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Welcome to the Alberta International Band Festival North (Edmonton & Area)

"Where young Albertans learn to play, and play to learn."


AIBF NORTH 2022 VIRTUAL FESTIVAL

Thank you for your patience........

REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED

We hope that everyone was able to enjoy some rest and relaxation over the winter break. As we return to school in some format, still in the grip of COVID, we find that there are still too many variables in the world of music education that are causing havoc with our normal. We are now dealing with Omnicron and our hopes are that we are able to continue to present AIBF North 2022 in our Virtual format. We will keep you posted as the world changes. We hope that your program is still able to continue to meet and that the students continue to progress in their musical education. Stay safe...stay healthy....keep smiling!


As a festival committee we've listened. You are not alone, and we recognize that this is a building year for everyone. We know that your school and community music programs might look a little different, and so too will AIBF North 2022.

We want your students to safely enjoy participating and performing simply for the love of performing. In the format that we are proposing this year, your ensemble will still have the opportunity to perform for quality adjudicators and receive constructive feedback that will benefit your ensemble. However, we want you to be able to do that without the stress and pressure of being rated or ranked. We want you to make choices that are right for your students, so with that in mind, there will be no grade levels this year. Your groups will still be considered on a rubric and quality adjudicator feedback will be provided.

With the venues in Edmonton requiring strict COVID protocol in terms of spacing, sharing of equipment, disinfecting after each group, vaccination passport requirements for all participants, chaperones and audience, etc. it is not feasible to run the festival in the usual format. Please know that our first commitment is to you, your students, and the educational experience they will have by participating in a festival. As this is a rebuilding year for everyone, here are some of the changes you can expect…

  1. Virtual submission by bands of all ages and experience
  2. Concert Bands and Jazz Bands are welcome to register.
  3. Bands will be limited to maximum 20 minutes of recorded submission.
  4. Video format MP4 is preferred, however audio MP3 is also acceptable.
  5. As it is illegal to send PDF’s of scores to adjudicators, we will have to assume that adjudicator’s will be making comments on only what they hear. It is suggested that directors choose their music accordingly. Keep in mind that the adjudicators have been exposed to a great variety of wind band literature over the years.
  6. No grades, ranking or awards
  7. Highly qualified adjudicator’s will listen and provide comments that will help you to take your students to the next level.
  8. Each director will have the option to do a 10 minute virtual face to face with your adjudicator at a mutually convenient time following receipt of written comments. These meetings will be arranged through AIBF
  9. Registration for each band is set at $150 which allows us to cover our expenses and continue to provide you with a quality festival in the future. The fee is non-refundable.
  10. Online registration will open on December 1st and will close on December 17th.
  11. Submission deadline will be Wednesday, March 16th ( submission details are still being finalized at this point) Adjudicator’s remarks will be received by Monday, April 4th

John K Nikel Scholarship

This past year we were pleased to be able to offer the John K Nikel Scholarship to two students – one in the North and one in the South. We had many outstanding applicants from both North and South and are pleased to announce these recipients.

2021 JOHN K NIKEL SCHOLARSHIPS

NORTH - SOPHIA DE BORJA

SOUTH - LUCAS ZAHARICHUK

Congratulations to both of these future band directors!

We wish them well in the pursuit of their post-secondary music education and look forward to seeing them conducting their own bands in future AIBF festivals.

We will again be offering these scholarships for 2022 - details will be posted towards the end of December.

What is AIBF in a "normal year"?

The Alberta International Band Festivals (both Edmonton North and Calgary South) are run by a volunteers. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a performance platform for outstanding junior high/middle school, high school, and community bands. The Festivals are held each year in Calgary and Edmonton. Organizers are committed to providing participants with a valuable and stimulating educational experience in a non-competitive atmosphere.

All bands are adjudicated against a standard performance rubric established by the Festival Committee. bands receive "Superior", "Excellent" or "Satisfactory" ratings from each of two adjudicators. One adjudicator gives a written evaluation, while the other provides recorded comments of the performance. The Festival also makes an archival recording for each band with no adjudicator's comments.

The Festivals are funded by grants, corporate sponsorship, donations, entry fees and ticket sales. We invite organizations, foundations and individuals interested in supporting the Festivals to contact our Sponsorship Director, Cathy MacRae at [email protected].

For additional information about or questions concerning the Alberta International Band Festival - North, please contact ROB SPEERS: [email protected].