Constitution, By-Laws and Festival Rules

of the

North Carolina Bandmasters Association

Updated January, 2005

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Constitution

 

ARTICLE I - NAME AND RELATIONSHIPS

 

*          Section 1. Name: The Name of the organization shall be the North Carolina Bandmasters Association.

*          Section 2. Relationships: This organization shall be the official Band section of the North Carolina Music Educators Association, a department of the North Carolina Association of Educators affiliated with the Music Educators National Conference.

 

ARTICLE II - OBJECT AND FUNCTIONS

 

*          Section 1. Object: The object shall be to work within the framework of the North Carolina Music Educators Association and its affiliates to advance the cause of band music education. It shall cooperate with other sections of the North Carolina Music Educators Association in planning and carrying out such activities.

 

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

 

*          Section 1. Active membership shall be granted to any individual actively engaged in directing bands or teaching wind or percussion instrumental music and who is a member of the North Carolina Music Educators Association.

*          Section 2. All other membership shall conform to Article III, Sections 2 through 9 of the Constitution of the North Carolina Music Educators Association.

*          Section 3. The right to vote or hold office is reserved to active members.

 

ARTICLE IV - GOVERNMENT

 

*          Section 1. The elective officers shall be a president, president-elect and secretary.

*          Section 2. The Board of Director shall consist of the elective officers, the immediate past-president and the chairperson of the six state districts. District Chairman terms will be two (2) years beginning July 1 and ending June 30. The following schedule will be used to ensure proper and equal rotation of members on and off the Board of Directors. The Central, South Central and Northwest District shall elect a new chairperson on years ending with an even number. The Eastern, Southeastern and Western Districts shall elect a new chairperson on years ending with an odd number.

*          Section 3. The office of Honorary Life President may be conferred by the Board of Directors. Only persons who have rendered notable service to the cause of band music education in North Carolina shall be considered.

*          Section 4. Vacancies in any elective office shall be filled upon the recommendation of the president or acting president, by and at the discretion of the Board of Directors, until an election for the unexpired term is held at the next general meeting.

 

ARTICLE V - ELECTIONS

 

*          Section 1.

*          (a) The president-elect and secretary shall be elected by secret ballot in even-numbered years at the Fall In-Service Conference. Upon completion of a two-year term, the president-elect shall automatically accede to the office of president.

 

ARTICLE V - ELECTIONS

 

*          (b) A nominating committee shall consist of the immediate past-president as chairperson and two other persons selected by the chairperson. All three shall represent a different district. This committee shall prepare a slate of officers with at least two nominees for each office which shall be presented to the membership for action.

*          (c) Additional nominations may be made by any active member from the floor.

 

 

ARTICLE VI - MEETINGS

 

*          Section 1. The Association shall meet annually as determined by the North Carolina Music Educators Association.

*          Section 2. Additional meetings may be called by the president, subject to confirmation by the Board of Directors.

*          Section 3. The Board of Directors shall meet at the call of the president or upon the joint request of not less than four members of the Board, but must meet once annually. A quorum of not less than five members shall be required to the transaction of business.

 

ARTICLE VII - QUORUM

 

*          Section 1. A quorum shall consist of active members who are registered for the Fall In-Service Conference and present at the business meeting.

 

ARTICLE VIII - AMENDMENTS AND BY-LAWS

 

*          Section 1. The constitution may be amended with the approval of two-thirds of the membership present at any general meeting.

*          Section 2. By-laws may be added or deleted by a simple majority of the members present at any general meeting.

*          Section 3. Proposed amendments must be submitted to the Board of Directors at the meeting immediately prior to the opening of the Fall In-Service Conference for recommendation to the general membership at the first business meeting. Voting on proposed amendments will be at the last business meeting of the Fall In-Service Conference.

 

By-Laws

 

ARTICLE I - DUTIES OF OFFICERS

 

*          Section 1. The president shall serve as chairperson of the band section of the North Carolina Music Educators Association as provided in the constitution of that organization. The president shall preside at all meetings of the Association and Board of Directors; enforce due observance of the constitution and by-laws; call meetings of the Association and the Board of Directors; appoint committees not otherwise provided for in the constitution.

