All State FAQ

Any student who is receiving at least one Carnegie unit of credit for a regularly rehearsing choral performing organization whose director is a member in good standing of ETVA, TMEA, and MENC and who is declared eligible by ETVA.

How do students become eligible for All-State?

Students earn eligibility for All-State at the auditions held in October by scoring among the top scores in their vocal section.

Are there other requirements for eligibility?

Yes. Students must first successfully participate in All-East and then they must pass a screening audition demonstrating their ability to correctly sing all pitches and rhythms on the music to be performed by their assigned ensemble.

How can I determine which of my students made All-State?

Go to the ETVA web site (http://www.etva.org) and click on the link that says “All-State”. When that page opens, scroll down the page until you see a link for the All-State results. Double-clicking that link will open a page with important information and a link to take you to the actual results. If you have a student who made All-State, they will be listed on that page.

What does “Alt” mean on the All-State Results?

“Alt” stands for “Alternate” and it indicates that your student did not quite score high enough to actually be selected for an All-State choir, but they are in a “runner-up” position. If a student is the third alternate, there are two other people ahead of him/her. If three other students in the same voice part and the same choir drop out for any reason, you the director will be contacted to ask if your student wants to move up into the choir.

Why are alternates assigned to a particular choir?

All singers who are eligible for All-State, both those actually selected and alternates, must go through a screening process no less than six weeks prior to All-State to demonstrate their preparation of the All-State music for their assigned group. For an alternate to be eligible to replace someone in either the SATB or the Men’s/Women’s Choirs he/she would have to prepare and screen on two sets of music. This would be an expensive and time-consuming gamble, as an alternate never knows whether he/she may be called. By designating the alternate for a particular choir, there is only one set of music to be learned.

Would an alternate EVER be called to fill a place in the choir to which they were not originally assigned?

There is a provision for this to happen. Suppose ETVA has called all it’s baritone alternates for the SATB chorus but still has baritone alternates for the Men’s Chorus. If another opening in the SATB Baritone section occurs, ETVA may let a Men’s Chorus baritone prepare the SATB chorus music and be screened on that music. If he passes the screening, the student may take the opening in the SATB chorus allowing ETVA to fill its quota. If there is not enough time to screen the student, ETVA may give the slot to MTVA or WTVA to fill if they have a screened baritone alternate. Otherwise, the slot will just go unfilled.

How are students assigned to a particular choir?

The person in charge of Auditions in ETVA follows a procedure to assign the students to a particular choir. ETVA has an assigned quota of slots per section in the All-State SATB, Women’s and Men’s Choruses. Generally this is somewhere around 20 girls per part and 15 to 17 guys per part. After auditions AND after students have completed All-East, the person doing the assignments takes the top scores (as determined in the October audition) from each voice part down to the quota. The students are assigned a random number and sorted to give each student an equal chance to be assigned to any choir. After the students are sorted randomly, the correct numbers of students are assigned to each choir. Then the next ten scores below the cutoff score are designated as alternates and are alternately assigned to the SATB or Men’s/Women’s Choirs.

My student has been assigned to the same choir at All-State for three years. Is it possible to have him/her reassigned to the other choir?

There is no official policy on reassignment between choirs. Since the goal is to make the three choirs as equal as possible switching between the choirs may offset the balance. However, if a director of a student in the Men’s choir, for example, finds another director with a student of the same voice part and a similar score assigned to the SATB choir who is willing to switch, the ETVA Executive Secretary and/or the person who made the assignments may allow the switch to occur. (This will probably require Executive Board approval and may require approval by the All-State Chair.) It never hurts to ask.

Is the SATB choir better than the Men’s or Women’s Choir?

No. The random assignment process generally distributes high and low scores throughout the choirs. It is possible for all the top scores to end up in the same choir, but it is highly unlikely. Keep in mind that the “low” scores still represent the very best scores from a region. It is an honor to make it to All-State, period. No one All-State ensemble should be considered more honorable than another.

Why can’t a student be in an instrumental and choral All-State ensemble at the same time?

Because Tennessee’s All-State ensembles rehearse simultaneously with a rigorous rehearsal schedule, it is not possible to do both. It would not be fair to the other ensemble members nor the guest conductors for students to split the available time between ensembles.

Where will All-State be held?

All-State is generally held in Nashville centered around the Nashville Convention Center and Renaissance Hotel. The choral rehearsals are generally held in churches or other sites within walking distance of the Convention Center. For the past few years, the Men’s chorus and Women’s Chorus have rehearsed at McKendree Methodist Church and the SATB Chorus has rehearsed at the Lifeway Center Van Ness Auditorium.

Where should I stay while in Nashville?

TMEA reserves a large block of rooms at the Nashville Renaissance Hotel for its annual conference and All-State. These are available at a group rate by calling the Renaissance and asking for rooms in the TMEA block. These rates are good for up to four persons per room and generally must be reserved several weeks prior to All-State. The TN Musician Magazine will have information regarding the hotel and so will the TMEA website at http://www.tnmea.org.

