Updated  January 22, 2024

2024 MSBOA District XVI High School Solo and Ensemble Festival:

• High School events: Saturday, February 3, 2024
  • Event schedule (pdf)
  • Site Map and Info (pdf)
• Chamber / Jr. High School events: Saturday, January 20, 2024 (completed)
  • 2025 Event schedule (TBA)
  • 2025 Site Map and Info (TBA)
• Location: Rochester High School

2024 District XVI High School Solo and Ensemble Festival Registration & Payment:

• Registrations and payments for the 2025 District Festival will be due in the fall of 2024
• Printable Registration Form (TBA)
• Cash or checks made payable to Stevenson Band Boosters

Key Information:

• Soloists in 9th - 11th grades (except piano) that receive a First Division Rating are typically eligible to audition to be considered to receive a Gonda Scholarship (9th graders attending a UCS junior high or UAIS may also register for High School Solo & Ensemble through their home school band director to be eligible for this scholarship)!
• Rochester HS Bands - District Solo & Ensemble Info

2024 MSBOA State Solo & Ensemble Resources

• Festival date: Saturday, March 16, 2024
• Festival location: TBA - Either Rochester HS or Stoney Creek HS

• State Solo & Ensemble - 2024 Rules and Information
• State Solo & Ensemble - Proficiency Scales and Rudiments (pdf)
• Sample State Solo & Ensemble Adjudicator Sheets (pdf)

Helpful Solo & Ensemble Tips

• Arrive to the school to give yourself plenty of time to find your warm up room, and to warm up properly
• Make sure that your accompanists and your ensemble members know where to meet you, and what time
• Make sure you are dressed professionally, yet comfortable enough so that you are able to perform your best
• Brass players do not stand face on with the adjudicator while you are performing. Always quarter off during performances
• Do not make excuses and learn how to take a compliment. Do not “point out” mistakes you made. Remember, there is no such thing as a “perfect performance”
• Always keep your emotions out of the performance room
• Avoid drinking milk or eating dairy products prior to performances for all woodwind and brass players
• Woodwinds, ALWAYS have a back up reed you have played on already with you at ALL TIMES
• Brass players, do not clean out your instrument the night before the performance. This changes the air resistance of your horn
• Brass players, have valve oil with you in the room
• Bring bottled water if you get dry mouth
• Thank the judge for listening to you after the performance
• Have fun! This is your time to show off!

Student success checklist

• You will receive your event time and section number prior to Festival. Guide stations can help direct you to your warm-up room
• Parking will be chaotic. Give yourself an extra half an hour to make sure you arrive on time and find a parking spot! Arrive no later than a full 45 minutes prior to your performance time - an hour prior is ideal!
• Introduce yourself to the director in charge of the warm-up room; Hand over your NUMBERED, MARKED, and ORIGINAL score
• Confirm your fellow ensemble members / accompanist are there
• Warm up with scales, long tones, chorales, beginnings and endings of pieces. Don't play through your full piece multiple times - this will tire you.
• When your name is called, go to your performance room with the ORIGINAL score, your music, and your instrument. You are welcome to have as few or as many people come listen as you'd like. You must ask before your record any video footage, some judges may decline
• Introduce yourself to the judge
• Tune!
• Play your piece and listen to the comments from the judge
• Thank the judge and your are finished and wait outside the room for your rating and the ORIGINAL SCORE
• Take the ORIGINAL SCORE to the next person if you are sharing (plan in advance!). This is IMPORTANT! If you are finished with the ORIGINAL SCORE, you can bring it to your director.
• Get your medal from the cafeteria and go tell your director your score!
• Congratulations! Go home and celebrate!

What to wear:

• Dress clothes are important to show off your professionalism. Wear what you would wear to band concerts, church, or other special events is appropriate. School dress code DOES apply!
• No jeans, torn clothing, tennis shoes, or clothing with writing should be worn to Solo & Ensemble Festival; it is a serious event
• Remember that you are representing yourself, your director, and your school

It's a Panera Bread Restaurant Night next Monday (Jan 8) at the Van Dyke / Metro Pkwy location from 4 - 8 PM!!

25% giveback to the Boosters!!

Use the code FUND4U at online checkout / store kiosk - or print out / show on your phone this flyer:

Click to download a Printable Flyer

Tickets for the Stevenson High School Instrumental Music Winter/Holiday Concert are now on sale online at tickets.stevensonbands.org.

The concert takes place on Tuesday, December 19th at 7 PM in the Stevenson Performing Arts Center.

Tickets are $5 for adults age 18 and over and free for children age 17 and under. Performers do not need a ticket.

Tickets are sold online only - there will be no cash sales and no sales at the door.

This concert features:

• Wind Ensemble (Mr. Sekich's 2nd/3rd hour classes)
• Concert Band (4th/5th hour)
• A special preview from the Jazz Band (6th hour)
• A musical review of the 2023 Marching Band season (all marchers that participated in the season, including junior high & guard perform).

