Here are the rules verbatim As sent by email to all directors, from Hersal of the rules of Ben Davis Giant Spectacular.
Ben Davis
MIXED & WOMEN’S SHOW CHOIR
General Rules & Regulations
1. During the Day Competition, choirs will compete by division. There
will be four (4) finalists for the Women’s Division and five (5)
finalists for the Mixed Choirs chosen for the Evening Finals
Competition. The Women’s Choirs will compete in the auditorium during
the day and in the gym during the evening.
2. Choirs are free to execute any type of performance they wish. There is
no maximum or minimum number of songs a group must perform. Music need
not be provided to the judges.
3. Directors may be on stage with their respective choirs to direct
and/or play a musical instrument. Directors may not leave the
performance area once the show is in progress.
4. Only those instrumental groups with not more than one adult (including
the director if he/she is playing an instrument) will be eligible for
the Combo Award.
5. All singers/dancers must be high school students currently enrolled at
the school being represented.
6. Adults may assist the students in transporting equipment, props, etc.,
to and from the stage area. They also may assist in handing equipment
to students on the stage, but they will not be allowed on the stage
during the show.
7. Set-up, performance, and tear-down time shall not exceed 25 minutes.
Time shall begin when anyone from the performing group steps on the
stage. Time shall end when the last person from the performing group
with all applicable equipment, instruments, props, etc., steps off
stage. An official timer will be at the stage site and should be consulted
before you take the stage to prevent any misunderstanding as to this
rule. The official timer will also provide direction as to when the
judges are ready for you to begin.
8. No changes to the lighting system provided will be allowed.
9. There is no limit of props. However, no prop that could cause harm to
the performers, spectators, or the facilities shall be allowed. Such
props would include, but not be limited to, water, fire (candles,
fireworks, or other explosive devices), or live animals. Confetti is
not allowed. Fog machines should be cleared prior to the day of the
competition. Debris or water on the stage floor shall be cleaned by
the performing choir, and such clean up will count as part of the
total allowed time. Significant penalties (including elimination from
the competition) shall be assessed for each breach of this rule. It is
the director’s responsibility to clarify with the Giant Spectacular
Director before the competition date any questionable items.
(continued)
10. You may not use any communication device including but not limited to
walkie-talkies, cell phones,
text messaging, etc. to send messages from any spectator area to
the director during the performance.
11. Choirs competing in the Evening Finals Competition shall use the same
show they performed in the Day Competition.
12. You must use the risers provided by Ben Davis High School. We have
four rows, four across, 8”, 16”, 24”, and 32” risers. The risers may be
moved forward or back, and you may add to the risers; but they will not
be removed or taken apart.
PENALTIES:
A group shall be disqualified for breach of Rule #5 or Rule #9.Five
(5) points shall be deducted from your choir’s final score for breach
of Rule #7 (for each one-minute increment).Lowest possible placement
will be given for breach of Rule #10.
This is a direct quote from North Central's contest rules...
2. Directors may be on stage with their respective choirs to direct and/or play a musical instrument. Directors may not leave the performance area once the show is in progress. Any infraction will result in disqualification from the event.
3. No Communication of any form is allowed from anyone off stage to those onstage. That includes head sets for communication to performers or anyone in the audience during the performance. Any infraction will result in disqualification from the event.
It's not who got DQ'd or what contest has the rule, it's the fact that it is a rule at all. It is odd that NC did something that their own contest bars, but that's not the point.
This is a direct quote from North Central's contest rules...
2. Directors may be on stage with their respective choirs to direct and/or play a musical instrument. Directors may not leave the performance area once the show is in progress. Any infraction will result in disqualification from the event.
3. No Communication of any form is allowed from anyone off stage to those onstage. That includes head sets for communication to performers or anyone in the audience during the performance. Any infraction will result in disqualification from the event.
Hey, ISSMA is trying...the system is still young...the very first state contest was 5 years ago, it's still developing...
Most Indiana schools aren't complaining about it, just the schools outside of Indiana...
false. most top choirs in indiana are complaining about the system up until this yr at this contest issma has messed up several good groups. one reason state is not held at ball state any longer was because of the sound problems that bd, lc, and one other group had that probably cost them a spot in finals. and i kno at state the first group that is to perform does their sound check/warm up on stage. issma is trying it just, unfortunately, takes good groups like NC to get screwed over before a change can occur. many groups aren't going to state this yr because of how the system is.
The number of competing groups at a given competition out here varies from as few as six to over 50. And only one venue that I know of schedules time for choir sound checks. Most do not. And we allow use of radio communications.
Such radios do not need to interfere with audio. Television shows have literally hundreds of staff and crew on wireless IFB (interruptible fold back) systems (aka wireless ITE or In The Ear systems) and walkie-talkies all at the same time without interfering with house or recording audio whatsoever.
