Dear Festival of Winds Participant,
On behalf of the directors and staff at the University of South Florida, I would like to be the first
to congratulate you on your selection to participate in this year’s Festival of Winds, Opus 37. Your band
director has supplied us with a strong recommendation for you to participate in this event based on the
outstanding musical ability and leadership that you demonstrate on a daily basis. Our goal at Festival of
Winds is to provide you with an experience that will help you grow and expand your musicianship at
both the individual and ensemble level. In addition to these experiences, you also have the opportunity
to spend four days on a university campus making new friends and establishing life-long memories.
In this packet you will find important festival information relating to registration, required forms,
hotel accommodations, meals and much more. Students are asked to thoroughly read through these
documents and share the information with your family members. It is impossible for this packet to cover
answers to all questions that may arise, so please ask your band director immediately if you have any
additional concerns. Your band director will then contact us if necessary, and we will be sure to help in
every way possible. Also, please be sure to add our official website to your Internet browsers favorites
list. The website will become an extremely important tool as we get closer to the start of our festival.
I wish you the best over the next few months as you prepare for what will be one of the most
rewarding and valuable events in your high school career. Again, congratulations on your acceptance
into the Festival and I look forward to meeting you in December!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Lauren Martin
Graduate Festival Coordinator, Opus 37
http://music.arts.usf.edu/festivalofwinds/
Process for Registration and Payment
Information packets were sent to schools on Wednesday, August 31st. At that time your director
nominated you for the honor of attending Festival of Winds and should have given you the link to
complete your personal web registration. Please note that in order to participate in this event you must
be nominated by your director. Students and directors have until Friday, September 23rd to complete
the nomination process. A Festival of Winds staff member will notify your director through email on
Monday, October 3rd of whether or not you have been accepted to this year’s Festival of Winds.
Once you have been notified of your selection, either you or your director must confirm your
intent to participate by visiting our payment website link (which is enclosed in your acceptance email)
and completing the payment process. Students will have two options for accommodations as shown
below:
Plan A - $189.00 dollars
Non-Commuting Students
Plan B - $150.00 dollars
Commuting Students
This package includes housing, breakfast,
lunch and dinner on Friday and Saturday and
breakfast on Sunday, a FOW Opus 37 T-shirt,
and a FOW Opus 37 Patch.
This package includes lunch and dinner on
Friday and Saturday, a FOW Opus 37 T-shirt
and an FOW Opus 37 Patch.
Payments must be received by Friday, October 28, 2011, in order to confirm your participation in
this year’s event. All festival payments must be made through the payment website by credit card, debit
card, or e-check. We cannot accept paper checks, money orders, or cash. There will be a one-week
late payment window, which runs from Saturday, October 29, 2011, through Friday, November 4, 2011.
A late fee of $25.00 per student will be added automatically to your application if you are paying during
this time frame. The absolute final deadline for payments is Friday, November 4, 2011. Those students
who have not completed and paid for their registration by the final deadline will be replaced with
alternates. Do not risk losing your spot at Festival of Winds; be sure to complete your online
registration and payment information by the deadline.
Students and Parents; please be sure to check with your band director first on method of
payment for the event. In some cases schools may pay for this event through their booster club or school
district. Once a payment has been received there will be no refunds unless there is an extenuating
circumstance that is deemed acceptable by Dr. Carmichael, USF Director of Bands.
http://music.arts.usf.edu/festivalofwinds/
Registration and Required Forms
Registration will take place in the School of Music Conference Center, located in the lobby of
our new Concert Hall, on Thursday, December 1, 2011, from 10:00am until 2:00pm. Students must
check-in before they audition and are required to have the following three items:
1) Festival Guidelines Form (parent and band director signatures required)
2) Medical Release Form (parent signature required)
3) Photo ID (this can be a drivers license or official school ID)
Required forms for this event are available under the information page of the main FOW
website. Please make sure you have these documents completed, with signatures, when you report to onsite registration at the School of Music. Students will not be allowed to participate in the festival
without these completed items. Students will receive their official ID badges, T-shirts and
commemorative patches once the registration process has been completed. During registration we will
also have a representative from the USF Admissions Department available to answer any questions you
may have about USF. You may also sign up to take a tour of the School of Music Building after your
audition.
