BOW VALLEY – The Bow Valley Music Festival is not letting a pandemic get in the way of offering its annual musical adjudication event in 2021, but the program will be a little bit different this year.
For 2021, the adjudication process will be done through submitted videos. There will unfortunately not be a showcase concert; however, the process has been opened up to anyone who would like constructive feedback on a dramatic performance submission.
Deb Reimer, with the organizing committee, said anyone who is a student of music or drama, young or old, may submit a video to the festival for consideration this year.
"This year, because it is a virtual platform, we have opened it up to anyone in the valley that is interested," she said. "It is an education opportunity and a performance opportunity.
"Typically, we would keep the parameters of those studying with a private music teacher in the valley, but just because we are expecting smaller numbers on the virtual platform, why not open it up?"
In the past, the showcase event would allow the festival organizers to provide a live performance opportunity for the top students. The best would be chosen to continue onto provincial competitions.
A video recording of a musical performance or speech can be submitted through the Bow Valley Music Festival website until March 28.
Judges in each discipline will view each video and provide participants with constructive feedback to help them improve their performance.
"We have asked them to recommend those that they think will be able to compete at the provincial level," Reimer said, adding that process is also occurring virtually in 2021.
The Bow Valley Music Festival is one of 35 to occur throughout the province each year since it first began in 2010.
