has anyone's child participated in the Solo & Ensemble competition?

[Nicole M]

I've been scouring the rules and regulations, and it seems like a student simply needs to be a member of a performing group at "their" high school. It sounds like a "part time" student ought to be eligible. My son has sung in the local HS choir and could again next spring if it would qualify him to compete. (It's a perfectly awful choir, though.) Most of his singing is with a private choir, but he's started voice lessons, and this competition would be a great goal to strive for.

Any experience with this competition? Are there other opportunities out there for musicians that are not affiliated with a school performing group?

Thanks!
Nicole

[Jann in TX]

Here in Texas--for instance-- by the wording 'their high school' it is assumed that the school is a public high school and the student is enrolled full time.

I have a dd who plays an instrument. She was signed up to go to the solo competition in a few weeks--but she decided to go back to homeschooling--she will not be allowed to participate in the solo competition because she is not enrolled in a public school. This is due to a STATE LAW that was meant to keep athletes from going to one school and playing a sport at another... BAD wording.

If your son is actually enrolled in a PS class (chorus) then he should be eligible--if he is not enrolled--I doubt that he could enter the contest.

[Nicole M]

Thanks, Jann. Curious and crazy, all these laws and stuff. I'm sorry your daughter was not allowed to play.

I emailed the organization and here's what they said:

If he is registered as a student at Woodrow Wilson High School in some capacity and regularly participating in the Wilson choir, he is eligible for the vocal categories of solo and ensemble. However, if he is just singing in the choir without credit and has no other “official” connection with the school he is not eligible.


So it looks like we can squeak in, as he's enrolled in that class, and gets a grade.


I was delighted that they got right back to me about this. Very rare, in my experience.

[Kelli in TN]

At one time our community had a homeschool band and the band directors jumped through the necessary hoops to get our band members into competition. So, in Tennessee at least, at can be done but it apparently has to be done through the band directors. I think we had members compete two years in a row.

[Kanga]

This is really a state by state issue. My dd played in the local youth phil and was allowed to participate, but other hsers who did not play in the phil were not.

[SheWhoWaits]

I don't know where you live or if the regulations are the same there as here (Michigan). But my son did this while being homeschooled and attending the public school only for band.