*          Section 2. The president-elect shall perform all the duties of the president in the event of the absence of the president. The president-elect shall serve as chairperson of the Music Selection Committee, which shall meet at the New Music Clinic. The president-elect will be responsible for obtaining and presenting the outgoing president with a plaque. The president-elect shall also serve as overall chairperson of the Junior and Senior High Concert Band Festivals. The president-elect shall be responsible for establishing a committee to select sight reading per festival rule 7-D.

*          Section 3. The secretary shall keep a record of all meetings and perform other duties as directed by the president and the Board of Directors. The secretary shall furnish to the Editor of the North Carolina Music Educator a copy of the minutes of all general meetings of the Association, said minutes to be in hands of the editor not later than seven days after the meeting. The secretary shall request the editor to publish the minutes in a subsequent issue of the Educator.

*          Section 4. The immediate past-president shall serve as consultant to the president and shall perform such other duties as are assigned by the president and the Board of Directors. The immediate past-president shall serve as chairperson of the nominating committee per Article V, Section 1-B.

*          Section 5. The Board of Director shall be responsible for the business management of the Association; decide questions, make rulings and interpret matters of policy for the association; report to the Association the rules it has passed and the actions it has taken; carry out all of the provisions and duties ascribed to it by the Constitution and By-Laws. All actions shall stand unless altered by a later vote of the membership.

 

ARTICLE II - STANDING COMMITTEES

 

 

*          Section 1. The Concert Festival Committee shall consist of the president-elect as the overall State Concert Festival Chairperson, the president of the Association and the chairperson of each individual District Concert Festival.

*          Section 2. The Music Selection Committee shall consist of the president-elect as chairperson, and at least three members-at-large for each band music group classification except Group I. Members are to be appointed by the president-elect to serve for a period of one year.

 

ARTICLE III - DUTIES OF THE COMMITTEES

 

*          Section 1. The Concert Festival Committee is charged with dealing specifically with assisting in the planning and execution of the Band division of the district and state concert festivals. The general membership shall submit all ideas and suggestions pertaining to the concert festivals to this committee for action and referral to the general membership for approval or rejection.

*          Section 2. The Music Selection Committee shall meet in conjunction with the New Music Clinic to select a concert festival list for the following year. If the New Music Clinic should not be held in any given year, the chairperson will call a special meeting of this committee to select a list.

 

ARTICLE IV - RULES OF ORDER

 

Roberts Rules of Order (revised) shall govern all business meetings of the Association in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the constitution and by-laws of this Association or of the North Carolina Music Educators Association.

 

 

North Carolina Bandmasters Concert Band

Festival Rules

 

PURPOSE: To provide students and teachers a means of receiving constructive comment by competent  judges. To stimulate and recognize growth. To provide students and teachers a means of hearing the work done by other school groups.

 

1. ELIGIBILITY:

 

*          A. All band directors must be current members of the North Carolina Music Educators Association.

*          B. Band members must be regularly enrolled in a band class according to the school administrative unit. Lower grade students may be used to round out the instrumentation, but not the reverse.

*          C. The band director that appears on the class roster at a school as the teacher must be a member of NCMEA and register all students to participate in all state sanctioned events.

 

2. ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE:

 

*          A. Each district will have a Concert Festival Chairperson elected by the band directors of that district. Each district must notify the State Concert Festival Chairperson who the District Concert Festival Chairperson is by the end of the Fall In-Service Conference.

*          B. Those persons who are presently serving as a concert festival chairperson in a district will continue to serve at the pleasure of the district.

*          C. The concert festival in each district must be held before April 15 each year. In the event of extreme weather conditions which require a cancellation of a festival, the festival district chair may apply to the State Festival Chairperson for an extension of this date.

*          D. The District Concert Festival Chairperson will contact the Executive Director of NCMEA to obtain concert festival financial and administrative materials.

