10 Things to Know Before Applying to a Festival or Conference

Auditioning for a festival can be a great move for your program. It gives your group a target, tightens up rehearsal habits and involves students in specially designed music events.

Or, it can turn into a long, expensive headache that everyone can’t wait to get past.

The difference usually isn’t talent. It’s how organized and prepared the teacher is.

1. Pick A Festival That Fits Your Group

Not every group needs to shoot for the biggest or most selective festival on the list. In fact, that can be detrimental to your program if they’re not ready for that level.

Some festivals require applications nearly a year in advance, while others open submissions just a few months before the event. Before you commit, check the actual timeline — application deadlines, audition windows, performance dates, travel requirements and whether recordings must be live or can come from a concert performance.

Find a festival that lines up with where your ensemble is right now, your calendar and your goals. A good fit pushes your group a little. A bad fit exposes everything all at once.

2. The Application Is Also a Learning Process

It’s not just about getting accepted. Show students what the process looks like — how groups prepare, how recordings work, how things get submitted. If it’s your first time doing this, don’t overhype it. Just let them see how it works.

You might even spark something — some kids will become interested in recording, production or the tech side of music just from going through it.

3. Choose Music That Fits Your Group

Pick literature that fits your group — not just for an audition, but for growing and learning. You’re almost always better off under-programming and over-performing rather than reaching for something impressive and hanging on for dear life. Tone, intonation and control win every time.

4. Be Careful With Multi-Movement Pieces

Multi-movement pieces can help — they show contrast, pacing, maturity. They can also fall apart fast.

Verify the audition requirements carefully. Some festivals cap recordings at a specific time limit or only allow certain movements to be submitted. Don’t build your whole program around a piece only to realize later that it doesn’t fit the guidelines.

If you go this route, make sure the group can hold it together from start to finish, not just in the “good” movements.

5. Don’t Turn Recording Day Into A Marathon

Before recording day, confirm the technical requirements: accepted file types (usually MP3 or WAV), upload platforms, sound file labeling instructions, and whether spoken announcements are required at the beginning of the recording.

Three takes is plenty. Set a time limit, stay focused and make a decision. The more takes you have, the harder it usually gets — fatigue, overthinking, second-guessing everything and convincing your colleagues to “just give it one more listen.”

Get in, get it done and move on.

6. Don’t Try To Fake A Perfect Recording

Your audition should sound like your group. Not a studio project.

Most festivals don’t allow editing anyway, but even if it’s unclear, avoid splicing. Judges aren’t expecting perfection. They’re listening for fundamentals: tone, balance, intonation and musical shape.

7. Pick The Take That Represents You Best (Not Always The Cleanest One)

Sometimes the “cleanest” take feels flat. Sometimes the one with a rough start ends up being the most musical. Listen for the version that sounds like your group when things are clicking — not just the one with the fewest mistakes.

8. Don’t Overthink The Recording Setup

Some groups get accepted with high-end recordings run by a pro. Other groups get accepted to festivals with handheld recorders or USB mics. Avoid recording on a phone if you can, but you also don’t need to hire the Marine Band’s recording engineer.

That said, test your equipment ahead of time. Make sure the recorder has enough storage, batteries are charged, and someone knows how to transfer and upload the files afterward. Losing a recording because of a technical mistake is not a fun way to end the process.

9. Know What You’re Signing Up For

Festivals cost money. Sometimes more than you expect. Entry fees, travel, buses, lodging, extra staffing — it adds up fast. If your admin hasn’t dealt with this before, start the conversation early. Same with boosters or parent groups. No one likes surprises here.

Some festivals also require proof of school approval or student eligibility forms weeks before the event. Put every deadline on a calendar immediately — not just the audition deadline.

10. Use The Result — Whatever It Is

If you don’t get in, this doesn’t mean you’re doing everything wrong. Use the feedback, adjust and try again.

If you do get in, great. Celebrate it — then get back to work. Now you have to be ready for the performance.

What This Should Actually Be About

Festivals are great opportunities for students to prepare a little more than they’re used to. They also have the chance to hear and support other groups and be a part of an event built specifically for music kids.

If the whole thing is just about getting accepted, they miss the point.

If you do that part right, the festival becomes one step in the process — not the whole goal.