Frequently Asked Questions

Preparing for the Festival

  • It is recommended to arrive one hour before your scheduled clinic time. 
  • There will be a warmup space provided 45-minutes prior to your clinic time.
  • Directors are reminded to have TWO (2) copies of their scores (originals where possible) for clinicians. These must be passed to Festival workers upon arrival. PLEASE CLEARLY MARK YOUR NAME ON ALL SCORES.
  • Clinicians comments will be available at the Festival site one day following the group’s clinic.
  • Parking at the MUN School of Music is in Lot 15.
  • All clinics are open to Festival participants free of charge. Please inform the Festival Coordinator if you plan on bringing a large group to attend.
  • Parents and supporters may attend clinics – $5 suggested donation for one clinic, $10 for unlimited Festival access. Purchase here or with cash at the door.

Equipment Provided

Rule of thumb: if you absolutely need it, bring it with you! 

  • Concert Band/Orchestra: Snare drum, bass drum, crash cymbal, suspended cymbal, xylophone, bells, chimes, timpani (3) and music stands. No mallets will be provided. 
  • Jazz Bands: Trap set (bass drum, 3 toms, snare, hi-hats, ride cymbal, crash cymbal and appropriate pedals), 6 microphones and stands, acoustic piano, bass amp, guitar amp and music stands. No mallets, timbales, congas or other aux percussion will be provided. 
  • Choir: acoustic piano, risers, solo mics (where requested) music stands

All groups must provide mallets, beaters and misc. percussion for all clinics. No equipment may be substituted; all groups must use the equipment supplied by the festival except for the following exceptions:

  • Percussionists and drummers may ADD BUT NOT SUBSTITUTE drums, cymbals or other hardware/instruments to the setup. Substituting equipment takes time and the Festival staff work hard to keep a strict schedule. 
  • Keyboard players may add a keyboard if necessary but must supply their own electric keyboard and amplifier. 

All equipment belonging to groups and individuals (including cases) should be marked in some way to allow for easy identification. Rotary does not take responsibility for lost and stolen equipment. 

Who can participate in the Rotary Music Festival?

Rotary is open to both school and community groups of all ages, all sizes and from all locations (not just from within Newfoundland and Labrador). Our festival is broken into three categories – Choral, Jazz and Band/Symphonic. Chamber ensembles in those categories are also welcome.

Where and when does the festival take place?

All clinics take place at the MUN School of Music in St. John’s, Newfoundland, from April 30 – May 8, 2025. 

Choral Festival: April 30 – May 3

Jazz Festival: May 4

Band/Symphonic Festival: May 5 – 8

Rotary Jazz Band Evening Concert: Saturday, May 3 (TBC)

NL Band Association Concert: Monday, May 5 (TBC)

Clinics occur during the daytime at the D.F. Cook Recital Hall, usually between the hours of 8:30am and 5:30pm.

What is the registration cost and when is payment due?

The total registration fee per ensemble is $275.

Schools who register additional, affiliated ensembles within the same festival category can register those affiliated groups for $175.

For example, the fees for a single school registering the below groups would be as follows: 

Mass Choir – $275

Chamber Choir – $175

Jazz Band – $275

Jazz Combo – $175

Total fees: $900

Transportation to and from the Festival is the responsibility of each school/ensemble. Some schools may be eligible for travel support funding through the NL Department of Education School Travel Grant.

Fees are due along with online registration forms by February 7, 2025. Often there is a waitlist for participation, therefore registration and scheduling priority can only be considered once payment has been received. All fees are non refundable.

What is included in the registration fee?

  • 45-minute clinic with 2-3 acclaimed music educators on stage at the D.F. Cook Recital Hall
  • Written commentary on the group’s performance
  • Three audio files, completed by MUN’s recording staff, including “on the fly” commentary from two clinicians as well as a “clean” recording of the performance
  • Clinic sessions that focus on notable performance characteristics of the ensemble with the intent of offering positive feedback to assist in its continued development
  • Rotary Honours Awards which are presented at the clinic to a deserving member of the ensemble for their contribution. This award is discretionary and the recipient is nominated by the ensemble director
  • Pictures of the ensemble (formal and informal) distributed exclusively to the ensemble director via Dropbox
  • A Participation Certificate for each performance ensemble
  • Constructive coaching for conductors
  • An invitation to audition for the Rotary Jazz Band, made up of students from various schools. The band plays a concert and also performs an hour-long webcast via the Centre for Innovation and Learning (CITL) Department at MUN, livestreamed to all schools across Newfoundland and Labrador

What repertoire should I perform?

In 2023, the first Rotary Music Festival after the COVID-19 pandemic, we encouraged directors to “come as they are” with whatever repertoire best suited their ensembles at the time. All groups are currently still encouraged to participate in Rotary this way – without the barrier of having to prepare specific repertoire – if that is what is right for your ensemble.

Should you wish your group to be judged to a standard (Gold, Silver, Bronze), participate in MusicFest Canada or simply aim for established guidelines, please consult the Rotary Music Festival Rules and Regulations 2025 and/or Concert Band Syllabus for repertoire rules and listings.