Due to the number of students that are performing, we anticipate seating for this concert will be full with some spectators having to stand.

To make seating work as efficiently as possible, when purchasing avoid leaving straggler single seats. Buy your seats next to those already sold if at all possible so we can maximize usage of available seats.

Tickets for the Marching Band Banquet are now available at www.stevensonbands.org/buytickets

• Banquet Date: Monday, December 18th

• Banquet Time: Doors open at about 6 PM, dinner served at about 6:30 PM

• Banquet Location: Century Banquet Center, Maple Lane @ 14 Mile Road

• Banquet Cost: $25 per attendee, plus processing fee

• Ticket sale cutoff date: Thursday, December 14th

FAQ:

• Everyone (including all students) must purchase a full-price ticket – even if planning on arriving late / not eating.

• This is a social activity to share a meal and celebrate the 2023 Marching Band – there is no performance.

• Attendance is 100% optional

• Typical attendees are marching band members (including Guard and junior high students) and some parents also choose to attend. Younger siblings are welcome too – but they must purchase a full-price ticket and there is no entertainment provided.

• There is no cash option and tickets will not be available after December 14th so that an accurate count can be provided to the banquet hall.

• Typical attire is dressy casual – some students enjoy getting dressed up for an evening out. You can expect the room to be divided up; students sit on one side and adults sit together on the other.

• The evening usually wraps up no later than 9 PM

Basket Raffle

The Band Boosters will be holding a fundraising CASH gift basket raffle during the banquet and need donations to make this a success.

Suggested donations have been organized by sections to help gather a variety of family-friendly items: Saxes/Horns- Sports; Clarinets- Coffee/tea; Guard- Chocolate; Flutes- Home accents; Low Brass- Instant lottery tickets; Percussion- Gift cards; Trumpets- Movies.

Donations need to get to the SHS band room no later than December 13th so that the baskets can be assembled.

Thank you!!

With the arrival of the holiday season (well at least on our radios...), there's obviously no better time to order holiday poinsettias, wreaths and more through the Stevenson Band Boosters!!!

Items will be available to order through Nov 19 with delivery the first full week of December.

Once again this year, each item purchased will raise money for both the Boosters' general fund as well as for the student that is credited for the sale.

Orders are placed online only at: www.stevensonbands.org/holiday-decor

Panda Express Restaurant Day - with an AMAZING 50% give back!!

• When: Wednesday, November 1st from 10:30 AM - 8:30 PM

• Where: The new Panda Express at Van Dyke & Metro Pkwy (in the Meijer parking lot)

• Who: Bring the whole family! Bring the whole neighborhood (I mean, who doesn't like orange chicken??)!!

• How to get the 50% credit for the Band Boosters: Display this flyer (either on paper or on your smartphone when you pay. Here's the link you need- www.stevensonbands.org/data/uploads/23news/px-363159.pdf

Stevenson HS MSBOA Solo & Ensemble Information

2024 MSBOA District XVI High School Solo and Ensemble Festival:

• High School events: Saturday, February 3, 2024
  • Event schedule (TBA)
  • Site Map and Info (TBA)
• Chamber / Jr. High School events: Saturday, January 20, 2024
  • Event Schedule (TBA)
  • Site Map and Info (TBA)
• Location: Rochester High School

2024 District XVI High School Solo and Ensemble Festival Registration & Payment:

• Registrations and payments for the 2024 District Festival are due Wednesday, November 1st
• Printable Registration Form (pdf)
• Cash or checks made payable to Stevenson Band Boosters

Key Information:

• Soloists in 9th - 11th grades (except piano) that receive a First Division Rating are typically eligible to audition to be considered to receive a Gonda Scholarship (9th graders attending a UCS junior high or UAIS may also register for High School Solo & Ensemble through their home school band director to be eligible for this scholarship)!
• Rochester HS Bands - District Solo & Ensemble Info

Marching Band Festival Timeline!

Tuesday, October 10: Late afternoon / evening rehearsal

• Call time 4:30 PM (note this earlier than the norm!) Rehearsal runs no later than 7 PM and will likely end earlier due to Powderpuff football. This is our last Tuesday evening rehearsal.
• Next Tuesday (10/17) is Tuesday Night Lights with our feeder junior high band students!

• Tue 10/10: Marching Band Seniors ONLY decorate the room following rehearsal. All non-marching seniors MUST leave! No recent grad alumni, etc.

Wednesday, October 11: MSBOA Marching Band Festival, Troy High School (Long Lake Rd / Northfield Pkwy)

• Purchase $5 cash tickets from the Boosters in advance. Tickets at the gate are cash only
• NOTE: We will NOT be meeting right after school for a walkthrough; this has been cancelled
• 5:15 PM: Call time at SHS in Full Uniform, for mental show run in band room
• 5:40 PM: Load truck
• 6:00 PM: All marching band students ride bus to Troy HS
• 6:30 PM: Festival preparations at Troy HS (Event itself begins at 6:30pm for spectators)
• 8:00 PM: Stevenson HS scheduled performance time
• approx. 8:45 PM: Scores announced
• approx. 9:00 PM: All marching band students ride bus back to SHS
• approx. 9:30 PM: return to Stevenson, unload truck

Looking ahead:

Friday, October 13 - Home football game / Senior Night (Senior Parents participate at halftime!)

