Guitar

Guitar Ensemble Festivals

The FMEA Guitar Ensemble Festival is a day full of guitar activity, including ensemble performances from elementary, middle, and high school programs. Ensembles of all levels of experience perform for NO RATINGS and receive instant feedback in areas of technique, tone, musicality, and musical interpretation.

2026 Festival Sites:

February 14, 2026: Edgewater High School, Orlando
February 21, 2026: College of Central Florida, Ocala
February 26, 2026: Leon High School, Tallahassee
April 25, 2026: Southwest Middle School, Lakeland

Performance Options:

Solo: Perform one piece in a 10-minute timeslot for evaluation. $15 entry fee.
Small Ensemble: Perform one piece in a 10-minute timeslot for evaluation. $10 per performer, maximum 8 performers
30-Minute Ensemble Workshop: Perform 2 pieces in a 30-minute workshop setting. $150entry fee
60-Minute Ensemble Workshop: Perform 3 pieces in a 60-minute workshop setting, $300 entry fee

Deadline:

Checks and signed entry forms must arrive at the FMEA office 14 days prior to the festival date of the site you choose to attend. Credit card payments are not available for the festival entry fees at this time, so please plan accordingly.

Enter The Guitar Festival

All-State Guitar Ensembles

This year marks the 16th offering of the FMEA All-State High School Guitar Ensemble, AND the debut offering of the All-State Middle School Guitar Ensemble! I would like to thank the committee of dedicated guitar instructors and the FMEA Executive Board for establishing this ensemble and driving guitar instruction in Florida to even greater heights. Kudos to all!

The 2026 All-State 9-12 Guitar and 2026 All-State 7-8 Guitar audition items are available for immediate download and study. We are honored to have Dr. Kami Rowan (9-12) and William Hart Wells (7-8) leading our ensembles this year. Both conductors have chosen a challenging and varied program that will surely excite the performers and audience members alike at the January 2026 event.

2025-2026 All-State Middle School (7th & 8th Grade) Guitar Ensemble Audition Information

2025-2026 All-State High School (9th - 12th Grade) Guitar Ensemble Audition Information

Teachers, please note the "timeline" information on page 1 of both documents, as it contains very important deadlines for August and September. If you have any questions, please contact Ed Prasse by using the Contact Us page and select "Guitar All-State or Guitar Festival Questions."

To enter your students for the auditions: Go to MPA Online and log in or create an account. On your "Profile" page, look at the Schools and Jobs box and make sure you have a Guitar "job" listed there. If you are also a band, chorus, or orchestra director, you will need both that job and the Guitar job listed in order to submit all-state auditions for both.

MPA Online will generate an entry form that must be signed by you and your principal, an invoice, and student/parent participant contracts. All of these must be sent along with payment to the FMEA office.