Registration

Updated for the 2026/27 School Year

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Event Basics

Registration & Scheduling Information

This year's student event is March 6th, at Bainbridge High School.
If you want to join our mailing list, click here.
TO REGISTER YOUR GROUP(S), CLICK HERE.
- We try to accomodate scheduling requests, while prioritizing eliminating warm-up/clinic conflicts with schools bringing multiple ensembles, and grouping ensembles by competitive division.
- Registration and payment do not need to occur at the same time.
- Groups that pay late might be dropped for a group that was wait-listed.
Payments are due by February 22nd.
A draft schedule will be released by February 22nd.
The schedule will be linked [HERE.]

REGISTRATION FORM

Festival Rules

Ensemble Focus

Ensembles should be focussed on spontaneous and informed interactions.

Jazz Combos
NOLA Style Brass Bands
Other non-big band jazz groups
Vocalists ARE allowed, and encouraged

Big Bands ARE also allowed, but judging and feedback is focussed on the interaction of the players and not on the arrangements.

We often will have vocalists perform with jazz combos. Sometimes these students are dedicated vocalists, and sometimes they are instrumentalists who sing on a tune or two. Our NOLA Brass Bands will often involve their members in singing, too. Singing is great. We're all for it.

Literature Selections

Play something that lets the musicians interact.

Lead sheets, The Real Book, The Real Easy Book, Originals, etc...
NOLA traditionals, Rebirth covers, etc, etc....

Play the head and let the musicians work it out. This is a festival that focusses on live interaction - not on rehearsed arrangements.

Don't play a big band arrangement with missing parts if you can avoid it.
The bulk of each performance should be improvisation; live interaction between soloists and rhythm section.

Festival Information

The following will happen during the morning and afternoon of the festival.

Admission to preliminary performances is free and open to the public
Please check the schedule once it is published.
Each group will be assigned a designated storage area
- Although a festival volunteer will watch the room throughout the day, the Bainbridge High School Band Booster, members, staff, or BISD assume no liability for lost or damaged goods or equipment.
30 minute warm-up
15 minutes on stage
30 minute clinic
60 minute masterclass with a guest artist
60 minute headliner concert at the end of the day

Off Campus Ensembles

Multi-School All-Star groups, Off-Campus groups, and other groups not directly associated with a school music program.

Groups that aren't part of a particular school music program MAY register for the festival as alternates.

If there is room in the festival, they will be added to the official schedule.
f there is a viable division in these registrations, there will be an addition to the finals lineup.
Every student who performs at finals needs to be enrolled in their school's jazz program. If there is no jazz program at their school, they need to be enrolled in their school's band, choir, or orchestra program.
Off-campus ensembles need an adult to register and chaperone them.

Cost & Competition Info

Ensemble Registration Fee:

$295

Masterclass Hour

Our headliner will lead a masterclass for all festival participants. This masterclass will feature each member of the guest band in a live and interactive session where each professional will share their unique perspectives as a professional musician.

Our headlining artist will also teach all of our festival participants the encore piece that will be performed at the end of the finals concert (outstanding soloists from prelims will be invited on stage to perform a solo on this tune with the guest band to close out the festival).

Prelims Awards

Finalists: ensembles selected to perform at finals will be announced after the masterclass hour concludes.

Outstanding Soloist Awards: Every participating ensemble will have at least one student recognized with an Outstanding Soloist Award, which will also be announced after .

Evening Concert Encore Feature: At least one student from every school will be invited to perform alongside our headliner band during the evening concert encore!

Note for schools with multiple ensembles: The encore invitation(s) will be awarded to the Outstanding Soloist(s) from that school’s top ensemble.

Finals Competition

Finalists will have up to 10 minutes on stage, INCLUDING getting on and off stage.
Finalists may perform a work they performed earlier in the day, or something new.
Student groups performing in finals must be made up of members from one school (no all-star groups).
Schools that send more than one group to the festival may not have more than one group in finals.

Finals Schedule

Finals Lineup

7:00 - BiHS Jazz9 in Exhibition
7:10 - School Finalists
8:00 - Headliner Performance
8:45 - Final Awards
8:50 - Encore (oustanding soloists)
9:00 - Festival Concludes

(in plenty time for the 9:45 ferry)

Each ensemble that registers for the festival will be offered free admission to the finals concert during registration (all students + 2 adults.) This is a fundraiser, so we do appreciate additional guests purchasing concert tickets. Thank you.

If a group does not request finals seats during registration, but then decides to stay, they will be let in for free (students + 2 adults), but only as space allows at 6:55.

Scoring

Prelims

Click HERE for the scoring rubric.
We've kept the scoring categories fairly broad, in an effort to allow the adjudicators to adjust their feedback to each band as they see fit. Let us know if you have concerns (far in advance), and we'll will consider adjustments to the scoring system.

Finals

Judging at finals will be a collective decision by all of our guest artists at the finals concert, not just the three adjudicators from prelims. All decisions are final. Please respect the professional opinions of each of our guests.

Equipment

Please bring your own:

Sticks
Mallets
Instrument cables

Drums / Cymbals:

We use Grombals on all of our cymbals, so if you are bringing your own cymbals, you'll also need to bring your own felts and washers.

Provided for Warm-ups:

Guitar amp
Bass amp
Piano
Drum set
Vibes
8 music stands
4 band chairs

Provided on Stage:

PA with 4 solo mics
Guitar amp
Grand Piano
Nord Piano 2
Bass amp
Drum set
Vibes
8 music stands
4 band chairs

Provided for Clinics:

Guitar amp
Piano
Bass amp
Drum set
Vibes
8 music stands
4 band chairs

Taking the Ferry?

If you are coming to our festival via the WSDOT ferry, check out the WSDOT school discount page:

https://wsdot.wa.gov/travel/washington-state-ferries/rider-information/groups-events/school-groups
Nowadays, youth all can board the ferries for free. Please give the WSDOT page a once over.

Your district might have a card for ferry travel. If not, make sure you plan for the vehicle fares prior to the event.

Seattle - Bainbridge Ferry Schedules:

http://www.wsdot.com/ferries/schedule/ScheduleDetailByRoute.aspx?route=sea-bi
If you're catching the ferry after the concert, please plan on taking the 9:45 boat back to Seattle after the headliner concert and awards presentation concludes at 9pm.

Other Details

Parking

Parking at Bainbridge High School on Saturdays is free and first come, first served. There is a loading and unloading near the performing and check in areas on Martin Luther King Lane, which is off of High School Road.

Food

There are several local food establishments within walking distance of Bainbridge High School; mostly in the Safeway plaza. Winslow (downtown Bainbridge) is a 30 minute walk or a 5 minute drive from BHS, and there are many more good options there, too.

Merchandise

Instrument Repair

The festival will not have a repair technician on site.

Recordings

Jim Stevens will be on site to record the festival's peformances.

Judges tapes or written commentary will also be provided.