State High School Solo & Ensemble Festival 

High School State Solo & Ensemble Festival participation offers students the opportunity to express themselves through creating beauty, building self confidence and to be affirmed as a singer. Performers learn from the mentoring of an adjudicator and through preparation in a solo or ensemble event, students gain insights into the music as they continue their musical journey.

Eligibility
  • Qualifying performance of Division I - Excellent at HS District Festival
  • Soloists with a raw score of 23 or higher 
  • Ninth-grade soloists are not eligible for All-State consideration

Registration & Payment

Festival Scheduler

Login Instructions

Registration Instruction


$35     Solo 

$50     Small Ensemble                                                                        2 - 5 singers

$80     Large Ensemble                                                                        6 - 20 singers

$90     Large ensembles requesting All-State Festival consideration


State Solo & Ensemble Festival registrants are scheduled from 5 PM - 9PM on Friday evening and

8 AM - 5 PM on Saturday. 


Deadline for registration and payment is March 1, 2024. Fees are non-refundable.


Directors will be allowed to choose their preferred site when registering for State S and E.


Payment can be made by:

  • School, booster, or director’s personal check payable to MSVMA

  • Credit card on the scheduling website or by calling 231.592.9344

  • Purchase order submitted by the postmark deadline


    Your events will not be scheduled unless we receive your signed invoice with payment or PO postmarked by the deadline. If the PO payment has not been received by the first day of the festival, your events will not perform.


    Fees are non-refundable. Returned checks are subject to a $15 fee. Late registration will be available with a $50/event fee for choral festival or a $20/event fee for S&E for seven days after the deadline but must be paid by credit card only.


    State Solo & Ensemble Festival medals will be available for purchase for $5 at the Festivals for students who receive final determinations of Excellent (I) or Good (II).


    Invoices and checks for fees payable to MSVMA should be mailed to:


    MSMVA

    P.O. Box 1131

    Big Rapids, MI  49307


    For registration questions, contact State Events Scheduling Coordinator Julia Holt or Director of State Events Matt Snell.

    Repertoire
    • Soloists and ensembles must sing two selections of a contrasting nature. Only one selection may have been performed at District Festival.
    • Soloists may sing one opera aria.
    • When choosing literature, soloists can use this Suggested Repertoire list as a guide. There is no longer a required list for soloists.
    • Popular, show/musical tunes, vocal jazz, barbershop or novelty selections are not acceptable.  
    • Changes in literature must be made by one week before the Festival. 
    • If Public Domain or purchased online copies of music are used, proof of music origin is required.

    Performance

    • Soloists must perform from memory to receive a final determination.
    • Ensembles may use music.
    • Large ensembles desiring All-State Festival consideration must perform one a cappella selection.
    • Instrumental accompaniment other than piano is allowed but must not detract from the performance.
    • Small ensembles consist of 2 – 5 singers.
    • Large ensembles consist of 6 – 20 singers.
    • The personnel of the ensemble shall not change between the performance and sight reading rooms.
    • The personnel of the ensemble shall not change from one selection to the other.
    • Performance time may not exceed 8 minutes.
    • An original score of each piece with measures numbered must be provided for the use of the judge in order for a final determination to be issued. 
    • Directors and accompanists may not conduct and/or play for more than 5 events on Friday, and no more than 5 events on Saturday morning or afternoon. 
    • Students may participate in up to 5 events, with no more than 3 occurring on Friday, Saturday morning or afternoon.
    Sight Reading for Soloists
    • Following performance, each soloist will proceed to the sight reading room.
    • The singer's director is discouraged from entering the sight reading room.
    • Prior to singing the passage, the soloist will be given time to study the exercise
    • Each exercise will be 8 measures long.
    • The adjudicator will establish the key as the soloist requests - starting pitch and/or tonic. 
    • The levels of proficiency are Primary, Intermediate and Advanced.
    • Soloists may choose the level of sight reading to be performed.  All-State candidates must sight read at the Intermediate or Advanced Levels.
    • The sight reading score will reflect the soloist’s knowledge of music fundamentals and sight reading ability.
    • 9th grade soloists must adhere to senior high sight reading guidelines.
    • Sight Reading Soloists are allotted 7.5 minutes
    Sight Reading for Ensembles
    • Prior to singing the passage, the ensemble will be given time to study the exercise.
    • The key may be established by having the students sing scales or chord patterns.
    • The director may change the key to best support the vocal abilities of the choir.
    • Intervals contained in the exercise may be sung as long as they are not done in the sequence of the written material. For example, random intervals or patterns such as 1-3-5-3-1,1-6,1-4, etc. may be sung by the students in preparation. Directors may call attention to places where these occur in the exercise. They may not be rehearsed in the sequence in which they appear.
    • The group may speak aloud the solfege, letter or number names preparatory to singing.
    • Singers are allowed to discuss and/or vocalize with their neighbors during the prep time. The director may not assist by illustrating intervals or rhythms.
    • The practice of "neighboring" shall not be a unified effort by a section or group of more than three students.
    • Small and large ensembles desiring All-State Festival consideration must sight read at intermediate or higher.
    • The ensemble’s performance will reflect its ability to understand and sight read the following:         
      • Rhythm: note and rest values, feeling of pulse/tempo - appropriate and steady              
      • Pitch:  pitches, tonality and intonation                                                                 
      • Other: Technique (either fixed or movable do, using either solfege, numbers, letter names, or neutral syllable(s)), concentration of group members, expression, phrasing, tone, quality