Hotel Accommodations and Check-In
Student participants will once again be housed at the USF Embassy Suites, located on-campus,
just off of Fowler Avenue. The address for the hotel is:
3705 Spectrum Boulevard
Tampa, Florida 33612
813-977-7066
Festival of Winds staff will handle room assignments and will make every effort to do this by
school. Changes to room assignments will not be accommodated, and if a student fails to abide by this
policy he/she may be removed from the Festival. Male and female students are prohibited from being in
the same hotel room at anytime. Family members are also not allowed to stay in a room with a student.
This is non-negotiable.
Chaperones for the hotel will be provided by: Phi Mu Alpha (ΦMA), the Men’s Music
Fraternity; Sigma Alpha Iota (ΣAI), the International Women’s Music Fraternity; Kappa Kappa Psi
(KKΨ), the National Honorary Band Fraternity; and CNAfME, the Collegiate National Association for
Music Education. If you have any concerns during your stay you may speak with a member of these
organizations who will provide assistance.
Students may check-in to the hotel once they have completed their on-site registration and music
audition at the School of Music. Check-in will take place between 2:00pm and 4:00pm. Students must
provide their own transportation to and from the hotel site during this time frame. Students who have an
earlier audition time will need to plan wisely for the down time between their audition and check-in
time. In the event you are unable to check-in to the hotel before our first required event, you may do so
when you return to the hotel that evening after rehearsals have ended.
http://music.arts.usf.edu/festivalofwinds/
Transportation and Parking
Students are responsible for arranging their transportation to and from every event throughout
the festival. Shuttle or taxi service is not available, including those arriving from Tampa International
Airport. Students who have chosen price plan A (non-commuters) but drive themselves to the festival on
Thursday will not be permitted access to their vehicles again until Sunday departure. Students who have
chosen price plan B (commuters) will only be allowed to use their vehicles for arriving or departing the
School of Music in the morning or evening. Those students who fail to abide by this policy will be asked
to leave the festival.
Overnight students will walk in supervised groups to and from the hotel, School of Music, and
theatres. The walk from the hotel is approximately 10-15 minutes so be sure to wear comfortable shoes
and plan for multiple weather situations. Also, be sure to give yourself enough time every morning to
prepare yourself for the day, including eating a healthy breakfast and a solid musical warm-up before
rehearsals begin.
Be sure that if you are commuting you park in the appropriate parking lots! USF Parking and
Transportation Services enforce parking rules 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and Festival of Winds is
not responsible for any parking tickets received during your time at USF. Daily Parking Permits are
$5.00 for the entire day and are available from permit vending machines in the parking lots surrounding
the School of Music. These vending machines accept credit cards only so please plan wisely. Students
may also purchase a daily parking permit with cash at the Campus Information Center located off the
main entrance to USF from Fowler Avenue.
*IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING PARKING*
Lots for daily parking are labeled “D” and have been marked on the campus map located under
the information tab of our FOW website. Make sure you arrive early, especially on Thursday and Friday,
as parking is very limited and spots fill up quickly in the morning hours.
Meals and Dining
The table below illustrates the meals FOW will provide. All of the meals provided do come with
a vegetarian option, but will only be provided if this is indicated on your student nomination sheet. Keep
in mind that we have several meal options available on campus, such as the Marshall Student Center, for
the meals that FOW does not provide. Please visit USF Dining Services for more detailed information.
http://www.campusdish.com/en-US/CSS/UnivSouthFlorida/LocationsMenus/
Meals Provided
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Thursday, Dec. 1st
No
No
No
Friday, Dec. 2nd
Yes – Hotel
Yes – Chick-fil-A
Yes – Pizza Party
Saturday, Dec. 3rd
Yes – Hotel
Yes – Pita Pit
Yes – Dining Hall
http://music.arts.usf.edu/festivalofwinds/
Sunday, Dec. 4th
Yes – Hotel
No
No
Auditions
Audition music will be made available to download from the FOW website beginning Monday,
November 14, 2011. Student requirements for the auditions include the downloaded excerpts, full range
chromatic scale (extended range will be given preference in chair placement), and a brief sight-reading
exercise. Please note that those students who wish to audition on Piccolo, English Horn, or Contra-Bass
Clarinet must also prepare the Flute, Oboe and Bass Clarinet audition music respectively. If you double
on Eb Clarinet, Flugelhorn, or Soprano Sax and you would like to audition to play these parts in addition
to your main instrument (Bb Clarinet, Trumpet, Alto Saxophone), please bring these instruments with
you to your audition and music will be made available for you at that time.
