A note from Steffen Parker...

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For more than thirty years, I have been managing the online aspect of the New England Music Festival by writing my own software on a FileMaker Pro Server that I purchased and maintained. It is time to move those capabilities to a more open and less technical platform so that others can access that information and more importantly, someone will be able to succeed me when that time comes.

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So this year’s application process will be different and that means, for some, challenging. I promise that it will be better next year once I get a better handle on what I can do with a shared platform. Some instructions & guidance for anyone completing an application:

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TO BEGIN:

● Click on the YELLOW BUTTON provided at the BOTTOM of these instructions to begin your application

 

ORGANIZATION & SPONSOR INFORMATION

● Enter your organization and sponsor information in the fields provided

          ○ If you are a private teacher submitting applications, your organization is Private - [Last Name]

          ○ If you are a parent submitting applications, your organization is Parent - [Last Name]

● If your organization has more than one sponsor (teacher), click on the appropriate YES button(s) to add their information

 

SUBMIT THAT INFORMATION

● Click on Enter Student Applications to submit your sponsor information and begin the student applications

          ○ Missing information will be highlighted in RED and must be corrected before submitting

 

STUDENT APPLICATIONS

● Use the pulldown to select the Performance Type

          ○ Use the pulldown that appears to select the Ensemble Type if performing an ensemble

                    ■ Additional Student Entry Fields will appear below the first one to match the number in the ensemble type selected

● Enter the Piece and Composer as they are listed on the New England Repertoire Listing

● Enter an Accompanist if the performance is using one

          ○ Enter the accompanist’s name the same way each time if they are accompanying more than one student performance

          ○ Only enter Accompanists names: DO NOT enter any other information (like NA or Recording or CD) in that field

● Enter the student’s First Name & Last Name (make sure they are the same each time you enter them if they are performing more than once)

          ○ Enter ensemble members in ensemble voice order

● Use the pulldown to select their Voice or Instrument (the list will be different depending upon which performance type is selected)

● Use the pulldown to select their Grade and Ensemble Preference

● Enter a 1, 2 or 3 for the number of years that they have been in the New England Concert Festival

          ○ Leave blank if none

 

VOCAL ENSEMBLE SUBSTITUTIONS

● If you have a substitute in a vocal ensemble (a student who is performing a part, but doing so only to help the ensemble and will not receive a rating), please encourage the student to perform for a rating.

But if not:

          ○ Enter Substitute for their last name (you must complete the rest of their student application fields (First Name - Voice - Grade -              Preference)

● This new platform will not allow me to deduct for substitutions in Vocal Ensembles in its invoicing (working on that)

          ○ Manually adjust your invoice for your substitutes (reducing the total by $20 for each one)

 

ADDITIONAL APPLICATIONS

● Click on Add Another Application to do so - Follow the same steps

● Repeat as many time as needed

 

DELETE AN APPLICATION

● Click on the X next to Application #() at the top of each section to delete that entire application, blank or otherwise (including all ensemble members if any)

 

SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATIONS

● Once you have entered all of your student applications; click on Done? - View Your Invoice to see your totals

          ○ Missing information will be highlighted in RED and must be corrected before submitting

 

RETURN TO FIX AN ERROR

● Click on Back to make any changes in your Student Applications

● Click on Back again to fix any sponsor entries errors

● Click on the appropriate buttons to then move forward again

 

PRINT YOUR INVOICE

● Print the last page as your invoice for payment

          ○ Checks made out to NEMFA

          ○ Mail to Bill Sittard, PO Box 755, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557-0755

 

SEND YOUR APPLICATIONS

● Click on Submit to finalize your application

● You will receive an email with a PDF containing the details of your application including all of the student entry information

 

NEED TO SUBMIT MORE APPLICATIONS

● If you need to add applications to your organization after your have submitted some previously;

● Start with the link again to bring you to a fresh application page

          ○ Enter the same organization name as before so that the applications can be connected

          ○ You do not need to add the second & third sponsor when you do a second application

          ○ Enter your student application(s) as before

          ○ Print this invoice for payment (either with the first or separately)

● Your organization data will combined for the next steps in the process

 

NEED TO EDIT A SUBMITTED APPLICATION?

● Send an email to Steffen Parker (SteffenParker@gmail.com) with the following information:

          ○ Organization Name

          ○ Sponsor Name

          ○ Performance Type

          ○ Student First & Last Name (as entered)

          ○ Change being made

 

TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION ENTRY:

- Use your Tab key to move from field to field

- Use the starting letters / number of your selection from pulldown menus to help select quickly

- Try to do all of your applications at one time for your organization, if possible

- Enter all of the sponsors at your organization in the first application

- Use the Back button on the form to return to the previous page to edit any incorrect information (both applications & sponsor info)

- If you miss printing out the last online page as an invoice, the last part of the detail PDF sent to you has

the same information that you can print for an invoice

- Send corrections or changes to Steffen Parker (SteffenParker@gmail.com) promptly with the information requested.

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