August 5, 2002
It has been our practice notify our member schools of IHSA activity advisory committee recommendations for review prior to action being taken on these recommendations by the IHSA Board of Directors. Therefore, the following committee recommendations are provided for your consideration.
If you wish to express support or concern about any of the recommendations, please contact the IHSA Board of Directors member representing your Division or our office. This is an opportunity for you to give direct input on specific issues to the Board. We hope you will take advantage of it.
The Board of Directors will consider and take action on the recommendations at its meeting on September 9.
Debate
Recommendation: Article II-B-3. Increase the pay for Lincoln Douglas judges to $150 to match the judges pay for Policy.
Rationale: Equalize the pay for judges. Since we flight rounds in Lincoln Douglas now, the pay should be the same as for Policy.
Music
The IHSA Music Advisory met at the IHSA in Bloomington, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 15, 2002. Committee members present were Toni Redlingshafer, Glasford (Illini Bluffs); Sheila Burton, Rushville; Larry Stoner, Monticello; John Fitchuk, Wheaton (North); and Dennis Grimmer, O’Fallon. Assistant to the Director Dan Dietrich and Jon Montgomery, DuQuoin were also in attendance.
A. TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1. The late penalty fees and actions of Solo and Ensemble contest need to be applied to Organizational contest as well. Page 6 Item VI.A.2 needs to also appear on page 25, Item VI.A.2.
2. The Committee did recommend a change allowing Non-Sweepstakes Events to receive free medal from the IHSA if the event receives a Division I rating. These events pay the same fee as Sweepstakes events and are judged under the same criteria. They are declared Non-Sweeps due to entry limitations or disinterest of the school to participate in the Music Sweepstakes Contest. Change the wording on page 11, Section XIII, Item B. Solo and Ensemble Awards, by eliminating "non-sweepstakes" or from the final sentence.
3. Time limitations for Organizational groups. The language here just needs some clarification for Instrumental events. As the Rules book reads now the minimum and maximum times appear in two different locations (p20, 25). It needs to be consolidated and place onto page 20 and should indicate the instrumental groups are to perform a minimum of 12 minutes and a maximum of 20 minutes. Performance time is defined as the time from the first performed note of a group’s first work to the end of the last work. Time between selections IS considered part of the Performance time. Again this is not a change from previous rules, but simply a clarification. It was recommended that time limits also be placed on Vocal organizations. It is recommended that all Vocal organizations are to perform a minimum of 7 minutes and a maximum of 10 minutes. Performance time is defined as the time from the first performed note of a group’s first work to the end of the last work. Time between selections IS considered part of the Performance time.
4. B,C, and D Mixed Choirs that perform SATB music should also be required to Sight Read SATB music. The committee approved this change and changing the way Vocal Organizations enter contest can regulate this proposition. The Organizational entry cards should now allow schools to enter their Vocal ensembles as SATB, SAB, TTB and SSA groups instead of the Mixed, Bass and Treble terms used on the current cards. Managers will then know what kind of sight reading music these groups require. This can be changed in the T/C book on page 26, Section VIII, Item D, 3, d, "Choirs entered as SATB groups will sight read using the SATB music and Choirs entered as SAB groups will sight read using the provided SAB music."
5. 60/40 split of entry fees – This was discussed but no action was taken.
6. Singers MAY accompany themselves. Nothing in current T/C prevent this and the committee felt no action was necessary at this time.
7. The problem of appropriate language in some vocal works was addressed. Add to the Adjudicators instructions and to page 10, Section X., Item A, that selections with vulgar, foul and inappropriate language will be disqualified from Music Contest. The Committee directed Dan to check into the T/C used in the speech area to regulate this problem and incorporate their rules into our contest. This should be placed on page 8, Section VIII, under item M.
8. The Committee approved the combination of our Solo and Ensemble mailing and our Organizational mailing into one. Dan has 95% of all contest sites locked in by early December so there is no reason to hold off the Org. mailing until late Jan./early Feb. This is not a T/C change, but a change in office procedures.
9. Place Organizational contest entry deadline dates directly on the entry cards. This should make the deadline very clear and easy to find.
10. Increase size of Committee. This was not approved by the committee, however it was recommended that two of the new Members be given two year as opposed to three year terms in order to prevent the loss of four members in one year. Those getting two-year terms will be selected by blind draw once the new members have been selected and approved.
11. No action was taken on the issue of requiring a foreign language or stylistic period for Vocal groups. Toni has volunteered to look over the selections performed at next year’s Organizational contest to see if this is a concern.
12. It was approved that there are to be NO adult conductors of ANY events at solo and ensemble contest. This rule was already in place on page 9, but we could not find it at the time of the meeting.
13. It was approved that Handbell Ensemble be changed back to Handbell Choir and that this event be added as an approved Instrumental Choir event at Solo and Ensemble contest. This would then raise the total number of ensemble to 42 (page 8). This also requires some changes in the number of participants, from 2-8 to 6-16.
B. ADMINISTRATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS AND ITEMS OF DISCUSSION
1. Pep Bands and National Anthem singers – No action taken on bands, however the audition process used by the IMEA to select our vocalists was reviewed and endorsed by the Music Advisory Committee. Toni Redlingshafer will type up these procedures so that the Dan Dietrich and the IHSA are aware of how this process occurs.
2. National Federation Music Educator Award – Next year we will present this award to a Choral director and the Committee has selected Bob Boyd of Lyons Township High School.
3. Future date for Solo and Ensemble: March 4, 2004.
4. Future date for Organization Contests: April 24, 2004 (This date is free of ACT, Easter and PSAE).
5. Comments on the results of last year’s actions.
a. Solo and Ensemble is in good financial shape due to the increase of fees. Most sites are able to split fees with the IHSA, however there are still 4 sites with huge deficits due to Piano expenses. Those hosts will be encouraged by Dan to consider alternative methods of securing Pianos. Organizational Contest is still not even close to breaking even, particularly when one considers the cost of the Sight Reading music. We just raised fees last year, so we will wait one more year before we raise these fees and simplify the formula used in their calculation.
b. Volleyball Pep Band split – This fall will be the first time. No Comments
c. Sight Reading Levels - It has been proposed by the Committee that Sight reading levels be adjusted as follows: C/D Bands will be raised to Texas Level 3, B Bands will be raised to Texas level 5. String and Symphonic Orchestras will be raised to Texas level 4. SSA and TTB choirs will be lowered to Texas level 2.
d. It was reported that the postcards alerting Music departments about entering contest were very successful. Barb had fewer late entry requests than in previous years. We will re-word the card slightly to make its intent more clear.
e. Electronic Solo and Ensemble Entry Program was highly successful in its first statewide use. Most problems encountered were due to the various types of security measures employed by some school districts. Once the program was installed it ran beautifully. The Committee congratulated Jon Montgomery for his fabulous work and this project. Jon informed the committee that he would be improving the existing program and look into adding an Organizational Contest element.
6. Corrections in book – Dan will go over the book with Desktop Publishing and clean up any errors. The Committee presented none at this meeting.
The Committee also agreed that each IMEA District Festival include a session for the discussion of IHSA matters. The Booth at the All State Festival has met with great success and they felt even more could be reached at the district level. Toni will communicate with State IMEA President Bill Jastrow for his input.