*          E. The State Concert Festival Chairperson will be the President-Elect of the North Carolina Bandmasters Association. His responsibility shall be to direct and assist the District Concert Festival Chairperson and will have the authority to govern all concert festival activity in the state.

 

3. REGULATIONS:

 

*          A. No student may enter both junior high school and senior high school levels in the same year. Ninth Grade Bands should go to the festival where the Ninth Grade Band is housed. (If the Ninth Grade is housed at a middle school then the band should go to the middle school festival of their district.)

*          B. No group may enter for comments only. Each group will be assigned a rating of either Superior, Excellent, Average, Below Average and Poor.

*          C. Where a school has more than one band, duplication of personnel will be permitted so long as the literature and instrument is not the same.

*          D. No band may enter more than one district concert festival.

*          E. Any band which performs music not on the North Carolina Bandmasters Association approved list for the year will not receive comments or a rating from the judges.

*          F. Bands are required to refrain from preparing any composition for concert festival more than once within a four year period.

*          G. Any school district finding it necessary to combine bands for concert festival must receive permission from the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Bandmasters Association at the Fall In-Service Conference.

*          H. If a director submits a letter and uses copied scores then the director has a binding contract with the music dealer. A letter stating such will be sent to the principal and director.

 

4. REGISTRATION

 

*          A. Senior High and Junior High Bands will register in their designated districts.

*          B. Exception to Rule 4-A: Bands may cross district lines upon receiving written release from their district concert festival chairperson and written permission from the district concert festival chairperson where they wish to enter. If problems occur, the director should contact the state concert festival chairperson, who shall intervene and make a final decision.

*          C. Registration blanks must be completed and mailed with fees enclosed, to the district concert festival chairperson. The envelope must have a postmark showing that the materials were mailed on or before the stated deadline of thirty days (30) days prior to the first day of concert festival.

*          D. The band director whose name appears on the class list as the teacher must be in attendance or their students will not be allowed to participate.

 

5. FEES

 

*          A. All concert festival registration fees will be determined by each district upon the approval of the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Bandmasters Association.

*          B. Notification of withdrawal must be postmarked no later than thirty (30) days before the contest date if a refund of fees is expected.

 

6. PERFORMANCE:

 

*          A. All bands are required to furnish three conductor's scores of each composition prepared for concert festival and present them to the concert festival chairperson upon arrival. Only published scores will be permitted unless permission is obtained from the publisher. All scores presented to the chairperson must be numbered by measure.

*          B. Timing (includes staging and performance) Groups I, II - twenty-five (25) minutes; Groups III, IV - thirty (30) minutes; Group V - thirty-five (35) minutes; Group VI - forty (40) minutes. Groups requiring more than the specified time for their group level must apply in writing to the State Festival Chairperson sixty (60) days prior to their respective festival requesting permission for an extended time. Warm up times will be: (includes staging and performance) Groups I, II - twenty-five (25) minutes; Groups III, IV - thirty (30) minutes; Group V - thirty-five (35) minutes; Group VI - forty (40) minutes. Bands may be required to perform at an adjusted time but the entire warm-up time must be given to each band.

*          C. Each band must prepare a march of the director's choice and two (2) compositions from the Official North Carolina Bandmasters Association Music List. One composition must be from the classification as registered, the other composition may be from the same classification or from the next higher classification.

*          D. Each band director must submit to the proper concert festival chairperson the following: four copies of the list of the march and the two (2) concert selections which the band is prepared to play; three copies of a list of the band's instrumentation; a repertoire sheet listing all selections prepared for the concert festival during the past four (4) years. These lists must be submitted at least one hour before the band is scheduled to play. It is strongly urged that the band director leave a copy of the repertoire sheet on file at his/her own school.

 

7. SIGHT READING:

 

*          A. Sight reading will be required of all bands in Grades II - VI. The sight reading score will be included in the overall rating for all participating bands. No groups may sight read for comments only. Bands will read one (1) concert selection. One sight reading judge will be used; the judge will make taped comments and use the MENC sight reading form.

