DIRECTOR INFORMATION ("Rules")
Changes in our 2006 festival are highlighted below in YELLOW.

All NTJazzfest information can be found by selecting a working link of interest on the left margin.

Our festival’s purpose is to provide a positive, noncompetitive educational experience for inexperienced ensembles, or “second” ensembles from high schools with more than one jazz ensemble, or "First and only" jazz ensembles who's director considers them to be "inexperienced."  These ensembles often have little opportunity to perform outside their school district, benefit from the comments of this country’s best clinicians, or hear university or professional big bands. These students can also gain the most from receiving one of the individual talent awards, or by attending a "Special Interest Clinic" at our festival. No director should disqualify their ensemble from participation in our festival because they feel it is not good enough. We have provided this educational experience for thousands of junior high and high school jazz students over the past twenty-one years and received only rave evaluations from directors.

EVERYONE WHO ATTENDS IS A WINNER!

ENTRANCE FORMS MAY BE SUBMITTED ONLINE BEGINNING AT 9:00 a.m. on Monday, OCTOBER 3, 2005, AND WILL CONTINUE UNTIL ALL 35 PERFORMANCE SPACES ARE FILLED.

SINCE OUR FESTIVAL IS "PAPERLESS", YOU MUST SUBMIT YOUR PARTICIPATION FORM DIRECTLY FROM OUR WEB PAGE AND DIRECTORS MUST BE ACTIVE USERS OF EMAIL SINCE THERE IS LITTLE OR NO U.S. MAIL INVOLVED IN THE ORGANIZATION OR EXECUTION OF OUR FESTIVAL.

The 35 performance spaces for "second" jazz ensembles will be assigned on a first-come, first serve basis using Internet-stamped reply times on the online applications. "Second Bands" will get accepted first, then "Inexperienced 1st and Only" bands.  A waiting list will be maintained for groups that enroll after performance spaces are filled. Forms will be discarded from schools who's director identifies their applying band as "Inexperienced first or only jazz ensemble", but who enter more than one jazz ensemble in the question, "Number of jazz ensembles in your school's music department?" No attempt will be made to contact a director to verify the correctness of any form and it is up to the directors to decide if their "1st and only" band is "inexperienced."

In order to provide a high-quality, non-competitive experience to the most possible band directors and schools, A PARTICULAR SCHOOL CAN ONLY BRING ONE BAND TO OUR FESTIVAL.

NEW THIS YEAR (2006 Festival) We must now limit the number of REDUCED PRICE EVENING CONCERT TICKETS ($15) we can sell to our guest schools to the number of students performing, and chaperone(s). We will still provide one complimentary director ticket. We can no longer accommodate evening concert requests for reduced price tickets to bring additional non-performing bands or additional non-performing students from one school. Those non-performing students are welcome to attend the free daytime clinics and concerts, but if they wish to attend the evening concert they must pay for a full price ($25) a ticket. Those tickets must be ordered using the ONLINE APPLICATION.


REGULAR FESTIVAL FEATURES

• A videotape of every band's performance with auditorium performances recorded in stereo using with more than 20 microphones and six camera angles. Bands and combos performing in the auditorium will be broadcast LIVE on cable television to more than 40,000 homes, in stereo LIVE on North Shore Public Radio, and LIVE WORLDWIDE on the Internet.
  
• Every band that performs will have the opportunity to have their performance archived on the Internet for one entire year. Details provided to participating bands.
  
• Every ensemble will receive a private clinic with an outstanding jazz educator.
  
• A 90-minute big band sight-reading session using easy to medium-difficulty charts.
  
• New Trier will provide bass and guitar amps in all performance sites.
  
• Bands are strongly encouraged, but not required to stay for the evening concert. 
  
• "Special Interest Clinics" on such topics as... "So you think you want to be a college music major," "The world of the touring jazz musician," "How to improvise," "How to compose music," "How to become a recording engineer, " "How to become a jingle writer for radio or TV" and others.
  
• Outstanding junior high students can receive a Jamey Aebersold "How To Improvise" Play-A-Long CD.
  
• A Directors Big Band comprised of our guest directors will perform on stage in the afternoon.
  
• Hear great professional and college jazz artists during the day.
  
• Outstanding High School students can receive Jazz Festival Outstanding Musician Certificates.

