What is it? "MidFest" (established 1990) is a three-day event for middle school band musicians. Students are nominated for participation by their director by way of this website early in the academic year after receiving the MidFest announcement in the mail. MidFest staff selects students to participate based on the order of the director's submission, the instrumentation need of the festival bands, and the reported musical achievements of each student. Typical festival attendance is approximately 1000 students from 130 schools. Last year, Autrey Mill Middle School had 12 students accepted to the UGA Midfest event and 8 students who elected to attend. We hope to continue this tradition of excellence this year with even more participants!
What are the requirements for nomination? To be nominated for UGA Midfest is a extremely high honor. Students should exhibit excellent character, attitude, and musical caliber to be considered. Students should also be able to play their All-State Scales (concert F, B-flat, E-flat, and A-flat) and their chromatic scale. Students should consider this before submitting interest for nomination.
6th Grade students are more than welcome to submit interest for nomination but should note that UGA Midfest is a very fast-paced environment that will require more technical skill than they will have learned in-class at that time. It is HIGHLY recommended that 6th grade students who apply for nomination take private lessons in order to be prepared.
When Is It? The event will take place from December 12th to December 14th.
How much is it? If selected to attend, a $95 participation fee applies. Hotel and transportation arrangements will be made after October 14th, when acceptances are published. Pricing for hotels and transportation are dependent on the number of students participating.