*          B. Bands and directors will have time to look at the music. The times are: Grades II, III and IV - five minutes; Grade V - six minutes; Grade VI - seven minutes. During that time they may clap rhythms, sing parts, count out loud and finger instruments, but they may not play their instruments. Each band may play a brief warm-up scale at the conclusion of the preparation period.

*          C. During the actual performance directors may call out rehearsal letters or numbers and verbal cues (e.g. "more trumpets", "tubas watch") but may not sing parts or rhythms while the band is playing. Only one director may work with the band in the sight reading room. The time limit in the sight reading room will correspond with the given amount for the concert performance.

*          D. The President and President-Elect will contract an active band director (contractor) from another state to order the sight reading to be used in the current year's University Interscholastic League Concert and Sight Reading Festival (from Texas).

*          E. It is the responsibility of the state chairperson to make sure the contractor chosen be provided with the following information: music company to order the right reading music from, instrumentation for folders, festival dates, festival sites, festival district chairpersons, festival site addresses and the number of sets of sight reading folders that need to be compiled. The contractor will provide the folders, seal each set and ship them to the district festival chairs so that they arrive at least one week prior to the festival date. The boxes will be opened only by the sight reading adjudicators. The expense of the music, postage and contractor stipend will be paid from festival receipts. The Board of Directors will determine the stipend given to the contractor.

*          F. The sight reading judge may not be allowed to question the band following the sight reading sample until after his/her adjudication sheet and taped comments have been completed and sent to the festival chairman. The sight reading judge will also not be allowed to conduct the band following the sight reading sample. Any request by the judge may be denied by the director of the ensemble without penalty of any kind.

 

8. HOUSING

           

            A. Each organization is responsible for making its own housing and meal arrangements.

 

9. DISQUALIFICATION

 

            A. Violation of any of the above rules constitutes an automatic disqualification.

 

RATING CHART FOR CONCERT FESTIVALS GRADES II - VI

 

The following chart will be used as a guide in arriving at a final rating when using four judges (Three judges from the concert portion and one judge from the sight reading portion). All possible combinations are included. The Roman numerals at the top refer to the final ratings; the numbers below refer to ratings given by each judge.

 

RATING I        RATING II                  RATING III                RATING IV                 RATING V

1111                 1114                             1145                             1455                             4555

1112                 1115                             1155                             1555                             5555

1113                 1123                             1235                             2355                

1122                 1124                             1244                             2445

                        1125                             1245                             2455

                        1133                             1255                             3345

                        1134                             1334                             3355

                        1135                             1335                             3444

                        1144                             1344                             3445

                        1222                             1345                             3555

                        1223                             1355                             4444

                        1224                             1444                             4445

                        1225                             1445                             4455

                        1233                             2225

                        1234                             2234

                        1333                             2235

                        2222                             2244

                        2223                             2245

                        2224                             2255

                        2233                             2333

                                                            2334

                                                            2335

                                                            2344

                                                            2345

                                                            2444

                                                            3333

                                                            3334

                                                            3335

                                                            3344

 

Rating I: Any combination of 4 ratings that total 4, 5, 6

Rating II: Any combination of 4 ratings that total 7, 8, 9, 10

Rating III: Any combination of 4 ratings that total 11, 12, 13, 14

Rating IV: Any combination of 4 ratings that total 15, 16, 17, 18

Rating V: Any combination of 4 ratings that total 19, 20 

 

Unanimous Stage Rule

If a band receives straight "threes - III's", "Fours - IV's" or "Fives - V's" on stage then they will receive that score as their overall rating regardless of the sightreading score.

 

The ratings affected are:

 

333-1 would become a 3                        555-1 would become a 5

444-1 would become a 4                        555-2 would become a 5

444-2 would become a 4                        555-3 would become a 5

 

RATE CHART FOR CONCERT FESTIVALS

GRADES II - VI

 

The following chart will be used as a guide in arriving at a final rating when using three judges from the concert portion. All possible combinations are included. The roman numerals at the top refer to the final ratings; the numbers below refer to ratings given by each judge.

