What will the 2022 Dorian Band Festival look like given the COVID-19 pandemic?

Anyone participating in the festival who will be on-campus (students, teachers, and chaperones) will be required to submit proof of COVID-19 vaccination OR a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of arrival on campus.

All of the normal festival registration activities (checking in, payment, housing) will take place in the Center for Faith and Life for teachers as it has in the past. There will be a separate station elsewhere in the CFL (exact location TBA) for teachers and students to individually submit their vaccination/testing information. Vaccination or negative test results can be shown either by paper proof or digital proof. We will not be saving or recording vaccination/testing records. Instead, we will simply mark off that you have completed the requirement.

We will be using the CDC's definition of fully vaccinated, which at the moment is:

• 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
• 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson and Johnson's Janssen vaccine.
  

For those who are choosing the testing option rather than the vaccination option, we have compiled a list of ways you can acquire a COVID test. I am sure that this list is not comprehensive, but we hope it helps those of you who are not sure where/how to get a test.

The important thing is to ensure that:
1) Whatever test you acquire is taken within 72 hours of arrival to campus for the festival
AND
2) That you will have the test results by the time that the festival begins.
This means that the test needs to be taken no sooner than noon on Thursday, February 24, and you will need the results no later than noon on Sunday, February 27.

It is very likely that masks will be required during the festival, but this depends on Luther’s COVID alert level at the time of the festival. If we are in level blue (minimal COVID spread), which is what we were at the start of the semester until November 5, then masks will not be required for festival participants. If we are in level green or higher (increased COVID spread), then masks will be required for festival participants. As of the writing of this message, campus is currently at level teal, so masks are required at this time. These alert levels are determined by both campus COVID-19 indicators and county COVID-19 indicators. To view Luther’s current COVID alert level at any time, you can reference the banner at the top of Luther’s website at luther.edu. You can learn more on Luther’s Being Community website. Please prepare your students for being masked throughout the festival. 

How are students chosen for the Symphonic Band or one of the Festival Massed Bands?

Students accepted to the festival will be divided into a select Symphonic Band and two larger Festival Massed Bands. 

Students who want to be considered for the Symphonic Band must submit a video recording in addition to the nomination form that is submitted by the teacher. Video auditions are due Monday, December 6 at 11:59 pm. Email videos to the Dorian office at [email protected]. The audition requirements are:

1. A 90 second – 2 minute recording of a solo or etude that showcases both lyrical and technical ability of the student. The passage can be no longer than two minutes.
2. A chromatic scale featuring the student’s full range on their instrument
3. Percussionists: Please submit two recordings, each one 90 seconds – 2 minutes. One should feature a solo or etude on a keyboard instrument, and the other a solo or etude on a battery instrument. No scales are necessary.

Video recordings must not be edited.

If auditioned students are not accepted into Symphonic Band, they will be selected for one of the other Festival Bands.

Students in the larger groups will be given a chair assignment and copies of their music before they come to the Festival. Those selected for the Symphonic Band will each be given a copy of the 1st-part music for their section, then audition on that music for chair placement once they arrive at the Festival. The expectation is that all students will be very familiar with their music before they arrive.

How many students can be nominated from one school?

We do not set a limit on how many students you can nominate for the festival, but based on numbers that we have been able to accept in previous years, we suggest nominating between 4 and 12 students from one school.

What is the optional solo/mini-lesson?

• In an optional solo/mini-lesson, a student plays one piece for a Luther wind, brass, or percussion faculty member in a 15-20-minute private lesson.
• The prepared solo should be well learned in order for the lesson to be useful.
• A Luther student accompanist can be hired for a $15 fee if requested ahead of time and if music is provided by the deadline. Lessons are not required to be accompanied.
• One or two soloists might be chosen to perform as part of the Sunday night festival concert.
• A solo/mini-lesson lesson cost is only $5 per student.
• A solo/mini-lesson can also be used as an official Luther Music Scholarship audition by seniors who are prospective Luther students.

Where do directors and students stay during the festival?

• On-campus, student housing may be requested by schools farther than 50 miles from Decorah.
• The on-campus housing fee is $10 per student.
• Students will be housed in residence hall rooms with current Luther student hosts or in residence hall lounges. Students should plan to bring along sleeping bags, pillows, etc. as well as towels and toiletries for their overnight stays.
• The college is not able to offer housing to teachers and/or chaperones.
• Off-campus housing options in local hotels, Bed and Breakfasts, and Airbnbs are available to directors and students. In town, we have Comfort Inn and Suites, Country Inn and Suites, Fairfield Inn and Suites, Hotel Winneshiek, and Super 8. Teachers have also had good luck with local Bed and Breakfasts and Airbnb.    

Can a student attend the festival without their school or their teacher? 

A teacher nomination is required for a student to be considered for the festival, but a student's choir teacher does not necessarily have to attend the festival with the student. Having said that, every student attending the Dorian Band Festival must have a teacher, parent, or chaperone with them in town for the duration of the festival. This policy is in place so that there is someone in town to take care of the student in the case of an emergency. Likewise, if there is a behavioral issue that would result in the student being removed from the festival, an adult must be present to take the student home. 

What are the fees associated with the festival?

To learn more about the 2022 Dorian Band Festival fees, download this form.

Are tickets required for the Festival Grand Concert?

No tickets are required for the Festival Grand Concert on Monday, February 28. The concert is free and open to the public.

Is the Festival Grand Concert live-streamed?

The festival grand concert is live-streamed on the Luther College Music Department YouTube channel.

What is concert attire?

• Concert attire is all black or black bottoms with white tops.

  Option A: A collared shirt with nice dress pants. Ties are encouraged.

  Option B: A nice blouse with dress pants/skirt or a dress.