Clinics sound so diagnostic and medicinal, don’t they? (Reference: medical students walking around in white lab coats). But music clinics add another valuable tool for earnest music ensembles who want even more feedback and advice.

1. Consider arranging a clinic before the festival.  Why not bring your best performance to the festival?  Before you leave home, arrange for a college clinician or a respected colleague in your district to come to your classroom and give your ensemble a few pointers.  You and your students can ask more questions, plan more time, and then work with the feedback as you approach your festival performance.
2. Take advantage of Music Education conferences. Clinics and workshops at state and national music conferences offer dedicated content about all aspects of teaching music.  Practical tips, a Q&A session, rehearsal sessions, and camaraderie with other directors who walk your same path make these opportunities well-deserving of your notice.
3. Let us help you arrange a clinic during your festival weekend. Mini-clinics offered by other festival companies usually only allot 5 minutes of face time for one of the judges to come onstage to speak to your group.  We don’t offer this at Forum, but we do have terrific resources for a longer, more expanded one-on-one time with a clinician.  Ask us about it – we’re happy to share our resources with you or discuss other options.
4. Forum Select – let me introduce you! Forum Select began three years ago to provide an expanded post-performance clinic on selected Forum Festival dates. From the performance stage, the group is escorted to a separate room to work with a clinician for 20 to 30 minutes following the performance.  The added expense is minimal, but all reports have been very positive.    When you look at dates on our website, it will indicate whether that date has a Forum Select clinic available.  Email us at office@forummusicfestivals.com for more detail and dates.

Clinicians love to share their own passion – which happens to be teaching music!  Objectivity is a great leveler and teacher.  If you and your students are open and objective, you’ll likely find support for what you’ve been trying to teach your students all year.  Somehow, the same words coming out of someone else’s mouth is easier heard than those that have been coming out of yours.  I hope you’ll consider adding Forum Select to your festival next season.  We’re putting our best foot forward to help your students do the same!