 

RATING I        RATING II      RATING III    RATING IV     RATING V

111                   122                   133                   114                   115

112                   123                   234                   345                   255

113                   222                   333                   444                   355

114                   223                   332                   442                   455

115                   224                   334                   443                   555

                        225                   335                   445      

 

Although for purposes of reckoning the I, II, III, IV, V system is a convenience, please be sure that the numbers are not inscribed on the certificates of award or given to the media. According to our rules, the correct designations are given in the right-hand column below:

 

I                                Superior

II                              Excellent

III                             Average

IV                              Below Average

V                               Poor

 

State Central Concert Band Festival

 

*          1. In order to participate a band must have received a Superior rating at the District Concert Band Festival the previous year or maintain a Superior rating at the State Concert Band Festival.

*          2. A band must enter in the same classification as the year it qualified or may move up to a higher classification. It may not drop back to a lower classification.

*          3. The deadline for application and the payment of the non-refundable fee will be the date of the first business meeting of the NCMEA In-Service Conference in November.

*          4. Bands in Groups II through VI are eligible to enter.

*          5. Judges shall be selected from the N.C. Bandmaster's list of Approved Adjudicators and Clinicians.

*          6. The plaque for Superior ratings shall be the same as the plaque used for other contests except that it should be engraved to read "State Central" or "North Carolina State Festival". District events should read "East", "Central", "West", etc. Regional or District Festival.

*          7. There will be an optional sight reading with a separate grade. The music for the sight reading will be one grade lower than the classification in which the band enters.

*          8. The Contest site will be the School of the Arts in Winston-Salem.

*          9. This contest shall be governed by the Concert Band Festival Rules and Regulations set up by the North Carolina Bandmasters Association.

*          10. A minimum of 20 bands must be registered in order for the State Central Concert Band Festival to be held.

 

North Carolina All-State Honors Band

Rules And Regulations

 

1. ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE:

 

*          A. The North Carolina All-State Honors Band shall use a three tier structure. Bands will be classified as: Middle School (grades eight and under); High School (grades nine and ten); Senior High (grades eleven and twelve)

*          B. Each of the states six districts shall share equal responsibility for each years honors band by providing a chairperson for each of the following assigned areas:

 

            Western District - Sr. High Clinic (11-12)

            Northwest District - High School Clinic (9-10)

            Southeastern District - Middle School Clinic (8 and under)

            Eastern District - Sr. High Auditions (11-12)

            South Central District - High School Auditions (9-10)

            Central District - Middle School Auditions (8 and under)

 

*          C. No active North Carolina Band Director shall conduct an All-State Honors Band.

*          D. Each district needs to have a uniform audition policy that can be enforced at the state level to prevent future disputes over student eligibility for All-State Honors Band.

 

 

2. ELIGIBILITY

 

 

*          A. The band director of each student auditioning for either the Middle School, High School, or Senior High All-State Honors Band must be a current member in good standing of both the North Carolina Music Educators and their own district.

*          B. To audition and participate in the All-State Honors Band, the band member must be regularly enrolled in a scheduled concert band class which receives one unit of credit.

*          C. The band member must participate in their respective district band clinic. In the event a district band clinic is canceled, the students who would have been eligible had the clinic been held will be allowed to audition.

*          D. Any student that can not document a family of personal emergency preventing their attendance at All-State Honors Band Clinic, if selected, and fails to participate in that clinic will be banned from auditioning for All-State Honors Band for one year.

*          E. The band director that appears on the class roster at a school as the teacher must be a member of NCMEA and register all students to participate in all state sanctioned events.

*          F. Percussionists may audition at the All-State Honors Band only on the instrument they were selected for and played at the district level.

