Awards & Criteria

Sunset Festival of Bands provides not just a judging result, but a critique and feedback opportunity for each participating band prior to the competition phase of the event.

Awards to be presented in both Division I and Division II:

• 1st Place Award
• 2nd Place Award
• 3rd Place Award
• Best Music Award
• Best Drum Major(s) Award
• Best Percussion Award
• Best Color Guard Award

Awards to be presented overall divisions:

• Most Improved Performance Award

Color Guard Scoring:

PROGRAM CONTENT & VOCABULARY

• Variety of Form, Body & Equipment
• Use of Expressive Components of Space, Time, Weight & Flow
• Staging & Spacing
• Integration with Winds & Percussion
• Use of the Color Guard Within the Overall Design
• Totality & Unity
• Visual Musicality -- Phrasing, Nuances, Support

ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH FORM, BODY & EQUIPMENT

• Demonstration & Compatibility of Training
• Clarity of Form, Body & Equipment
• Accuracy & Precision
• Clarity of Style & Technique
• Consideration of the Overall Environment
• General Expressive & Technical Skills

Drum Major Scoring:

LEADERSHIP

• Contribution Through Time
• Variety
• Depth of Musical Demand
• Professionalism
• Communication
• Intensity
• Showmanship

PERFORMANCE

• Timing/Accuracy
• Precision
• Salute
• Control
• Style
• Demand
• Clarity

Music Effect Scoring:

EFFECTIVENESS OF THE REPERTOIRE

• Communication of Musical Intent
• Audio/Visual Coordination & Interpretation
• Variety of Music Effects
• Creativity & Originality
• Nuance, Artistry & Expression
• Coordination of All Musical Elements
• Pacing & Development

EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PERFORMANCE

• Communication of the Musical Intent (Expression, Emotion, Etc.)
• Provide Sustained Mood -- Audience Engagement
• Demonstrate Excellence to Enhance the Program
• Demonstrate Artistic Technique & Musicianshio to Create an Effective Musical Program

Music Ensemble Scoring:

COMPOSITION

• Shaping
• Inflection
• Phrasing
• Expression
• Idiomatic Interpretation
• Depth of the Musical Challenge -- Including Simultaneous Responsibilities
• Consideration of the Totality of the Environment

ACHIEVEMENT

• Consistency of Timbre and Sonority
• Tuning of Winds & Percussion
• Unified Approach to Instrumental Technique That Produces Ensemble Sound
• Balance of Winds/Percussion
• Cohesiveness with Respect to Tempo
• Consistency of Articulation -- Vertical Alignment of the Full Ensemble
• Consideration of the Total Environment -- Simultaneous Responsibilities

Music Individual Scoring:

MUSICIANSHIP (CONTENT)

• Shaping, Inflection, Phrasing
• Expression -- Sound & Tone in a Variety of Ranges & Dynamic Levels
• Idiomatic Interpretation
• Depth of the Musical Challenge(s)
• Consideration of the Total Environment & Simultaneous Responsibilities
• Depth of the Physical Challenges

ACCURACY/TECHNIQUE (ACHIEVEMENT)

• Timing, Note Accuracy & Tuning
• Tuning & Intonation Control
• Uniformity of Articulations & Releases
• Control of Tempo & Pulse
• Control of the Environmental & Simultaneous Responsibilities
• Tone Quality/Characteristic Sound

Percussion Scoring:

TBA LATER

Visual Effect Scoring:

EFFECTIVENESS OF THE REPERTOIRE

• Coordination of All Visual Elements
• Pacing -- Shaping, Contouring Over Time, Impacts, Resolutions, Etc.
• Concept -- Production Value That Supports the Concept
• Visual Musicality -- Interpretation Through Form, Body & Equipment
• Variety of Effects -- Aesthetic, Intellectual & Emotional
• Creativity & Originality

EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PERFORMANCE

• Communication of Roles, Characters, Theatrics, Storytelling, Etc.
• Communication of the Concept -- Expression, Emotion, Understanding
• Demonstrate Excellence to Enhance the Program
• Ability to Provide Sustained Mood -- Audience Engagement

Visual Ensemble Scoring:

COMPOSITION

• Logical Development That Supports the Unified Plan
• Depth & Breadth -- Includes Simultaneous & Environmental Challenges
• Totality & Unity -- Integration of All Elements
• Variety in Design Which Includes Staging, Color, Sets, Etc.
• Clarity of Emphasis -- Focus
• Visual Musicality -- Reflection of the Audio, Placement of Voices
• Detail & Nuance Through Form, Body & Equipment

ACHIEVEMENT

• Demonstration of Ensemble Training -- Space, Line, Timing, Orientation, Etc.
• Demonstration of Concentration, Stamina & Recovery
• Clarity of Form, Body & Movement
• Precision Through the Ensemble
• Adherence to Style, Role, Character, Technique

Visual Individual Scoring:

RANGE OF TECHNIQUE (CONTENT)

• Demonstration of Fundamentals of Chosen Technique
• Individual Alignment & Intended Variations
• Qualities of Efforts Among Individuals (Space, Weight, Time, Flow)
• Demonstration of Principles of Balance, Posture, Weight Shifts, Etc.
• Poise, Confidence & Recovery
• Variations Among Equipment/Instrument(s)
• Demonstration of Control of Challenges in Meter and Velocity

ACHIEVEMENT

• Variety of Responsibilities
• Challenge(s) of the Visual Repetoire
• Timing & Articulation of All Choreography
• Overall Control of Form & Music
• Spacing & Alignment of Form in Small Segments
• Precision with Respect to the Challenge(s)