As you approach the Kalahari on the service road leading up to the building, turn right toward the main entrance of the hotel. Stay left and follow the road to the canopied convention entrance. (see Kalahari Resort Map)

You will be met by Sun Prairie parents, Sue and Kurt Liebl and/or Deb and Erica Lohr (our volunteer staff will all be wearing nametags). Keep your students on the bus. Our staff will board your bus to give some directions to your students and give you your packet which will include: Waterpark wristbands, Adventure Park wristbands, Pizza/soda meal tickets Your ordered Tshirts will be waiting in your homeroom. When you enter the convention center please remember to be quiet in the halls as other performances may already be in session.

Your bus should park in the East Parking Lot. After your bus drops you off have them turn right under the walkway to the "Sands Building". They will then see the new parking lot off to the left on the East side of the convention center. Here is a map showing the parking lot with the new convention space added.

PLEASE NOTE - Regardless of when you plan to arrive at the Kalahari, you MUST go through this process and allow our staff to talk to your students and give you the packet.

Wristbands and tickets that you ordered for each park will be in your packet. Please be careful not to lose any wristbands/tickets as there are no extras and these cannot be replaced if lost. Kalahari has already double checked the number of wristband/tickets found in your envelope. I will also count these to be sure they are accurate. If you have any questions about your wristbands/tickets please contact me and not the group sales office. My cell phone is 608-512-7962.

Please note - You cannot purchase more wristbands for the discounted price while at the Kalahari. Also, you cannot exchange or request more or less of a certain wristband from this point forward. Schools staying the night cannot turn in unused waterpark bands for vouchers to be used at a later date, nor can you swap these out for the Adventure Park. Basically, what you ordered is what you have coming. : )

TIP -You may want to consider bringing a pair of scissors to cut the excess when kids put on their wristbands.

Looking for your program booklets? Due to feedback from past ensembles and the rising costs of printing, we have discontinued the program booklets. You CAN see group photos and music selections on the Beyond The Notes Website however! The Festival listening rubric for your students is available. Feel free to copy and bring them along for your students to use: http://goo.gl/TL2A4k

Performance Area: ABGH (Enter via South Atrium. Exit via South Hallway)

Pizza in CDEF

Wind Clinic in Cypress

Percussion Clinic in Mangrove

Director Hospitality Suite in Ebony

Homerooms are listed on the schedule (more on that below).

Schedule and Warm-up/Homeroom. Please follow the schedule listed for your ensemble exactly. With so many bands participating over three days, it is imperative that we stay on schedule and do not alter the plans. For example, eating pizza at a time not designated for your group will cause crowding and longer lines for food. You have a specific room designated as your homeroom/warm-up room. The room will have enough chairs for you, however there will be no stands (you are welcome to bring folding stands if you wish). You may stay in the homerooms until it states “clear room” on the schedule. At that time you need to take your instruments/supplies out to your buses. Please keep the warm-up room clean and be aware of your scheduled time to be in your warm-up room as we have many groups participating again this year. When you listen to other groups please enter the hall quietly. Wednesday's schedule is tight so you might want to consider bringing your instruments in with you (if needed) to make it to the next performance.

We will have a staff member come to your homeroom when it is time for your group to enter the performance hall to perform. The festival has a history of running right on time. Plan to have our staff member come get your group a few minutes before your scheduled performance time .You will enter the performance area from the South ATRIUM side and exit to the South HALLWAY.

Wednesday groups will have 30 minutes allotted for final setup and performance. Typically, this is more than enough time as our staff will set up your chairs and stands. However, feel free to rearrange the chairs and stands as you wish.

Thursday & Friday groups will have 40 minutes allotted for setup and performance. As stated in the email to you, we will not have the side-by-side experience this year, however we will transition you to the clinic room following your performance.

During the entire festival large percussion will be in the room ready to go. Mr. Bob Spargo, retired band director from Wisconsin Dells and Mr. Rob Smith, service manager at Ward Brodt will serve as the Emcees and will introduce your band when you are ready. A microphone will be available if you or your students would like to address the audience. Please remind parents that we do not want flash photography during the performance (before and/or after is fine). You may also take video during the performance but you will not be able to take video from the adjudication platform.

