Letter of Invitation & Additional ANEBF Information

Dear Friends:

I am very pleased to invite you and your students to participate in the 2008 All New England Band Festival at Plymouth State University.

FESTIVAL DATE:    Monday, November 24, 2008 (9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.)

APPLICATION DEADLINE:    Applications must be received by  October 9. The Festival Bands will be selected on October 11, and acceptance letters will be mailed on October 14.
    • Regarding Baritone players, please indicate whether the student reads treble or bass clef
    • Regarding percussionists, please indicate instruments on which the student possesses acceptable reading skills
    • Please recommend wind players for one instrument only
    • To submit applications online, go to: www.plymouth.edu/mtd/anebf
    • You will receive an email acknowledgement from me within a day or two of submission. If
        you do not, please check with me at garyc@plymouth.edu to be certain that your
        applications have been received.
    • If you prefer, you may copy the enclosed applications and submit through U. S. Mail. No FAXes or email submissions, please.

ELIGIBILITY:    High school musicians (grades 10-12) recommended by their high school band director are eligible.

GUEST CONDUCTORS:    The 2008 Festival Symphonic Band will be conducted by composer Travis J. Cross. The Festival Concert Band will conducted by composer Roland Barrett. I believe that your students will find it especially rewarding to have this opportunity to perform music with either of these outstanding composers as their conductor.

ALL NEW ENGLAND FESTIVAL BANDS:    Each of these bands will provide a memorable musical and educational experience for the proficient music student and will afford an opportunity to combine the efforts of talented musicians from throughout the New England area. Please help your students to understand that, at this festival, there is no “first band” and no “second band.” Once the overall selections are made and ranked, students are placed  by alternation in one group or the other. The terms “Symphonic Band” and “Concert Band” are just the terms used to distinguish the ensembles. The size of the group is determined by the amount of space in their rehearsal area. The differences in performance quality will depend mostly on the suitability of the music selected and the conductor’s use of the rehearsal time.

FEE:    The cost for each high school participant is $20.00 This registration fee is payable at the time of the notification of selection and acceptance by the student. There is no registration fee for participating directors.

PERSONNEL OF THE BAND:    Participants in the  Festival Bands will be chosen on the basis of instrumentation needs, director’s recommendation, past musical achievements, and seniority in school. Directors are asked to be as informative and as accurate as they can be in their recommendations. Acceptance into the Festival Bands is quite competitive. I hope you will keep this in mind as you make your nominations and as you explain the event to your students. We hope that students will regard it as an honor to play in the All New England Festival Bands and will accept their seating as assigned.

FORMAL CONCERT:    The All New England Band Festival concert is at 7:00 p.m. and will also include a performance by the Plymouth State University Symphonic Band. Tickets for friends and relatives attending the concert are $7.00. Concert CDs may be ordered on the day of the festival.

DIRECTORS' CLINIC:    From 10:30-11:30, a directors’ clinic/forum will be presented. Directors of participating students are urged, but not required, to attend the festival. Those directors who attend will have opportunities to observe the rehearsals, attend the clinic, and will receive a complimentary ticket for the evening concert. Directors’ complimentary tickets must be picked up at the Silver Center for the Arts Box Office on the day of the festival.

SCHEDULE:    A complete schedule, set of instructions and music will be sent to each student selected for one of the Festival Bands and to his or her Band Director.

If you have a student, or students, who would be interested in playing in the All New England Band Festival, please submit your recommendations as soon as possible before the October 9 deadline. Last year, we received almost 400 applications from 90 high schools in all six New England states. Because of the increasing number of applications to ANEBF and the length of the selection process, applications received after the deadline cannot be considered.

My personal best to you and to your students.

Sincerely,

Dr. Gary Corcoran

Director of Bands
Professor of Music

Return applications to:

Dr. Gary Corcoran
Department of Music, Theatre & Dance
MSC 37
Plymouth State University
Plymouth, NH 03264
Office Phone: 603-535-2495
e-mail: garyc@plymouth.edu

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Festival Time Line

• October 9: Festival Applications are due.
• October 14: Letters mailed to Directors—notification of students who have been accepted.
• October 30: Acceptances of invitations are due. Music and rehersal instructions will be mailed immediately upon receipt of student acceptances form.