Each participating ensemble will be scheduled for the following “events”:

Move-In: This is the designated time your ensemble can move into your designated homeroom space.

Warm-up: This time (sometimes connected to the move-in time, is reserved for your ensemble to prepare for the performance. Your homeroom will serve as your warm-up room as there is not a separate warm-up location. No music stands are provided by BTN in the homeroom/warm-up spaces. You are welcome to bring your own wire stands if you wish. Do your best to keep volume on the softer side when practical. We will have a member of our staff who will come get you and your ensemble prior to your performance time. However, please help us to make these transitions efficiently and effectively to keep the schedule running smoothly! 

Perform: This time indicates the time reserved for your group to set-up, perform, and depart the performance space. We will have an Emcee who will introduce your group, but we HIGHLY encourage you or your students to use the microphone in the performance room to introduce or comment on your selections.

Clinic: This is the time reserved for your ensemble’s clinic with the wind and percussion clinicians in separate rooms close to the performance rooms.

Listen: Each ensemble will be assigned a required listening time. Not only is this a great opportunity for your students to hear another middle school ensemble, but it also provides an enthusiastic audience for the performers. A win-win! It is important that your group is present at the beginning of this performance even if that means bringing your instruments to the performance hall if you don’t have time to put them away. 

Pizza Lunch/Dinner: Depending on when you perform your group will be assigned a specific meal time. Please be on time and stick to the schedule as this helps the Kalahari staff with anticipating numbers. Just imagine making enough pizza to feed nearly 5,000 students in two days! 

Clear Room: This indicates the time you should begin departing your homeroom space. It is important to have cleared your room by the end of this time block as another group may be entering soon after. Please note that you may need to depart your homeroom space before your scheduled time to eat or listen to another group. Please do what you can to leave the room neat and clean. Putting chairs back into rows and throwing trash away will be helpful to the next school coming in. 

We will have an Emcee who will introduce your group, but we HIGHLY encourage you or your students to use the microphone in the performance room to introduce or comment on your selections.

After a brief photo opportunity, the clinic will begin in the performance hall with the balance of the remaining time. Once that time is up, your ensemble will transition, single file, from the performance hall to the wind clinic room and percussion clinic room. The winds will follow the clinician to the wind clinic room and the percussion will take any percussion equipment they brought into the concert hall to the Ebony and Empress rooms for the percussion clinic.

All percussionists will need snare drum sticks for the percussion clinic (nothing else). Wind players should bring their instruments and band music to the wind clinic. At least one adult should attend each clinic for the duration of the 30 minute clinic.

The performance spaces are in the large convention spaces at the Kalahari. These spaces have carpeted floors and high ceilings. While there are no sound shells, the sound does project well in the spaces. Percussion should be careful as their sound will project easily. 

We will provide the following equipment:

• 1 Concert Bells

• 1 Xylophone

• 1 Vibes (no motor)

• 1 Marimba

• 1 Chimes

• 1 Concert Bass Drum

• 1 Gong

• 4 Timpani (23”, 26”, 29”, 32”)

• Electric Piano

Percussion not listed above is the responsibility of the performing school. Please label your percussion equipment.

• Please use yarn mallets on the marimba and vibes (no exceptions).

• We will provide NO MALLETS or BEATERS. 

Yes! We will collect information from you regarding the selections you plan to perform including a group photo of your band. We will NOT collect or publish student names. The online program will appear and be archived on our website. Feel free to share a link to this program with your administrators, colleagues, family and community members. 

We strive to find amazing music educators from the local and national level who have a proven track record of inspiring and working with young musicians. A specific list will be shared on the website each fall in October. 

All performing ensembles will receive:

1. Video recording with high quality audio of your performance

2. Audio comments from a clinician

3. Written comments from a clinician

We will upload all of these items into a Google Folder that will be shared with you within 24 hours of your performance.

The performances are free and open to the public. We will have ample seating for parents if they choose to come to hear the performance. Please remind parents that we do not want flash photography during the performance (before and after is fine). You may also take video during the performance.

Spectators and parents not chaperoning will not be allowed in the band or percussion clinic rooms due to space limitations. Spectators can park in the East Lot.

While there is no required formal dress code, we recommend performing ensembles wear clothing suitable for a concert performance. Shorts, swimwear, and flip-flops are not permitted. 

The number and type of selections performed is up to each ensemble. Keep in mind, however, that we must stay on schedule.

Most ensembles select three selections, on average. The online registration form will ask you to identify and upload PDFs of the selections you plan to perform. You will not need to mail paper scores. Before you upload your PDFs, please number all the measures so the clinicians can make quick notes on the performance.

Beyond the Notes Band & Orchestra festival meets the requirements as a “clinic festival” for the WSMA. Remember to fill out necessary forms and send payment directly to WSMA.

Ensembles typically perform between two to four pieces of literature. Again, this is entirely up to ensemble directors, so long as the performance fits in your allotted time window. Music does not have to be selected from a specific list.

A shared Google Folder will be sent to you within 24 hours of the festival concluding.