Music Festival · General
US school solo and ensemble festival graded by playing experience, where entries earn a rating from I to V rather than a placing.
Sets up a US-style school solo and ensemble music festival: solos, regular ensembles and special ensembles entered by playing experience (Class C, B or A), with each adjudicator’s rubric total turned into a rating from I to V rather than a first, second or third place.
This template builds a school solo and ensemble music festival, the kind of one-day event where band, choir and orchestra students perform a prepared piece for an adjudicator and receive a written rating. A coordinator opens an event that already holds the three event types, the three experience classes and the rating bands, instead of drawing up a syllabus from scratch. It suits school music departments, district music associations and community music schools.
There are three items, all on stage. Solo is a single performer. Regular Ensemble is a standard small group such as a duet, trio or quartet. Special Ensemble covers non-standard line-ups such as a jazz combo, madrigal group, show choir or percussion ensemble. All three are open to any gender, and the two ensemble items are entered as team entries.
Entries are grouped by playing experience, not by age or school year. Class C is one or two years of musical experience, Class B is three or four years, and Class A is advanced. The rules this template follows say a panel should give no weight to a performer’s age or grade, so the three groups share the same broad age range and a student enters the class that matches their experience.
Results are ratings, not placings. Many entries can earn the top rating because each is measured against an absolute standard. The adjudicator totals a rubric of five or six criteria and a lower total is better, so the rating bands use a less-than-or-equal condition: in Class A a total of 5 to 8 is a starred I, 9 to 11 a I, 12 to 22 a II, 23 to 33 a III, 34 to 44 a IV and 45 to 50 a V. Class B and C begin at I for 5 to 11, with no starred I. To run it, open the Registration Page for entries, add adjudicators, and let the tabulation turn each total into its rating. Group size limits, time limits and fees are left for the organiser to set.
Where this event comes from
The solo and ensemble format grew out of school music associations in the United States, which built graded adjudicated festivals so students could be assessed against a standard rather than against each other.
Where this event is run
United States school and district music associations, where students prepare solo and small-group pieces for an adjudicator and earn a rating. It is a poor fit for competitions that need a single winner, because ratings do not rank entries against one another.
- United States
- North American school music programmes
- Wherever school music departments run rated, non-ranked festivals
Key facts
- 3 items: Solo, Regular Ensemble and Special Ensemble, all open to any gender
- 3 classes by playing experience: Class C (one or two years), Class B (three or four years), Class A (advanced)
- Age and school year are not used to place a student in a class
- Ratings I to V rather than first, second and third; many entries can earn the same rating
- Lower rubric total is better, so rating bands use a less-than-or-equal condition
- Starred I exists in Class A only; group size limits, time limits and fees are organiser-set
- Age groups
- 3
- Competition items
- 3
- Competitions
- 9
- Grade bands
- 11
- Rank awards
- 0
Age groups
Every candidate is placed into one of these groups by age, and competitions are run per group.
Cls C 1-2y exp
Candidates aged 11 to 18 compete in this group
Cls B 3-4y exp
Candidates aged 11 to 18 compete in this group
Cls A advanced
Candidates aged 11 to 18 compete in this group
Competition items
The events themselves — each with the category it belongs to and how judges score it.
Competitions by group
The full schedule matrix, sectioned by age group then category — which item runs for whom, and for how long.
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cls C 1-2y exp | |||||
| On Stage | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Solo | Individual | — | English | 50 | — |
| Regular Ensemble | Team | — | English | 50 | — |
| Special Ensemble | Team | — | English | 50 | — |
| Cls B 3-4y exp | |||||
| On Stage | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Solo | Individual | — | English | 50 | — |
| Regular Ensemble | Team | — | English | 50 | — |
| Special Ensemble | Team | — | English | 50 | — |
| Cls A advanced | |||||
| On Stage | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Solo | Individual | — | English | 50 | — |
| Regular Ensemble | Team | — | English | 50 | — |
| Special Ensemble | Team | — | English | 50 | — |
Grades and ranks
How scores turn into grade bands, and how many points each placing is worth.
| Grade | For | Condition | Score | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starred I (exceptional, Class A only) | Less than or equal to | 8 | 6 | |
| Rating I (outstanding) | Less than or equal to | 11 | 5 | |
| Rating II (very good) | Less than or equal to | 22 | 4 | |
| Rating III (accomplished but weak in areas) | Less than or equal to | 33 | 3 | |
| Rating IV (numerous weaknesses) | Less than or equal to | 44 | 2 | |
| Rating V (needs work on fundamentals) | Less than or equal to | 50 | 1 | |
| Rating I (outstanding) | Less than or equal to | 11 | 5 | |
| Rating II (very good) | Less than or equal to | 22 | 4 | |
| Rating III (accomplished but weak in areas) | Less than or equal to | 33 | 3 | |
| Rating IV (numerous weaknesses) | Less than or equal to | 44 | 2 | |
| Rating V (needs work on fundamentals) | Less than or equal to | 50 | 1 |
Frequently asked questions
Can I change this template after installing it?
Yes — installing it creates a fully configured, live event, not a locked package. Every age group, competition item, rule and scoring setting can be edited afterwards to match exactly what your event actually needs.
Do I need technical knowledge to set this up?
No. Installing a template does the setup work for you; you only need to review the details (dates, unit or house names) and open registration.
Want the fuller picture first? See our guide to solo performance judging criteria guide.
Install this template in eTalenter
Everything above is installed as a live, editable event in one step — age groups, items, rules and scoring. Start your own below.
