Every student, no matter their skill level, will benefit from participating in this event. Performing a solo will help them grow as musicians and as individuals.

WHAT IS SOLO AND ENSEMBLE?

Solo and Ensemble Festival is a fantastic opportunity for students to demonstrate their musical skills for another professional on their instrument. With the help of a band director, students select and prepare a solo with piano accompaniment. After playing, the student will receive a score from the adjudicator: division I, II, or III, with a division I being the highest possible. If the student receives a division I or II rating, they will receive a medal. The student will also be given comments about their performance to reaffirm them on what they are doing well and what they need to work on. 

WHEN DOES THIS EVENT TAKE PLACE?

This event will take place on Saturday, December 7th, 2024.  The event will start at 9:00 and will go till around 1:00pm. Students will be assigned a time to perform by the MSBOA organization. The schedule is released around 2 weeks prior to the event. 

WHERE IS IT?

The event will be hosted right here at Coopersville Middle School!!

WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC SHOULD I PLAY, AND HOW LONG DOES THE PIECE HAVE TO BE?

Mrs. Borst & Mr. VanStrien will help each soloist pick out a piece from the collection of books we have here at school. All musical selections MUST be approved by one of the directors. Each solo must play a minimum of 1 minute and 30 seconds or the student will be disqualified. This festival is only for band instruments and advanced piano students. All solos (except snare drum) require a piano accompanist. 

PIANO ACCOMPANISTS 

All solos (except snare drum) require a piano accompanist. Students may ask an adult they know to accompany them OR the directors will assign a pianist to them. School assigned pianists will come into band class and rehearse with each soloist a minimum of 2 times before the performance. 

DUETS

Students must FIRST sign up for a SOLO performance. If two students of like instruments wish to also prepare a duet, they may talk to one of the directors to establish a rehearsal plan. 

DOES THIS EVENT COST MONEY?

The school pays the MSBOA organization for each event that performs! If a student signs up and does not learn the music and/or doesn’t show up to the event, the student will be billed for the cost.

Students are responsible to cover the cost of their pianist. A minimum of $30 for the 2 rehearsals and the performance. The pianists will take the time to learn each soloist’s music and rehearse with them. Each rehearsal is a mini private lesson. 

HOW DO I PREPARE? 

If a student chooses to participate in solo and ensemble, they are expected to practice on their own time, outside of the school day. The band directors will help as much as possible, but cannot learn the piece for the student! Students will be given a limited amount of time during band and seminar time. 

HOW DO I SIGN UP?

All sign ups will occur through the google form found in both Google Classroom and the band website. Students themselves MUST sign in using their CAPS login. Parents are unable to sign up their child. 

After the student fills out the google form, an email to their parents will be issued to ensure they are aware of the event.