    Final Determinations

    Scores will be calculated by multiplying the performance judge's score by three and adding the

    sight reading judge's score.

     Division I  Excellent 120 - 96
     Division II  Good  95 - 72
     Division III  Fair  71 - 46
     Division IV  Developing  45 - 24

    Director of State Events
    Matt Snell

    mattsnell@msvma.org


    Supervisor of State S&E Festivals
    Cindy Hunter

    cindyhunter@msvma.org

    State S&E - East & South Festival Scheduler

    Erika Senecal

    erikasenecal@msvma.org

    State S&E - Central & West Festival Scheduler

    Catherine Lykins

    catherinelykins@msvma.org

    State S&E Festival Documents

    2024 State S&E Invitation

    Central

    April 19 - 20, 2024

    Districts 1, 2, 7 & 9   

    District 5: Bay, Clinton, Gratiot, Isabella & Midland Counties


    Katie McInnis

    Festival Coordinator
    katiemcinnis@msvma.org


    Wendee Wolf-Schlarf

    Host

    wendeewolfschlarf@msvma.org


    Traverse City West High School

    5376 N Long Lake Rd,

    Traverse City, MI 49685

    East
    April 12 - 13, 2024

    Districts 3, 15 & 16  
    District 5: Shiawassee, Saginaw counties 
    District 8: Ingham, Eaton counties east of US127 

    Christopher Knapp
    Festival Coordinator
    christopherknapp@msvma.org

    Matthew Smith
    Host
    matthew.smith@lok12.org

    Lake Orion High School
    495 E Scripps Road
    Orion Township, MI  48360

    South  
    April 12 - 13, 2024

    Districts: 4 & 12
    District 8: Hillsdale, Jackson & Lenawee counties


    Jared Copeland

    Festival Coordinator
    jaredcopeland@msvma.org


    Matt Snell

    Host

    mattsnell@msvma.org


    Jackson Northwest High School

    4200 Van Horn Rd,

    Jackson, MI 49201

    West  
    April 19 - 20, 2024
    District 8:  Ingham and Eaton Counties west of US127  
    District 6, 10 & 11

    Kathryn Becksvoort

    Festival Coordinator 

    kathrynbecksvoort@msvma.org

    Anna Bolton

    Host

    boltonann@apsfalcons.net


    Allendale High School

    10760 68th Ave

    Allendale, MI 49401

    UP  
    April 12, 2024

    Districts 13 & 14

    Sheila Grazulis

    Festival Coordinator 

    sheilagrazulis@msvma.org


    Sierra Larson

    Host


    St. Paul Episcopal Church
    201 East Ridge Street

    Marquette, MI  40855



                                                                                                      

    Michigan School Vocal Music Association

    P.O. Box 1131

    Big Rapids, MI 49307-1131

    (231) 592 - 9344


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