There are other options available, often less expensive than the TMEA rate. You might check with the major hotel chains or a travel service for other options. Ask your area representative if a group of rooms has been reserved for the high schools in your area.

When should I reserve my rooms?

It is a good idea to reserve rooms as soon as results are announced. Even though there are many hotels in Nashville, the good ones fill up fast. If you want a hotel in walking distance, you should reserve rooms early, including spaces for your alternates. You can always cancel later.

If I only have one or two students going to All-State, what should I do about rooms?

Ask around to see if other directors are trying to fill rooms. You may save your students/school some money by combining your students with their students. Your area representative may be able to help you find another director with whom you can combine students.

How many nights will I need to stay?

Rehearsals for All-State begin on Wednesday night and the concerts begin on Friday evening. Many directors choose to leave after the concert so as to avoid another night’s lodging. Remember that Nashville is on Central time, so it may be as late as 9:00 PM eastern time before the final concert is over, when planning whether to leave Friday night or stay over to Saturday. Also consider that if you leave on Friday, you will most likely have to check out of your rooms by noon, meaning your students may have to change in a hotel or restaurant bathroom.

What are food options around the convention center?

There are a variety of restaurants in walking distance of the convention center. There are several fast food places, but since they are located downtown, not all are open in the evenings or on Saturday. Often mealtime between rehearsals is limited so plan ahead on where you and your group will eat. Often it is best if you go ahead and reserve seats near the end of the rehearsal time and let your students meet up with you.

What do I do with my car?

Downtown Nashville is NOT car-friendly in terms of parking. Most of the hotels offer valet parking, but they can be very expensive. The meters are checked regularly during the day, and some are checked on weekends. Your best bet is to park in one of the many parking lots where you pay a fee per day or per hour. Be aware that if you move your car from one of these lots, you will have to pay again when you return. Since there are food options in walking distance and since the All-State rehearsals are located nearby, it is easiest to leave your car parked in one spot until you are ready to leave Nashville.

How should I pack for All-State?

Since All-State is generally held in March or early April, the Nashville weather may be variable. Rain is very likely and nights may be very cold. You will be doing a LOT of walking so bring comfortable walking shoes. The All-State rehearsals are casual dress and directors generally dress casually. Check the TMEA All-State Handbook for the concert dress code. Again, some directors will dress up for the concert while others will be dressed casually.

Can I bring other students to Nashville besides my All-State participants?

No one can stop you from bringing students to Nashville. It is, however, dishonest to use the convention rate for students who are not participating in All-State and the All-State rehearsals are closed to non-participants. It is NOT recommended to bring students who are not in All-State.

What do I do while the All-State students are rehearsing?

Directors are encouraged to observe the All-State rehearsals. The guest clinicians are experts in choral music and you can pick up many valuable rehearsal techniques from them. Also, the TMEA state convention will have interest sessions, concerts, and exhibits for you to attend during the rehearsal times. This is a great time to network with fellow directors and to meet new friends. In addition, you will be assigned supervisory duties at some rehearsals.

Why do I have to supervise rehearsals or call roll?

An event like All-State brings with it numerous legal responsibilities. You should consult with your Principal to see what your obligations are in regard to students on out of town fieldtrips. Even though the students in rehearsal are generally well-behaved and on-task, in order to assure their safety and their full participation, they may occasionally need a polite (or not so polite) reminder to focus on the task at hand. By assigning duty, the directors of a region share the responsibility and ensure that the students are always under supervision and that things run smoothly. Each region (East, Middle, and West) will have teachers supervising each rehearsal to make sure that there’s always someone who can find an authority figure from a region should there be a problem with a student. Do not feel as though you can only correct or help students from East TN – when you are supervising, ALL the students are your responsibility. In addition, it is your professional obligation to fulfill all assigned duties.

I’m scheduled for duty during the one session/concert I most wanted to attend. Can I switch?

Certainly, you may switch duty times with another director from East TN if they are willing to do so.

Where will the All-State concerts be held?

The performances of all the All-State ensembles are held at the War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville. The Auditorium is located just below the state capitol in downtown Nashville.

How are the concerts structured?

Each All-State concert has it’s own mini-concert starting at 6:00 pm Central time on Friday evening. The Men’s choir performs at 6:00 pm, the Women’s at 7:00 and the SATB at 8:00 pm. In between each concert is a short break to allow audience members to leave if they wish and to allow the next group to take the stage.

Will the concerts be recorded?

Yes, TMEA contracts with a professional recording company to record the concerts. The recordings are usually sold at the concert. Some companies will allow mail or internet orders. The recordings generally take six to eight weeks to be delivered.

Who can attend the concerts?

At present, the concerts are open to anyone with no charge. The facilities at War Memorial Auditorium have limited seating so it is recommended that you arrive early to get a good seat. The auditorium is very strict about fire code observances, so family and friends are encouraged to only stay for the concerts in which they have someone performing.