Adventureland Festival of Bands

2025 dates to be announced soon.

Application Procedure

Qualified applications will be processed in the order of receipt. Directors are urged to submit applications as early as possible. 

There is an application fee of $150.00 for each performing organization.

Adventureland Festival of Bands Information Brochure

Adventureland Festival of Bands Procedure

Adventureland Festival of Bands Application

Performance Categories

In conformance with guidelines of various state high school associations and to accommodate a variety of preferences, bands may participate in any of several categories.

Best of Class

Bands in this category compete for:

1. Division ratings
2. Best of Class trophies
3. Judges comments

Division Ratings

Bands in this category perform for:

1. Division ratings
2. Judges comments

Comments Only

Bands choosing this category perform in a totally non-competitive format for comments only.

1. Judges Comments

Performance Facility

We are indebted to Southeast Polk High School and Jacqui Meunier and Jayson Gerth for making their concert facilities available to festival bands. The auditorium is one of the very finest facilities in the metro area.

Classification of Bands

Bands are classified following the guidelines of the Iowa High School Music Association classes based on enrollment as follows:

Class 1A      1-174
Class 2A      175-299
Class 3A      300-599
Class 4A      600 and above
Open Class  (see below)

9^th Grade Class (open to bands with 9^th grade participants only or for bands with 9^th graders as their oldest participants 7-8-9 or 8-9)

The Open Class is designed for schools that enter two or three bands. Second and third bands may elect to participate in this class, however, if they prefer, they may perform in their normal school classification. 9^th Grade Bands may enter either the ninth grade class or the open class.

Division Rating System

Bands choosing a competitive mode of performance will be given a division rating by each adjudicator which, when averaged, becomes the event rating for each organization. A separate rating scale is used in each class. Adjudicators may use plus or minuses. 

Numerical ratings are interpreted as follows:

Repertoire

Directors may choose repertoire deemed suitable for their groups and the festival. There are no required piece and sight-reading is not a part of the festival format. Bands may perform two or three contrasting selections that do not exceed thirteen minutes. Each band is allocated twenty-five minutes for set-up, performance, and exit.

Trophies & Awards

The Don Marcouiller Best of Class Trophy, given for the finest performance in each of the five classes, will be awarded immediately following the last scheduled performance of the festival. To be eligible this trophy bands must have received a I, I-, or a II+ rating.

Equipment Furnished by the Festival

The festival provides chairs, music stands, five timpani, a bass drum, a tam-tam, piano, and all mallet instruments (no crotales). Bands must furnish other needed equipment including sticks and mallets. In order to facilitate the schedule, we ask that bands use the SEP percussion equipment. Please contact Robert Meunier if you have questions about equipment availability.  

Arrival at Southeast Polk High School

It is recommended that bands arrive at Southeast Polk High School one hour prior to scheduled performance times. To avoid congestion and unnecessary waiting it is requested that they do not arrive earlier. The high school is located at 7945 NE University Avenue in Pleasant Hill, Iowa. Southeast Polk personnel will direct bands to the gymnasium/homeroom and buses to a parking area upon arrival.

Directions to Southeast Polk High School

Schedule

Bands will be ushered to the warm-up room twenty-five minutes prior to performances. The room contains chairs and stands, but no percussion equipment.

A staff crew will set the stage for each performing band using a seating chart provided by directors upon arrival at the festival. When the stage is set, bands will be ushered from the warm-up room to the stage. After performing, bands will be directed back to the homeroom where equipment and cases may be picked up and returned to buses. Bands may either leave the campus or return to the auditorium to hear other ensemble performances.

Adjudicators

Bands will be critiqued by a panel of three outstanding conductor-adjudicators selected for their professional qualifications, knowledge of school bands, and their sincere interest in the music education of young people.

Adjudication Procedure

Recorded adjudicator comments will be given to each performing organization. Printed forms are provided for additional comment and ratings. Ratings will be posted outside the auditorium at half-hour intervals starting at one hour after the opening performance. Packets of scores, adjudicator written comments will be available to directors from the contest manager approximately 30 minutes after the performance.  Recordings of judges comments will be downloaded from the internet.

Music Scores for Adjudicators

Three numbered scores of each composition to be performed must be given to the contest manager immediately prior to scheduled performances. Scores must be in conformance with United States copyright laws.

Admission to Adventureland Park

Directors of participating bands may now order tickets for students, parents, and chaperones on consignment until March 31 at a cost of $32.99+tax per ticket, less than one-half of the regular price. Payment for these tickets may be deferred until after the festival when payment is due for tickets actually used. Unused tickets may simply be discarded.  Ticket order forms are available from Robert Meunier.  

Adventureland Ticket Order Form

Complimentary tickets for directors and chaperones are issued at the rate of one ticket for each twenty tickets purchased. Ticket holders may leave and re-enter the park with a hand stamp issued at the main gate during their visit.

Directors needing further information should contact:

Robert Meunier
145 S. Sherrylynn Blvd.
Pleasant Hill, Iowa 50327
515-229-1582
robert.meunier@drake.edu