State Events & Awards

Beginning the 2025-2026 school year, MSVMA’s policy has adopted new verbiage and way of thinking for our scoring systems, supporting a growth-mindset culture for members and students alike.  When registering for festival, directors have the option of choosing “The Festival Experience” or “The Festival Experience with a Rating.”  “The Festival Experience” is now the default for our festivals, replacing the diminutive “Comments Only” that was previously used.  

Festival Code of Ethics

Each festival participant and director is expected to conform to rules of good conduct, i.e., observance of care of property, behavior patterns, and adherence to all rules. Directors will show courtesy to all festival workers and ensure that proper adult supervision is present for their students at all events. Appropriate audience behavior and exhibiting undivided attention are to expected in all auditoriums and performance rooms. Students should show respect for other performers and give them the attention they would want themselves as performers.

Communications regarding events are to be between MSVMA members and event supervisors only. Parents and students are not to contact event supervisors. Event applications and adjudication forms are to be completed only by directors.

Directors will adhere to the schedule and leave the warm-up area when asked. Directors should use their ratings in an educational manner and not misrepresent them to the students or the public. Directors or festival participants will not attempt to influence the adjudicators. At no time will anyone other than the event supervisor approach or contact an adjudicator regarding a rating or student‘s performance. Concerns are to be addressed to the supervisor or written on the adjudicator evaluation form. If, in the opinion of the event supervisor, a serious infraction has occurred, the MSVMA Board of Directors is to be informed by letter. The Board of Directors will take appropriate action which may result in the disqualification from participation in future festivals for a period of time not to exceed two years.

Student Conduct

In signing the registration form, the principal and the director agree to supervise the students from their school to ensure proper conduct at the Festival. Sanctions may be imposed by the MSVMA Board of Directors upon schools whose students' behavior is inappropriate.

Awards - State Solo & Ensemble

State Solo & Ensemble Festival award considerations are the same as District Solo & Ensemble Festival. 

Certificates

Excellent Final Determination (The Festival Experience with a Rating) - Blue Certificate (provided)
Good Final Determination (The Festival Experience with a Rating) - Red Certificate (provided)

Fair and Developing Final Determination (The Festival Experience with a Rating) - Participation Certificate (provided)

The Festival Experience - Participation Certificate (provided)

Medals for Division I/Excellent (blue) and Division II/Good (red) performances will be sold on-site at all State Solo and Ensemble Festivals for $5.00 each. 

Awards - State Choral Festival

State Choral Festival award considerations are the same as District Choral Festival.

Certificates

Excellent Final Determination (The Festival Experience with a Rating) - Blue Certificate
Good Final Determination (The Festival Experience with a Rating) - Red Certificate

Fair and Developing Final Determination (The Festival Experience with a Rating) - Participation Certificate

The Festival Experience - Participation Certificate 

Medals for Division I/Excellent (blue) and Division II/Good (red) performances will be sold on-site at all State Choral Festivals for $5.00 each.

Medals for JHMS State Choral Festival participation in The Festival Experience without a Rating (red, white, & blue stripe) will be sold on-site at all State Choral Festivals for $5.00 each. 

JHMS Choirs may also choose to purchase Division I/Excellent (blue) and Division II/Good (red) medals in the event they chose to perform for The Festival Experience with a Rating.

Plaques may be ordered from the State Office by going to the Plaque Order Form.  

From February 1 to June 1, directors may order plaques for choirs receiving Excellent (Division 1) or Good (Division 2) ratings at District Choral Festivals and State Choral Festivals.  Directors may also order plaques for "The Festival Experience" (with no rating or placement notated).  Paid orders of $50 per plaque will be placed by the State Office and shipped to the address indicated on the Plaque Order Form.  

Paid orders will be placed on April 15 and June 30.  

Please contact the State Office if you need to order plaques for years prior to 2024.

Location

You may choose the site that is most convenient for your school without a transfer request.

You will be able to make the selection when registering for the State Festival. 

For questions, please contact mattsnell@msvma.org

Adjudication

• Each event receives adjudication from a performance adjudicator including written comments to support the scoring decisions.
• Directors are encouraged to complete an anonymous online  Adjudicator Evaluation Form following a Festival. Adjudicators will not see any director identification. A summary of the adjudicator's evaluations will be shared with the adjudicator at the end of the school year.

Missed Event Policy

• The purpose of the Missed Event Policy is to allow flexibility for students who missed their solo performance time due to circumstances beyond their control which occurred on the date/time of their scheduled performance (dangerous weather or weather delayed, late bus, accompanist no-show).  Other scheduling conflicts do not qualify for Missed Event consideration.
• No requests for Missed Event consideration may be made until after the student actually misses their event, and only for circumstances as described above. Please make every effort to have students perform as scheduled.
• The Missed Event Policy may not be used to request scheduling changes. Scheduling conflicts must be addressed by the member/director of the school by communicating with the Scheduler in advance of the deadline.
• The student's director is the only person that can ask for a change to the schedule. No parents or students are allowed in the headquarters. If the student's director is not there, the student has no option to be rescheduled.

• The individual in charge of the master schedule will work with the director to determine if an opening is available that will accommodate the student and the accompanist.

• A fee of $10 shall be paid at the acceptance of the rescheduled opening or the event will not perform. Payment will be made by cash or director's check payable to MSVMA.