Format of our 23rd Annual NEW TRIER HIGH SCHOOL JAZZ FESTIVAL... now renamed THE FRANK MANTOOTH JAZZ FESTIVAL AT NEW TRIER HIGH SCHOOL

1. There are five performance sites for big bands... the auditorium stage (1,600 seats and for high school ensembles with 12 or more members), the McGee Theater (600 seats), the student lounge (junior high groups), and in the two third floor band rooms. You may request the location in which you prefer your big band to play on the entry form. Acceptance is "first-come, first-serve". In an attempt to involve as many schools as possible on the main stage, only one band from a particular school will be accepted. Schools that performed on stage last year will not perform on stage this year. Schools can bring additional students for free to attend the daytime concerts and clinics. All bands regardless of where they perform must provide their own cymbals, and use a stacked setup with trombones seated. 

2.  Each jazz ensemble may perform three compositions or 18 minutes, whichever comes first. (Setup and teardown time is not included in this 18 minute period.) Keep in mind that the shorter time you play, the longer you will have in your private clinic with a university clinician. 

3.  Big bands that perform in the 1,600 seat auditorium will have two clinicians record comments during your group’s performance. This is in addition to a stereo stage performance tape without comments and a videotape IN STEREO using more than twenty microphones and six camera angles. Big band performances in the auditorium will also be broadcast LIVE on cable television to more than 40,000 homes and simulcast in stereo on North Shore Public Radio and LIVE WORLDWIDE ON THE INTERNET. Bands performing in other locations will have their concert and clinic videotaped by one camera and can be archived on our website for one year. A clinician comment tape will also be made for non-auditorium bands whose fees are reduced since those ensembles are not being multi-camera videotaped.

4. If you perform on stage, after your ensemble performs it will move to a rehearsal room and work on specific areas of concern heard by your clinician during your performance. Groups that perform in other sites will remain in that location for their clinic. All daytime performance sites are open to the public with no admission charged.

5. Outstanding high school musicians will be recognized at the evening concert when they are presented Outstanding Musician Certificates.

6. In order to expose your students to smaller groups, the GORAN IVANOVIC GROUP will perform at noon. During the afternoon there will be a sight-reading band and eight "special interest clinics." The instrumental masterclasses will be presented by members of DIVA.  Following the masterclasses will be a concert by THE FALCONAIRES (Air Force Jazz Ensemble from Colorado Springs.) The daytime portion of the festival will end by 5:00 p.m. Maps to inexpensive restaurants in the area will be available when you check in, and on this web page.

7. At 7:30 PM, the NEW TRIER HIGH SCHOOL JAZZ ENSEMBLE will perform and festival awards will be presented to outstanding musicians. The concert by DIVA will begin around 8:15 p.m. and end by 10:00 p.m.  PERFORMING STUDENTS and chaperones participating in the day’s activities are eligible to purchase $15 tickets to the evening concert if ordered and paid for by Thanksgiving by their director. Each director will receive one complimentary ticket. Tickets for non-performing students and adults will be $25 each if ordered on the online application form. It should be noted that EVERYONE of our previous evening concerts have been sellouts!

8.  Do not send your entrance fee at this time. You will be billed according to your performance location.  BANDS THAT PAY THEIR ENTRANCE FEES LATER THAN NOVEMBER 1, 2005 WILL BE MOVED TO THE WAITING LIST AND REPLACED BY ANOTHER BAND FROM OUR WAITING LIST. 


PARTICIPATION FEES

There are two participation fees for high school or junior high BIG BANDS, depending on where you perform. 

• $175 fee to help cover your ensemble’s clinic expenses with televised and auditorium performances if you perform on stage.  
  
  OR
  
• $150 fee to help cover your ensemble's clinic expenses if you perform any place other than on stage.

NOTE: Ensembles that withdraw after JANUARY 15, 2006, will forfeit their entire entrance fee. DO NOT SEND YOUR FEE UNTIL YOU ARE BILLED.

Complete the participation form online beginning at 9:00 a.m., Monday, Oct. 3, 2005, and address any questions to:

EMAILED QUESTIONS ARE HIGHLY PREFERRED!

James Warrick   
New Trier High School
385 Winnetka Ave.
Winnetka, IL 60093
(847) 784-6701
FAX (847) 501-6400 
EMAIL address: jwarrick98@yahoo.com (checked frequently)