I guess I'm a little surprised by this uproar. When was the last time you heard of a judged sport (figure skating, snowboarding, ballroom dancing, etc) in which you were allowed to get advice and opinions from your coaches during your performance? I know those are not very similar to show choir, but I always thought the point was to judge the performance you're giving, not the best possible one you can have. If you're off, you're off. It sucks, but it happens.
NC's band had tempo and balance issues thru out the show. If CP's band director was communicating with Mrs. W and the players, don't you think the band would have improved their playing by the end of the show? Hmmm!
Agreed.
I'm glad Hersel came on here to clear things up... but as Haakon said... this DOES need to be discussed.
NC's band had tempo and balance issues thru out the show. If CP's band director was communicating with Mrs. W and the players, don't you think the band would have improved their playing by the end of the show? Hmmm!
As someone who has run sound professionally for many invitationals, I feel the need to comment on this "rule". I believe this rule was put in place many years ago because groups used to use headsets or walkie-talkies to communicate. These devices can and will interfere with the sound system. I don't believe it was put in place to deter groups from communicating, just how they communicate. I have personnally had situations arise where headset communications have come over the loudspeakers because they happen to be on the same frequency. (It was actually a two-way radio that the custodial staff was using at the invitational) It is hard enough for the sound companies to run at invitationals. As many people have posted, gymnasiums are an acoustic nightmare and the soundperson is asked to work miracles. A soundperson cannot make a group sound better, he/she can only make them louder, many times resulting in feedback. Soundpeople are asked to run sound for groups they have never seen and by the time they get everything tweaked the performance is over. Sound men can't correct pitch issues, and they don't know if the director wants the band louder here or not. It would be great if every group could get a soundcheck, but the time restraints make that impossible. Most invitationals do try to run a full sound check with the home school before the competition starts.
I do have a question for someone on the West Coast. Do your groups get sound checks ? Also approximately how many schools (groups) compete at a given invitational. Typically here in the midwest we run 16 or so and it makes it impossible to do sound checks for every group. It is already hard enough to keep to the time schedule. I do find it interesting the differences between how show choir is done in different areas.
Props to N.C. for the way they have handled the situation and from someone who has been in this situation before, I don't envy Mr. Cremeans on having to make the decision but great job in handling it, and for setting us all straight on the situation.
So let's all agree to show the soundmen some love !!
Thanks for taking the time out of your day to address this issue. I really can't communicate enough how much I appreciate when directors participate here so that we can get right to the source and avoid all the needless speculation that often occurs. It sounds to me like you had clearly laid-out rules, followed them as you had outlined, and enforced them as such. No one can really argue with that.
I think it's healthy to discuss the actual rule(s) in question as show choir is continually evolving and changing and we all want the best experience possible for everyone involved. Again, that's what this site is about. On a personal level, I don't feel those particular rules are beneficial to have in place, but as long as they are stated beforehand and everyone has an understanding of what is expected, then there's no room to complain. As someone else stated, it's every choir directors' choice whether or not to attend each competition.
Before I get started I would like to say for the record that the ISSMA offcials did not have anything to do with the ruling. It was my call (with the judges input). While I do not have my directors packet in front of me this is how the rules read...
Rules #3 "No one may leave the performance area once the show has begun"
Rule #10 "there is to be no communication from the audience to the performance area including but not limited to... text messaging, walkie talkies, conducting, etc..."
Penalties - lowest possible placement for breach of rule 3 and 10.
These are the current rules for the Giant Spectacular and about 95% of the other contest that I have been to in the past ten years. We have this rule in place because I am fully aware that not every school has the same resources and that not every school can not communicate in the same way from the audience to the stage. One might argue that texting would be an easy solution, but like most schools it is very difficult to get a signal anywhere in my school. This is a rule that my staff and I will be looking at for future events. We will also be sending out a survey to the directors of the schools that attended for their feedback regarding this tradition.
All rules were sent to the directors well in advance, and then again in their packets the day of the contest. I have to admit that breaking the news to Mrs. Weihe that her group would be getting the lowest possible placement was awful. My students and I all really enjoy the bond we have with NC, and admire them very much. It was a difficult rule for me to enforce, but the rule was very clear. In fact I only witnessed this violation by trying to help a member of their staff.
Again, for the record - I am a huge NC fan (and to you sceptics out there I mean that). We had an amazing contest Sat. and the amazing groups that performed are being ignored because of this unfortunate situation. Could we get back to congratulating the choirs for their efforts?
I would be happy to debate or discuss in private with anyone... IM me please.
Ben Davis Giant Spectacular 2010
