Dear Music Families,

I look forward to seeing you all tonight at our Pre-Festival Concert at Lahser High School. The call time for musicians will be 6:45pm. For those who have been with the IA for many years, you may remember that this concert is the musical version of a “rough draft” in writing. Tonight’s performance is not to be considered a polished performance but rather a concert to build from. The four ensembles performing tonight will have had, at most 2 rehearsals this week after the break and one ensemble has not met in 3 weeks.

David Reed of Andover High School, will be our guest adjudicator tonight and will be up in the light box given written feedback for our ensembles. In our program tonight, there will be the actual adjudication forms as we would receive at MSBOA Festival for you to fill out and share with your musician. The hall tonight will have full lighting for the entire show so the performers will be able to see the audience members with programs and pencil in hand. The doors for the performance will remain open both before the concert and during the concert but I still ask for good concert etiquette through the show.

I would also like to ask that some brave parents sit on stage during the performance. These parents will assist with moving chairs on the stage but the will stay on stage with the performers through the show. If you have never sat on the stage during a concert, this is a great time to take pictures (without a flash) and will help to aid in the high level of observation that Band & Orchestra Festival brings to an ensemble.

Thank you for your help and thank you for your assistance tonight!!

Scott