIONS: Occasionally, an ensemble member is unable to participate in the state-wide festival. A substitute partner is allowed in this case, only if the following qualifications are met. A substitute partner must be a Federation junior member whose solo level is within 2 levels of the remaining partner. Only 1 substitution per duet, duo, trio or quartet is allowed. A teacher, parent, any other adult, or a non-NFMC member may NOT substitute for missing ensemble partners. A student may not perform in more than one of any ensemble event. (1 duet and 1 trio, but not 2 duets or 2 trios) Emergency substitution, except as described here is prohibited.

 

LARGE ENSEMBLE ENTRIES OF 5+ MEMBERS: At registration, give each large ensemble a name, such as “Cornerstone Choir”.

 

ACCOMPANIMENTS: The applicant must perform with a piano accompaniment unless the piece is written for unaccompanied solo or ensemble. Recordings are acceptable when accompaniment is required by the composer in the published piece. General Bulletin requirements apply with these exceptions: accompanists for solo or concerto entrants do not receive a plaque or ribbon award, even if they are Junior members. Entrants in the Piano Accompaniment Event must provide their own soloists or ensemble performers. Piano Accompaniment Event entrants do receive an award, but their soloists or ensemble performers do not. Use of a pre-recorded accompaniment is acceptable.

 

MEMORY REQUIREMENTS:  NFMC Bulletin instructions and NFMC directives will be followed regarding memory requirements.  No extra credit is to be given for memorized performances at events where memory is not required.  Refer to the Bulletin for specifics.

 

HYMN AND PATRIOTIC/FOLK EVENTS:  These will perform the Required Piece exactly as written with no additions or improvisations. 

 

CONCERTOS:  Please omit repeats of 10 or more bars for any entry and reduce long accompaniment sections.  Due to time limitations, only 10 minutes of any concerto shall be adjudicated and judges will determine starting and stopping points.

 

 

ADJUDICATION PROCEDURES: Submissions will be judged after being validated and prepared for adjudication. Our judges are well qualified, experienced and highly recommended adjudicators. Our entrants perform for the judge and compete with other entrants in a group containing entrants in the same event and level. The size of each group is determined by the number of entries received. All performance videos will be grouped in this manner and adjudicated appropriately.

 

Adjudicators will reference PDFs of student owned music scores plus performance videos as they write critiques/comments. All Judges Comments and Ratings will be printed on Certificates and shipped with awards to District Chairmen for distribution to area teachers as soon as is possible. 

 

Please realize that professional printing does take a considerable amount of prep and production time as does packing and shipping.  We hope to have everything completed by the first part of June.  

 

RATINGS AND AWARDS:

Each performance receives one of the following ratings: Very Good, Excellent, Superior, Outstanding or All State Winner. Each student will receive ONE award for each performance, either a plaque or a ribbon. The only exceptions are Ensembles of 5+ members that receive ONE award per group.

 

Monetary Award Winners will be notified shortly after adjudication is closed. Award money will be disbursed by the TFMC State Treasurer approximately two weeks after all required paperwork is processed. All State Winners will receive a plaque and become eligible for inclusion in the All State Honors Virtual Recital to be held during the TFMC Annual Convention on Junior Day in August, 2023.

 

All plaques, ribbons and ratings sheets will be shipped to District Festival Chairs at the end of the event for distribution to teachers.  This usually occurs the first part of June.

 

RATING DEFINITIONS:

All State Winner – Only ONE performance from each group will be chosen as the All State Winner. Simply put, the best performer in a folder group. The winner is chosen from the Outstanding ratings in each folder. Judges may withhold the All State Winner award ONLY if there are no Outstanding ratings in a folder. 

 

Outstanding -- Excellent musical and technical performance; all elements (dynamics, style, phrasing, marks of expression, fingering, pedaling, memory, musicality, etc.) present and working together; this great performance is of public recital quality. This rating is NOT merely 2nd place. Any worthy performance can receive this rating. Receives the red, white, and blue rosette ribbon award.

 

Superior -- A good performance with at least one or two elemental difficulties or a few clear note and/or rhythm errors. Receives a blue ribbon award.

 

Excellent -- Shows accomplishment and good potential, but has numerous elemental weaknesses or errors in notes and rhythm. Receives a red ribbon award.

 

Very Good -- Needs help in fundamentals, i.e. rhythm, memory, notes, understanding and preparation. Receives a green ribbon award.

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MONETARY AWARDS:

Each Monetary Award Event Winner will receive a Monetary Award. Eligible Events are selected according to the number of entries in pre-selected events.  Only official Monetary Award Winners are eligible to receive a cash award plus the opportunity to be showcased on our TFMC All State Honors Virtual Recital at our annual Convention or on our YouTube Channel. Cash awards are made at the discretion of the judges. All decisions by TFMC All State Festival and its judges are binding and final.

 

Monetary awards will be provided each year as funds are available. The following events are eligible:

PIANO:          Piano Solo MA2, MA1, VD2, VD1, D2, D1, Piano Concerto SR, JR3

ORGAN:        Organ Solo MA2, MA1

VOCAL:         Vocal Art Song Solo MA3, MA2, MA1

STRING:        Violin Solo ADV2, ADV1              

Violin Concerto SR

Viola Solo ADV2, ADV1      Viola Concerto SR

Cello Solo ADV2, ADV1      Cello Concerto SR
String Bass Solo ADV

Harp Solo ADV                      Harp Concerto

Classical Guitar Solo ADV    Classical Guitar Concerto

 

MINIMUM ENTRANTS: A Monetary Award event must have a minimum of three (3) entrants. Monetary Awards are provided for only ONE All State Winner in each of these listed events. VIRTUAL PLAYOFFS: Should there be more than one All State Winner selected in any single Monetary Award level, a virtual playoff will occur and ONE Monetary Award Winner will be selected for that level.  AWARD WITHHELD: Should an All State Winner NOT be chosen in any event, the monetary award will be withheld. Judges’ decisions are final. MONETARY WINNER REQUIREMENTS:  Before funds are released to the winner, NFMC/TFMC memberships of BOTH teachers and students will be validated. Unpaid dues will result in the withholding of funds.  TFMC monetary award winners will be required to sign a Publicity Release and to submit their social security number and IRS Form W9 to the TFMC Treasurer (IRS rule). No award transfer, assignment, or substitution by any All State Winner is permitted. TAXES ARE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE WINNERS.

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