WA Schools' Junior Concert Band Festival

The aims of the WA Schools' Junior Concert Band Festival are to:

• give bands a performance opportunity at an international standard venue.
• give ensemble members an opportunity to hear other ensembles perform.
• provide each ensemble with constructive comments from a panel of informed adjudicators.
• present each ensemble with an adjudication and certificate which recognises its participation and recognised standard of performance.

Ensembles perform within a division with a panel of adjudicators providing written and spoken feedback.

Novice ensembles will not be graded but will receive adjudication comments and a certificate of participation. Directors will receive 2 recordings of their ensemble, including one with spoken adjudicator’s comments superimposed over the music.

Bands can opt into a workshop directly after their performance given by one of the two adjudicators who have just listened to their band. This allows students direct contact with the adjudicators and offers a greater amount of educational value to students’ involvement in the festival.

During each performance, conductors will be filmed if requested and given constructive and confidential feedback on their conducting by an adjudicator. Feedback will be given electronically (no longer face to face). This has proved to be very popular with many directors, and the positive feedback that they have received has been an extremely valuable tool in their professional development.

Adjudications and certificates can be collected (or posted for country schools) at the end of the festival at Instrumental Music School Services, 150 Guildford Rd, Maylands. Individual ensemble results are not posted online or announced as each ensemble can decide whether they want their results to be publicly available.

Ensembles from Premier, A, B and C Divisions are expected to present an appropriate program of up to 3 pieces, which must include one piece from the selections list. We will provide the selection list for 2025 when it is available. Ensembles in Novice Division may present a program entirely of their own choice.

Music selection lists conform to the following standards:

• C Division = grades 1.5 and below
• B Division = grades 2 and 2.5
• A Division = grades 3 and 3.5
• Premier Division = grades 4 and above

The item of your own choice must be of equal difficulty to those listed for the division the ensemble is performing in. Directors are advised to observe the published grade levels appropriate to each division in making additional selections. For more information or advice on music selection, email Australian Band and Orchestra Director's Association (WA) president at president@abodawa.com.au.

Many of the scores and parts of the music of each division can be viewed at our Instrumental Music School Services resource centre.

Disadvantaged ensembles can apply for up to 2 extra players when submitting their application. Extra players can include current students, ex-students or teachers, in special circumstances.

• Access a stage plan for the concert hall.
• Access a stage plan for the auditorium.

Photographs of participating bands from the 2023 festival are available for viewing and purchase at ProPhotoBooth. Use the password 'aboda23'.

One of the reasons for the outstanding success of the festival over the last 40 years is the contribution made by volunteers. Some of the tasks we need volunteers for include stage management, ticket selling and marshalling.

Volunteering is a great way to meet other directors and hear bands from other schools and divisions.

If you are interested in volunteering, register for your preferred session or sessions using the online database.