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1 Dear Festival of Winds Participant, On behalf of the directors and staff at the University of South Florida, I would like to be the first to congratulate you on your selection to participate in this year s Festival of Winds, Opus 37. Your band director has supplied us with a strong recommendation for you to participate in this event based on the outstanding musical ability and leadership that you demonstrate on a daily basis. Our goal at Festival of Winds is to provide you with an experience that will help you grow and expand your musicianship at both the individual and ensemble level. In addition to these experiences, you also have the opportunity to spend four days on a university campus making new friends and establishing life-long memories. In this packet you will find important festival information relating to registration, required forms, hotel accommodations, meals and much more. Students are asked to thoroughly read through these documents and share the information with your family members. It is impossible for this packet to cover answers to all questions that may arise, so please ask your band director immediately if you have any additional concerns. Your band director will then contact us if necessary, and we will be sure to help in every way possible. Also, please be sure to add our official website to your Internet browsers favorites list. The website will become an extremely important tool as we get closer to the start of our festival. I wish you the best over the next few months as you prepare for what will be one of the most rewarding and valuable events in your high school career. Again, congratulations on your acceptance into the Festival and I look forward to meeting you in December! Sincerely, Mrs. Lauren Martin Graduate Festival Coordinator, Opus 37

2 Process for Registration and Payment Information packets were sent to schools on Wednesday, August 31 st. At that time your director nominated you for the honor of attending Festival of Winds and should have given you the link to complete your personal web registration. Please note that in order to participate in this event you must be nominated by your director. Students and directors have until Friday, September 23 rd to complete the nomination process. A Festival of Winds staff member will notify your director through on Monday, October 3 rd of whether or not you have been accepted to this year s Festival of Winds. Once you have been notified of your selection, either you or your director must confirm your intent to participate by visiting our payment website link (which is enclosed in your acceptance ) and completing the payment process. Students will have two options for accommodations as shown below: Plan A - $ dollars Non-Commuting Students Plan B - $ dollars Commuting Students This package includes housing, breakfast, lunch and dinner on Friday and Saturday and breakfast on Sunday, a FOW Opus 37 T-shirt, and a FOW Opus 37 Patch. This package includes lunch and dinner on Friday and Saturday, a FOW Opus 37 T-shirt and an FOW Opus 37 Patch. Payments must be received by Friday, October 28, 2011, in order to confirm your participation in this year s event. All festival payments must be made through the payment website by credit card, debit card, or e-check. We cannot accept paper checks, money orders, or cash. There will be a one-week late payment window, which runs from Saturday, October 29, 2011, through Friday, November 4, A late fee of $25.00 per student will be added automatically to your application if you are paying during this time frame. The absolute final deadline for payments is Friday, November 4, Those students who have not completed and paid for their registration by the final deadline will be replaced with alternates. Do not risk losing your spot at Festival of Winds; be sure to complete your online registration and payment information by the deadline. Students and Parents; please be sure to check with your band director first on method of payment for the event. In some cases schools may pay for this event through their booster club or school district. Once a payment has been received there will be no refunds unless there is an extenuating circumstance that is deemed acceptable by Dr. Carmichael, USF Director of Bands.

