Central States Marching Festival
2024 Central States Marching Festival Date
Date for the 2024 Central States Marching Festival: October 12th, 2024
Registration is Closed: All Performance Spots and Clinic Spots are Filled
General Info
The K-State Bands' Central States Marching Festival has grown into the premier marching band festival in the state of Kansas and the region. 43 of the finest high school marching bands in the area participated in the 2015 event. We are very proud to be able to bring the kind of innovative and educational concepts to our festival that make the day one of the truly enjoyable and instructional marching events in all of the participants' year and are thankful to the Athletic Department for offering us a climate controlled indoor warmup and performance facility in the event of bad weather.
"Coming from a small school with a small group of students, Central States Marching Festival has been an incredibly positive experience. Working with the K-State band staff during the clinic portion helped reinforce marching fundamentals and playing techniques. The performance portion of the festival allows the bands to performin an incredible atmosphere and venue with top quality judges and top quality ensembles. The video critique following the performance is very helpful so the kids can immediately see how they performed and hear from a clinician both positives and areas of needed improvement in their marching and playing."
Jamie Rogers
Director of Bands
Mission Valley Schools
Individual "Mini-Clinics" by members of the video critique panel immediately following the band's field performance. A videotape of the performance is used to assist in the review of the show. Emphasis will be on the positive aspects of each performance with suggestions for improvement.
Optional opportunity for an additional one-hour clinic in the morning with members of the K-State Marching Band staff.
Additional benefits include the opportunity to perform on the newly-resurfaced Wagner Field and/or Memorial Field at KSU and the chance to perform before dozens of other peer organizations. Students will also be treated to an exhibition performance by the Kansas State University Marching Band just prior to the closing ceremonies.
At the CSMF, participants receive quality:
- Adjudication by a panel of nationally recognized authorities in the marching band field.
- Individual "mini-clinics" by members of the video critique panel immediately following each band's field performance.
- A videotape of the performance is used to assist in the review of the show.
- Emphasis is placed on the positive aspects of each performance with constructive suggestions for improvement.
- Optional hour-long on-field clinics in the morning before the festival performance.
- Bands that opt for the on-field clinic can perform part or all of their field show for members of the K-State Bands faculty and staff, who will then spend time clinicing the students on aspects of musicality, marching fundamentals, drill execution, and showmanship.
- The comments and lessons taken from these morning sessions can consequently be applied to the band's festival performance later that day
- Festival Ratings of Superior, Excellent, or Good by class with accompanying awards.
- All bands will receive a festival rating recap.
Marching bands are judged on the following categories:
- Repertoire: Quality, interpretation, use of time, variety, and creativity
- Performance: Showmanship, expression, intensity, and emotion
- Coordination: Staging, continuity, and adaptability
- Auxiliaries: Integration, creativity, and execution
- Musical: Tone quality, intonation, musicality, technique, and ensemble
Adjudicators/Clinicians
Band Directors of participating bands - You MUST submit your band staff names, show information, and PA scripts to Courtney Grecu (cljensen@ksu.edu).
Field Set Up at K-State
The practice field at Memorial Field and Wagner Field (Bill Snyder Family Stadium) utilizes NCAA field markings. Hash markings are '4 steps' further inward than the traditional high school hash markings. A picture of the field is given below with details. If you are doing a clinic at Memorial Field or Wagner Field we will have BOTH hash markings on the field for your convenience.
Utilizing a festival format, CSMF is the finest marching event of its kind in the state of Kansas. Clinic sessions, adjudication, and critique sessions are all designed to provide the most educational venue possible and help to equip the marching programs in the region with the tools they need to continue to develop and succeed. We are pleased to provide Kansas with an innovative and thorough concept in marching festivals.
Tickets
General Admission - $15
With Student ID - $10
Children ages 5 and under - Free Admission