 

ELIGIBLE FOR NC HONORS BAND AUDITIONS FROM EACH DISTRICT

Middle, High School (9/10) and Senior High (11/12) Bands

 

4 Flutes                         2 Oboes                        2 Bassoons                                1 Eb Clarinet    

6 Bb Clarinets                2 Alto Clarinets              2 Bass Clarinets                         1 Contrabass Clarinet

2 Alto Saxophones        1 Tenor Saxophone      1 Baritone Saxophone               5 Trumpets

3 French Horns             3 Trombones                2 Baritones                                2 Tubas

1 String Bass                 2 Snare Drums              1 Mallet                                     1 Timpani

 

3. REGISTRATION FOR ALL-STATE HONORS BAND AUDITIONS

 

*          A. Each district audition chairperson shall notify the corresponding All-State Honors Band Auditions Chairperson of the name and school of those students of that district who may audition for All-State Honors Band.

*          B. The All-State Honors Band Audition Chairperson will in turn notify by mail the individual band director of the student(s) who may audition for All-State Honors Band.

*          C. The band director shall be responsible for the proper registration and payment of fees to the Auditions Chairperson for his/her student(s) to audition for All-State Honors Band. Only school, booster, or band director checks will be accepted. Only U.S. Post Office postmarks will be observed. If a director brings a student to audition, the director will be expected to judge.

*          D. Auditions for the All-State Honors Band will be the first or second Saturday of March determined by need and calendar issues. The make-up date will be the Saturday after the scheduled audition date.

*          F. Band Directors that have not received a card from the auditions chair confirming receipt of audition material within ten (10) days should call the auditions chair to make sure the material has been received. No Band Director should go to auditions without a confirmation card or notice from the audition chair.

*          G. The band director whose name appears on the class list as the teacher must be in attendance or their students will not be allowed to participate.

 

North Carolina All-State Honors Band Instrumentation for all Bands

Middle, High School (9/10) and Senior High (11/12) Bands

 

10 Flutes                       2 Oboes*                      2 Bassoons                                20 Clarinets      

1 Eb Clarinet                 2 Alto Clarinets              4 Bass Clarinets                         1 Contra Bass Clarinet

4 Alto Saxophones        2 Tenor Saxophones     1 Bartione Saxophone               12 Trumpets

8 French Horns             9 Trombones                4 Euphoniums                           6 Tubas

1 String Bass                 4 Snare/General Percussion                                           2 Mallet Percussion

1 Timpani

 

* = An additional Oboe may be selected by the clinic chair (depending on the literature played). The third oboe would double the English Horn.

           

4. REGISTRATION FOR HONORS BAND CLINIC

 

*          A. At the conclusion of the Auditions, the All-State Honors Band Clnic Chairperson will notify by mail each band director of his/her student(s) who were selected for All-State Honors Band. The director will be responsible for the proper registration of her/her student(s) participating in the clinic.

*          B. Each participating organization will be responsible for its own housing and meal arrangements.

*          C. Clinic registration at the time of the All-State Honors Band Clinic must be done in person by the band director. If the band director is unable to be present, the director must notify the All-State Honors Band Clinic Chairperson in advance and in writing giving the reasons for his/her absence and the name of the BAND DIRECTOR who is to personally register his/her student(s) and will be responsible for the student(s) during the clinic. Each school principal will verify this appointment with the clinic chair in writing before the clinic registration date.

 

5. FEES

 

*          A. Students will be charged a fee of $15.00 to audition for All-State Honors Band. Only school, booster, or band director checks will be accepted.

*          B. There will be a $23.00 fee for a student making All-State Honors Band to participate in the clinic, plus the cost of meals provided by the meal service at the clinic site.

            [Starting in 2005 the total fee will be $35.00.]

*          C. If a school, band boosters or band director has had a check returned for insufficient funds twice, NCBA will only accept Money Orders or Cashiers check for payment of fees.

 

6. REGULATIONS

 

*          A. Students who cannot attend the All-State Honors Band Clinic shall not audition.

*          B. Students shall attend all of the All-State Honors Band rehearsals during the Clinic. Any student who misses any portion of any rehearsal will not perform with the All-State Honors Band.