FAQ
Below you will find answers to some of questions that are asked most frequently about the festival. If you have a question that is not answered here, please contact music-ce@umkc.edu or call us at (816) 235-5448.
Nomination Questions
The process for nominating/sending students is as follows:
- Students are nominated by their directors. We ask that directors nominate the students that are most deserving of participating in an honor ensemble (good singers, hard workers, etc). Directors may nominate up to 10 students in grades 4-6, 10 students in grades 7-8, up to 8 students in grades 9-10, and up to 8 students in grades 11-12.
- We accept students to the festival based on the number of nominations we receive, the voicing that we need in our ensembles, and director recommendations for each student. At least one student from each nominating school will be accepted.
- Once we have made acceptance decisions, acceptance lists will be posted on our website and emailed to all nominating directors. We do contact accepted students directly, but we also ask that directors make sure that all accepted students know they have been accepted. With the acceptance email, we send a letter with information about how to register; this should be distributed to accepted students by their directors.
- Accepted students will then register and pay for the festival.
No, students must be nominated and accepted to the festival in order to attend.
Yes; you will need a nomination from your private instructor or a teacher whom you work with regularly. You may not nominate yourself.
Please fill out separate nomination forms for each school – you may nominate up to the maximum number of students for each school (i.e., if you teach at two middle schools, you may nominate twelve students from one school and twelve from the other).
We ask that each school submit only one set of nominations.
Acceptance List Questions
Once we have made our selections, a list of accepted students will be posted on our website and sent out to all nominating directors. Students should check our website or check with their nominating director to see if they have been accepted.
We would love to accept all nominated students to the Festival, but we are limited by space and ensemble voicing availability. We accept as many students as we can, to fill out as many bands and orchestras as we have space for.
If your name is listed as an alternate, we cannot yet offer you a spot in the festival. However, you are on the top of our list to accept if a space becomes available. We will contact your nominating director if a space opens up for you.
Once you are accepted into the festival, all communication is done via email directly to participants, using the email their nominating director provided. If you would like to add additional emails to our emails list, we are happy to do so. If you have not been receiving our emails, please check your spam/junk folders or contact us at music-ce@umkc.edu to verify the email address we have on file.
Only accepted students may register for the festival. Throughout the registration period, we may accept additional students, based on cancellations and our instrumentation needs at this time. Students who are accepted may register at this point. If accepted students are unable to attend the festival, we may accept students from our alternate list. We will contact these students’ school directors if their acceptance status changes.
Registration Information
The schedule and information packet will be available the day after registration closes and will be emailed to all registered participants. Physical packets may be mailed upon request. Parents and students will also want to periodically check the website leading up to the Festival for any pertinent final information.
Registration is $120 and is due at the time of registration. Our registration system requires us to charge administrative fees, as well – mailed registrations will be charged a $3.00 processing fee, and online registrations will be charged a fee based on a percentage of the total amount due. If a student wishes to add a private lesson, an additional charge of $40 will be added.
The registration fee includes music and choral folder, all rehearsals, clinics, masterclasses, a performance by the UMKC choirs, and all meals that take place between rehearsals.
We accept check, money order, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express.
Checks for registration should be made payable to UMKC and mailed to our office, along with all registration forms and paperwork. Credit card payments may be taken online through our website. There will be an administrative fee assessed for all payments.
We usually handle situations like these on a case by case basis. Please email Elizabeth Valle at vallee@umkc.edu for special registration/payment instructions.
We usually handle situations like these on a case by case basis. Please email Elizabeth Valle at vallee@umkc.edu for special registration/payment instructions.
We usually handle situations like these on a case by case basis. Please email Elizabeth Valle at vallee@umkc.edu for special registration/payment instructions.
All registration fees are non-refundable.
Please make sure to list any allergies, current medications we should know about, or other special medical needs.
Festival Details and Information
When students are accepted, they will be notified which ensemble they have been admitted into. Each ensemble will follow its own schedule of rehearsals and meals, which will be posted on the website and emailed to participants in mid-December. The bulk of Festival time is spent in rehearsal, during which students will work with renowned conductors and professional band and orchestra directors from around the country. This rehearsal time will be spent preparing for a performance at the Finale Concert, which will take place on Sunday afternoon. Each choir will perform three pieces at the concert, plus one piece together under the direction of the guest clinician.
Aside from rehearsals, there are several activities that students will participate in. On Saturday, the UMKC choirs will present a concert that all participants will attend. Other special activities, such as UMKC admissions presentations, masterclasses, additional social activities, may be added to the schedule as well.
All students will receive their music at the first rehearsal on the Friday night of the festival.
The Finale Concert will take place at 3:00pm on Sunday afternoon.
To accommodate students traveling with their schools from out of town, the Hampton Inn on the Plaza will offer a discounted rate to those participating in the festival.
Please note: the festival does not provide chaperones for students staying in hotels, and does not provide transportation.
The students will have constant chaperoning while on campus. Chaperones include UMKC Faculty, graduate assistants, and current Conservatory students. Most have public school teaching experience and all have worked with similar events and have chaperoning experience. Student safety is our top priority so each chaperone will have passed a criminal background check and additional training.
Students arriving in personally owned vehicles will not be permitted to drive while at the Festival. This is a University policy and will be strictly enforced. Please note that fees may apply for parking – participants are responsible for any parking fees they may incur. See Parking for more information.
If a student under the age of 18 plans on driving themselves to the festival, parents/guardians will need to notify us by email or on their festival registration ahead of time so that the student is permitted to walk to their vehicle without a chaperone.
Yes! Students are welcome to carpool, as long as they follow our pick up and drop off policies.
All Festival events are mandatory for all participants. Students must attend all rehearsals and their Finale Concert performance. Please schedule accordingly.
Yes, but we ask that you 1) do not eat them in rehearsals and 2) avoid bringing food items that contain peanuts due to some participants having peanut allergies. See Meals for more information on food during the festival.
Students are expected to wear concert black for the concert and casual, “school appropriate” attire for practices.
