I don't know if this will work unless it becomes an all expenses paid style event. As it has been mentioned, after a group exhausts its trip fund going to a FAME qualifier, it would then have a period of weeks to raise the transportation funds. Say it's a California group that qualifies through Chicago or Branson - they'd have less than a month to get the money to go to Indianapolis.
If FAME somehow could make this event free for the groups to travel to, stay at, compete in, and travel home, I think its success would be more likely. I'm sure ticket sales could help offset the costs, and perhaps raising the cost of registration at its qualifying events would help pay for this as well.
The following quote is from the bottom of the home page for the championship: "The top three finalists from each qualifying event will receive an invitation to the "National Show Choir Championships" in Indianapolis at the end of April. These National Show Choir Finalists will be sponsored into the event at no charge. Each of these Show Choirs will also receive complimentary hotel accommodations for Friday and Saturday nights as well."
Fame should also provide free health care, free food, free limosines, free ice-cream, free massages, and free manicures. Fame's offer is extremely generous. The only way they could possibly make any money from it is if they televise it. I'm guessing that that is the plan. Glee is good.
As generous as it is, for a true national championship, they cannot expect all of these groups to be able to afford transportation to two national events. Brett's idea is a good one, but if they are truly interested in getting as many of the top groups as possible, it may not be enough.
I think the groups can be expected to pay for their own pre-show massages and manicures, however. But the limousines are a deal breaker.
If FAME somehow could make this event free for the groups to travel to, stay at, compete in, and travel home, I think its success would be more likely. I'm sure ticket sales could help offset the costs, and perhaps raising the cost of registration at its qualifying events would help pay for this as well.
Fame should also provide free health care, free food, free limosines, free ice-cream, free massages, and free manicures. Fame's offer is extremely generous. The only way they could possibly make any money from it is if they televise it. I'm guessing that that is the plan. Glee is good.
The way I see this, the smaller FAMEs could become sort of regional qualifiers. For example, Cali and western groups could hit up Hollywood. Illinois/Indiana groups could do Chicago, East Coast and Ohio could do NYC, and Southern could do Orlando. Oh, and Iowa/Nebraska/South Dakota, etc would do Branson. That is the FIRST thing that I thought of when I saw all of the qualifiers. This way, travel costs are cut down on the qualifying events and can be put towards the SCC event.
I don't know if this will work unless it becomes an all expenses paid style event. As it has been mentioned, after a group exhausts its trip fund going to a FAME qualifier, it would then have a period of weeks to raise the transportation funds. Say it's a California group that qualifies through Chicago or Branson - they'd have less than a month to get the money to go to Indianapolis.
If FAME somehow could make this event free for the groups to travel to, stay at, compete in, and travel home, I think its success would be more likely. I'm sure ticket sales could help offset the costs, and perhaps raising the cost of registration at its qualifying events would help pay for this as well.
Hmm, at first I was skeptical but after reading it all, I like it! Free, well, techinically you paid alot the first time, but free participation and free hotel rooms... very nice. Smart idea Fame!
I just dont understand the point of FAME DC, etc all listed under "open". Why even have the events if they arent going to be considered qualifiers also. I know less groups have gone and are going to these ones, but wouldnt you want to promote those events so theyll have a better turnout in the future?
And does anyone familiar with Indianapolis know where they are considering having the actual competition? At a school? Somewhere downtown? I'd love to see it at pike :-D
I'm only hesitant to jump on board because I know that there are some top groups in indiana who would still not participate because it would cut in to their concert choir season preps. I know North Central, for instance, prides themselves in their streak of Concert Choir state championships...I don't know if Counterpoints would sacrifice that for this. Same for a bunch of the top choirs in indy. But I think it's a great idea...I just wish it was earlier.
Edit: Even though the event is held in indy (which i just read cause I didn't pay attention before ) my point still stands. This year, for instance, quals for concert choir state would be the week after the national championship competition. Again, I'd love to see it happen, but I would like to see indy choirs go all out and not hesitate or limit themselves because of how close this competition and Concert choir season would be.
I just hope that groups are willing to participate in this. That would definately bring the big groups back to FAME competitions consistantly. I remember SCC 2005 ... man.
Really interesting. So they've converted the more or less "regional" FAME events into "qualifiers" for their big national showdown. On one hand, that's a really smart way to breathe some new life into the handful of competitions they host around the country. On the other hand, like Darrin mentioned, two "big trips" is probably quite unrealistic for most people - even if the "qualifier" is closer than the other events a school may have elected to participate in instead.
With that in mind, however, people have been clamoring for a true national show choir invitational for ages now - and one of the biggest questions was how to cull such a list of appropriate candidates from the hundreds of groups that exist across the country. We've never had anything to formally address this - and things like the SCRS are so wildly unpredictable that they're almost a parody of themselves - so here's an interesting way to handle that. Of course this entire thing hinges on getting all of the big groups to participate in the qualifiers and then all of those winners out to the big national event in April. If any of the heavy hitters don't attend then people will still question the legitimacy of such a true "national competition" and we're back to where we started.
It will be very interesting to see who jumps on this and where it goes. It seems like FAME attendance has been down in the last couple of years and the biggest events this year were actually local events like Fairfield and Wheaton-Warrenville. But the only way a true "National Championship" can begin is if people participate and agree to support the notion of the idea.
Obviously, it is a good idea not to require an entry fee for the invited choirs. And providing hotel rooms is a significant expense.
The first sticking point I see is that...transportation is a huge part of big choir trips, and some of the qualifying schools will have exhausted their "This Year's Big Trip Fund" getting to Fame Chicago or Fame Branson or Fame Orlando. It will take quite an effort to schedule another travel weekend for any school outside Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.
FAME Show Choir National Finals 2011
) my point still stands. This year, for instance, quals for concert choir state would be the week after the national championship competition. Again, I'd love to see it happen, but I would like to see indy choirs go all out and not hesitate or limit themselves because of how close this competition and Concert choir season would be.