• Tickets (including senior parents) must be purchased with credit card. GoFan link: gofan.co/app/school/MI10111
• Specific timeline TBA
• Highlights of the day include:
  • Snaking the halls during SHS’ 6th hour
  • Boosters’ feed kids before game
  • Football game vs. Fraser – Senior features during halftime

Tuesday, October 17 – Tuesday Night Lights with Junior High band students!

• NOTE LOCATION CHANGE BACK TO STEVENSON HIGH SCHOOL!
• If the weather does not cooperate, we will cancel this event
• Specific timeline TBA

• Tuesday, October 3- Evening Rehearsal, call time 5:45 PM. Rehearsal runs until 9 PM. This is our last “regular” Tuesday evening rehearsal. Next Tuesday (10/10) we start and end earlier!!

• Tuesday, October 3- Band Booster/Parent Meeting: 7 PM in the Stevenson Band Room

Note: We will not have a pep band for Friday’s away football game at Anchor Bay

• Sunday, October 8 – Mini Camp 2 @ SHS & Band-a-Rama @ Utica HS / Swinehart Field:
  • 11:45 AM: Call time at SHS in Full Uniform
  • 12:00 PM: Full band photo in West Gym
  • After photo: Report to main field for Band-a-Rama tune-up
  • 3:30 PM: Load trailer on the field
  • 4:00 PM: Dinner break - pasta provided by Boosters
  • 4:45 PM: Load truck and final checks (uniforms, gloves, instruments, etc)
  • 5:00 PM: Load buses, depart to Utica High School (students ride buses both ways from SHS to/from UHS)
  • 5:30 PM: Warm-up in field behind Utica High School
  • 6:40 PM: Cadence to Swinehart Field
  • 7:00 PM: Band-a-Rama 2023!
  • Approx. 8:30 PM: Load buses for return to SHS (all students return to SHS on bus)
  • Approx. 9:00 PM: Unload truck (leave trailer loaded), students dismissed from SHS

Looking ahead:

• Tuesday 10/10: Evening rehearsal starts at 5 PM, ends by 7 PM due to Powderpuff Football. Following the rehearsal, seniors (ONLY) decorate the band room
• Wednesday 10/11: Marching Festival - Full details TBA
  • 2:30 PM: Call time Festival walk-through on main field (Jr. High Students need early dismissal)
  • 3:00 PM: Students leave school for dinner
  • 5:30 PM: Call time at SHS fully dressed, bus ride to/from Troy HS
  • 8:00 PM: Stevenson performance time @ Marching Band Festival, Troy HS
• Friday 10/13: Senior Night Football game (timeline TBA). Senior parents participate during halftime
• Tuesday 10/17: Tuesday Night Lights (timeline TBA) @ Davis JHS

Homecoming Friday Timeline!

Junior High / UAIS Marchers – don’t forget your instruments!

12:30 PM: Marchers from UAIS/Davis/Heritage/Jeannette that wish to snake the halls report to the SHS band room. Enter through the Main Office.

12:40 PM: Stevenson marching band members dismissed from their 5th hour classes (at their teacher's discretion - students should plan now and have a conversation with their 5th hour teachers about taking care of any assignments due or that would be missed).

12:50 PM: Snake the halls. After that is completed, the band will go outside to setup for the 6th hour pep rally and game.

1:20 PM: Pep rally (outside at football field)

2:14 PM: Dismissal (band room stays open for the next hour+)

3:30 PM: All marching band students physically at SHS must be on their way to the parade dressed in full uniform.

3:45 PM: Call time for parade in full uniform at Great Lakes Church (NW corner of 17 Mile / Dodge Park).

4:30 PM: Parade steps off

approx 5:15 PM: Hot dog dinner for marchers at SHS

6:00 PM: Pre-game rehearsal in circle drive in full uniform

approx 6:30 PM: Cadence to stadium

approx 6:40 PM: Abbreviated pregame (Choir sings Star-Spangled Banner)

7:00 PM: Kickoff. Go Titans - beat the Big Reds!

• The Stevenson Band Boosters will be selling cookies and other treats during the game. CASH SALES ONLY!

• Game tickets are required for spectators - and cash is not accepted at the gate for tickets (they will have a credit card reader). It is MUCH easier and faster to buy tickets online prior to arriving at SHS: gofan.co/app/school/MI10111

approx 8:00 PM: Abbreviated halftime show - 1 song only (Homecoming queen/king announcements)

approx 9:45 PM: Postgame TBA

As always, we do not control the length/timing of football games. All game-related times are best guesses based on an average game. Students cannot leave the game early. We are on duty as a full band for the entire evening.