Directors & Parents: Download Our New Contest & Festival Checklist

Planning for contests and festivals is a huge undertaking. There is so much for you, your students, and their parents to remember, and there can be unfortunate consequences if important items are forgotten. What’s the best way to ensure your ensemble is properly equipped to perform? We recommend creating a checklist for your ensemble, so no reed or rosin is left behind.

Consider using our sample checklist below, which works for both one-day and overnight trips. The top section provides the vital details for the event at a glance, with the bottom half containing a checklist for students and parents to follow as they pack. If you’re looking to adapt our checklist to better fit your program, consider the following:

• Will this be a general, reusable list or specific to a certain event?
• Would it be beneficial to include a section for trip information, or is this just a packing list?
• What are the students responsible for bringing versus which items the staff manages?
• Do I want to keep the list music-focused, or should I include suggestions for non-music items like toiletries and snacks?
• How detailed do I need to be for each item? (e.g., writing “Concert Attire” versus creating individual checkboxes for each garment)

What do you think of our checklist? Is there anything you would add from your festival experience? Leave a reply and let us know!