Boston Crusaders Introduces Mass Bay Music Festivals

Mass Bay Music Festivals is a program launched by the Boston Crusaders in October of 2009 under the direction of Kimberly Bolduc. It consists of a series of musical festivals held in the metro-Boston area each spring. The first event was held in April 2010 and was used to attain a good handle on the model that will be used in the future. This festival is unique in that it gives groups ranging from grade levels 4-12 a chance to perform, learn, interact, have fun and create new relationships.

The model for Mass Bay Music Festivals is set into a ?rounds-system? where groups rotate from being in the audience to warming up to performing on stage. Each group that is performing is adjudicated by a panel of experienced educators and during their performance will have at least one other group in the audience to listen and cheer. This gives the performers an audience and gives the other groups a chance to experience the performances of their peers, a chance many students rarely get. Following each performance there is a mini-clinic with a featured judge from the panel. Here the students receive direct feedback on their performance. Each judge is amplified so the groups watching will be also be able to learn from the clinic. At the conclusion of the performances, the groups are then broken down into smaller sections by instrument or part and have a unique opportunity to sit in on a Master Class with instrumental and vocal professionals while interacting with their peers from other programs. Finally, after the Master Classes conclude, awards are given out. Each group receives digital recordings of the performance, the adjudication, and the mini-clinic as well.

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