3 Registration and Required Forms Registration will take place in the School of Music Conference Center, located in the lobby of our new Concert Hall, on Thursday, December 1, 2011, from 10:00am until 2:00pm. Students must check-in before they audition and are required to have the following three items: 1) Festival Guidelines Form (parent and band director signatures required) 2) Medical Release Form (parent signature required) 3) Photo ID (this can be a drivers license or official school ID) Required forms for this event are available under the information page of the main FOW website. Please make sure you have these documents completed, with signatures, when you report to onsite registration at the School of Music. Students will not be allowed to participate in the festival without these completed items. Students will receive their official ID badges, T-shirts and commemorative patches once the registration process has been completed. During registration we will also have a representative from the USF Admissions Department available to answer any questions you may have about USF. You may also sign up to take a tour of the School of Music Building after your audition. Hotel Accommodations and Check-In Student participants will once again be housed at the USF Embassy Suites, located on-campus, just off of Fowler Avenue. The address for the hotel is: 3705 Spectrum Boulevard Tampa, Florida Festival of Winds staff will handle room assignments and will make every effort to do this by school. Changes to room assignments will not be accommodated, and if a student fails to abide by this policy he/she may be removed from the Festival. Male and female students are prohibited from being in the same hotel room at anytime. Family members are also not allowed to stay in a room with a student. This is non-negotiable. Chaperones for the hotel will be provided by: Phi Mu Alpha (ΦMA), the Men s Music Fraternity; Sigma Alpha Iota (ΣAI), the International Women s Music Fraternity; Kappa Kappa Psi (KKΨ), the National Honorary Band Fraternity; and CNAfME, the Collegiate National Association for Music Education. If you have any concerns during your stay you may speak with a member of these organizations who will provide assistance. Students may check-in to the hotel once they have completed their on-site registration and music audition at the School of Music. Check-in will take place between 2:00pm and 4:00pm. Students must provide their own transportation to and from the hotel site during this time frame. Students who have an earlier audition time will need to plan wisely for the down time between their audition and check-in time. In the event you are unable to check-in to the hotel before our first required event, you may do so when you return to the hotel that evening after rehearsals have ended.

4 Transportation and Parking Students are responsible for arranging their transportation to and from every event throughout the festival. Shuttle or taxi service is not available, including those arriving from Tampa International Airport. Students who have chosen price plan A (non-commuters) but drive themselves to the festival on Thursday will not be permitted access to their vehicles again until Sunday departure. Students who have chosen price plan B (commuters) will only be allowed to use their vehicles for arriving or departing the School of Music in the morning or evening. Those students who fail to abide by this policy will be asked to leave the festival. Overnight students will walk in supervised groups to and from the hotel, School of Music, and theatres. The walk from the hotel is approximately minutes so be sure to wear comfortable shoes and plan for multiple weather situations. Also, be sure to give yourself enough time every morning to prepare yourself for the day, including eating a healthy breakfast and a solid musical warm-up before rehearsals begin. Be sure that if you are commuting you park in the appropriate parking lots! USF Parking and Transportation Services enforce parking rules 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and Festival of Winds is not responsible for any parking tickets received during your time at USF. Daily Parking Permits are $5.00 for the entire day and are available from permit vending machines in the parking lots surrounding the School of Music. These vending machines accept credit cards only so please plan wisely. Students may also purchase a daily parking permit with cash at the Campus Information Center located off the main entrance to USF from Fowler Avenue. *IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING PARKING* Lots for daily parking are labeled D and have been marked on the campus map located under the information tab of our FOW website. Make sure you arrive early, especially on Thursday and Friday, as parking is very limited and spots fill up quickly in the morning hours. Meals and Dining The table below illustrates the meals FOW will provide. All of the meals provided do come with a vegetarian option, but will only be provided if this is indicated on your student nomination sheet. Keep in mind that we have several meal options available on campus, such as the Marshall Student Center, for the meals that FOW does not provide. Please visit USF Dining Services for more detailed information. Meals Provided Thursday, Dec. 1 st Friday, Dec. 2 nd Saturday, Dec. 3 rd Sunday, Dec. 4 th Breakfast No Yes Hotel Yes Hotel Yes Hotel Lunch No Yes Chick-fil-A Yes Pita Pit No Dinner No Yes Pizza Party Yes Dining Hall No

