Entry Secretary

The main goal of this position is to answer questions from teachers and parents regarding festival. This can include which classes to enter, what type of pieces can be entered, how to qualify for awards, etc. If you do not know the answer, contact SMFA by email or phone and they will get back to you promptly.

You need to familiarize yourself with the regulations given in the current syllabus. Questions are often raised at committee meetings and it’s helpful if you know what SMFA regulations are.

September – November
Send a letter to the teachers highlighting upcoming festival dates, registration open and closing dates, making sure to remind them that no late entries will be accepted. Also include any changes regarding in district or out of district qualifications for awards, and regulation changes set out by SMFA.

When a new syllabus comes out, you need to change the numbers of our local district classes to correspond with the new class numbers in the syllabus, making sure they are similar, all starting with the same number, but all different than the syllabus so there are no duplicate class numbers. If requests come in for new classes, you also implement them into the district class list. This list needs to be available to the teachers, and is put up on the SMFA website as well
as the Twin Rivers website.

You go thru our Twin RIvers website, noting all changes and updates that need to be made, and send the changes to the webmaster. This includes but is not limited to festival dates, entrance requirements, list of scholarships and awards and district classes.

After entry deadline
Biggest task is putting together the program. Other committee members will help with this. Make sure you follow SMFA guidelines as to number of entries in each session, how many sessions before adjudicator gets a session off, competitors are not playing in back to back classes. I always bring along my last year’s program to use as reference.
Once this is done, IT will enter it all into a word document. You will then go thru and proofread, making sure pieces are entered in the right classes, correct age category for competitors. Then you send this off to the teachers for them to check to make sure their students entries are correct. Make sure and point out this is NOT the final program as changes may be made. You also send it to your adjudicators to check for length of sessions and if they spot any issues that need to be addressed.

Give teachers only 2 or 3 days to get back to you. Your next task is to go thru the program again and tidy it up. Make sure there is only last name listed for composers (except Bach), all abbreviations are the same such as Op. Mvt, etc. Then send it on to whoever is putting it into program form. They will send it to you a few times to proofread again. Once you have a final draft, it goes to teachers, parents, adjudicators and SMFA office.

When the programs are printed, get them ready to give to teachers. Notify the teacher you have the programs ready and give them the option of picking them up at your house or at the festival. Send one to each adjudicator and check with SMFA office if they want a hard copy.

Just before festival
The IT person will print off the adjudication paper that each participant receives. You need to put these papers into folders, one class per folder, class number clearly identified on outside of folder, and in order of performance. Then they are put into bigger folders, each session per folder, and filed in the red and white bins. They are then taken to the festival for the adjudicator’s secretary to hand to the adjudicator. NOTE: After the 2023 festival, it was discussed about not using the file folders, just paperclipping each class and then putting them in order in the red and
white bins.

You need to make up a list of students not eligible for awards. This will include students who live out of district and take lessons from a teacher out of district. It also includes students with only one entry per discipline, and teachers and parents entered in duet classes. Also check ages, as some awards are very specific for under 18.

During festival week
During festival week, you keep a paper updated with students eligible for the Canadian, Baroque, Classical, Duet, Sacred and Saskatchewan awards, as they go to the student with the highest mark. You give this to the adjudicator and a copy to the scholarship committee when the list is complete.

Once the files are empty, you put them back in numerical order so they are ready for next year, if files were used.

You are the contact person for changes to the program. When you are notified of cancellations, you mark it in the adjudicator secretary’s program.

You are the person parents come to if they are requesting a time/date change for their child’s performance. The parent will fill out the form you provide titled Class Reschedule Request Form. Make sure they are aware that once they request this, they cannot change their mind and go back to their original time, and also that the performance is now for adjudication only and does not qualify for awards. These forms are in the front of the white and red bins.

You are also available at most festival sessions to answer any questions from adjudicator, secretary, teachers or parents. You may also be called upon to open sessions.

I find it very helpful to make a note in my program what time the sessions start and end, as this will be helpful when putting together the next year’s program.

After festival
Write a report that is submitted at the committee meeting following the festival, including stats of the number of entries in the different disciplines, if there were a number of questions or issues you dealt with and overall how the festival proceeded as well as any recommendations for the following year. This report is also submitted at the Twin RIvers AGM.

You also fill out the people/stats form that is found on the SMFA website. It can be filled in electronically or you can print it off and mail it in. Do this right after festival.

On the SMFA website, there is a District Music Festival Handbook which you can also refer to if you are wondering what your job description all details. Go under Guides & Order Forms and it is Appendix B Handbook.