At this year’s festival, we will again have a percussion specialist watching your percussion section and taking notes during your performance. We have a dedicated room with percussion so your percussionists can receive a percussion clinic in the Mangrove Room while your wind players receive their clinic in Cypress. Your percussionists should take any percussion equipment they brought into the performance hall with them to this clinic. When the percussion clinic has ended, your percussion students will be sent back to your homeroom. (It should time out perfectly with the end of the wind clinic). You will also receive comments from the percussion specialist that will be sent to you via email. This year’s percussion specialists are Ken Paris, Cindy Terhune, and recently joining us - Jim Scheuer, and Tammy Fisher! Click here to read about them!

1 Concert Bells

1 Xylophone

1 Vibes (no motor)

1 Marimba

1 Chimes

4 Concert Toms

1 Concert Bass Drum

1 Gong w/beater

4 Timpani (23”, 26”, 29”, 32”) - no gauges.

1 Clavinova Piano

Percussion not listed above is the responsibility of the performing school. Please label your percussion equipment. Please use yarn mallets on the marimba and vibes (no exceptions). Don't forget to pack your bass drum beater and chime mallets as well.

Concerts will be LIVE on YouTube this year. You got it…all concerts will be broadcast live on the internet so tell your student’s families that they can watch the performance even if they cannot personally attend!

Follow this link to watch live and to subsribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJdbNTO7sPD3y2Ysx2gH4CA?view_as=subscriber

Share this link with your families, other students, (and administrators!) today so they are signed up and ready to listen to your performance!

In the past teachers would come to the adjudicator table to get scores and comment forms, etc. This year your comment forms, conducting critique, and audio recordings will be shared via Google Drive. The trees are happy!

Pizza will be located in rooms adjacent to the performance hall. Each paying participant will receive a ticket for a slice of pizza and a soda. The Kalahari has decided to offer carrots with the meal as well. (Thank you Kalahari!)

The movable walls in these convention centers do little to prevent sound carryover. Please remind students to be aware of this and to be on the soft side during lunch. Cash will not be accepted in this room. If parents would like to purchase pizza or kids want more food, they should purchase it from the food areas in and around the waterpark and lobby. Individuals who requested a special meal due to a food allergy/dietary restriction will be provided a special meal ticket. Just give this meal ticket to any server in the pizza room to receive the appropriate meal requested.

PLEASE NOTE - pizza coupons will ONLY be good in the adjacent pizza rooms in the convention center. You will not be able to use them in other areas of the resort. Thanks!

Where should kids keep their belongings? Lockers are available to rent inside the women's or men's locker room or inside the waterpark. They are $10, $15, or $20 depending on the size of the locker. 4-5 kids should be able to fit in a $20 locker IF they don't bring their entire bedroom with them. If students do not rent a locker, their bags MUST be taken into the waterpark or theme park. They CAN NOT be left in the hallways; Food Court or changing rooms.

Bag Check Policy - The Kalahari will now check ALL bags that go into our Waterpark for carry-in food/beverages; weapons & drugs. Bag checks are done for overnight & day guests. No food or beverage can be brought into the waterpark. This is State Law.

Towels will be available to students.

If a child is sick or cannot attend you will not be able to return the wristband and pizza tickets for a refund. You will however be able to turn it into the Group Sales Office on the same day of your performance (until 5 pm) for a water and/or Adventure park voucher, which will be good until a future date (usually early September). This means that anyone that can't make the event will have a voucher that is good all summer long - which should make them VERY happy! Please DO NOT hold on to water or theme park bands for absent students - they WILL NOT be able to use them for a future visits - only a voucher. The Group Sales Office is located in the long hallway next to the Acacia room as you head towards the main lobby. Pizza tokens will need to be used on your performance day as well and cannot be kept for future use. My recommendation is to offer that token to a hungry student looking for more food.

You MAY NOT ask the group sales office to swap waterpark passes for Adventure Park passes at this point. This has to do with revenue sharing, capacity issues, and more. Thanks for understanding.

Indoor Waterpark:

Wednesday 10 am - 9 pm

Thursday 10 am - 9 pm

Friday 10 am - 10 pm

Wednesday 10 am - 11 pm

Thursday 10 am - 11 pm

Friday 10 am - Midnight

I will have email access until 1 pm on Tuesday, May 21. Following this the best way to reach me will be via text message or phone call. My cell phone number 608-512-7962. See you soon!