5 Auditions Audition music will be made available to download from the FOW website beginning Monday, November 14, Student requirements for the auditions include the downloaded excerpts, full range chromatic scale (extended range will be given preference in chair placement), and a brief sight-reading exercise. Please note that those students who wish to audition on Piccolo, English Horn, or Contra-Bass Clarinet must also prepare the Flute, Oboe and Bass Clarinet audition music respectively. If you double on Eb Clarinet, Flugelhorn, or Soprano Sax and you would like to audition to play these parts in addition to your main instrument (Bb Clarinet, Trumpet, Alto Saxophone), please bring these instruments with you to your audition and music will be made available for you at that time. Audition times will be posted on the FOW website by Monday, November 21, Be sure that you arrive early enough to the School of Music to register and warm-up before your scheduled audition time. Maps will be made available at registration that will direct you to your specific audition room as well as general warm-up areas. Audition results will be posted following Thursday night s opening concert and this years ensembles are named after our three clinicians: Dr. Craig Kirchhoff, Dr. Deborah Sheldon, and Dr. Warren Olfert. You can read more about these nationally and internationally recognized clinicians on the FOW webpage under the Biographies tab. Master Classes and Concerts On the Saturday of Festival of Winds students will attend a master class for their instrument led by the wonderful USF School of Music applied faculty, with additional participation by graduate and undergraduate students from their studios. FOW students are asked to please bring your instruments, a folding music stand, and any solo or ensemble repertoire that you have been preparing. Please be aware that every master class is run differently. Be prepared to play just in case. While attending this year s FOW part of your time will be spent attending various concerts and performances hosted by our School of Music faculty and students, including our 3 rd annual Bullapalooza Concert. In accordance with our attendance policy, which is enclosed in the Festival Guidelines Form, student participants must attend every concert. Your ID badge, given to you at registration, serves as your ticket for every concert throughout the course of our four-day festival. If you are not present at a concert you will be marked absent and may be asked to leave the festival. Make sure you allow yourself enough time to get to concert venues after meals. Our Grand Finale Concert, featuring our three honor bands, will be held on Sunday, December 4, 2011, in our new Performance Hall. Approximate performance times are as follows: Olfert Band 9:00am Sheldon Band 10:00am Kirchhoff Band 11:00am Each of our three ensembles will perform one right after the other, with a minute intermission in between each performance to clear and reseat the theatre. Each student will receive two tickets to their designated concert that will be available for pick-up by a family member at the box office on Sunday morning. Additional tickets will be available in limited quantities on a first-come, first serve basis. All tickets to the Grand Finale Concert are free and are only available on Sunday, December 4 th.

6 FOW Packing Checklist Print this document to check-off items as you pack A folding wire music stand! Be sure to clearly label this with your full name! Please note that the School of Music will not provide music stands for rehearsals. Your completed and signed Festival Guidelines, Medical Release Forms, and a Photo ID. Remember, without these documents you cannot participate in the festival. Your instrument(s)! Remember that if you are doubling on Piccolo, English Horn, Contrabass Clarinet, Eb Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone, or Flugelhorn you must bring these instruments as well. Instrument accessories: Reeds, Cork Grease, Valve Oil, Cleaning Swabs, Mouthpieces, Brass Mutes, Ligatures, and Percussion Sticks/Mallets. Bring it all you never know what you ll need! Also, be sure to bring any prepared solo music for potential use during master classes. Pencils: A musician s best friend. Never leave home without at least 3 of them. 4 days of comfortable clothing. As a rule of thumb, if you are not allowed to wear it at your school, then you are not allowed to wear it during the Festival. The weather and/or rehearsal areas may be chilly, so be sure to bring some warm clothes to layer. Concert Performance Attire: Gentlemen Option A Gentlemen Option B Ladies Black Long Sleeve Dress Shirt Black Tuxedo Jacket Black Knee-Length Skirt Black Dress Pants Black Tuxedo Pants Black Slacks Black Bow Tie White Tuxedo Shirt Black Blouse Black Socks Black Bow Tie Black Dress Black Dress Shoes Black Socks Black Dress Shoes Black Dress Shoes Notice: Keep in mind that you are being viewed as professionals so you should dress as such. Tennis Shoes and/or Sandals are not permitted for concert performances and jewelry is to be limited. Toiletries. Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Hair Care Products, Combs, Brushes, Deodorant, Make-Up, Face Wash, Shaving Materials, Feminine Products, Nail Clippers, etc. Prescription Medication. Please let the FOW staff members at the on-site registration desk know what medications you are taking and be sure to list them on your medical release form. Umbrella/Poncho. We have no way of knowing how the weather will be when walking you from the hotel to the rehearsal sites in the mornings and evenings. Be sure to pack these items just in case.