Audition times will be posted on the FOW website by Monday, November 21, 2011. Be sure that
you arrive early enough to the School of Music to register and warm-up before your scheduled audition
time. Maps will be made available at registration that will direct you to your specific audition room as
well as general warm-up areas. Audition results will be posted following Thursday night’s opening
concert and this years ensembles are named after our three clinicians: Dr. Craig Kirchhoff, Dr. Deborah
Sheldon, and Dr. Warren Olfert. You can read more about these nationally and internationally
recognized clinicians on the FOW webpage under the Biographies tab.
Master Classes and Concerts
On the Saturday of Festival of Winds students will attend a master class for their instrument led
by the wonderful USF School of Music applied faculty, with additional participation by graduate and
undergraduate students from their studios. FOW students are asked to please bring your instruments, a
folding music stand, and any solo or ensemble repertoire that you have been preparing. Please be aware
that every master class is run differently. Be prepared to play just in case.
While attending this year’s FOW part of your time will be spent attending various concerts and
performances hosted by our School of Music faculty and students, including our 3rd annual Bullapalooza
Concert. In accordance with our attendance policy, which is enclosed in the Festival Guidelines Form,
student participants must attend every concert. Your ID badge, given to you at registration, serves as
your ticket for every concert throughout the course of our four-day festival. If you are not present at a
concert you will be marked absent and may be asked to leave the festival. Make sure you allow yourself
enough time to get to concert venues after meals.
Our Grand Finale Concert, featuring our three honor bands, will be held on Sunday, December 4,
2011, in our new Performance Hall. Approximate performance times are as follows:
Olfert Band – 9:00am
Sheldon Band – 10:00am
Kirchhoff Band – 11:00am
Each of our three ensembles will perform one right after the other, with a 15-20 minute
intermission in between each performance to clear and reseat the theatre. Each student will receive two
tickets to their designated concert that will be available for pick-up by a family member at the box office
on Sunday morning. Additional tickets will be available in limited quantities on a first-come, first serve
basis. All tickets to the Grand Finale Concert are free and are only available on Sunday, December 4th.
FOW Packing Checklist
Print this document to check-off items as you pack
___ A folding wire music stand! Be sure to clearly label this with your full name! Please note that the
School of Music will not provide music stands for rehearsals.
___ Your completed and signed Festival Guidelines, Medical Release Forms, and a Photo ID.
Remember, without these documents you cannot participate in the festival.
___ Your instrument(s)! Remember that if you are doubling on Piccolo, English Horn, Contrabass
Clarinet, Eb Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone, or Flugelhorn you must bring these instruments as well.
___ Instrument accessories: Reeds, Cork Grease, Valve Oil, Cleaning Swabs, Mouthpieces, Brass
Mutes, Ligatures, and Percussion Sticks/Mallets. Bring it all – you never know what you’ll need! Also,
be sure to bring any prepared solo music for potential use during master classes.
___ Pencils: A musician’s best friend. Never leave home without at least 3 of them.
___ 4 days of comfortable clothing. As a rule of thumb, if you are not allowed to wear it at your
school, then you are not allowed to wear it during the Festival. The weather and/or rehearsal areas may
be chilly, so be sure to bring some warm clothes to layer.
___ Concert Performance Attire:
Gentlemen Option A
Black Long Sleeve Dress Shirt
Black Dress Pants
Black Bow Tie
Black Socks
Black Dress Shoes
Gentlemen Option B
Black Tuxedo Jacket
Black Tuxedo Pants
White Tuxedo Shirt
Black Bow Tie
Black Socks
Black Dress Shoes
Ladies
Black Knee-Length Skirt
Black Slacks
Black Blouse
Black Dress
Black Dress Shoes
Notice: Keep in mind that you are being viewed as professionals so you should dress as such. Tennis
Shoes and/or Sandals are not permitted for concert performances and jewelry is to be limited.
___ Toiletries. Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Hair Care Products, Combs, Brushes, Deodorant, Make-Up,
Face Wash, Shaving Materials, Feminine Products, Nail Clippers, etc.
___ Prescription Medication. Please let the FOW staff members at the on-site registration desk know
what medications you are taking and be sure to list them on your medical release form.
___ Umbrella/Poncho. We have no way of knowing how the weather will be when walking you from
the hotel to the rehearsal sites in the mornings and evenings. Be sure to pack these items just in case.
http://music.arts.usf.edu/festivalofwinds/